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Washington Women’s Heritage Project records, 1900-2000 
University of Washington Libraries Special Collections 
Lois Imogene Bark 
May 9, 1983 
Cassette 2, Side 2 
 
 
 
Mary Giammona  00:01 
This is Mary Giammona interviewing Lois Bark, curator of the, not textiles, but costumes, at the 
Museum of History and Industry. We're at Lois's home, it's May 9, 1983. We'll continue a little 
bit. This is also tape two, side two. So, looking over the tape and trying to review things I might 
have left out, 
 
Lois Bark  00:28 
Sure.  
 
Mary Giammona  00:28 
I didn't ask you what sort of things you did with your husband as entertainment and what your 
social life was like, or what you did with your own family. Talked about your, your own family 
as a child, but. 
 
Lois Bark  00:42 
My husband was a very, he was a scientific person, and his hobbies were the same as his work, 
he was a collector of antique radios. And when we did travel, but usually it was for something of 
his interest, if we'd go to California, we usually stop at every radio installation on the ocean, 
because he was interested in Marconi, and some of the stations there are the very first ones that 
transmitted across the ocean. So, we would spend a lot of time in places like that. He did, later, 
when he worked at the University of Washington Medical School, he was always interested in 
sound, so, he worked with the deaf; and we went to St Louis, to one of the large colleges, they 
had a large hospital there, and he did some studies there. So, it usually had to do, when we 
traveled it was something on that order. We would travel on the way, but we always had a goal 
in mind, or he did, you know, for something that he particularly wanted to see or learn about. But 
he didn't care for sports very much, he had played when he was younger. But probably, that was 
his problem well that he was too involved in the scientific side of his life, and he didn't-- I did, 
when Rog, my son, was small, I did with him most of the things that boys do with their dads; I 
would take him to the games and that sort of thing. I even went with him when they had those 
little cars that went around the track, you know, real fast, we did that together and that sort of 
thing. Although he and his dad were very close, but always in a scientific way, even when he 
was very small, he taught Roger, oh, how to work with tools. And so even though they were 
together a short time, he, there was a very close relationship between the two. And then he 
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collected antique radio equipment. So, Roger and he would go on little jaunts together every 
Saturday, usually looking at antique stores or junk shops, looking for parts of old radios. And I'd 
have to say that would probably be-- he was not a social person, he didn't care for parties or, his 
fam-- being home was the thing he enjoyed the most, I think, his family. So, it was rather odd, 
because I'd come from a family like that too, and so we were just sort of contending within our 
own, we had a few friends. But my husband was very intellectual and it was hard for him to just 
be, sort of, natural, or like we would say, natural and have a good time, he didn't quite know how 
to do that. And his father was Russian, and his mother was English. And he had had, I think, a 
difficult time growing up, because his mother wanted him to be an English gentleman, sort of, 
you know, and his dad wanted him to be more strong and being like a Russian man. So, he was 
torn between these two people. His, they were quite old when he was born, and that was 
probably part of his problem too, in his later life. But so, I can't say that we really did a great deal 
together, later on, when he knew that there were things that I enjoyed, the theater and so on, he 
made a big effort to to take me and, but we enjoyed going to dinner, I guess we'd probably-- but 
not so very social. We had a small group of engineers and their wives from Boeing that they 
carpooled together, and for a number of years, we went with them and had parties back and forth 
in our houses, and that was probably the most social time of our life together. But mostly, I 
found my own entertainment with women, I would say, during the day, and then spent the 
weekends and the evenings, you know, at home.  
 
Mary Giammona  05:34 
What kind of things did you do during the day?  
 
Lois Bark  05:37 
Well, I, I had a friend. We liked artistic things, so, we usually went to museums, or we liked just 
shops, different kinds of shops like that. We were both gardeners. I spent a great deal of time, at 
that time, in Japanese flower arranging. I was the first Caucasian here in Seattle to be in a 
Japanese school, and so I enjoyed that very much, having grown up with Japanese people on 
Bainbridge Island. And in fact, I met with one of the teachers when my husband's father passed 
away, and they lived in an area where there's several Japanese families; and I went to one of the 
houses to use the phone one day, and so I admired her arrangements, and she asked me if I would 
come to her school. So, I did, and I enjoyed that long time. And I earned, I guess I have, seven 
diplomas from Japan, different types of flower arranging. And when you do that, then you have 
to display a certain number of times and so on. So, I, and I was the president of the Lake City 
garden club for a number of years, and was involved in that. So, it all had to do with that kind of 
thing. And I liked the ballet. And so those things that I enjoyed, I just did with women friends, 
mostly, and, oh, and Rog and I, of course, together, would do things too. My sister did not live 
here, then, she lived in Indianapolis, so, I had quite a group of friends that we did different things 
with. You know, women stuff, I guess you'd have to say, but enjoyed it all, mostly artistic things, 
I think, that we like to do, go to museums and see things that were new and changing. 
 
Mary Giammona  07:41 
Were the difficulties in raising your son as a single parent later?  
 
Lois Bark  07:45 
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Not at all. He, well, he's a, was a very nice little boy, and he was very, sort of, understanding. 
And when my husband died, Rog was just 11, so, and that's when I started to work at the 
museum. And I had to work Saturdays, which was difficult, but I just, we just had a thing. I just 
said, "If we have to make it together, Roger, and I can't worry about you at home, if I have to 
work." And I never, ever had to, not once. He's, was a good student. And he was a, he enjoyed all 
kind, doing all kinds of things, and he had the equipment here to do the things he enjoyed. And 
we had some rules about having kids in the house when I wasn't here, and that sort of thing. But 
he was a child that I never heard him say, "What will I do now?" He liked to read, but he liked to 
oh, he just did everything, you know, and very enterprising. And he was just a wonderful kid, 
you know, really, just I never worried about him. He was, had common sense, and we always 
had communication; he would always call me if anything was different, that he was going to do 
that sort of thing. So, I never, ever, even as a teenager, did I have to worry about him. So, I was 
lucky.  
 
Mary Giammona  09:27 
Do you feel you're much better off for having had a career before you had your marriage and 
family? Do you think you enjoyed it all the more, your family later on because of having a 
career?  
 
Lois Bark  09:36 
Well, yes, I think so, even though they were just absolutely different. But I'd always worked with 
people, and it seemed with being in, a medical technician, I met lots of people, and working at 
the sanatorium that the [?Howard?] doctors ran. So, I would think that stood me in good stead 
later on, and I was a volunteer at the museum, of course, just as I mentioned before. So, it was 
always with people that I had worked in before. So, I suppose those two things did go together. I 
think any experience you have, no matter what you do, adds, you know, some dimension to your 
life later on. But I can't say, there are times that I, that are lonely. It's hard to be always alone 
when you want to have something to tell somebody, when you go home, there isn't anyone there. 
I think that's what you notice most of all. Weekends are always harder, I think, for every woman 
that's alone, but so, many are. But yeah, you think, will it always be like this? Or isn't there 
anything more to this, just working and coming home and, you know, I think everybody would 
feel that way, but that's why I do a lot of things extra, you know, just to kind of keep busy doing 
something too, which helps, but then you get tired too. But I can't say that it has been difficult. 
 
Mary Giammona  11:31 
Did you feel that you personally were very much affected by political or social events that were 
going on within the country? Do you think it had much of an effect on you?  
 
Lois Bark  11:41 
No, I don't believe so. No one in our, well, like during war times or, no one in our family, it 
seems we always, the ages of people, I don't believe any member of our family had ever gone to 
war, which is odd. They just happened to be the age now, when, during World War, see, what 
would that would have been, World War Two? No, Roger was born, and just before, yeah, he 
would have, it would have been the Vietnam War, wouldn't it have been, when he was in school 
in 1970 and we were concerned about that, and he was at the University then, and but it was over 
by the time he was out so, but that, what I would say, would be the only thing that concerned us, 
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I think, for a while. But, no, I don't think so. I think the, being working in a museum, you're sort 
of a little bit set apart, you know, from sort of the regular run of things. You're not really in the 
stream of events, because you're working in the past all the time. So, I suppose that has 
something to do with, you know, to, aren't terribly involved, and just being by myself, it didn't 
seem to make any difference. 
 
Mary Giammona  13:05 
What is special to you about living in, here in the Northwest? Do you think that's something, that 
you would want to live here, even if it hadn't been where you grew up?  
 
Lois Bark  13:12 
Oh, I think so. I've lived in different parts of the country, as I mentioned, in Maryland and in 
Alabama, and traveled in lots of different states. But I like, I don't like really hot weather. I like 
the coolness, and I think it gives you more energy. Because living in the South, after a while, you 
get so that you just aren't able to do anything very vigorous because of the humidity and so on. 
And I like the mountains and the sea, I'd feel very lost, I think if you couldn't look out and see 
the mountains. I know when my sister moved to Indianapolis from here, she said she was always 
looking out her window, window, expecting to see Mount Rainier, and there never was a 
mountain. I think I would notice that too. No, I think I would, I'm glad that I live here, because 
they're, oh, just nothing disastrous very much ever happens, and it just seems that might be a 
very good place to live. And I enjoyed living on Bainbridge Island, I like the salt water. 
 
Mary Giammona  14:21 
Well, as an established museum member, as or, having worked here for all these years, how 
would you like to see the museum maintain the future? What would you like to see done with it?  
 
Lois Bark  14:32 
Well, we're having problems there right now. And somehow they've gotten away from Seattle 
history, and hopefully they will go back to that. Having been the director of education, you see, 
that's what I was when I was first hired there, and teaching Seattle history, it is something that 
people are very interested in. And now you have difficulty in finding anything about Seattle in 
the museum; people are always coming and asking, where is this or where is that that they had 
seen in years past, and it is too bad that they have gone a little far afield. It would be ideal if they 
could sort of reconstruct an early day Seattle street like they have done in the Provincial Museum 
in Victoria. And really, I've always wanted a chronological history of the city with the highlights, 
the major events, sort of built up into a larger display so that you could walk, or through the 
galleries, and when you came out, you'd say, "Oh, I really understand how Seattle became the 
city it did." It's been sort of a mishmash almost all the time. And if they could get the proper 
curator and directors to bring out that picture of Seattle, like because it is a unique city. So, that 
would be what I would hope they'd do, really a visual and tactile type of museum that would tell 
a story.  
 
Mary Giammona  16:15 
Well, what would you like to see saved now, from this generation, for the future? What are the 
things that you think would be important to put into the museum now? 
 
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Lois Bark  16:24 
Well, you mean historical, historic things. Of course, it is Seattle and King County, so [telephone 
rings]. Things from the past that you that I think children or young people should see or visitors?  
 
Mary Giammona  16:42 
Things that we would save now. 
 
Lois Bark  16:44 
Oh, I see. 
 
Mary Giammona  16:45 
 For the next generation or two.  
 
Lois Bark  16:46 
Well, that's kind of hard, isn't it? Of course, what we've done in the past is those major events 
that have changed either the geography of the city or the, perhaps the philosophy of the city has 
always been of interest. It'd be hard to pick something right now because, probably because we 
are in such a building boom, that would be something, the changes that have gone on in, 
especially in downtown Seattle. So recently, the large buildings and so on, how that came about, 
to do that, why the city grew so quickly and the population changes over the time is interesting. 
What makes it, why people came here, and probably some of the larger, because we are history 
and industry, then we have to show some of the new industries that have come, that have brought 
more people. Different kinds of people, are here than were before, why the change in the ethnic 
groups has changed so drastically, and I think more and more we'll probably be tending to, have 
exhibits that would interest those people to now, the Oriental people that are here more than ever 
before. Can't think anything right off that would be anything special. 
 
Mary Giammona  18:24 
What would you like to see in the costume collection?  
 
Lois Bark  18:27 
Well, we are still receiving old garments, but we haven't, usually you don't begin collecting a 
certain era until maybe 25 or 30 years after the time. So, the last group of things that we've 
collected, to an extent, are the '60s. And those, as we usually start getting collections when that 
age group is starting to pass away, and the clothing is taken from the home and the estate and 
then given to museums, ordinarily. And so it'll probably be quite a while before we're collecting 
these things. It'll be interesting to see polyesters and plastic things in the museum, and there'll be 
a different method of taking care of them too, that we'll have to think about when that time 
comes. But of course, the workmanship and the fashion itself would be held as part of history, 
but it certainly can't compare with the older things that were done. I don't think there's really 
anything outstanding that I can think of right now that would, that we would preserve, other than 
just day-to-day living and geographical changes that we've always shown there in the county. Of 
course, the county is growing up and as we are supposed to be a mirror of that too. I'm sure that 
we can bring up some good exhibits from the county, where that is changing too, as people are 
going out into the suburbs more. 
 
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Mary Giammona  20:16 
Well, how do you feel about retirement? Do you know what you'll do after that? Or do you ever 
expect to retire? 
 
Lois Bark  20:25 
It is hard to think about that. I have a lot of energy, and I think I would find it hard not to have 
something to do every day. And so I will, I haven't really gone into it that much, to decide some 
of those things that I would be involved in. I probably would go back to medicine in some way, 
like even working with children at the orthopedic. And I've started in the Washington Literacy 
Council, so, perhaps I would continue that. I'm sure that whatever I do will be involved with 
people in some way, whether it's a learning procedure or just taking care or, you know, having a 
visiting thing with children, that sort of thing. But I imagine that it will be that, I, it's hard to 
think about that, you don't, because I've never been ill, and I just, I never think of age, really, I 
guess. And so I just keep chugging along until the day comes when I won't be able to, you know, 
work there anymore, and that, you know, things change too. So, when that time comes and I feel 
I'm no longer an asset to the museum, then I think that would be time for me to go. I do still have 
a tremendous speaking series, always, each year, and that, I don't know how I'll phase that out, 
because there isn't anyone there to take my place. It's something I've put together myself, and it's 
all in my head. So, I can't, you can't really tell someone how to do that. So, that'll just be over 
with when I leave, I suppose, and that someone else will come along to do something else. But 
I've enjoyed that, I think, probably more than any part of what I do at the museum. And it's a, 
sort of an ego trip, in a way, because you have a little bit of sort of fame in a little, in a small 
way, and people enjoy what I do and ask me to come back, you know, again, two or three times 
even. So, that's always pleasing, and it makes you feel good that people enjoy what you do. So, it 
might be that I would work in that capacity, as long as I'm able to do that for the museum, and I 
could still get a collection to take out, or something of that sort, to talk to women's clubs. But I 
do that at least 50 times a year, which is quite often. So, I enjoy that. 
 
Mary Giammona  23:30 
Oh, I got my last question here. What would you say would be the happiest time of your life? Or 
has it all been happy? 
 
Lois Bark  23:37 
No, I have, I can't say I've had a really happy life, like some people, there was always sort of, I, 
of course, my marriage was happy, but it was short. I've always, I'm not a sad person, or to dwell 
on that. And my son has always been an inspiration to me, I think I, and I was always so happy 
that he turned out as well as he did during a difficult time. But there are lots of things that I 
haven't been able to do that I think I would, would have liked to do that you can't do alone as 
well, to have people share what you do and see. I think that I've certainly been fortunate that I 
haven't been ill, I've been able to do all the things I enjoy, but I think to share it with someone 
would have made it more complete. But, oh, I've never been a real joyful [?type?], I never think 
of myself as that, just, I'm just a quieter type person. But probably when, when my son was 
small, and around three or four years old, and we traveled more and did things with him more 
together, that probably would have been the happiest time. And I think as a child, on Bainbridge 
Island, I always think of that very, with very fond memories, of living on the island, I think. But, 
oh, I never traveled abroad or, but I've never had a great desire to do that. I've always liked 
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seeing the United States, there's so many wonderful things here, I've never had any great desire 
to go outside the country, really. But I, I think I've just, you know, had a pleasant, sort of 
ordinary life with a few little specialties thrown in along the side. But I think association with a 
lot of wonderful people all my life and I helped raise two children that happened to be black, two 
young girls that have grown up, young ladies, and turned out very well. Have a-- 
 
Mary Giammona  26:12 
Oh, I'll have to ask about that too. 
 
Lois Bark  26:14 
--Have a lovely card from one of them that she sent me Mother's Day, and she's a physical 
therapist, and I urged her, you know, got her into the university and so that, she, she's very good 
student, the older girl, the other one, had some problems. But, well, those are pleasant things 
that, but that was quite a number of years ago, but we've always kept in touch. It was during a 
time in their life when they needed a woman to help. And so I just brought them here in, in our 
home and stayed, they stayed here for, oh, six months or so, until they got established again with 
their father and but that-- 
 
Mary Giammona  26:58 
Were they very young? 
 
Lois Bark  26:59 
Just young teenage girls, 10, 12 years old. And so now they're 30, I guess, they were about 
Roger's age, my son. So, that was an interesting time, and I just felt strongly that they needed 
help. They're wonderful young ladies, and I knew their father, and so I just helped him out of a 
bad situation. Their mother finally died, and she'd been ill for a long time, and they had some 
problems with her when they were young; and one had been one the girls had been damaged by 
that, so, I knew she needed just a female touch somewhere along the way, so that, we still, you 
know, see each other and, not often, but we keep in contact by phone. So, that was a pleasant part 
of my life too.  
 
Mary Giammona  27:58 
Well is there anything else you'd like to add too, that you might have left out or thought about 
since we talked last? 
 
Lois Bark  28:03 
I think we just about covered everything that I can think of. I've just, you know, lived a rather 
quiet life, I guess, and just enjoyed nature and things around me and been aware of been aware of 
the world around me a lot, I think. I just noticed growing things and that kind of thing always, 
and that gives me a great deal of pleasure. Today, I walked around Green Lake with a girl that 
worked at the museum and her new baby. And so it's just nice to be able to tell her about some of 
the trees that are there, or some of the different, the older aspects of the lake, what it used to be 
like. And I kind of like that. My sister always says, "When you retire, you can be a tour guide." 
But I think I enjoy that part of my life. I've been-- and the museum has really, it's been my whole 
life, practically, and I've learned a lot there. Learned a lot about people and, and then just the 
things that I needed for my job. 
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Mary Giammona  29:15 
you seem to have been teaching almost everything,  
 
Lois Bark  29:18 
That's right, yeah. It seemed like everything that I ever learned to do, I ended up teaching it. I 
guess I'm a frustrated teacher, but I think that's just about it. 
 
Mary Giammona  29:30 
Okay. Well, thank you very much for this interview.  
 
Lois Bark  29:32 
You're certainly welcome, it's been enjoyable for me too.  
 
Mary Giammona  29:36 
Thank you. 
 