Sara Peté and James Maeda are two stalwarts of the Olympia underground. We first met each of them individually through their outposts at the Olympia Timberland Library and Rainy Day Records, respectively—two essential pieces of the culture of downtown. But it became obvious that they’re a pair of eccentrics who magnetically pull toward each other with some kind of mystical combustion, and together they have created some of the most amazing collections this side of the Mississippi. James has taken it upon himself to become the leading historian on Olympia flyers from the 1980s and 1990s—the times during which the punk rock culture of the town had a huge impact on not just the rest of the country, but the world at large, through riot grrrl and what was to be later referred to as “grunge.” Neither of them is originally from Olympia, but many of their collections—like jumbuttons, a thing that seems to only exist at Lakefair, the yearly downtown carnival—are specific to the region. The amount of history that dwells inside their modest home is immense, and they are dutiful keepers.
