Postcards

Invented in 1869, picture postcards first appeared in the United States in 1873. Postcards soon became a popular means of communication, requiring only a penny's worth of postage. Simple and inexpensive, tourists also began collecting postcards as an ideal keepsake souvenir of places visited. They became a major collector's item between 1904 and 1912, an era often referred to as the “Golden Age” of the postcard. The popularity of the postcard continued with the real photo postcard. With manufacturers able to print thousands of copies of a particular image, postcard racks appeared at every tourist attraction.
As in other Western cities, Spokane boosters used postcards to promote tourism and create souvenirs. They also boasted of the scenery with pictures of mountains, streams, and other natural views.