Postcards

Title

Postcards

Description

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.

Source

Postcard Collection. Northwest Room. Spokane Public Library.

Collection Items

Great Kettle Falls of the Columbia, Eastern Washington.
Great Kettle Falls of the Columbia, Eastern Washington.

Old Rochester Hotel, Kettle Falls.
"The Old Rochester Hotel built in early day Kettle Falls, Wash."

Singers Junction, Kettle Falls.
"At the Junction Highway 395-22 - Kettle Falls, Wash."

Kettle Falls, Wash.
Kettle Falls, no date.

Wagons and tipis at Kettle Falls.
Wagons and tipis near a bridge at Kettle Falls.

Roaring Creek Falls, Ellensburg, Washington.
Roaring Creek Falls, Ellensburg, Washington.

Kerns Motel, Ellensburg, Washington.
Kerns Motel, Ellensburg, Washington.

Central Washington State College, Ellensburg.
Central Washington State College, Ellensburg.

Pearl Street, Ellensburg.
East side of Pearl Street, looking north. Ellensburg, Wash.

Lourdes Academy and Catholic Church, Ellensburg, Wash.
Lourdes Academy and Catholic Church, Ellensburg, Wash.

Central Washington State College, Ellensburg.
Central Washington State College, Ellensburg.

Street Scene in Ellensburg.
Street Scene - Ellensburg, Washington

Packing Apples - near Ellensburg, Wash.
Packing apples near Ellensburg, Washington.

Washington National Bank, Ellensburg, Wash.
Washington National Bank, Ellensburg, Wash.

Washington National Bank, Ellensburg, Wash.
Washington National Bank, Ellensburg, Wash.

Nanum Creek near Ellensburg.
"The Nanum - near Ellensburg."

Training School, Washington Normal, Ellensburg, Wash.
Training School, Washington Normal, Ellensburg, Wash.

State Normal School, Ellensburg, Washington.
Drawing of Barge Hall at CWU.

Normal School, Ellensburg, Wash.
Students in front of Barge Hall at CWU.

Cliff Park, Spokane.
Cliff Park, Spokane, ca. 1910.

Comstock Park, Spokane, Wash.
"Colmstock (sic) Park - Spokane, WN"

Picnicking on the Spokane River.
"One of the New City Parks at Spokane, Wash." This is Riverside State Park, which was originally a city park but transferred to the state in the 1930s.

Coeur d'Alene Park, Spokane.
"View in Coeur D'Alme (sic) Park, Spokane, Wash."

Coeur d'Alene Park, Spokane.
Pond in Coeur d'Alene Park, Spokane.

Coeur d'Alene Park, Spokane.
"Pond in Coeur d'Alene Park, Spokane, Wash."

Flowers in Coeur d'Alene Park
Coeur d'Alene Park, Spokane, Wash.

Gardens in Coeur d'Alene Park, Spokane.
"Coeur d'Alene Park, Spokane, Wash."

Gazebo in Coeur d'Alene Park, Spokane.
Coeur d'Alene Park, Spokane, Wash.

Fountain in Coeur d'Alene Park, Spokane.
Coeur d'Alene Park, Spokane, Wash.

Coeur d'Alene Park, Spokane.
Coeur d'Alene Park, Spokane.

Gazebo in Coeur d'Alene Park, Spokane.
Coeur d'Alene Park, Spokane, Wash.

Coeur d'Alene Park, Spokane.
Coeur d'Alene Park, Spokane, Wash.

Fountain in Coeur d'Alene Park, Spokane.
Coeur d'Alene Park, Spokane, Wash.

Liberty Park, Spokane.
Liberty Park, Spokane, Wash.

Liberty Park, Spokane.
Sepia toned image of Liberty Park.

Beautiful Liberty Park, Spokane, Wash.
"Beautiful Liberty Park, Spokane, Wash."

In Liberty Park, Spokane.
Staircase in Liberty Park.

Liberty Park, Spokane, Wash.
Liberty Park, Spokane, Wash.

Davenport Fountain, Duncan Gardens, Manito Park, Spokane, Washington.
"Davenport Fountain, Duncan Gardens, Manito Park, Spokane, Washington. Erected in 1956. Presented to the citizens of Spokane in memory of Louis M. Davenport by his wife and son."
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