1910 Spokane WA Plumbing Supply Interior RPPC – Bathtub Stove Toilet Display
Original real photo postcard (RPPC) showing the interior of a Spokane, Washington plumbing and heating supply company, circa 1910–1912.
AZO four-triangle stamp box (1904–1918)
Displays early cast-iron bathtub, toilets, lavatories, and ornate stove heater
Likely one of the firms listed in Polk’s Spokane Directory (e.g., Spokane Gas Fitting Co.)
Sharp, detailed sepia image — excellent condition
Scarce glimpse into early 20th-century Spokane commercial interiors.
This rare RPPC captures the salesroom and office interior of a plumbing and heating supply business. Visible items include:
Ornate cast-iron clawfoot bathtub and two ceramic water closets (early “washdown” style)
Pedestal lavatory sinks and nickel-plated faucets on wall display
Victorian-era parlor stove used to heat the office
Early roll-top desk and scale with stacks of invoices and catalog books
A man, possibly the shop owner or clerk, seated in the corner beside the stove
Wall calendar (unfortunately partially obscured but circa 1910 layout)
This type of composition—industrial retail interiors—was popular in local business promotions and trade postcards before WWI, often mailed to suppliers or clients to display modern equipment and facilities.
Historical Context
During this period, Spokane was booming as the commercial and distribution hub of the Inland Northwest. Plumbing firms flourished due to massive post-1908 building expansion.
From the Polk’s 1911 Spokane Directory, several plumbing companies advertised on Howard, Sprague, and Wall Streets—Spokane Gas Fitting Co., Pemberton Geo T., and Inland Heating & Plumbing Co., among others.
The furnishings and fixtures in the image match the period advertisements for those same firms, which sold modern plumbing and heating fixtures to hotels, hospitals, and new residential builds across the region.
Interesting Notes:
I'm fairly certain that the map on the wall to the right of the man in the chair is of Spokane.
I think that the calendar on the wall is July 1914
Interestingly, thebathtub, sinks, and toilets look like a mixture of both old and new fixtures. The bathtub, in particular, looks a little worse for wear, and perhaps was salvaged. There were 34 plumbers in the Spokane directory, so this photograph could possibly have been taken in any of these places in Spokane.
That's all the research I have on this card. Good Luck!
Note: The colored remastered version does not come with the Card.
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