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John W. Graham Company Records, 1891-1950

Overview of the Collection

Creator
John W. Graham & Co. (Spokane, Wash.)
Title
John W. Graham Company Records
Dates
1891-1950 (inclusive)
Quantity
4.8 ft.
Collection Number
Ms 12
Summary
Established by John W. Graham in 1889 as a book and stationery business, which grew to include the sale of photographic supplies, leather goods, paint and wallpaper, school books and supplies, and art supplies. Financial statements and expense ledgers (1891-1947), store catalogs (1909-1950), advertising scrapbook (1948), and fragmentary correspondence (1903-1945).
Repository
Eastern Washington State Historical Society (Northwest Museum of Arts and Culture)
2316 W. First Avenue
Spokane, WA 99201
archives@northwestmuseum.org
Access Restrictions

Collection is not restricted.

Languages
English
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Biographical Note

John W. Graham arrived in Spokane Falls immediately prior to the fire of 1889. He opened a book and stationery business following the disaster and established a company that grew to include photographic supplies, leather goods, paint and wallpaper, school books and supplies, and art supplies. The store motto was “If it’s made of paper, we have it.”

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Content Description

The collection includes financial statements and expense ledgers, 1891-1947; store catalogues, 1909-1950; advertising scrapbook, 1948; and very fragmentary correspondence, 1903-1945.

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Use of the Collection

Restrictions on Use

Copyright has not been assigned to the Eastern Washington State Historical Society. All requests for permission to publish or quote from manuscripts must be submitted in writing to the Museum Archivist. Permission for publication is given on behalf of the Eastern Washington State Historical Society as the owner of the physical items and is not intended to include or imply permission of the copyright holder, which must also be obtained by the researcher

Preferred Citation

John W. Graham Company Records (Ms 12), Eastern Washington State Historical Society/Northwest Museum of Arts & Culture, Spokane, WA.

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Administrative Information

Arrangement

The collection is arranged into 4 series, with series 1 and 3 containing subseries:

  • Series 1, Biographical Material
  • Subseries 1.1, Advertising
  • Subseries 1.2, Correspondence - Trial Balance Book 1
  • Series 2, Catalogues
  • Series 3, Ledger Sheets
  • Subseries 3.1, Stock Certificates
  • Series 4, Trial Balance Ledgers

Acquisition Information

Donated by Chester Seeley.

Bibliography

Nolan, Edward W. A Guide to the Manuscript Collections in the Eastern Washington State Historical Society (Spokane, WA: Eastern Washington State Historical Society, 1987).

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Detailed Description of the Collection

Names and SubjectsReturn to Top

Personal Names

  • Graham, John W., of Spokane, Wash., fl. 1889-1892
  • John W. Graham & Co. (Spokane, Wash.)--Archives

Geographical Names

  • Spokane (Wash.)--Business, industries, and trades
  • Washington (State)--Business, industries, and trades

Finding aid prepared by Edward W. Nolan
2023

CC Attribution
This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License.

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