Frank Palmer (1864-1920) was a commercial photographer in Eastern Washington in the early 1900’s. Although he left a wide ranging visual record of Eastern Washington and Idaho, little personal or business records of his life were left beside a few ledger books, some few pieces of incoming business correspondence to his wife and a few advertisements.
When Palmer died in 1920, a brief obituary in the Spokane “Daily Chronicle” indicated he came to Spokane, Washington from Atchison, Kansas in 1908. His wife, Francis, a German immigrant who assisted Palmer in of his photographic endeavors, inherited his negatives and continued to sell prints until 1930.
Palmer began his work as a photographer in the area from about 1900 to his death, specializing in “scenic photography," much of it of a promotional nature. One of Palmer’s business cards listed his offerings as “Inland Empire-Wonderland Scenery - Farm – - Orchard - - Live Stock and all the varied Industries,” reflected in this collection of his photographs, which also included photographs of America Indians in Eastern Washington and Idaho. Many of Palmer’s photographs were used by transportation companies and local chambers of commerce to promote tourism and were made into postcards. Among his clients were North Idaho’s Red Collar Steamship Line, railroads including the Northern Pacific, Great Northern, Spokane Inland Empire and the Idaho & Washington Northern, the Spokane Chamber of Commerce, the “Spokesman Review” and “Outdoor World and Recreation Magazine.”
In 1987, Edward W. Nolan, Curator of the Special Collections and Archives at Eastern Washington State Historical Society produced the book, “Frank Palmer, Scenic Photographer,” providing an historical context for Palmer, and describing and dating many of the photographs in their collection.
Photographs of Native Americans, Spokane, Eastern Washington Landscapes, Agriculture, Missions, and the Japanese Honorary Commercial Commission Banquet in Spokane. Eastern Washington and Idaho.
Entire collection can be viewed on the Libraries’ Digital Collections website. Permission of Visual Materials Curator is required to view originals. Contact Special Collections for more information.
Status of creator's copyrights is unknown; restrictions may exist on copying, quotation, or publication. Users are responsible for researching copyright status before use.
Written on verso: Calispell [sic] Indians, a small tribe on the Calispell Indian Reservation on the east bank of the Pend d'Oreille river near the town of Cusick, Pend Oreille County, Washington
Fort Colville was named after Andrew Colville, a London Governor of the Hudson Bay Trading Co., as differentiated from the US Army's Fort Colville built in 1859, a few miles east of the Hudson Bay Trading Co. fort.
Written on mount: Old Fort near Marcus.
Written on verso: Built by Jesuit priests in 1833.
Established by Jesuit Fathers Joseph Joset and Louis Vercruysse circa 1847. Damaged by fire in 1910, the present structure was restored in 1939-40. It stands today overlooking Lake Roosevelt.
Written on verso: St. Francis Regis Mission near new Kettle Falls, Washington.
Also known as the Church of the Sacred Heart, the Cataldo Mission or simply the Old Mission was built without nails in Cataldo, Idaho and is Idaho's oldest standing building, constructed circa 1846-1853.
Written on verso: Scared Heart Mission near Cataldo, Idaho
Written on verso: Interior of (Cataldo) Mission near Cataldo Sacred Heart.
Scrap of paper with text: Interior view of Sacred Heart Mission in Cataldo, Idaho where Col. Wright signed a treaty of peace with the Coeur d'Alene Indian tribe following the brutal campaign in the Autumn of 1858.
Written on verso: Spokane Valley
When the Grand Coulee Dam was built in 1940, Kettle Falls was flooded, creating Lake Roosevelt.
Written on verso: Smythes Fort Hangman Creek showing the side of Col. Wright's Camp, Sept 1858
Originally called Latah Creek, it was renamed named Hangman Creek when 17 Palouse Indians were hanged along the creek ordered by Col. Wright in 1858.
Written on verso: Battle Butte - Four Lakes. Col. Wright's Butte
Named in honor of Col. George Wright who defeated at its base, the "northern Indians" in the battle of Four Lakes on September 1, 1858.
The railroad was was part of the Spokane Falls & Northern Rwy, later Great Northern Rwy Kettle Falls Branchline.
Written on verso: Entrance to the Hall of the Doges, Spokane, where Chamber of Commerce entertained Japanese trade envoys, September 11, 1909
Possibly displayed for Japanese trade envoys visiting in conjunction with the Alaska-Yukon-Pacific Exposition held in Seattle, Washington in 1909
Written on verso: Alaska-Yukon Pacific Exposition, 1909.