School furniture inquiry form, Philadelphia, PA, circa 1900

About this postcard

A printed inquiry form from the School Furniture Department of N. Snellenburg & Co. in Philadelphia. A school board secretary could check off the furniture wanted and ask for prices and printed matter. The checklist covers tubular steel and cast-iron combination desks, adjustable box desks and chairs, universal movable desks, fixed auditorium seating, folding chairs, and teachers' desks and chairs. Blanks ask for the buyer's name, post office, district, county, state, expected purchase date, and the schedule and location of board meetings. The form reflects the early twentieth-century shift in schoolrooms from fixed wooden desks to adjustable steel and cast-iron furniture. Department stores like Snellenburg's sold school furniture to districts, and forms like this one let a board request prices before placing an order.