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Photos that Show How the U.S. Postal Service Has Changed

The U.S. Postal Service, or USPS, bears no question to American citizens. Its reputation and history are steeped in stories and significance. Benjamin Franklin and the Second Continental Congress initiated the everlasting lifespan of the postal service in 1775. Then, post offices and roads were established by Congress in 1787, and the postal service has since prospered.

If the Postal Service’s history has ever enamored you, keep reading to learn of the many ways it has changed. We tackle different aspects of the USPS, such as the automobiles it used, the environment of post offices, and even instances where no vehicle was employed for mail delivery. From planes and wagons to scooters and horses, you’ll find wonder and entertainment among these photos.

Night Plane

Night Plane

When you hear the words “postal service,” you (probably) picture a comically small, white truck with a striking blue eagle that embodies the patriotic nature of the U.S. And we can’t forget the wonderfully kind man who drove the truck: the whole neighborhood adored him! While that’s today's expectations of the U.S. postal service, Chicago in 1926 had different ideas for mail delivery.

With some outgoing aspirations, the postal service of the early 19th century saw the lackluster potential of motor vehicles and instead found planes to be the right move. There even appears to be an automobile dedicated to this unconventional postal delivery with the words “U.S Air Mail” pasted on the side. How effective this night plane was for Chicago’s mail delivery is unknown. Although I can’t help but picture the postman (or pilot?) haphazardly throwing people’s mail out the side of the plane and leaving fate to do the rest.

U.S. Post Office Department, Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons

Mail Wagon

Mail Wagon

A far cry from a mail airplane, a mail wagon is more grounding and perhaps safe for mail delivery. Perfect for neighborhoods to receive their mail in a timely manner, the wagon is essential for hauling sacks of mail and parcels for every U.S. citizen. Not to mention, it looks like the postman has plenty of legroom, a shocking contrast to today’s mail trucks and their tiny interior.

The 1916 United States Postal Service had some fine and comfortable accommodations in their delivery vehicles. Besides the legroom, the mailman has open windows and doors to let the fresh air brush its light and airy fingers across his skin. While he’s bringing the American people their anticipated mail, he can enjoy the ever-changing seasons. But let’s hope he keeps the mail secured and safe from the elements.

Harris & Ewing, photographer, Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons

Mail Trucks

Mail Trucks

Not unlike the mail wagon in appearance and performance, mail trucks are basically what we have today. However, in 1914, the U.S. Postal Service had some architectural skills up its sleeve. Those large, round wheels look as if they moved the vehicle at a notable speed. If you had seen the postman in this mail truck, you’d probably have thought he was in a high-speed chase! But fret not; it’s just the postman diligently doing his mail delivery job.

The mailmen have little to no room in their seats, and even though that leaves plenty of space for heaps of mail, the workers have no room to stretch their legs, put their arms on an armrest, or even turn their head to talk to coworkers or welcoming passersby. The postal service has always been adamant about the language and practice of mail delivery, so maybe the 1914 postal service was a little too passionate about their work and forgot about the wellbeing of their employees.

Harris & Ewing, photographer, Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons

Mail Carrier

Mail Carrier

When you don’t have a vehicle at your disposal, there’s only so much you can use to get around, and, you guessed it, our two legs are the most obvious choice. A mail carrier is exactly how it sounds: a person who carries mail to the houses or mailboxes of U.S. citizens through the means of the anatomy of the human body. 

Frankly, walking through neighborhoods while carrying boxes and bags of mail sounds exhausting. But the mail carrier in the picture looks content, with a subtle smile and looking somewhere in the distance, as if he’s already mapping his route to the next house. He looks far from tired, and he’s delivering mail with style: in a dapper suit and complementary hat, the mail carrier is no stranger to walking great distances with loads of mail on his back.

Harris & Ewing, photographer, Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons

Mail Bags

Mail Bags

Mailbags sound innovative, effective, and fit for the strenuous job of holding the American people’s mail. In the picture, there was evidently no shortage of them, and it looks as if every citizen had a bag catered to their mail. However, despite their assumed potent functionality, mailbags can be quite deceitful.

You’re probably asking how a bag, of all things, could be deceitful. Well, I’ll tell you. According to the Smithsonian National Postal Museum, canvas mailbags had a short lifespan and “wore out in less than two years.” Their performance for the U.S. Postal Service was flawed and futile compared to their predecessors: the leather mailbag. In fact, many postal workers favored the leather mailbag because of its sturdy and effective performance. Regardless, the postal service inevitably switched to canvas mailbags. They look like they would hold up to the demands of the U.S. Postal Service, but I guess the material was no match for the arduous duties of mail delivery.

Harris & Ewing, photographer, Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons

Mail Box

Mail Box

The infamous mailbox, the small, almost forgettable box that sits outside our houses and holds the myriad of human emotions: letters expressing love, homesickness, dejection, or sorrow, and parcels that carry objects of anticipation, wonder, and excitement. To put it simply, mailboxes seem trivial, but they actually hold much significance to American citizens.

Alongside the emotional inclinations, mailboxes obviously have a functional use. The mailbox is a very easy and effective way for people to receive their mail in a timely and orderly manner. They also have some style to them, right? This one from 1911 looks quaint and small; it’s the perfect size to hold letters and small packages. Truthfully, today’s mailboxes don’t have nearly the same degree of cute yet effective style as an early 19th-century mailbox.

Harris & Ewing, photographer, Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons

Sealing Machine

Sealing Machine

A sealing machine…that’s a new one. But it does exactly what it sounds like, which is to seal envelopes. So today’s equivalent to a sealing machine would be when you need to close an envelope, discover you’ve run out of tape, and have to lick the back. You get that weird artificial and tangy taste in your mouth, and you can’t help but cringe afterward.

I’m sure the U.S. Postal Service has sealing machines; it’s just not an everyday item one would have lying around in their home. Fortunately, American citizens receive mail in a reasonable time because of how effective and quick sealing machines are. According to the Early Office Museum, these machines can stamp 5,000 to 8,000 envelopes per hour. The mail worker looks fairly underway in this process; she’s already got piles of mail on the far right, only 1,000 more to seal!

Harris & Ewing, photographer, Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons

Repairing Mail Bags

Repairing Mail Bags

Earlier, we brushed over canvas mailbags and the postal worker’s reluctance to use them. Well, it looks like they had good reason because these workers are locked in and repairing what appears to be numerous mailbags. From carrying the heavy weight of paper, the canvas material becomes stretched and worn thin.

We don’t want postal workers to be doing their job and then, as if in slow motion, feel their mailbag break and tear, ultimately leaving all the precious mail to go one way: down to the dirty ground. There’s no need to panic, though! These workers are diligently repairing mailbags for the mailmen/women, so America will always have their mail on time. You could even say this image of dedication and hard work shows how zealous the U.S. Postal Service is in its work and duty to the American people.

Harris & Ewing, photographer, Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons

Motorcycle Postman

Motorcycle Postman

I really thought I was about to see a postman on a Harley adorned with leather gloves and a jacket that says “mailman” or some hard-edged phrase on the back. Alas, these expectations were not met, and instead, a postman with a modest, smart suit and hait is cruising on a 1912 motorcycle.

The postman’s motorcycle isn’t exactly a Harley, and it looks more like a bicycle than a motorized vehicle. But don’t let the appearance deceive you because the postman’s ride could take him from one house to another in seconds. You’ll have no qualms about late mail! From a mail truck and plane to now a mail motorcycle, this one is sure to be the fastest.

Harris & Ewing, photographer, Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons

Fort Sill

Fort Sill

This U.S. Post Office at Fort Sill depicts the time period vividly, and looking at the image, you can’t help but be transported. Instead of finding yourself in the clinical, quiet, and static post offices of today, you’ll be standing in a building that is most likely humid, dark, and dusty but also surrounded by organized chaos with a flare of rustic and vintage architecture.

The Fort Sill Post Office reveals the language of time: how fleeting yet grounding and fixed it can be. Essentially, we’ve been those men in the picture, just in a different building, location, and time period but standing in the same context: a post office. If anything, Fort Sill shows how the U.S. Postal Service has changed in its appearances, but not values and duties.

George A. Addison, Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons

Mechanics

Mechanics

Back to the interesting period of airmail, you can’t have airplanes without people who know the nuances of their structure and inner workings. Without these mechanics, mail planes wouldn’t have been able to bring mail to numerous neighborhoods, and an uproar would have definitely ensued. Thankfully, no known event has occurred and hopefully never will in history.

How do you think these men found this job? Perhaps they saw a paper flyer out on the town one day with the heading “Mail plane mechanic needed.” Probably not the first job title you’d expect to see with the Postal Service, and it’s changed notably over the years. Today, we technically have mail-plane mechanics. However, the planes are abnormally large and different in style and structure. But the plane these mechanics worked on looks at its peak performance and is just as effective as today’s planes.

Harris & Ewing, photographer, Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons

Horses

Horses

The carriage of this mail transportation looks like a wagon, but it’s actually a van. There is one key difference, though. Can you guess what it is? And I’m not talking about the cage-looking body of the mail vans. That’s right, the horses. It appears the U.S. Postal Service didn’t have motorized vehicles at their disposal during this period, so they resorted to the next best thing: large, four-legged animals.

Horses have a historical relationship with humans. They have the strength, endurance, and speed to accommodate many human endeavors, and mail delivery is one of them. While delivering mail, you have a furry friend to keep you company! Probably won’t see this form of mail transportation today or anytime soon. That’s ideal for the horses, though; with advanced motor technology, the animals aren’t needed, and they can stay content and comfortable in their wide, green pastures.

Topical Press Agency/Hulton Archive/Getty Images

Scooters

Scooters

Scooters are universally fun to ride, and mail delivery is no exception. They probably turned the job from meticulous and mundane to exciting and lively. The U.S. Postal Service unknowingly reignited the childlike wonder in the workers. The mail scooters look like they were made to experience a high-speed chase; the sleek, silver color, small, sturdy wheels, and the compact engine on the bottom combine into an amalgamation of speed, efficiency, and smooth rides.

If you were to see a hazy blur go by your window, it probably wasn’t a large animal but rather your neighborhood mailman, Pete. Don’t worry; he’s just breaking in his new scooter. The mailmen in the photo look just as eager to test them out. The second-to-right mailman poses for the photo with his hands ready and feet inches from the scooter’s surface. And they all have a look that says they’re eager to try out this new form of mail delivery.

Universal History Archive/Universal Images Group/Getty Images

Woman Delivered

Woman Delivered

I’m sure you’re questioning why this man is putting stamps on a woman’s head…and honestly, we are, too. The woman is referred to as “precious cargo,” but instead of what’s being delivered, perhaps those two words mean that the woman is the pilot and, therefore, the so-called cargo. Whatever it may be, the image depicts a very interesting and historical moment.

As it’s historically known, women were prohibited from the workforce for years. Still, there were a few female pilots with official and unofficial ties to the Postal Service, such as Emilia Earhart. The woman in the photo is being prepared to embark on an exciting adventure through the postal services' new aerial transportation. The U.S. Postal Service has changed with the rest of the world regarding women’s rights and freedoms. Today, no one blinks an eye if a woman is at the front of a plane or the kind face you see at your mailbox.

Underwood Archives/Archive Photos/Getty Images

Sorting Letters

Sorting Letters

In the realm of the postal service, letters are bound to be sorted. How else are the mail workers going to know where and to whom to deliver mail? To solve that question, sorting letters is the answer. These postal workers are focused and won’t let anything distract them from their work. One wrong move and someone’s mail could get lost and end up at the wrong address.

Not much has changed in mail sorting today. Post offices still sort mail in the same manner as these three postal workers. Maybe the office and sorting room look different, and the workers probably wear less dashing and more comfortable clothing, but the concept is still the same after years of history. While the U.S. Postal Service has changed its transportation methods and styles, the ambitions and passion remain universal.

Minnesota Historical Society/Corbis Historical/Getty Images