An American Postal Portrait: A Photographic Legacy

by U.S. Postal Service

The mail has a powerful connection with the American people. Who hasn't shared the experience of waiting eagerly for a letter to arrive or felt the rush of excitement at hearing footsteps near the door signaling the arrival of a delivery? This first-ever photographic history of the United States Postal Service pays tribute to the everyday people who have worked through rain, sleet, and snow to bring mail to American families. In over 200 rarely seen photographs, beginning with the advent of photography in 1860 and continuing to the present, An American Postal Portrait celebrates the fascinating behind-the-scenes stories, the innovative technological accomplishments, and the unique imprint the Postal Service workforce has made on American life. Starting with the earliest Post Office outposts on the remote western frontier, the photographs highlight the great events, ideas, and inventions of the past century and a half--from mail delivery by stagecoach and horseback to the rapid utilization of the railroads and airplanes to the sophisticated sorting machines automating the processing of mail today. Captivating and unforgettable, these pages trace our nation's progress from its rural and isolated past to the high-tech, information-driven present, revealing a Postal Service that has helped to bind our growing nation together--one that continues to march in unison with America into the future. Compiled from the collection of the United States Postal Service, the National Archives, the Library of Congress, and other sources, An American Postal Portrait is a well-deserved tribute to our nation's foremost communications institution and the enduring American spirit. For more than 200 years, the United States Postal Service has provided the American people with a secure and efficient delivery connection that binds our nation together. Today, postal employees handle approximately 41 percent of the world's volume--more than 650 million pieces every day, 3.9 billion pieces every week--delivering to a total of 130 million households and businesses. The United States Postal Service is the universal gateway to the American household.

Genres: History, Nonfiction

176 pages, Hardcover

First published January 1, 2000

Reviews

[Mia · Rating 5 out of 5]

Every now and again a photo book hits the spot (and reading captions is still considered reading, albeit *light* reading). This book was so much fun to go through and yet it strikes a melancholy note in me when I think of the state of the U.S. Postal System today. Of course E-mail is immediate, cheap and convenient, but it will NEVER be as much fun as receiving an envelope from a far-away land written in long-hand! And the historical trivia found in the images and captions of this book are almost as delightful. Tidbits include facts such as: "In the 1920s, the New York City Post Office relied on an intricate 27-mile underground pneumatic tube system to send mail to branches and stations [with] each tube [holding] 600 letters which traveled at the rate of 30 miles per hour," and "William 'Big Bill' Hopson exemplified the spirit of early airmail pilots. A cantankerous, daredevil group, the adventurous aviators were so fearless that the Post Office Department had to issue a regulation prohibiting 'riding on the steps, wings or tail of a flying machine.' In 1928, Hopson's luck ran out when he crashed and died on a flight from New York to Chicago." If you feel like reading history, but don't have the energy to go through Thucydides or Plutarch on a given evening, you can finish this book before bedtime and maybe have some nostalgic sweet dreams to boot!

[J Bradley · Rating 3 out of 5]

Nice photos from 1860-2000. Published by USPS so the commentary is a "company viewpoint."

[Melissa Helton · Rating 5 out of 5]

Very cool. A lot of the information was new to me. It was surprising to see how grand the scope of a national postal service could be.

[Mark Fallon · Rating 4 out of 5]

A lovely look back at the US Postal Service through photographs taken from 1860 through 2000.