From the pre-submit box era, you will find two main ways of delivering a letter; senders will likely be necessitated to have their mail to a Receiving Dwelling, or would await the Bellman. The latter would patrol the streets, gathering post with the community. To be able to differentiate himself, as well as to make his existence identified, the Bellman dons a uniform and Seems acquainted.
It was at 1852 how the suggestion of road-facet packing containers ultimately grew to become a fact, that has a trial proposed to the Channel Islands. 3 Solid-iron pillar bins ended up put in place on Jersey to grasp the modern system.
The results in the experiment generated another 4 staying arrange on Guernsey, information now varieties aspect in the British Postal Museum & Archive selection. Letter boxes then began showing up for the mainland at the time of 1853.
Even so, there was Plainly to this point no universal pillar box design and style that we've been at present common. Structure and manufacture was within the discretion of area authorities, and Certainly it was at 1859 that tries have been meant to standardise the buildings.
Horizontal slits experienced become the favoured alternative above vertical ones, and had turn into the norm in letterbox structure. Further improvements upon the original provided the addition within the protruding cap to defend the contents during the features.
As of 1859, the box ended up currently being be about in two sizes; a increased and wider size for hugely populated places, along with a smaller Variation for in other places. Having said that, the standardised pillar packing containers didn't obtain common acclaim. It absolutely was contrary to the backdrop of these criticism that this Liverpool Particular was formulated.
This prompted the Write-up Business office (opened in 1861) to develop An additional standard letter box in 1866. All over again, this turned probably not a huge results for that reason, an extra structure commenced in 1879. This remaining structure is the just one that ended up accustomed to currently. It absolutely was a handful of yrs before this the legendary crimson colour Together with the post containers turned a regular feature.
Before this time, by far the most well-favored colour check here choice was inexperienced as a way to blend in While using the inexperienced British pastures. However, adhering to a barrage of complaints how the structures had been to challenging to locate This may camouflage, it had been agreed that vibrant red was your best option. The programme of re-painting lasted for 10 years.
For the folks most importantly, the introduction and refinement of letter packing containers Increased the ability for sending and acquiring mail without difficulty. Excluding oversized parcel supply, men and women were being afforded accessibility into a shipping service never ever before witnessed in Wonderful Britain.