An Exploration of the Mailbox

Welcome to our project! Since the initial coronavirus outbreak in 2019, there has been a mass effect on the global population. This includes a change in purchase behaviors, more specifically, an increase in online sales. Online shopping has doubled since the previous years which has resulted in mass quantities of goods being transferred across the world (Youssouf 2021). What does this mean for us? Mailboxes have become more necessary than ever– or have they? At the end of this project, you will be able to answer this question! The following will discuss the mailbox and how it has connected people through history.

Phillip Bell Downing was born in Providence County, Road Island, USA (Mahoney 2021). As for some context about his upbringing and family, his grandfather Thomas Downing was a well-known man. He owned a popular oyster restaurant and refined the meaning by disassociating it with brothels (Malinowski 2021). Additionally, he was also one of the founders of the All-Black Anti-Slavery Society (Malinowski 2021). He has had an enormous impact on the community. One of Thomas’s five children, George T. Downing became a well-known business manager (Mahoney 2021). He married his wife Serna L. deGrasse and decided to start a family in 1857 when Philip Bell Downing was born (Donaldson 2016).

Philip B. Downing was active in his community and has created several inventions that have had a tremendous impact on society. Some of these inventions include the mailbox, technology to operate railroads, and an envelope tool that avoids tongue contact (Aidoo Theodora, 2020). Each of his inventions added functionality to mundane artifacts, making them more efficient and easier to use. Even in the present his inventions have improved and are still relevant to modern-day technology. In the year 1934, he passed away (Mahoney 2021). 

The mailbox also had similar inventions in Europe during this time, however, it is crucial to credit the creator, Phillip Bell Downing. During this period, it was common for people of color to be discredited regardless of status. This said Downing and his family have made history which must be told. 

This is where it all began. Between the years 1891 and 1921, the mailbox was invented and began to build its reputation amongst the community in New York City which quickly expanded throughout America in the following years. The mailbox offered an advanced means of communication that brought plenty of attention and excitement to the citizens. This era will be discussing how the mailbox connected people through a new form of communication and why it became such an important item to society.

Before the year 1891, mailboxes have yet to become popularized. People in the community would create them out of iron, cardboard, and even food containers (National Postal Museum). Due to the non-reliable material, the envelopes or parcels would get destroyed by weather conditions or stolen (Speaks 2017). Phillip Bell Downing challenged this concept with an item that could withstand both. In doing so, he invented what is known today as a mailbox. As seen in Exhibit 2. The initial design illustrates a four-sided rectangle that could be opened from the front with a steel shell. The factor that differentiates it from its previous design is the two-door feature. This included an inner door to prevent moisture from seeping through and damaging envelopes and an outer door with a lock to prevent thieves from stealing the parcels (Speaks 2017). 

 The question arises, how did this connect people? Taking a deeper look at its history from a societal standpoint, the impact it had was massive regarding communication. Between the years 1891 and 1923, communication between individuals was not as simplistic as in the present. The main source of communication would be interacting face-to-face or sending letters. This said the use of mailboxes doubled in the years 1914 - 1919 when World War I had transpired. It was estimated that around two billion letters were sent between troops during these five years (Imperial War Museum). The letters would have varying content and were the only form of communication between individuals at war and loved ones. The mailboxes were located in both stationed areas and home countries to ensure soldiers the letters were received (The National Museum).

With this said, the mailbox had become one of the most important forms of communication between the years 1891 and 1923 to connect people during tough times. The mailbox was one of the only ways for people to communicate across borders and had a significant role in society. In the following years, the mailbox underwent developments but continued to connect people. 

This will be further discussed in the next section. We are sending you to the destination, 1923 - 1955. Safe travels!

Welcome to the years 1923 to 1955! This timeframe will focus on the development stage of the mailbox as it was beginning to be released to the public to secure connections. In between these years, the mailbox took a turn and would change in design every few years. We will be discovering some of these looks through photographs. Also, there are some key dates to remember within this timeframe that we will learn about as we transition through the years! Let's jump right in!

In the year 1923, Phillip Bell Downing received a patent for the combined writing table and copyholder. This is the same year that the curbside modern mailbox rose. Although they were used before, they were designed with unreliable material. After 1923 it was a requirement to own a mailbox for residential properties (National Mailboxes, 2021). This is also the year that popularity in design developed from materials such as plastic to something most sturdy, metal.

Unfortunately, Downing passed away on June 8, 1934. Despite Downing's death, the mailbox continued to flourish and to develop, helping local communities build their realtionships with one another through mail exchange. These connections were only made possible through the mailbox tool and its system.

Between the years 1955 and 1987 mailboxes became more modernized. During this era, a contrast with mail arose. Mailboxes were used to keep people connected, this narrative was challenged in this era because of the strikes.

A significant percentage of the population became accustomed to using the mail system. Here is a visual to understand what mailboxes from this time period in Canada. This is a vintage mailbox from the 1950s.   

Just from a glance at the mailbox, you can see the Fleurdelisé symbols as well as a British flag. At the bottom of the logo, it states "a mari usque ad mare" which is Latin for from sea to sea. This was made a Canadian symbol in 1906 in Saskatchewan. This coat of arms is a famous Canadian symbol. 

   In 1958 the snorkel mailbox was introduced in Canada. This mailbox allowed for curbside mailing which means that as cars are driving, they can drop off their mail as they pass by. This was beneficial because it was difficult to find parking spots and became convenient to send a package. An important piece of information is that this was the time of drive-in movies and drive-through fast food. This said the snorkel mailbox was up to date with demands and trends. This also allowed people to stay connected in a much more convenient way. (Canadian Museum of History)

These stamps with the Rosecraft Generic Parliament Buildings Cachet were made in 1964-1965. (figure on the left). The Cover envelope has Canada's Coat of Arms above two crossed Canadian flags. It was printed and used to bring attention to the Christmas stamp. This envelope came out on October 13, 1965 and was used for all of 1966. (Philcovex, 1970)

In the 60s, mail carriers traditionally wore this type of attire (Exhibit 9) with a bag full of mail. This is a photo of an American mail company. In 1966, an option to wear short sleeves as a uniform for mail carriers in Canada was allowed.

By 1966 the demand for mail continued to increase among the population. Within this year postal workers were going through 49 billion letters. They realized that this method of mail is not effective and decided they needed a new system. They came up with the postal code system and in 1970 Ottawa was chosen to be the city that tests out the new postal code system on April 1, 1971. After it worked out well they included Manitoba more than the rest of Canada. They made a poster to promote using postal codes. This is important because postal workers are the people who transfer the mail. Without these valued employees, mailboxes have no purpose. It is the people who work in the postal service who give Mailboxes the power to connect people. (Canadian Museum of History)

In 1981 Canada Post became an official crown corporation. This was decided due to the decline of quality from the post office as well as constant strikes, however, this did not halt them. (Canadian Museum of History)

Soon after the postal code strike, in 1987, the post office wanted to make mail even more efficient, so they cut 1700 post offices which resulted in 4200 people losing their jobs. They added that no new residential areas would have door-to-door delivery. Instead, they announced “community mailboxes” to be used. This reduced the quality of service as well and resulted in workers losing their place of employment. The protests began to get out of hand, with people yelling profanity such as, “You’re a Goddamn phony.” It became aggressive and the amount of violence put the post and the union's movement in a bad light. Two Unions were involved in these strikes. (Canadian Museum of History) This clearly affected how mailboxes were used to connect people. If postal workers are not working how was mail getting sent? How were people connecting?

Sending you to your next destination, 1987 - 2022!

1987 - 2022 marks the ending of poltical brawls between workers and the state but also the beginning of vandalization of the common mailbox. What once was a tool for securing connections in the past has now been mostly disregarded while still maintaing popularity amongst the youth of today. A great paradox indeed.

Between the years 1987 and 2022, there was a steady, up, and down usage and value of the common mailbox. The changes that occurred during this period had positive and negative impacts on members of the postal service and on everyday people looking to strengthen communication. As was previously stated by my classmate, many protests and demonstrations took place between postal service workers and the Canadian government. This political tension continued on between 1987 - 1991 as the postal workers’ union struck against the Canadian government’s plan to privatize postal counters and the implementation of community mailboxes, through rotating strikes. This was eventually concluded by special legislation, Bill C-86. In 1995, the union had eventually negotiated a settlement, which had forced the Canadian postal service to keep postal counters open (Canadian Encyclopaedia).

Another interesting occurrence that took place around the late ’80s was the ongoing and almost constant vandalization of the everyday mailbox. In a 1987 New York Times article, an angry man had written about his mailbox getting vandalized and shared advice for other people who may be encountering the same issue. The author had advised community members to alert their neighbors of such destruction as well as the local police. He also vouched that there should be large fines against acts of vandalism. Around this time, it seems that the general public was very careless towards the mailbox, whether it be community members or vandalizers themselves (New York Times).

Despite the ongoing vandalism and careless attitudes towards the mundane mailbox, it was still a greatly beneficial system that many community members used on a daily basis. In a study that was completed in 1989, it was shared that Montreal had approximately 3084 street mailboxes that need to be emptied, 1-4 times a day (Landry et al, 2). The study was aimed at examining the routing issues with postal service operations and how they can be improved. The research study was consistently updated between the years 1986 - 1989 (Landry et al, 1). This proves the changing nature of the mailbox and the urgency around the cultural item needing to be made convenient to use by the postal service and by everyday civilians. Interestingly enough, despite the urgency surrounding the common mailbox, it was still exposed to vandalization. In response to this issue, it was proposed that indestructible mailboxes should be built and widely implanted. At this time, it was largely found that the mailbox was an important symbol to members of suburban and exurban communities, as homeowners were able to express themselves and their creativity authentically, through the cultural item (New York Times). Anarchy teenagers and adolescents were quick to target such artistic pieces, for their own amusement, forcing many homeowners to stick to using plain and dull mailboxes (New York Times). People of this time were growing increasingly annoyed by this nuisance by the day, which is why they were willing to explore their options of indestructible mailboxes that were on the international market such as Sporty’s steel mailbox or EZ mail of Bridgeport’s plastic mailbox (New York Times).

Sadly enough, this careless attitude towards the mailbox only continued to heighten in the new age of the 2000s. Around this time, the common mailbox was typically invisible to many people but still maintained an important status to people in suburban areas as they continued to use it as a tool of self-expression through creative variations (New York Times). In areas that were mostly non-suburban, the common mailbox was typically dismissed entirely. A letter carrier had shared his struggles with his deliveries as some mailboxes were buried, some were hidden in between long shrubs and grass and sometimes homeowners or their children would leave little animals inside to scare them (New York Times). This proves the continuous decline and disregard for the common mailbox and its system. Nonetheless, the interviewed letter carrier believes the cultural item will be remembered and kept as a souvenir of the past someday (New York Times).  The ever-changing nature of the world and of people’s belief systems has had an impact on the mailbox’s usage and value.

Although the modernization of the mailbox may have negatively impacted some people, it can be argued that the mailbox and the direct mail system can still have a positive impact on the people of today. In a 2017 Forbes article, it was found that consumers respond 10-30 times higher to direct mail than they do to digital mail because of the overwhelm that comes with internet mail use (Forbes). The mailbox and its contents have a stronger impact on people as it is a tangible object and humans need real-life things to touch and feel. Millennials respond to the direct mail system perhaps more than any other demographic as they have grown up with different forms of technology and find great beauty in things such as handwritten love letters and whatnot (Forbes).

Not only do millennials respond greater to mailboxes and the direct mailing system for the tangibility but also because of the community and the distribution it can enable. Since the mass radicalization of many young people in 2020, there have been more grassroots initiatives and resource distribution taking place across the world. In 2021, a study was done on a local community in Zurich, Switzerland to emphasize the importance of grassroots sharing initiatives and their effects on everyday working people. The members of the chosen community were all provided with a set of stickers of everyday items. The members would place the stickers of items they were willing to share on their mailboxes (Fedosov et al, 2). This enabled a sense of community and resource distribution within this community greatly.

The study proves how mailboxes are not only cultural objects but communal ones too as it holds the power to unite communities of people all together in one space. The mailbox has seen a great decline within the last few years but this research proves that the vintage item’s usage can be expanded, with proper consideration of everyone's needs.

    Welcome to your destination! The question in the introduction section stated, “are mailboxes more necessary than ever?” Referring to the content above, it can be concluded that mailboxes have continued to connect people throughout history. In each era, there was an important element that impacted society in a different way. Whether it was a time of invention, political conflict, or expression, it has maintained and shifted in its significance throughout. The inventor Phillip Bell Downing has undeniably impacted daily lives which gives us more appreciation for the mundane artifact: the mailbox and all its history. We are sending you away with a souvenir! Safe travels on your adventures to come.  - Group Three!

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