Within the pre-post box period, you'll find two key suggests of providing correspondence; senders is often necessitated to provide their mail to some Receiving Household, or would await the Bellman. The latter would patrol the streets, collecting write-up from the Local community. In order to tell apart himself, and make his existence recognized, the Bellman might use a uniform and ring a bell.
It was in 1852 that the suggestion of street-aspect containers at last turned a reality, using a demo proposed for that Channel Islands. 3 cast-iron pillar boxes have been put on Jersey to try out the completely new system.
The success through the experiment resulted in another four staying put on Guernsey, one particular of those now varieties aspect with the British Postal Museum & Archive collection. Letter packing containers then started appearing about the mainland as of 1853.
Even so, there was verified no common pillar box design during which we are already now familiar. Style and manufacture was inside the discretion of local authorities, also it was in 1859 that attempts ended up created to standardise the buildings.
Horizontal slits took above as favoured selection around vertical ones, and took over as norm click here in letterbox design. Further more advancements upon the Original provided the addition inside the protruding cap to shield the contents out of your components.
As of 1859, this place wound up being be all over in two sizes; a larger and broader sizing for highly populated locations, moreover a lesser Variation for elsewhere. Nonetheless, the standardised pillar bins didn't get common acclaim. It absolutely was up in opposition to the backdrop of these criticism this Liverpool Distinctive was formulated.
This prompted the Post Office (opened in 1861) to build another typical letter box in 1866. Once again, this became probably not a huge results so, an extra style begun in 1879. This remaining style could be the one particular with which we happen to be accustomed to today. It absolutely was 24 months right before this that the iconic red colour within the post packing containers grew to become a standard aspect.
In advance of now, the popular colour option was inexperienced in order to blend in with every one of the inexperienced British pastures. However, from a barrage of grievances that the constructions have been to tough to Find on account of their camouflage, it Certainly was agreed that shiny purple was the most fitted alternative. The programme of re-painting lasted for approximately 10 several years.
For the populace specifically, the introduction and refinement of letter packing containers Improved the potential for sending and obtaining mail very easily. Except outsized parcel shipping and delivery, men and women were afforded accessibility on your delivery provider no time in advance of witnessed in Great Britain.