Existing comment:
By the 1850s, adhesive postage stamps were available, and people no longer needed to go to the post office to mail letters. They could keep stamps at home and mail letters at their leisure. So the Post Office Department began to build and install mailboxes throughout U.S. cities.
The first mailbox approved by the Post Office Department was fastened to curbside lampposts. Produced at a Philadelphia foundry run by Albert Potts, the box was supposed to protect the mail from theft and bad weather. But the design was not perfect. Can you see why?
The box was too small, and carriers had to empty it many times during the day. |