Existing comment:
Airmail Envelopes
Red- and blue-bordered airmail envelopes were introduced on August 1, 1928 in response to customer complaints that some airmail letters were not being conveyed by plane. Postal clerks who sorted thousands of envelopes an hour did not always notice airmail postage, and the patriotic border was intended to catch their eye. The officially approved design featured shapes that are variously described in period documents as diamonds, lozenges, and parallelograms. This was not a requirement, however, and many colorful and striking variations can be found, such as these checkerboard and sawtooth patterns. |