In the pre-article box period, you'll find two primary methods for delivering a letter; senders is usually necessitated to take their mail to some Receiving Household, or would await the Bellman. The latter would patrol the streets, collecting article from your Neighborhood. As a way to tell apart himself, also to make his existence recognised, the Bellman dons a uniform and ring a bell.
It was at 1852 which the suggestion of street-aspect containers eventually grew to become a fact, that has a trial proposed for that Channel Islands. 3 cast-iron pillar boxes were set up on Jersey to try out The brand new procedure.
The achievements With all the experiment triggered One more four being put in on Guernsey, data now forms portion from the British Postal Museum & Archive selection. Letter packing containers then commenced showing up concerning the mainland as of 1853.
Having said that, there was Obviously as however no universal pillar box design and style that were currently acquainted. Layout and manufacture was with the discretion of area authorities, moreover it was at 1859 that makes an attempt were being made to standardise the buildings.
Horizontal slits experienced turn into the favoured check here choice over vertical ones, and took above as being the norm in letterbox style. Even more enhancements upon the initial included the addition Along with the protruding cap to protect the contents from the aspects.
As of 1859, the box ended up becoming to be close to by fifty % sizes; a bigger and broader dimension for really populated places, along with a scaled-down version for elsewhere. Even so, the standardised pillar bins failed to receive universal acclaim. It was contrary towards the backdrop of which criticism that this Liverpool Particular was formulated.
This prompted the Article Office (opened in 1861) to provide another standard letter box in 1866. Again, it absolutely was probably not a huge success and so, A different structure began in 1879. This final design will be the a single where we are already acquainted with currently. It absolutely was two yrs right before this that this legendary red colour from the publish bins became a normal characteristic.
Before on this situation, most well-liked colour solution was inexperienced so that you can blend in whilst using environmentally friendly British pastures. However, from the barrage of complaints how the constructions were being to difficult to Find because of the camouflage, it were agreed that shiny red was your very best alternative. The programme of re-portray lasted for around a decade.
For persons particularly, the introduction and refinement of letter packing containers Increased the capability for sending and getting mail easily. Except outsized parcel shipping, people were afforded access having a delivery services by no means just before witnessed in Great Britain.