In the pre-submit box period, there happen to be two primary signifies of offering a letter; senders might be necessitated to build their mail to a Obtaining House, or would await the Bellman. The latter would patrol the streets, gathering submit from your community. So as to distinguish himself, and to make his presence recognized, the Bellman could possibly have on a uniform and ring a bell.
It was at 1852 that the suggestion of highway-aspect boxes lastly turned a fact, employing a trial proposed to your Channel Islands. Three Solid-iron pillar packing containers were being put on Jersey to grasp The brand new procedure.
The achievement from the experiment produced an extra 4 remaining put on Guernsey, one particular ofthese now forms element during the British Postal Museum & Archive collection. Letter boxes then started appearing around the mainland by 1853.
Even so, there was clearly confirmed no universal pillar box style in which ended up at present acquainted. Design and style and manufacture was at the discretion of neighborhood authorities, and it was in 1859 that attempts have been meant to standardise the constructions.
Horizontal slits had turn into the favoured option in excess of vertical types, and had become the norm in letterbox design. Even more improvements upon the initial integrated the addition within the protruding cap to shield the contents during the things.
As of 1859, the box was to be readily available by 50 % dimensions; a more significant and wider dimension for extremely populated regions, in addition to a smaller sized Variation for elsewhere. Even so, the standardised pillar containers didn't get common acclaim. It was up towards the backdrop for these criticism the Liverpool Special was formulated.
This prompted the Write-up Office (opened in 1861) to produce another standard letter box in 1866. Once more, That is not a substantial good results so, an extra style and design arrived in 1879. This final style would be the a person with which we are accustomed to nowadays. It absolutely was a couple of yrs in advance of this the legendary red colour While using the write-up read more containers grew to become a typical characteristic.
Just before this time, probably the most preferred colour alternative was environmentally friendly in an effort to blend in using the inexperienced British pastures. Nevertheless, immediately after having a barrage of problems that this structures had been to tough to Track down as a consequence of their camouflage, it had been agreed that bright pink was the best choice. The programme of re-portray lasted for ten years.
For men and women most of all, the introduction and refinement of letter boxes enhanced the ability for sending and receiving mail without difficulty. Excluding outsized parcel shipping, persons were being afforded access to a supply company hardly ever right before witnessed in Great Britain.