Door Knocker for a Letter Carrier
On the time-saving efficiency of mailboxes
In 1923, the Postal Service required all Americans to install mailboxes or letter slots.
Prior, mail was delivered to city customers by hand.1 To alert customers of their arrival, mail carriers would either blow a whistle or knock on the door. But knocking with one’s fingers all day was quite painful, so mail carriers used wooden knockers — like the one shown above.
After they whistled or knocked, the mailman waited for someone to answer, and if nobody did, they took the mail back to the post office and tried again the next day.
One study of mailman efficiency found that postal workers often spent two hours a day just waiting for customers.
So, to save mail carriers time, the Post Office mandated the installation of mailboxes. The mailbox, in other words, is all about efficiency.
✉️ Love postal history? See an earlier article on the ZIP code!
This was an urban phenomenon. Mailboxes had been in use in rural areas since the late 1800s — thanks in large part to the start of Rural Free Delivery in 1896.
Very interesting! Thanks for the enlightenment in these technology-overloaded days we live in presently.