July 1 is National Postal Workers Day. It is a day set aside to recognize the vital role of mail carriers across the nation and the unwavering dedication and determination they demonstrate in carrying out their essential duties.
Rain or shine, fair weather or not, mail carriers are the unsung heroes in making sure our mail gets delivered in a timely fashion. So, it is only fair that we honor them for their enduring commitment. It’s also worth reflecting on the history and precursors behind our modern mail system and how it has evolved from earlier days.
There’s a place right in the heart of D.C. that pays the ultimate tribute to the postal service. I am, of course, referring to the one and only National Postal Museum.
A Bit of Background
Renowned for housing one of the largest, most significant philatelic and postal history collections in the world (and one of the world’s most comprehensive library resources on philately and postal history), the Smithsonian’s National Postal Museum boasts a bounty of callouts. While it officially opened to the public in 1993, its history can be traced even further. In fact, the collection itself began to take shape between 1908 and 1963, when it was formerly housed in the Smithsonian’s Arts and Industries Building on the National Mall.
The collection was moved to the museum that currently operates as the National Museum of American History a year later. It grew even grander when a focus on postal history and stamp production was added. The National Philatelic Collection was established at the Smithsonian in 1886, via a donation containing 10-cent Confederate postage stamps. Other individuals and foreign governments around the world have since contributed to the nearly six million items that now make up the display lineup.
What was eventually established as the National Postal Museum emerged from a joint agreement between the Smithsonian Institution and the United States Postal Service on November 6, 1990. It officially debuted at its current location on July 30.
Appropriately enough, the National Postal Museum is housed within the historic City Post Office Building. Built in 1914, it previously operated as a functioning city-based post office until 1986. It was once the headquarters of the United States Department of Labor’s Bureau of Labor Statistics.
Onsite Features
The building in which the National Postal Museum exists spans a total of 100,000 square feet. As many as 35,000 square feet have been set aside for exhibition space.
Not to be overlooked is the Museum’s lofty, residential research library, comprised of around 6,000 square feet. A museum shop and stamp store can also be found onsite within the museum along with several other features and amenities geared toward guests.
Exhibition Overview
The exhibits and display features of the National Postal Museum largely chronicle the American postal experience specifically. While the concept of mail delivery first began in the “Old World,” it was in the New World that our systematic structure got underway. Therefore, some of the earliest displays detail mail services and methods dating back to the colonial era. You’ll also discover and explore the rapid progressions and developments throughout time by which mail delivery grew more efficient and modernized.
Of course, the versatile collaboration of artifacts does include international postal issues and specialized collections as well. The archive of postal documentation is simply awe-inspiring, to say the least. But it’s arguably the Museum’s specialty 3-D displays that garner the most enthrallment with visitors.
An elaborate atrium sporting a 90-foot-high ceiling proudly showcases three vintage airmail planes suspended overhead. Among its other quintessential callouts are a reconstructed railway mail car, a stagecoach dating back to the 1850s, a Ford Model A postal truck from the 1930s, and our familiar modern-day “Long Life Vehicle” postal truck.
Both changing and permanent exhibitions make up the Museum’s profuse inventory. Some of the must-sees among the permanent exhibits include “Systems at Work,” “Binding the Nation,” “Moving the Mail,” “Customers and Communities,” and “Mail Call.”
Other special interest features include learning about “Owney,” the mascot dog of the Railway Mail Service, and exploring various United States postal experiences through a versatile mix of artifacts. These range in everything from historic mailboxes and mailbags to postal uniforms and essential equipment used throughout the years.
The residential Library Research Center holds around 40,000 volumes and manuscripts. It can be utilized by the public exclusively by appointment.
The National Postal Museum has been home to the childhood stamp collection of the late singer/songwriter John Lennon since 2005. A generous gift of eight million dollars was made in 2009 by William H. Gross (investment firm founder) to help finance an expansion project. As a result, the William H. Gross Stamp Gallery was named in his honor.
Visiting the Museum
Visiting the Museum today makes for a most fascinating D.C. day trip experience. You just have to experience it yourself. That’s both easy and economical since admission is free and the location is based in a convenient-to-navigate area.
The National Postal Museum is located at 2 Massachusetts Ave., N.E., Washington, D.C. 20002. Click the website link to learn more.