The New Post-Office Letter-Box, at the Corner of Fleet-Street and Farringdon-Street. The article runs as follows:
The accommodation of the Post Receiving Houses in various parts of the metropolis has long been of a very imperfect kind. Formerly a Receiving House was denoted by richly-emblazoned pane, in which the time-honoured British lion shone in full national emblazonry; and here and there the tutelar animal's mouth was the receptacle of letters; just as the just as the famous Lion's head at Button's coffee-house, received contributions for the Guardian. Few shop-fronts, however, bore so distinctive a feature; but the letter-mouth might be seen at various levels — rarely, as an artist would say, "on the line" — so as to render its discovery somewhat perplexing when the mixed topography of shop-windows is considered. Then came the mean-looking iron crown upon the top of the nearest street-lamp, which did not much enlighten the public in their pursuit of a post-ofiice under difficulties. Next, the example was set by the French Post-office authorities of having cast-iron pillars set up in various streets of Paris, for the reception of letters; and this experiment having been found successful, a similar plan has been adopted by the authorities in St. Martin's-le-Grand. At stated points have been erected cast-iron letter-boxes, one of which — that at the corner of Fleet-street and Farringdon street — is shown in the accompanying Illustration. It is much less ornamental than the Paris pillar. Our Letter-box is a stove-like design, reminding one of the latest of the London conduits. An outer panel of box bears this inscription:-
Newspapers posted here will not be forwarded.
Letters containing Money or Valuable Articles should be registered at a Post-office.
THE NEAREST POST-OFFICE IS AT 101 FLEET-STREET.
For the Morning Mails, are collected here, 5 a.m.; for the Evening Halls, 5.30 p.m.
Letters bearing an Additional Penny Stamp may be Posted for the Evening Mails, 6 p.m.
[A chart of collection and delivery times follows, after which comes a description of the box itself:]
The material is cast iron; and the manufacturers are Messrs. H. and M. D. Grissell, of the Regent's Canal Ironworks, Eagle Wharf-road, New North-road, Hoxton. The front of the Letter-box is shown in the Engraving; and the accompanying Diagram shows the interior contrivance for taking out the letters: — A, opening for letters; B, inner wooden front of box; C, flap, which opens and forms an inclined plane with the bottom of the box, by which means the letters are shot into the postman's bag; D D, slides to the flap, to prevent the letters falling over; E, inside of iron door. The locks are the "patent detector," by Messrs. Chubb, St. Paul's Churchyard (280).
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Bibliography
"New Street Letter-Boxes." Illustrated London News. 24 March 1855. Hathi Trust, from an original volume in the Princeton University Library. Web. 20 May 2019.
Created 20 May 2019