What colour were the first UK postboxes?
redThe first British pillar boxes were opened for public use on Jersey on 23 November 1852. Shortly after, the Jersey Times, reporting on these new boxes to its readers, informed them that the boxes were “painted red”.
What colour are post boxes?
Olive drab green subsequently became the standard colour for all American mail collection boxes until 1955. On 4 July 1955, Postmaster General Arthur Summerfield announced that the Post Office would begin painting all mail collection boxes in red, white, and blue to make them easily identifiable.
When did UK post boxes become red?
1874Red became the standard colour in 1874, although ten more years elapsed before every box in the UK had been repainted.
What does a Victorian post box look like?
The box is cylindrical with a protruding cap with front opening door and black painted base. Original post boxes didn't have the royal cipher until 1887, when the words 'Post Office' were also added.
Why did they paint post boxes red?
According to Historic England, when letterboxes were initially introduced in the mid 1800s, many of them were painted green in order to blend in with their surroundings. However, to increase visibility, they were all repainted the now iconic pillar-box red by 1884.
What color are British mail boxes?
One of Britain's most recognisable symbols, red pillar boxes appear on countless postcards and souvenir items, while tourists can often be seen posing for photographs next to the postboxes.
What is the oldest post box in the UK?
Where is the UK's oldest post box? The country's oldest surviving post box is at Barnes Cross, Holwell, near Sherborne, Dorset. Dating from 1853, it features an unusual octagonal design, crafted by John M Butt & Co, of Gloucester. Standing at 5ft tall, it has a narrow, vertical posting slot, with a swinging flap.
Why are UK postboxes red?
Firstly their colour: many of the UK's earliest boxes were painted green to blend in with the landscape, but were repainted the famous 'pillar box red' by 1884 to increase visibility. Their second shared feature is their insignia, or marking, of the monarch reigning when the box was placed.
What is the rarest post box?
Edward VIII - 1936 The rarest cypher to see on a postbox is that of Edward VIII. His reign lasted only 325 days so there are very few Edward VIII postboxes in the country. After his abdication, a number of boxes bearing his cypher were modified or replaced. It is estimated that under 200 remain.
Why have some post boxes been painted pink?
One theory for the new paint job is a change of colour to mark Her Majesty the Queen's Platinum Jubilee. Clarifying the matter, a Royal Mail spokesman explained: "We have an ongoing programme of post box maintenance which involves application of a pink primer before the box is repainted in its iconic red.
Why are some postboxes black?
Four postboxes have been painted black to honour black Britons including Sir Lenny Henry and nursing pioneer Mary Seacole.
Do post boxes still get painted gold?
I am pleased to confirm that these postboxes will be kept gold permanently." The gold postboxes are located in the home towns and cities of gold medal-winners.
What color can mailboxes be?
The mailbox may be any color. The carrier signal flag can be any color except any shade of green, brown, white, yellow or blue. The preferred flag color is fluorescent orange.
Why are some postboxes blue?
Blue post boxes began to be introduced into some British cities and other locations of note in 1930 and were used for postal airmail services to send and receive mail mainly to and from Europe.
What red are post boxes in the UK?
Firstly their colour: many of the UK's earliest boxes were painted green to blend in with the landscape, but were repainted the famous 'pillar box red' by 1884 to increase visibility. Their second shared feature is their insignia, or marking, of the monarch reigning when the box was placed.
What colour are post boxes around the world?
Four colours dominate mailboxes across the globe - red, blue, yellow and green. In the United States and Russia, they are blue. China's are all green. Many European countries have yellow ones, while red is the choice of countries in the British Commonwealth.
When were post boxes painted green?
On 5 February 1857 the manufacturer Cochrane was contracted to supply 100 pillar boxes ‘painted with four coats of paint, bronzed and delivered to any railway station’. By 1859, along with a standard design of box, the colour of post boxes appears also to have been generally standardised as green, though there may have been many exceptions ...
When were pillar boxes first used?
The first British pillar boxes were opened for public use on Jersey on 23 November 1852. Shortly after, the Jersey Times, reporting on these new boxes to its readers, informed them that the boxes were “painted red”. Until 1859, when a design was standardised, local foundries were contracted to both manufacture and paint pillar boxes, so they varied by region. The Postal Museum holds over 200 examples, including the green painted pillar boxes below.
What does the color bronze green mean?
The colour Bronze Green must have meant something to someone. Much more likely, was that it was many hues to many people. ‘Bronze Green’ as a colour would have been very much ‘in vogue’ in the mid-nineteenth century when both local initiatives on pillar boxes and a slightly later standard specification for post boxes were introduced. My efforts to track down any form of defined colour specification within the Post Office of the time has met only partial success.
What is the color of the Hammersmith Bridge?
Detail of Hammersmith Bridge, 1887 London. Painted mid-Bronze Green, ornamentation also has a modern interpretation of Bronzing
When the question of colour for contrasting collection plates was being debated in September 1862, the Secretary to The Post?
When the question of colour for contrasting collection plates was being debated in September 1862, the Secretary to The Post Office was advised that “doubtful whether plates with a blue ground will contrast so well with the Bronze Green Colour of the Boxes…”
Is the pillar box on display in the museum?
Many pillar boxes are on display in the museum. We look forward to welcoming you once we safely reopen again.
Is Royal Mail painting the post box red?
Royal Mail have agreed that, only where there is historic precedent, will post boxes be painted in any colour other than the current official, standard colour- red. Further information on this can be found in the Joint Policy Statement which was renewed in 2015. Many pillar boxes are on display in the museum.
What color are British letter boxes?
Today the colour of British letter boxes is as much part of the iconic nature of the box as any other feature. The early green painted boxes were unobtrusive, excessively so. Complaints were received by people having difficulty finding them and a return to red was specified in 1874.
When did postal boxes stop being made?
Manufacture of wall boxes ceased in the 1980s as removing boxes from use and repairing damaged ones began to become expensive with the cost of making good walls as well as maintaining the boxes themselves.
What was the first way to post a letter?
Prior to the introduction of letter boxes there was principally two ways of posting a letter. Senders would either have to take the letter in person to a Receiving House (effectively an early Post Office) or would have to await the Bellman. The Bellman wore a uniform and walked the streets collecting letters from the public, ringing a bell to attract attention.
Why were small boxes invented?
The boxes, made to attach to existing lamp posts, and big enough only to hold small letters , soon began appearing in low volume areas around the country (and disappeared from the London squares).
When did airmail boxes become blue?
In the 1930s special boxes were introduced for posting airmail letters, these were painted blue. From 1939 blue airmail boxes were removed, repainted red and re-entered service for standard mail.
What was the postal system in 1840?
Postal Reform. In 1840 Uniform Penny Post was launched marking a revolution in the way the postal system could be used. Rowland Hill’s postal reforms opened up the postal system to almost every person in Britain. Use of the system multiplied rapidly, as a result the earlier systems for collecting, sorting and delivering letters had to change.
What are cheap boxes made of?
Cheaper boxes, constructed of sheet steel, are appearing in increasing numbers both to complement existing and replace worn out or damaged boxes.
What color is the post box?
In US the color of std post box is blue.
When did the red box come out?
Between 1866 and 1879 the hexagonal Penfold post box became the standard design for pillar boxes and it was during this period that red was first adopted as the standard colour. The first boxes to be painted red were in London in July 1874, although it would be nearly 10 years before all the boxes had been repainted.
What does the red flag mean on a mail carrier?
The red flag is used to indicate to your mail carrier you have outgoing mail. When the flag is placed in the up or out position, the carrier should stop to pick up any outgoing mail, and they should return the flag to the original position.
What color represents hope?
Here the choices of colours are Red and Yellow, Red embodies,passion power and commitment and yellow communicates hope joy and happiness
Is the color of a post box always red?
The color of Post Box is not always red. It varies as we move from one country to another. the color is chosen such that it is easily noticeable.
Can you use a flag to tell if a carrier is at your box?
The flag should never be used just to know when your carrier has been to your box. If a carrier sees the flag up continually without outgoing mail, they may not stop at your box if they do not have mail for you. It is an unnecessary stop for the carrier.
Letter Boxes - The British Postal Museum & Archive
Letter boxes in Britain have become an iconic symbol of the nation. They are recognised the world over and are frequently featured in tourist brochures, postcards and greetings cards. They are sought after throughout the world to adorn gardens, office pr
Letter boxes: The red heart of the British streetscape - BBC News
One of the UK's rarest letter boxes turns 150. But what is the future for the red emblem of the British streetscape?
When were post boxes invented?
Novelist Anthony Trollope, when working for the General Post Office (forerunner of the Royal Mail), first introduced the pillar box in Jersey and Guernsey in 1852, with the British mainland pillar box following in 1853. Letter boxes were built to local specifications but by 1859 a standardised cylindrical pillar box was introduced. Further types of post box followed: wall (1857), usually fixed inside a brick wall or gate-post, Ludlow (1885), used at sub-post offices and the lamp box (1897), usually attached to a lamp post and most often in rural areas. Approximately 350 post box designs are recorded, although most are a variation on a theme. Necessary modifications were made to the aperture, or mouth of the letter box, as the service progressed. Early Victorian boxes had vertical apertures; however the horizontal aperture became standard and rather than remain in the body of the pillar box, it was moved to the door to prevent letters getting stuck in the roof of the box. The aperture was also covered with a shade to prevent rain water damaging the mail.
Why are post boxes painted green?
Initially British post boxes were painted green but in 1874 the standard bright red colour was chosen to aid visibility, as some people complained that the green pillar boxes were difficult to find. Only post boxes of special interest are normally allowed to divert from the red body with the black base.
What was the uneven distribution of pillar boxes to Glasgow during 1936?
The uneven distribution of pillar boxes to Glasgow during 1936 was not explained. It was noted that when sent for repair, boxes bearing the cipher of Edward VIII were to be quietly exchanged with George VI monogrammed boxes or the doors replaced with the new king’s cipher.
How many letter boxes were there in 1936?
Out of the 271 letter boxes cast in 1936, 161 were pillar boxes, the remainder being wall, lamp and Ludlow boxes. The placement of the first post box bearing the cipher of Edward VIII at Balmoral was announced in The Times on September 11 1936. Less than 150 of these post boxes remain.
Why did Victorian boxes have vertical apertures?
Early Victorian boxes had vertical apertures; however the horizontal aperture became standard and rather than remain in the body of the pillar box, it was moved to the door to prevent letters getting stuck in the roof of the box . The aperture was also covered with a shade to prevent rain water damaging the mail.
Why did the Irish paint pillar boxes green?
Later in the twentieth century, the Irish Republican Army would paint pillar boxes in Northern Ireland green as a protest against British rule. As ‘The Troubles’ worsened it became necessary to limit the aperture of the box to a strictly minimal opening to prevent the insertion of bombs.
How many letters were in the post office in 1936?
Accordingly, the post boxes bearing his royal cipher are the rarest. Out of the 271 letter boxes cast in 1936, 161 were pillar boxes, the remainder being wall, lamp and Ludlow boxes. The placement of the first post box bearing the cipher of Edward VIII at Balmoral was announced in The Times on September 11 1936. Less than 150 of these post boxes remain. Significantly, the abdication resulted in a series of letters and memorandums between the Director of Postal Services and the Stores Department during the autumn and winter of 1937, displaying official concern that the abdication crisis, had, or would affect, a governmental department.
