Have you ever thought about the letters in your mailbox? Travel through the postal history of the United States from 1790 to 1890 with “You’ve Got Mail” at the Chester County Historical Society. Now open from November 24, 2017 to April 14, 2018, you can learn all about the origins of postage. Colonial mail delivery began providing access to information, and with this access came the change in the postal services. Postage rates decreased, and delivery and postal services were transformed.
The exhibit is curated by guest postal historian, Bill Schultz. There will also be a “You’ve Got Mail” lecture series on select Saturdays from 1pm to 2:30pm beginning December 16th to accompany this exhibit. I spoke with Jasmine Smith, librarian with the Chester County Historical Society, on the importance of this exhibit.
“A man named Robert Brinton was working on writing a comprehensive history of the United States Postal Service,” she said. “Unfortunately, he died in the 1940s and never finished his work, but he collected hundreds of letters, stamps, and envelopes.”
Jasmine continued that this exhibit offers more to viewers than just stamps and letters: it tells how the entire service changed over one century.
“Routes changed and delivery and postal services became cheaper as people started traveling more,” Jasmine said. 
“We go from stamp-less covers to stamps, and envelopes with very little information on them to tons as more people started living in the same areas. And letters began to be delivered in bulk, which actually lowered delivery costs.”
The exhibit offers different photos of post offices back then and how they changed from tiny office buildings to the bustling hubs they are today. But Jasmine’s favorite part of the exhibit is observing the redesign of postal objects.
“The Post Office Box used to be tall and skinny with cubbies,” she said, “and Valentine’s Day cards were colorful and artistic, with sparkles and lace. Even the way cancellation stamps were added has changed.”
“Whether you’re a postal service historian or new to approaching this history,” Jasmine continued, “there’s something for everyone.”
