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Smithsonian sunburst Smithsonian National Postal Museum
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  • Rural Free Delivery segregated saddlebag
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Rural Free Delivery segregated saddlebag

Object Details

Description
Palmyra, Virginia became a Rural Free Delivery post office on October 22, 1896, one of the first in the nation to deliver mail to farm families. This mailbag with separate compartments for "white" and "colored" mail was not required by federal policy but was procured by the carrier to satisfy either his own preferences or those of his customers.
The saddlebag, thought to be in use from 1896 until 1921, segregated the mail collected from African Americans and white Americans in Fluvanna County, Virginia. This item was most likely used by Frank W. Shepherd, letter carrier on Rural Route No. 1, Palmyra, Virginia, and was subsequently connected with his relatives at Boyd Tavern in Albemarle County, Virginia. The bag originated from a large estate sale of the contents of Boyd Tavern.
The drape of leather connecting the two bags is hourglass shaped, composed of two lengths of stitched leather with tooled design on top, center. The identical bags are three-tone leather (natural and black with red trim). Each has a handle sewn at the top and a three-part strap and buckle. The flap and interior of each bag is lined in cotton. "Colored" is handwritten on the interior of the flap of one bag and the other is marked "White."
Data Source
National Postal Museum
Date
c. 1896
Object number
1990.0149.1
Type
Mail Processing Equipment
Medium
leather; cotton; metal (silver)
Dimensions
Height x Width x Depth: 41 x 14 x 4 in. (104.14 x 35.56 x 10.16 cm) Height equals full, spread length; depth equals single depth of one bag
Place
Virginia
See more items in
National Postal Museum Collection
Topic
The Gilded Age (1877-1920)
Mail Processing
Record ID
npm_1990.0149.1
Usage
CC0
GUID
http://n2t.net/ark:/65665/hm83ed932df-f2ae-4aec-83a7-dfd16e27cfdf
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HomeSmithsonian National Postal Museum

Visit »

Open daily 10 a.m. to 5:30 p.m.

Admission is always free!

2 Massachusetts Ave., N.E.
Washington, DC 20002

The museum's main entrance is located on the corner of First Street and Massachusetts Avenue NE. Other entrances have variable hours.

street map of Postal museum

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Owney, the Railway Mail Service Mascot

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