Skip to main content
Smithsonian main website

Search

Donate

EnglishEnglish
EnglishEnglishArabicArabicChinese (Simplified)Chinese (Simplified)FilipinoFilipinoFrenchFrenchGermanGermanHebrewHebrewHindiHindiItalianItalianJapaneseJapaneseKoreanKoreanPortuguesePortugueseRussianRussianSpanishSpanishSwahiliSwahili
Smithsonian sunburst Smithsonian National Postal Museum
  • Visit
    Visit
    • Location and Directions
    • Calendar of Events
    • Public Programs
    • Tours and Itineraries
    • Museum Highlights
    • Virtual Tour
    • Museum Shop
    • Information Desk
    • Reviews
    • Accessibility
    • Alerts
    Plan a Visit

    TEMPORARILY CLOSED
    Open every day (except December 25)
    10:00 am to 5:30 pm

    Admission is always free!

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

    street map of Postal museum

    Learn more
  • Exhibitions
    Exhibitions
    • Current Exhibitions
    • Upcoming Exhibitions
    • Virtual Exhibitions
    • Past Exhibitions
    The museum's Atrium
  • Learn & Explore
    Learn & Explore
    • For Researchers
    • For Educators
    • Topical Reference Pages
    • Research Articles
    • Stamp Collecting
    • Social Media
    • Activities
    Front windows showing stamp images at night
  • Collections
    Collections
    • Search the Collection
    • Collection History
    • Collection Plan
    • Collection Projects
    • Object Donations
    • Object Loans
    • Digital Asset Collections
    • Rights and Reproductions
    • Preservation
    • Object Spotlight
    People in front of log post office building
  • About
    About
    • Support the Museum
    • History of the Museum
    • FAQs
    • Host an Event
    • Museum Councils
    • Philatelic Achievement Awards
    • Volunteering
    • Internships
    • Employment
    • Contact Us
    • Smithsonian Affiliations
    • Press
    • Meet Our Staff
    • Site Map
    Historic Lobby
  • Blog
  • Home
  • Collections
  • Search the Collection
  • ZIP code poster featuring Dick Tracy
Click to view social media share links

ZIP code poster featuring Dick Tracy

Object Details

Description
This poster featuring cartoon character Dick Tracy promotes ZIP code use. Iconic Mr. ZIP with his letter carrier’s uniform and satchel appears on Dick Tracy’s "2-WAY WRIST TV." Dick Tracy clearly gets the message about ZIP codes, and the Post Office Department hoped the public would too. Unlike promoting a new service or announcing a regulation, bringing ZIP codes to the public’s attention centered on the difficult task of changing people’s behavior by asking them to learn and add five digits to every address. The U.S. Government Printing Office printed the poster for the Post Office Department in 1970. Chester Gould created the Dick Tracy character, which was licensed to the Chicago Tribune.
Data Source
National Postal Museum
Date
1970
Object number
2002.2003.7
Printer
Government Printing Office
Type
Archival Material
Medium
paper; ink
Dimensions
Height x Width: 14 × 11 in. (35.56 × 27.94 cm)
Place
District of Columbia
See more items in
National Postal Museum Collection
Topic
The Cold War (1945-1990)
Record ID
npm_2002.2003.7
Usage
Not determined
GUID
http://n2t.net/ark:/65665/hm8f4c53c9b-52c5-49a8-bb64-64401ff69601
There are restrictions for re-using this image. For more information, visit the Smithsonian's Terms of Use page .
International media Interoperability Framework
IIIF provides researchers rich metadata and media viewing options for comparison of works across cultural heritage collections. Visit the IIIF page to learn more.
View manifest View in Mirador Viewer

HomeSmithsonian National Postal Museum

Plan a Visit

TEMPORARILY CLOSED
Open every day (except December 25)
10:00 am to 5:30 pm

Admission is always free!

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

street map of Postal museum

Learn more
  • Privacy
  • Terms of Use
  • Press
  • Site Map
  • e-News
  • Facebook
  • Twitter
  • Instagram
  • Pinterest
  • YouTube
  • Flickr

Have you signed up for our monthly e-newsletter?

Owney, the Railway Mail Service Mascot

Back to Top