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Smithsonian sunburst Smithsonian National Postal Museum
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  • Advertisement for Sheaffer's V-mail writing kit
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Advertisement for Sheaffer's V-mail writing kit

Object Details

Description
This advertisement for the Sheaffer Pen Company’s V-mail kit appeared on the inside cover of Life magazine on May 24, 1943. The ad includes an image of the kit, as well as a description of its use. It was not unusual for print ads of the early to mid twentieth century to include a large amount of text describing Voyager. In this ad, the company instructs consumers on the use of this new product, including directions for when to buy it for their loved ones going off to war. Images on the ad show the kit container as well as the items it contains. A small insert illustration shows a woman buying the kit and addressing it for mailing.
V-Mail service, was used in the U.S. from June 15, 1942 through April 1, 1945. Unlike regular mail, which traveled by ship and could take up to a month to reach its destination, V-Mail traveled by air and cut down transport time to 12 days or less.
Data Source
National Postal Museum
Date
1943
Object number
2004.2016.4
Type
Archival Material
Medium
paper; ink (multicolor)
Dimensions
Overall: 34.9 x 25.4cm (13 3/4 x 10in.)
Place
United States of America
See more items in
National Postal Museum Collection
Record ID
npm_2004.2016.4
Usage
Usage conditions apply
GUID
http://n2t.net/ark:/65665/hm81b24fbe2-9fe5-4a08-a2a6-d30c77f6ee91
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.
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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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