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

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  • Photograph of rural carrier with horse and wagon
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Photograph of rural carrier with horse and wagon

Object Details

Description
The unidentified rural letter carrier is driving a horse-drawn Harrington "Light Runner" mail wagon. Unlike most Rural Free Delivery (RFD) wagons, the Light Runner's door was located at the back of the vehicle, not on the side. The wagon was painted white, and the lettering on the side "RFD Route No. 8 / U.S. Mail" is in blue. The roof lip construction was intended to lessen the impact of rain or snow showers on the front window. The tiny wagon provided little space for carriers to maneuver inside. Although that should have made it less appealing for carriers, the model sold very well. In addition to being smaller than most rural mail wagons, the Light Runner was also often less expensive to purchase. This was an important feature, as rural carriers then, as now, were responsible for purchasing their own vehicles. There is no indication on the postcard of the location of this route.
National Postal Museum, Curatorial Photographic Collection
Photographer: Unknown
Credit line
National Postal Museum, Curatorial Photographic Collection Photographer: Unknown
Data Source
National Postal Museum
Date
1912
Object number
A.2009-53
Type
Photographs
Medium
postcard stock; photo-emulsion
Dimensions
Height x Width (unframed): 4 x 6 in. (10.16 x 15.24 cm)
Place
United States of America
See more items in
National Postal Museum Collection
Record ID
npm_A.2009-53
Usage
Not determined
GUID
http://n2t.net/ark:/65665/hm84ec85488-50c3-4a2d-a146-59ce78f32d1b
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

Plan a 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

Learn more
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Owney, the Railway Mail Service Mascot

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