Lot 133
North America, Canada, ca. early 20th century CE, probably the 1st decade of the 1900s CE. This magnificent mail box was manufactured by James Goold Cutler (American, 1848-1927) who invented the mail chute. Such mail boxes were installed at the bottom of mail chutes in Canadian Pacific Hotels across Canada in the early 20th century. The door, doorframe, mail slot, and florettes of the mailbox are all made of solid brass. The other elements are comprised of brass plated iron sheet. Below the mail slot is the Royal Coat of Arms of Canada including the motto of the monarch of the UK outside of Scotland, "Dieu et Mon Droit" (God and my right, implying that the monarch has divine right to rule) with the words, "ROYAL MAIL" above and "CANADA" below it. Beneath this is a plaque that reads, "THE CANADIAN CUTLER MAIL CHUTE COMPANY (LIMITED) MONTREAL, CUTLER-MAILING-SYSTEM, AUTHORIZED BY P.O. DEPT, INSTALLED UNDER THE CUTLER SERIES OF PATENTS". Size: 13.375" L (deep) x 26.25" W x 40.25" H (34 cm x 66.7 cm x 102.2 cm)
Cutler mailboxes with chutes were also installed in US office towers and apartment buildings that were more than five stories high, making it much easier to send mail for those working or residing on the upper floors. Gravity served as their mail carrier.
James Goold Cutler was a very accomplished individual - a respected architect and businessman from Albany, New York, he also served as the mayor of Rochester from 1904 to 1907, and invented the Cutler mail chute, a system used for tall buildings that arose during the emergence of the skyscraper. According to the Smithsonian National Postal Museum, "As urban business centers flourished in the 19th century and buildings grew vertically, rather than horizontally in response to growing urban land values, the Post Office Department sought an easier way for occupants to mail their letters. It was more convenient to collect the mail inside the office buildings instead of forcing tenants to deposit their mail in boxes on the street or post offices. The answer was the creation of mail chutes that would extend from the top floor to a receiving box located at ground level . . . The first mail chute was installed in the Elwood Building in Rochester, New York in 1884. The experiment was successful and chutes were installed in two New York City office buildings. The first mail chutes were limited to railroad stations and public buildings. By 1905, the postal service allowed mail chutes to be placed in hotels taller than five stories and in apartment houses with more than 50 residential apartments." (https://postalmuseum.si.edu/exhibits/current/customers-and-communities/serving-the-cities/overcoming-congestion/cutler-mailbox-and-chute.html)
Provenance: private Louisville, Colorado, USA, acquired over twenty-five years ago
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#129080
- Condition: Generally excellent, hinges function, and the door moves well. Surface displays a nice age patina that has developed over the years. A spectacular find!
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