Daily What?! Museum of Postal History in James A. Farley Post Office Has Vintage Collection of Mail Paraphernalia

In one of the many things that have been forgotten in the James A. Farley Post Office behind Penn Station is the Museum of Postal History, which contains a fun vintage collection of mail paraphernalia from the United States and other countries. In fact, it’s hard to find too much information online about the museum–perhaps one of the few places you can still be surprised to discover in this city.

Some of the objects, which range from horse drawn wagons to post boxes, can be found in the south rotunda near the current entrance of the Storefront for Art and Architecture’s installation, “The Great and Secret Show” by Katarzyna Krakowaik.

This red collection box was given to the U.S. by UK’s Royal Mail:

From Ireland:

The only known existing 4 sided mailbox (on the right):

Postal bicycle from the 1940s:

The main area of the postal museum contains original service counters:

A photo of the original post office at City Hall (now demolished):

Have a pip of day!:

Vaseline glass mailbox, wooden tube for mailing liquids, whiskey bottle, 19th century telephone:

Metal egg crate from 1920s. for when you need to mail eggs:

Leather and wooden postcards:

Collection box circa 1909:

This case contains prisoner of war letters from the world wars:

Letter box from 1900 used in trolleys:

See what it looks like in the off-limits areas of the James A. Farley Post Office, including the former police lookout corridors and the large industrial-like spaces now used for fashion shows and events. And don’t miss one of our favorite fun facts: mail in NYC used to be carried by pneumatic tubes underground!

Get in touch with the author @untappedmich. See more quirky NYC facts and discoveries in our “Daily What?!” series. Submit your own via Twitter with the hashtag #DailyWhat.