First I have to confess that it is confusing, for me as a native Dutch speaker, concerning the boxes in which the mail is thrown: which English word means what?! A Dutch 'Postbus' is P.O. Box in English.
The Dutch word 'brievenbus' literally means 'letters can/tin/drum', and is used for both the public boxes for outgoing mail and the private boxes for incoming mail. So I would think the English word for these boxes is 'letter box'...? No way!
I had heard that in English the word for the outgoing-mail-box differs from the one for incoming mail.
Besides that, the names in the United Kingdom, United States, Australia and other English-speaking countries may differ as well!
Fortunately John helped me by sending me this great drawing, in which he explained at least the names of these dear boxes in the United Kingdom. Thank you very much, John!
Back to Stamps.
This red pillar box I received from Sri Lanka:
Also the post boxes in the Netherlands have a warm colour. For ages the Dutch post boxes have been red: at the time when the Dutch mail company was part of the national PTT (Post, Telephone, Telegraph), and later when it became TPG Post. Then TNT Post became the owner of the national mail company and the post boxes turned orange.
The present company, PostNL, has kept the boxes orange.
On this stamp sheet from the PTT era you can see red ones:
And this December stamp from 2014, the present PostNL era, shows an orange post box (be it that the shape of this box isn't that common):
I looked up which colour this uncoloured post box in Korea would be, and found out that in real it usually is red, too:
John has sent me several beautiful stamps of English post boxes (and mail carreers!). Among them this one:
About the history of the British (pillar) box, you can read at Joy's The Postal Picture blog. This stamp is on that blog too, together with many more great post box stamps!
Who would think all English post boxes are red? Well, this stamp proves there also are green ones:
Also in other countries the colour of the post boxes differ.
These stamps come from the Nederlandse Antillen, the Dutch Antilles:
The final stamp for me for today shows a green mailbox for incoming mail. An other stamp from this Finnish mailbox serie you can find on the website where we started today: Violet's Sunday Stamps II!
Wow! Great collection for today's theme, and John's drawing is super.
BeantwoordenVerwijderenYes, here in the US terminology can be confusing - a mailbox is where you receive your mail. The classic British letter box is usually known as a 'mail slot', and is not very common, although I have one which I think the mailman hates as he has to open a glass door first - much easier to stick it all in a separate mail box. Mailbox can also refer to where you place outgoing mail, and this can be one at a post office, one on the street, or in actual fact the one where you receive your mail at home - yes, the letter carrier will pick up mail as well as deliver. I don't know if other countries do this, I know the UK doesn't.
UK mailboxes have really changed over the decades, and I have a soft spot for the wall boxes, so thanks for showing that stamp.
Interesting, all words, and to me it keeps on being confusing :-)
VerwijderenSimilar to the UK (and to almost all countries??) mail in the Netherlands isn't picked up from homes...
Great variety of post related stamps! I love all of them.
BeantwoordenVerwijderenI used the term 'post box' because Joy (who chose this week's theme) used it, but in reality, we don't say that in Canada. It's a mail box. And I envy FinnBadger being able to have his mail picked up from his own mail box - we don't have that convenience!!
My father worked for the post office, as a 'mail man' then the term became a 'letter carrier' and now it is a 'postal carrier' though most people still say 'mail man/lady' or the more politically correct 'mail person'.
So interesting, how English words in different English speaking countries can differ that much!
VerwijderenYou have shown us a wide selection and John's drawing is very helpful.
BeantwoordenVerwijderenI post most of my postcards in wall boxes but occasionally pillar boxes. There are all sorts of different styles in this area, at least two date from Victorian times.
BeantwoordenVerwijderenI like to spread a little confusion with terminology:-) I like all the different versions you have shown. The Antilles are fascinating mix.
BeantwoordenVerwijderenI wish my pillar box was more upright. It looks as though I was drunk when I drew it. I wasn't - Honest!
BeantwoordenVerwijderenDon't worry, I wouldn't think that at all. It's a great drawing, and every deviation of the 'normal' I am considering the 'Freedom of the Artist'!
VerwijderenBEsides that, wasn't a certain tower in a certain Italian city famous for its 'not standing upright'? :-)