Accession number: OB1994.26

This box, first introduced in 1857, is highly ornate. It was designed in collaboration with the Government's Department of Science and Arts in an attempt to make pillar boxes more attractive. Fifty of these boxes were produced.

Manufactured by Smith and Hawkes, the earliest versions of these boxes, including this one, even incorporated a compass on top in case you got lost when posting your letter! They were made a foot shorter than earlier boxes. As well as being used in London they were also sent to Dublin, Birmingham, Edinburgh and Manchester.

In the original design, the aperture was missed off this box and so was added later in the roof. It was found that this positioning, however, meant a lot of rain water entered the box and so a flap was added to prevent this.

An economy version of this box was produced without all the elaborate mouldings for use outside the major cities. The BPMA hold two other boxes like this one, one of which is painted red.

Illustrations

London Ornate Box

London Ornate Box - compass view