Envelopes

Certainly there have been changes in our postal system over the decades but mail does still arrive in a paper envelope at times. It was not unusual many years ago, as evidenced by the 1870 sample on the left, for the address to be quite brief (just a name, town, state — no street address or zip code). But, the envelope on the right also arrived perfectly fine in the the new era of 2014; it was addressed to Alfred University, East Slope, Alfred, NY 14802. Given that the University is situated on the eastern side of Alfred’s valley, the post office knew exactly where to send it!
One other aspect that’s missing from today’s mail is the decorative engravings that used to grace envelopes and stationery. The detailed campus scene on the 1870 envelope is quite graceful and pleasing; much more pleasant to receive than the plain, white envelopes of today.