The Wandering Disciple

Over the years, the US Postal Service relied on may forms of transportation to get your mail from the sender to the recipient. The railway mail system began in 1832 and help revolutionize and streamline the mail process. During transit, mail typically sat in bags until received at the destination. But this new process saw postal staff sorting the mail onboard the mail cars, helping to make the process more efficient.  This postal car is one of the many postal exhibits on display at the National Postal Museum in Washington DC. Opened in 1993 as a partnership between the US Postal Service and the Smithsonian Institute, the museum is housed in the historic main post office which served the capital area from 1914-1986.  Taken: February 15, 2009 at National Postal Museum (Washington DC)

Neither snow nor rain nor heat nor gloom of night stays these couriers from the swift completion of their appointed rounds. That is the unofficial motto of the United States Postal Service. Each day the postal service processes nearly 5 million pieces of mail to people in big cities all the way to the most rural locations. At times, the postal service needed to adapt to meet the needs of the community like this Rural Free Delivery mail sled on display at the National Postal Museum. (Photo: February 15, 2009)

A normal sight in any town throughout the United States, the postal truck keeps America connected. Mail delivery has taken many forms through the years and the entire history is on display at the National Postal Museum in Washington DC.  (Photo: February 15, 2009)

The history of the US Postal Service is highlighted at the National Postal Museum in Washington DC. From letter carriers to air mail, all aspects of the postal service can be seen here. (Photo: February 15, 2009)

The history of the postal service is highlighted at the National Postal Museum in Washington DC. Established in 1993, the museum tells the story of the postal service from the days of the pony express, through airmail and beyond. (Photo: February 14, 2009)

The Snowbird sits on display in the Moving the Mail exhibit at the National Postal Museum. The Snowbird is a Model T Ford with a snow ski attachment known as the mailman’s special. This made it possible to deliver the mail in snowy conditions. (Photo: February 14, 2009)

The small neighborhood post office of Dillsburg, Pennsylvania has been recreated as part of the reaching Rural America exhibit at the National Postal Museum in Washington, DC. The Dillsburg Post Office was in operation from 1913-1971 and was constructed from modular panels which allowed the postmaster to configure the post office based on the available space. (Photo: February 15, 2009)

Washington, DC: Inside the lower level of the historic city post office lies the National Postal Museum. Here guests can learn about the history of the postal service from its inception in 1775 through today. The collection of stamps by the Smithsonian Institute began in 1886 with a donation of Confederate postage stamps, this was the beginning of The National Philatelic Collection. From 1908 to 1963, the collection was on display at the Arts and Industry building. In 1964, the growing collection was moved to the National Museum of American History. The collection continued to grow and expanded to include the history of the postal service, mail delivery and stamp production. They collection began to outgrow the exhibit space at the American History museum and was in need of a dedicated museum. In 1990, the Smithsonian Institute entered into a joint agreement with the United State Postal Service to operate a National Postal Museum. The National Postal Museum opened to the public i...