This postcard shows what are apparently employees in front of the Gile Letter Service storefront at 723 Third Ave. S., Minneapolis, Minnesota. The vehicle in the center looks like it could be an early horseless carriage that could have been used by the company in parades.
The postcard has an unused Minnesota Statehood stamp on the back. The 3¢ Minnesota Statehood stamp was issued on May 11, 1958. Postage rates increased on August 1, 1958. The letter rate was raised to 4¢ and the postcard rate was increased to 3¢, which suggests that the card dates from about 1958. The stamp would have been used for letter postage when first issued, but a few months later 3¢ was only enough postage for a postcard.
The postcard has an unused Minnesota Statehood stamp on the back. The 3¢ Minnesota Statehood stamp was issued on May 11, 1958. Postage rates increased on August 1, 1958. The letter rate was raised to 4¢ and the postcard rate was increased to 3¢, which suggests that the card dates from about 1958. The stamp would have been used for letter postage when first issued, but a few months later 3¢ was only enough postage for a postcard.
Below is an interior photo of Gile Letter Service Mailroom dated 1957 from the Minnesota Historical Society. The MNHS Database also has a photo of the storefront.
Further searching online turned up a first day cover published by Gile Letter Service with the Minnesota Statehoood stamp.
Nice postcard, but where are the other two wheels of that vehicle? Is it perhaps a fake, used for advertising?
ReplyDeleteIt looks to me as if there are no wheels at the other side and that it is propped up on blocks. Great match to Alan's post.
ReplyDeleteIt's hard to tell if the wheels are missing or are obscured in the shadows. It sure seems like I see a lot of cards from the '50s and '60s that show a motel or some other business with a vintage auto used for promotional purposes....it must have been the thing to do!
ReplyDeletei wonder what giles letter servie was. What was wrong with the post office? Were they in competition?
ReplyDeleteNancy
I was wondering the same as Nancy. Who were these people?
ReplyDeleteWhat a huge staff at the letter service and I am wondering what the letter service was.
ReplyDeleteMy question too. Was this pre-post office. I will have to look that up. Great post and card. I am just into postcards and have trouble determining the dates if not on the card somewhere.
ReplyDeleteQMM
Oh wow this is very cool....I don't think I've ever heard of them, so they must have not lasted real long? What a great find with the postcard and the stamp and later the statehood as well! Very cool post...I love finding out new things about Minnesota! Thanks!
ReplyDeleteI think they probably handled direct mail.
ReplyDeleteHow wonderful to see pictures from the outside as well as inside. That's a whole lot of mail to deal with!
ReplyDeleteI love the postcard, but I'm a little confused as to what the Gile Letter Service actually did - were they competing with the US Postal Service?
ReplyDeleteWhat absolutely wonderful postcards. I THINK THAT IS A HORSELESS CARRIAGE. SO PRICELSS!!
ReplyDeleteI THINK LAURA INGELS FROM THE LITTLE HOUSE BOOKS WAS IN MINNESOTA? ITS ONE PLACE I HAVEN'T BEEN. MAYBE ON OUR NEXT TRIP WE'LL GET THERE? MY HUBBY IS WONDERFUL IN TAKING ME AROUND. GOD BLESS.CM
I see the other wheels if I enlarge the postcard, they're hard to see because they're in shadow, but they're there. That's some mailroom, very interesting.
ReplyDeleteOh yes, quite right - I see them too now :-)
ReplyDeleteNice match on theme. Mr. Giles and presumably Mr. Giles Jr. in the old car must have been proud of their business. Their name is displayed 4 times! Who could miss it?
ReplyDeleteI never knew there were businesses like this. I thought all mail was protected by the government. Very interesting card leaving me with lots of questions.
ReplyDeleteStorefront, vehicles .. you tick all the theme boxes. But more than that, it is a thoroughly interesting post. Thanks for sharing.
ReplyDeleteMy goodness, what a heap of mail to go through by hand! I bet it was cold in the sorting office in the winter. Jo :-)
ReplyDeletei love seeing this first issue. i have a few of those. when i look at the mailroom, i find the task rather daunting... thankfully, we have automation now, and emails!!!
ReplyDelete:)~
HUGZ
This is wonderful! But what is a letter service? Is it in place of a post office? Or like a place where you get a post office box outside of the post office? They sure had a lot of mail in those mail sacks.
ReplyDeleteIt looks like everybody else focused on the car, and here I am with other sorts of questions, lol.
Thanks for stopping by to check out my relatives. Have a wonderful week!
Kathy