Thing 78

[just_the_things]

78. Visit the Postal Museum

I went to the Smithsonian Postal Museum today after the meetup at the Old Post Office Pavilion. It was more of a walk than Ixion and I had counted on, but we made it at last, hot and tired and thrilled to be inside with air conditioning. Apart from air conditioning, the museum is neat. Pretty much anything you can think of that's mail-related is there. I learned that I really enjoy sorting mail into boxes based on town (once we realized we had to put the mail UNDER the town name and not above), and I was sad to realize that's all done by machine now (I thought maybe it could be a career change for me). I love stamps, so the stamp gallery was the first place we went. I also saw poor little Owney, the USPS dog who was adorable but passed away and is now stuffed and on display and looks more creepy than cute now, unfortunately. His collection of metal tags was impressive (1,017 of them!). There are mail vehicles, mailboxes, sorting and postmarking machines, and some more I didn't even get to. I think my favorite were the mistake stamps display. I really enjoyed my visit and I might have to go again... though this time I'll go via Union Station and not Federal Triangle.


Plane, horse-drawn carriage, horseless carriage


Cute statue of Owney by the entrance


One of several post office box displays


Railroad-themed stamps


Inside of a steel postal car

Comments

[6of8.livejournal.com]

Congratulations! Glad you had a good time at the museum, even though you had to slog through the sticky hotness to get there!

Loved your little book, BTW -- so organized and creative, just like you!

[melydia.livejournal.com]

Sorry I missed it! Did Six not join you?

[katekintail.livejournal.com]

Six had a friend in town (who was sweet enough to watch all our books for us when we went up the Old Post Office tower). Ixy and I realized we should have Metroed over, but we did catch three or four snarfs along the way, so it was worth it.

We missed you!

[6of8.livejournal.com]

My friend was complaining about the heat, and it seems that she would have complained more if she had walked with Ixion and KK. But, hey, I hear there is a grand scheme to Take Melydia to the Postal Museum set for next Saturday at some time either before or after the second meet-up.

I cam back here to just comment on the truly brilliant photo here -- every time I see it I love it even more. Kudos to you, Kate! The others are nice, but this one is fabo!

[just-the-things.livejournal.com]

Which photo were you referring to? The first one? I made that one the photo of the day for that day in my photo-a-day project (I haven't missed a day yet!)