We’ve already told about the artist who spent several years mailing himself strange unwrapped objects. But it seems that the hobby of mailing oneself quirky objects through the postal services has antecedent roots, as writes John Tingey on a newly published book. “The Englishman who posted himself and other curious objects” is the story of a 19th century’s man and his passion for the postal services and their quirkiness. Here’s the synopsis:
The first impression of W. Reginald Bray (1879–1939) was one of an ordinary middle-class Englishman quietly living out his time as an accountant in the leafy suburb of Forest Hill, London. A glimpse behind his study door, however, revealed his extraordinary passion for sending unusual items through the mail.
In 1898, Bray purchased a copy of the Post Office Guide, and began to study the regulations published quarterly by the British postal authorities. He discovered that the smallest item one could post was a bee, and the largest, an elephant. Intrigued, he decided to experiment with sending ordinary and strange objects through the post unwrapped, including a turnip, a bowler hat, a bicycle pump, shirt cuffs, seaweed, a clothes brush, even a rabbit’s skull. He eventually posted his Irish terrier and himself (not together), earning him the name “The Human Letter.”
He also mailed cards to challenging addresses some in the form of picture puzzles, others sent to ambiguous recipients at hard to reach destinations all in the name of testing the deductive powers of the beleaguered mail carrier. Over time his passion changed from sending curios to amassing the world’s largest collection of autographs, also via the post. By the time he died in 1939, Bray had sent out more than thirty-two thousand postal curios and autograph requests.
The Englishman who posted himself and other curious objects is available at Amazon.com
Pray tell, what was the strangest thing you’ve ever posted? :)
18 comments so far
I posted some sheep cheese earlier this week. What's in it? the postoffice man asked. I suddenly thought 'maybe food is suspicious!' and made up the first thing that came to my mind: "It is a pair of knitted socks."
hahaha
the things one must do to send mail...
I love to send different things through the US Postal Service to my grand daughter, Ava. I've sent an inflated rubber ball with her address on it and a note written with a Sharpie. I sent a small round pillow in a Ziploc baggie. A message in a plastic bottle with a tag hanging off it with her address. All items were received in excellent condition! A mail carrier myself I've seen my share of strange things. Coconuts from Hawaii, a VW Beetle bumper and a fishing pole (to a recent retiree). The strangest had to be the live turkey 2 days before Thanksgiving! He was in a box with a hole on top that he could stick his head out of and look around. He's still the talk of the office every year when Thanksgiving rolls around :)
I once mailed a G-String and another time an instant pudding to Lidlrenner. I received a set of colored pencils. Everything unwrapped, NWT.
The strangest thing I ever got was an unwrapped infant car seat.
Strangest thing I received so far was a rubber chicken.
Things I mailed out included several breakfast plates, a set of toothbrushes, various chocolate bars, a StarWars figurine and half of a skateboard. A sent apple didn't make it to the receiver - eaten by the postman, I guess... :-)
I once mailed froma village on the Atlantic coast in France a piece of driftwood and fixed the staps with staples..
I once bought a 4" X 4" wooden post (the kind mail boxes sit on) and cut it into two pieces (5' & 3'). I wrote "POST CARD" one one side and messages all over them, and mailed them. One to Oprah Winfrey and one to my Representative in Congress.
I sent a crisp once. It was a challenge on a children's TV show- the biggest crisp that could be sent without being broken in the post...
funny shout try it myself sometime.
I mailed a joke I heard to my dad, is that a funny thing to mail?
Back in college, I mailed a 3ft long fake joint made from construction paper to a friend in a Catholic College. She returned the favor by mailing a clear plastic container with confectioners sugar. Of course this well before the uni-bomber.
I also mailed a plastic jar of peanut butter to a friend studying in Italy. It was already well sealed, so I just added a label and my post office added the postage.
One very dirty sock.
(After I left for university, my dog begin to miss me, and my mom thought something that smelled like me would cheer him up)
I mailed my Leg braces to Physicians for Peace,I no longer need them but some one can.
There is also childrens book "Mailing May" by Michael O. Tunnell. Very touching story.
I got a little note in a plastic water bottle once. It was definitely odd yet cool.
Love to hear how the guy actually mailed himself.
I sent tea leaves to my friend once. it was meaningful actually because I was studying in Rize, the only city tea grows in Turkey. She didn't recognize the leaves whay a pity and asked me what they are :( It was fun to put tea in envelopes :)
I send a tea cup through the normal mail. :) It was wrapped, so no one could see, what it was and it wasn't broken during the journey.
Our brick church was torn down and I saved a brick to mail to the pastor. I put it in a coffee can and the mailman, when weighing it, asked "What's this--a BRICK?" He was surprised when I told him it was.
We installed a new wood floor. I took some of the scraps (maybe 10 x 15 cm) and mailed them as postcards to some friends. They were very surprised. I have also mailed coconuts from when I lived in Hawaii.