The Colors of Air Mail

I have a theory. You see, my friend and pen pal Alice travels the world. She is such a kind, generous and creative person that she makes zines and packages of her journeys. Most of her focus is mail and postal themed, and so I have become the lucky recipent of many a jolly package of epistolary bits and bobs from all sorts of places. If you can't tell, I love it! Alice is the best.

My point is though, that I've started to notice something, and it's something that I can't exactly find corroboration about on this magical information land that is the Internet. All the airmail envelopes have that wonderful chevron edging and each is unique to its own country. The most striking difference is often in the color of the chevrons. What I have discovered is that the colors seem to correspond to the colors of that particular country's flag.

I didn't notice it at first because airmail envelopes from the U.S.A. and the U.K. and Australia are all red and blue; so I thought that all airmail was just red and blue. Occaisionally, I'd have a different color combonation, but I didn't put it together until Alice's recent trip to Brazil. She sent some zines of the postal uniforms there and we got to talking about why they chose certain colors over others. The airmail envelopes from Brazil are edged in green and yellow. The colors of Brazil's flag? Green, yellow and blue. Alice thinks I'm on to something and she sent me some envelopes from Mexico. They are edged in red and green just like the main colors on the Mexican flag.

I love the idea that "official" airmail envelopes are like little flags being sent by mail. I enjoy thinking that you can tell where a letter is from just from the colors on the outside edge of the envelope. What do you think of my theory? Got any other evidence to back it up? Show me your envelopes! I'm thinking Sweden should have some yellow and blue ones.

Comments

[Tara]

That is a great theory! I'm surprised there isn't more information about it on the internet. Brazil's airmail stripes are my favorite. They remind me of Fruit Stripe gum.

[Reg]

It is a great theory! Unfortunately—although this may have to do with its modern occupation by France, the UK, and the US (all three red-white-blue countries), Germany's airmail envelopes (auf Deutsch, die Luftpostumschlagen) are white with red and blue stripes on the edges, just like in the US. There are some photos on this page: http://de.wikipedia.org/wiki/Luftpost

The "color" of the German post office is a particular shade of yellow: post office yellow (postfachgelb) and for a long time, the only packages you were allowed to send through the mail were those that were in special postfachgelb boxes, tied with string and with strategically-placed tape (they were like German origami boxes!). Of course, the German national flag is black, red, and gold. Not quite postfachgelb, but close!

[Nicolle]

When I first saw this picture on Instagram, I thought the envelopes were just random. Based on Reg's comment, your theory doesn't apply to all countries. I guess the only way to test how true it is would be to collect an "official" envelope from every country. What an adventure that would be!

[Reg]

I feel an initiative response brewing!!

[Donovan Beeson]

Neat! Thanks Reg!

[Jasmin]

That's an interesting theory. Unfotunately my experience can't support it.
As mentioned before German Luftpostumschläge http://www.amazon.de/25-Luftpostumschl%C3%A4ge-ohne-Fenster-selbstklebend/dp/B0088VK7R4 (air mail envelopes) are blue, white, red as well although the German flag ist black, red, gold. I also received an air mail envelope from Japan which was blue, white, red as well.

Air mail envelopes in the Czech Republic are also blue, white, red but that's also the colors of the flag.
Thats really an interesting research subject....

[Cynthia]

I am hanging on to my boxes of airmail envelopes that I picked up a few years ago. Soon they will be extinct!

[paul]

Just to add another data point from Canada - I have several boxes of air mail envelopes made by three different companies here in Canada. All have red/white/blue edging. The chevron/edge patterns are different though. I think these are from the early 80's through to the mid-90's.

I did notice, that two of the envelopes have Air Mail in Multiple languages - Air Mail, Via Aerea, Par Avion on the one, and Par Avion, Via Air Mail, Correo Aereo on the other. The other is just 'Air Mail'.

I wonder if it was standardized among some of the allied companies during the war?

Let me know if you'd like a few - I picked up about 10 boxes when they were being cleared out at a ridiculous price.

[Alan B]

Yes, Swedish ones are blue and yellow and Greek ones are just blue and white.

I believe the UPU ruling is that the 'Par Avion' must be there in French, but other local languages may be used as well. I made a couple of collections here:
https://www.flickr.com/photos/alan98/8171698685
https://www.flickr.com/photos/alan98/12074064943

[Leann]

I got a few from a sales bin at a stationary store last year that are navy blue and a sort of gold/mustard color. They say "airmail" in English, so I think the colors are just a 90's design thing,

[Reg]

Yeah, I think that there was some international ruling at some point that all airmail has to have "Air Mail" written in both English and French. Because most of my airmailing days were spent in Germany, our stuff always had it in all three. I've never seen "Via Aerea" or "Correo Aereo", though, that's pretty cool! Of course, the chevroned edges and a plane pictogram are probably sufficient these days.

[Donovan Beeson]

What a generous offer! Thank you. Im on a supply diet though. Gotta use up what Ive got.

[Donovan Beeson]

As always, you have thrilled me with your informed ways!

[Donald Payne]

Bolivia's air mail envelopes are edged in red, yellow and green, the colours of the national flag. I also bought an envelope specifically from La Paz coloured only red and leaf green, the colours of the city's own flag. Chile and Peru both use red white and blue.