Address Map Postcard

All hail the mail system! This postcard traversed two postal processors, the Royal Mail and the U.S.P.S., to be delivered to me. There's a twist though. The U.S.P.S. did not deliver it to the address illustrated on the card. The address on the card is of our studio, and it's pretty dern accurate. (Want to see the "Big red brick building"? Check out our studio tour.) However, we can't get mail at the studio. There's no mailbox. Rather, there is a mailbox, but we've never been issued keys. By the time we got a studio, we'd already grown pretty attached to our P.O. Box anyway; so we never bothered trying to press for mail at the studio. So how did the card get to us?

They put it in our P.O. Box. 

How'd they know to do that?

It's tempting to say that we're famous in the Chicago portion of the postal system. While that might play a part, I think the bigger reason it got delivered is because our P.O. Box is located in a post office that also happens to be located on Ashland Avenue. It's still VERY IMPRESSIVE. The traditional address identifiers on the card are Chicago, IL, USA, Letter Writers Alliance, Ashland Avenue, & N. Laflin Street. It's like looking at an old postcard and just seeing a name and city. So cool.

The sender of the card has been identified as none other than Alan of Adanaland who has had his postal prowess displayed upon these pages previously. He saw our post on the letter that got delivered to a farm in Iceland and was inspired to give it a try. He says he didn't put his return address on it to avoid having the card just sent back to him. BRAVO! And BRAVO the post!

So whenever you have something that goes missing or you get frustrated by a returned piece of mail art, remember that there is also a story like this. You have just as much chance at a mail miracle as you do for a debacle. The more mail you send, the more wonderful things you have a chance to experience. 

Comments

[Terri Beth]

:D
Love this!

[Cindy R.]

Saw this on Instagram and was wondering what the full story was. Very cool!

[Joe F.]

That is at least fourteen different kinds of awesome.

[Katherine]

That's awesome! My dad told me that in the past, someone could address him an envelope as: Big George, Cornwall Bridge, CT 06754
and it would get delivered to him.

[Dawn]

Postal employees are the best! I never let anyone get away with saying anything negative about USPS in my presence. Once, when I was a child, I read a story in the newspaper about a dog who'd been shot while protecting the family home from a home invasion. I mailed a letter addressed to "Sam, the dog who was shot", and the city and state with my best guess as to the ZIP code. It was delivered, and I was delighted to receive a return from Sam a little while later.

[Alan B]

Oh marvellous, that's even better than if they had delivered it normally! Three cheers for the postal people!
But don't you wonder what might be in that mailbox without a key?

[Cynthia]

True true about mail miracles! The mail ladies in our building are a real gift to everyone, with their kindness to us and attention to our mail every day. Thank you!

[Donovan Beeson]

Most assuredly. But the building has also recently built a new suite in the hallway where the boxes used to be and I cant even gaze wistfully at them anymore.

[Karen B]

Funny... I addressed a letter going to (example) 123 Smith St NW with the NW on the second line by itself when I ran out of room - and it was returned to me. From Florida all the way to Connecticut, and returned all the way back to Florida.