Scrapbook of Cartoons, Clippings and Articles Relating to the Activities & History of the U.S. Postal Service, Compiled circa 1936-1942

Item Details

Compiled circa 1936-1942, Scrapbook with stiff board covers

[POSTAL SERVICE – Scrapbook]  Hering, Lawrence H., compiler.  Scrapbook devoted to news clippings, articles and cartoons relating to the United States Postal Service, mail delivery, USPS workers, and post offices assembled by a USPS employee, circa 1936-1942, plus a signed presentation photograph of the U.S. Postmaster General, James A. Farley, who served in that capacity from 1933 to 1940.  The scrapbook measures 12.25” x 14.5” and contains fifty pages (25 leaves), of which 42 have clippings, articles and cartoons pasted down on them.  In addition, there are twelve pages and one full newspaper page laid in loose that were never pasted down on the eight empty pages.

The photograph of James A. Farley measures 8” x 10.25” and contains a manuscript signed presentation in the bottom border: “To Lawrence H. Hering / Sincerely, James Farley”.  Besides being named Postmaster General by President Franklin D. Roosevelt in 1933, Farley was the chair of the Democratic National Committee and the New York Democratic Committee.  His friendship with Roosevelt became estranged when he disagreed with Roosevelt’s run for a third term of office, resulting in Farley vacating his position of Postmaster General.  The photograph is in Fine condition.

According to the 1940 census for the State of Washington. Lawrence H. Hering (1907-1987), to whom the signed photo was presented and who compiled the scrapbook, was employed as a clerk in the Camas, WA post office.  He was living in Woodburn, Oregon, when he died in 1987.

The scrapbook contains a variety of material (including the serious, odd and comic) relating to postal service.  Newspaper clippings, syndicated columns, and cartoons make up the majority of the contents.  Included among the illustrated or cartoon pieces laid in are Ripley’s “Believe It or Not” and John Hix’s “Strange As It Seems” tidbits of information about the postal service; “Off the Record” cartoons by Ed Reed; “Time Out” cartoons by Chet Smith; Jimmy Halo’s “They’ll Do It Every Time” cartoons; “The Neighbor” cartoons by George Clark; “On the Cuff” cartoons by Lichty; “These Women!” cartoons by d’Alessio; “Life’s Like That” cartoon by Fred Neher; “Strictly Private” cartoon by Quin Hall; “Li’l Abner” strips by Joe Capp; and  a “Sad Sack” strip. 

In addition, the album contains cut-outs of J. B. Trapp’s “Postal Oddities” series, illustrated by John Baer.  Trapp, of Los Angeles, had a column titled, “Trapp Opens His Trap”.  Besides the “Postal Oddities” pasted down, twelve of Trapp’s illustrated columns are laid in loose.  A page from the Oregon Journal newspaper from Portland, OR, dated December 10, 1939, with a full-page article titled “All for Three Cents” is also laid in loose.  The article, illustrated with photographs, gives a good account of how the mail is handled in a Portland, OR post office.   In addition, tipped in the album is a 3-page off-print from the Congressional Record of a speech by the Hon. Charles H. Leavy of the State of Washington, delivered in the House of Representatives on April 23, 1940.  The title of Leavy’s speech was “The Nation’s Greatest Business – United States Postal Service”.

In all, there are approximately 200 newspaper and magazine postal service related clippings laid down or inserted loosely in the album.  The album is neatly arranged and is in Fine condition.  [JS/M]