The Library History Buff

Promoting the appreciation, enjoyment, and preservation of library history

Folded Letters

Prior to the introduction of postage stamps in the United States in 1847 there was limited use of envelopes to transmit the mail.  Instead, letters were folded in such a way that the address could be written on a blank side of the sheet. The folded letter below was sent by the Maryland State Library in Annapolis, MD to Philadelphia, PA on December 1, 1846.

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Last updated: 11-05-12   © 2005-2012 Larry T. Nix
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