Oversized photograph. An unidentified gentleman can be seen working inside the Post Office Terminal Annex, also known as Los Angeles Terminal Annex Post Office. He sorts stacks of letters that lay on a desk in front of him, which he then deposits into small cubbies. The cubbies are labeled: "Long first class", "Long air mail", and "Hand stamp". Employees of the United States Postal Service are divided into three major categories: Letter Carriers (also referred to as mailpersons or mail-carriers); Mail Handlers and Processors; and Clerks. In the olden days there were more mail handlers and processors, such as the man seen here, that often worked in the evening and at night preparing mail and bulk goods for the carriers to deliver. Today, processing of standard sized envelopes and cards is highly automated using machines that expedite this procedure, which means that fewer postal workers are needed. The Post Office Terminal Annex was designed by Gilbert Stanley Underwood in the California Mission style and was built in 1938; the supervising engineer was Neal A. Melick. This 400,000 square feet building served as the main mail distribution center for the Metropolitan Los Angeles area from 1938 until 1994. Approximately 1,700 Post Office employees handled over four million pieces of incoming and outgoing mail on a daily basis. The Post Office Terminal Annex was added to the National Register of Historic Places - Building #85000131, on January 11, 1985. Although no longer used as a post office, the building is used occasionally as a filming site.
Type
image
Format
1 photograph :b&w ;28 x 35 cm. Photographic prints
United States Post Office Terminal Annex (Los Angeles, Calif.) United States Postal Service Post office buildings--California--Los Angeles Historic buildings--California--Los Angeles Postal service--California--Los Angeles Mail sorting--California--Los Angeles Postal service--Employees Underwood, Gilbert Stanley Melick, Neal A
If you're wondering about permissions and what you can do with this item, a good starting point is the "rights information" on this page. See our terms of use for more tips.
Share your story
Has Calisphere helped you advance your research, complete a project, or find something meaningful? We'd love to hear about it; please send us a message.
