Publications

Artwork: David Gentleman

A beautifully produced collection of work by the renowned artist….

The lives of most people in Britain, whether they realise it or not, have been touched by the work of David Gentleman. From his many stamp designs, in which he radically transformed the way the Queen appears, to his timeless logos for corporations such as British Steel and the famous Eleanor of Castile murals at Charing Cross underground station, David Gentleman’s graphic works have both shaped and given voice to the changing design climate of five decades.

Queen Elizabeth II: A Portrait in Stamps

Lavishly illustrated with more than 250 images…

Since her accession to the throne in 1952, the Queen’s image on UK stamps has become one of the most familiar and reproduced icons of all time. This beautiful and fascinating book illustrates the reign of Her Majesty as celebrated on Britain’s stamps.

Post Boxes: A Celebration in 25 Postcards

A celebration of pillar boxes through the posters in The Royal Mail Archive…

The first post box was erected in the British Isles in 1852. Since then the pillar box has established itself as a much-loved part of the street furniture of our villages, towns and cities. This book of postcards published by Royal Mail, celebrates the richness of this icon of community and communication through the art of posters and a special stamp issue.

BFI Film Classics - Night Mail

The story behind the classic of British documentary cinema.

Scott Anthony’s study provides a lively appreciation of this vivid, witty and often just plain eccentric masterpiece. In doing so he uncovers the remarkable stories of civic-minded idealism, creative intrigue and political trickery that underpin this classic documentary.

A Timeless Classic: The evolution of Machin's icon

Tracing the evolution of Machin's definitive stamp design from conception to British icon.

A Timeless Classic: The evolution of Machin’s icon marks the 40th anniversary of the first stamp issued with the now classic image of Queen Elizabeth II created by Arnold Machin. An icon of monarchy and of Britain, the image has been reproduced more than 200 billion times.

Here Douglas N Muir, Curator of Philately at the BPMA, traces the evolution of the design from work on coins. Muir describes the revolution in British stamp design in the 1960s of which the Machin design was the culmination. This important study is based on a new research and a wealth of illustrations never seen before.

Highlights of A Timeless Classic: The evolution of Machin’s icon include a foreword by Tony Benn (Postmaster General 1964–66), who instigated the revolution in British stamp design in the mid 1960s. There is an introduction by David Gentleman, the foremost stamp designer of the period and collaborator with Benn in the design revolution; and finally a personal note from a memoir by Francis Machin, Arnold Machin’s son.

This book is expert and well-researched and its examination of the development of a British icon makes for riveting reading.

Envelopes: A Puzzling Journey Through the Royal Mail by Harriet Russell

A fascinating exploration of Harriet Russell's creative different ways of communicating an address.

Embark on a puzzling journey through the Royal Mail. Open this book, and you will discover a most curious and diverting collection of decorated envelopes, all of which have been sent through the United Kingdom’s Royal Mail system. In Envelopes, Harriet Russell has created a wealth of different ways of communicating an address: mazes, join-the-dots, anagrams, illustrations, puns, visual games, experimental fonts, puzzles and literary wordplay. You may find it hard to believe that the majority of envelopes arrived at their intended destinations, but they did, and all have postmarks to prove it! Their safe delivery is a tribute to the heroic postal employees who rose to the challenge.

G.P.O. Staff in 1916: 'Self respect and a little extra leave'

A new book on the 1916 Easter Rising, by Stephen Ferguson

The 1916 Rising in Ireland has been studied from many different angles over the years. However, the unique perspective of GPO staff on the events of that Easter Week has not previously been examined. Records and photographs from The Royal Mail Archive, many previously unpublished, reveal the importance of the role played by postal staff during that week. They provide fascinating eye-witness accounts of events as they unfolded across Dublin city centre.

Stephen Ferguson is Assistant Secretary of An Post in Dublin.

Royal Mail Coaches: An Illustrated History

Frederick Wilkinson has written the first history of Royal Mail Coaches for over 30 years.

Although they were operational for little more than 60 years the Royal Mail Coaches left behind an indelible romantic memory. Surely no Christmas would be complete without cards showing a mail coach with cheerful, festive passengers trotting through a snow covered landscape?

Journeys on the coaches were probably not the happy-go-lucky events often depicted. The seating inside the coach was hardly luxurious. For the driver, guard and passengers perched outside the journey was likely to be even more uncomfortable and, on occasions, dangerous.

Based on Frederick Wilkinson's extensive research at The Royal Mail Archive, this is the first history of Royal Mail coaches based almost exclusively on contemporary records. It offers a unique and detailed insight into the mark that they left on British postal and social history.

Reproduction GPO booklets

Beautifully designed leaflets from the 1930s reprinted for the first time

Great care and attention has been taken to reprint these GPO promotional booklets to capture the look and feel of the originals. There are booklets to advertise and explain postal services: the new Mobile Post Office, and Air Mail. The 1939 Night Mail booklet followed three years after the film of the same name; as an alternative way to describe the work of the Travelling Post Office mail trains.

All three booklets are sold separately. They are 120 x 180mm in size.

Moving the Mail... By Road (2006)

An original look at postal road transport by Julian Stray, BPMA curator

Moving the Mail... By Road provides an informative overview of the major developments in the transport of the mails by road since the public postal system began in 1635. From horses through to motor vehicles, it looks at what lead to the genesis of the modern day motor fleet, and considers some possibilities as to its future.

Specialised vehicles including the short-lived Royal Air Mail vans and the introduction of the Mobile Post Offices are not forgotten, and the transport of the mails during World Wars 1 and 2 provides a revealing glimpse into the wider role of the Post Office during these conflicts.

Based on original research in The Royal Mail Archive by Julian Stray, BPMA Collections Curator, Moving the Mail... By Road includes quotations from original Post Office memos and correspondence. It is also illustrated with photographs, philatelic material and graphics from The Royal Mail Archive.

This book is a great read for vehicle and postal history enthusiasts, and anyone curious about the means by which our mail gets from door to door. It has been produced to link with the Moving the Mail: Horses to Horsepower exhibition at Coventry Transport Museum in summer 2006. You can see Moving the Mail online in our Exhibitions section.

Postal Maps

Reprints of John Cary's postal route maps from the 1790s

Get back on the mail coach with a pack of reprints of the famous postal route maps published by John Cary in the 1790s. Each pack contains around 40 maps (4 or 5 per sheet) beautifully reproduced to show individual inns and houses on the routes for mail delivery in and out of London.

Green Papers

2 pre-selected and packed copies of original GPO Green Papers

In the 1930s the General Post Office hosted lectures on various new or innovative aspects of its business, from engineering to public relations. The Green Papers were published versions of these lectures, and they have become an invaluable resource for information about the postal past.

We have a small surplus of these original papers from the 1930s, 40s and 50s, and so a strictly limited number are now available to buy. Titles include The Travelling Post Office, The Post Office Railway and Post Office Savings Bank, amongst others. The price is for usually 2 pre-selected copies, but please call +44(0)20 7239 5125 if you have a particular interest and we will try and accommodate you.

Postal Reform and The Penny Black: A New Appreciation (1990)

Book authored by Douglas N Muir, BPMA Curator, Philately

This important study offers an insight into the period leading to the issue of the Penny Black and the Mulready Covers in 1840. The work draws on extensive research in records held at The Royal Mail Archive, The National Archives and the Royal Archives at Windsor.

Douglas N Muir - Curator of Philately at the BPMA - describes the long campaign for postal reform and illustrates his account with a wealth of contemporary designs, proofs and other philatelic material, a generous amount of it in colour. Even more than a decade on, this remains an essential text for understanding the history of postage stamps.