Parcels of Knowledge

Rosevillewreckingball

A podcast dedicated to the education of the city letter carrier and to the building of a more militant NALC. Hosted by the Roseville Wreckingball Joshua Shrum. This podcast does not represent the usps or the nalc nor do the views or opinions express any other entity nor carrier other than Joshua shrum. Any relation to real life events or names are simply coincidental. Any names used were used to represent false individuals when doing skits. RSSVERIFY

  1. 2d ago

    Episode 183: The Nixie - Backstamps & Nixies

    The Nixie is here! In the first episode of this new Parcels of Knowledge series, I dig into the smaller, stranger, and sometimes forgotten pieces of postal history. We start with two topics that fit together perfectly: what a "nixie" actually is, where the old postal term came from, and why we chose it as the name of the series; then we turn the envelope over and take a deep dive into the backstamp. We look at how backstamps documented a letter's journey through the postal system, the handstamps and markings used to create them, why the Post Office once required them, some of the surprisingly odd ways the backs of envelopes were used, and why routine backstamping eventually disappeared. The Backstamp is about the big picture; the journey of the Post Office, the NALC, and the people who shaped them. The Nixie is about the small stuff. Old postal objects, equipment, markings, words, forms, and practices that have disappeared, mostly disappeared, or survive in some weird little corner of the Postal Service. We pull one out of the historical mailstream, give it a closer look, and ask, "What the hell is this, and why did we have it?" Have an idea for a future Nixie, something weird sitting around your office that you have always wondered about, or an old postal term nobody seems to use anymore? Reach out to me at jamiegregorynalc2819@gmail.com. Have a question for Stephanie Stewart? Send those in to Joshua Shrum at rosevillewreckingball@yahoo.com. Here is also the companion research report for anyone interested in the sources, history, and additional information behind this episode: https://docs.google.com/document/d/1aA5Y5gL8ew5bphIN3AeL58ZH1QYBuWaIBedqVydzHEo/edit?usp=sharing Hey! I'd love to hear your thoughts, send me a voice note.

    Episode 183: The Nixie - Backstamps & Nixies
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About

A podcast dedicated to the education of the city letter carrier and to the building of a more militant NALC. Hosted by the Roseville Wreckingball Joshua Shrum. This podcast does not represent the usps or the nalc nor do the views or opinions express any other entity nor carrier other than Joshua shrum. Any relation to real life events or names are simply coincidental. Any names used were used to represent false individuals when doing skits. RSSVERIFY