Looking Past the Fold: A Short History of the Envelope by Jo-Ann Roberts

I love getting mail...and I'm probably part of a dying breed who still receives their utility bills by daily mail. Oh, I text and send emails, but there is something intriguing about an envelope with MY name on it sent by someone else! 

Yet, the humble envelope which houses a bill, a get-well message, or birthday greetings is often not given the credit it is due. Designed to protect correspondence from damage and prying eyes, this stationary item can be the bearer of both good and bad news.

But when and where did the envelope first appear?

The Early Days of the Envelope

Historians believe that the envelope made its appearance in ancient China. They were made from clay, which was molded into a sphere, in which the message would sit. The envelope was sealed with more clay and then smashed to reveal the contents upon delivery.

A similar method was developed about 2,000 years before the birth of Christ in Babylonia. This version was more like a folder than a round case, and it was sealed by pressing both ends of a rectangular sheet together.

The First Paper Envelope 

Around 200 B.C., wealthy Japanese and Chinese men sent gifts to relatives after a death, coins, usually wrapped in cloth by hand.

During the Medieval era, the design of envelopes was little more than extra sheaf of paper folded over the message and sealed with wax. These messages were common between the aristocracy and senior members of the Church. The seal was made with beeswax and resin and sealed with a coat of arms.

The Industrial Revolution

One of the first ever long-distance messages sent in a modern envelope was written by Sam Adams. He sent a single letter from Boston to Philadelphia and paid twenty-two cents for the privilege.

As printing and manufacturing processes improved, the cost of envelopes--and the cost of sending mail--dropped. A British economist, Sir Rowland Hill proposed charging by weight, opening up new opportunities for postal services around the world.

U.S. Envelope Manufacturers

As envelopes grew in popularity in America from Hill and others like Benjamin Franklin, a craft industry grew around their production. Stationery stores, already popular for their sale of high-quality papers, bookmaking materials, pens, and sealing wax, began to hand craft envelopes in the rear of the store when business was slow.  They would take thick stacks of paper, place a diamond-shaped form made of tin over the top and used a sharp knife to cut out envelope "blanks" at once. These would be folded and gum-sealed by hand along all edges except the top closing flap.

The process of making an envelope was relatively laborious until Edwin Hill (no relation to Sir Rowland!) invented and patented a steam machine that could fold and stick paper into the shape of an envelope. 

This was followed up by the first automatic envelope maker invented by Russel Hawes in 1853. At the time, this machine was a revelation, as it was capable of producing up to 12,500 envelopes every day!

In 1876, Henry Swift and D. Wheeler Swift perfected a machine initially designed by James Arnold. this was the world's first machinery that was capable of applying sticky gum to an envelope.

And the last significant envelope patent was granted to Americus Callahan, who developed the first envelope with a window.

 

So, despite the advent of the Internet, billions of envelopes are produced and sent around the world every year. Whether they're protecting personal messages, business correspondence or marketing materials, these essential items of stationery are still part and parcel of modern life.