On the National Postal Museum’s website, oral histories about postal workwear reveal surprising uses for everyday items. “Part of our uniform is our satchel, our mailbag, which is used also as a defense system to help—kind of put in between us and an unwanted animal, usually a dog,” said Patrick Van Egeren, a veteran mail carrier, in a conversation with Lynn Heidelbaugh, curator at the National Postal Museum. As the museum reimagines its atrium-level galleries, curators hope to incorporate oral histories into the exhibitions. After all, postal workers are “in every single community, every single day,” said Van Egeren.
“There’s nothing that replaces hearing about an experience … from the person who lived through it.”
—Carrie Villar, director of curatorial affairs, National Postal Museum
Click here to read more about oral history projects happening across the Smithsonian.
Published Winter 2025 in IMPACT Vol. 11. No 1
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