In the 1830s, the industrial revolution increased the need to communicate. The road network was extended, and stagecoaches and trains ensured that mail reached its destination quickly.

However, most of the British population could not afford to mail a letter, and this slowed economic development. The rate charged was based on the number of pages and the distance covered. In addition, the postage was paid by the recipient, who could refuse the letter.

All that changed in 1840. Great Britain innovated by introducing uniform penny postage and adhesive postage stamps, ideas that would be adopted by the rest of the world. This revolution in communications rendered the post widely accessible and laid the foundations of the modern postal service.

= Additional information

Poste moderne en Grande-Bretagne

The introduction of postage stamps led to another innovation: the creation of boxes in which people could store the small pieces of paper and keep them on their desk or take them wherever they went. Stamp boxes were very popular from 1880 to 1918. Their appearance reflects the aesthetics of the Victorian era and Art Nouveau.