Leather letter carrier satchel

John Russell Closs, 1922 - 2011 · c. 1966

This worn carrier satchel was owned by John Russell Closs, a letter carrier at the Torresdale Post Office near Philadelphia, PA, from the 1940s until his retirement in 1975. According to his son, Closs loved his job and knew every person on his route. Letter carriers could carry as much as 70 pounds of mail in these leather satchels. Although Closs's route was within the city limits of Philadelphia, it was fairly rural for much of his employment, which meant further distances between houses.