The first Cutler Mail Chute was installed back in 1884 in a building in Rochester, NY. Who knows how many of these are still in active use. I read that in Manhattan and the Bronx alone, there are well over 900 still in operation. Although, as a matter of fire safety, they have been banned in new construction since 1997. Which makes good sense. I suppose. I just love that there was an entire industry devoted to designing, manufacturing and installing these things. And, if you live in a city, you have doubtless seen, or perhaps even used, one of these. I can’t quite describe the thrill of seeing my little envelope hurtling downward into the box on the ground floor!

So, I won’t be getting rid of these. They embody a lot of what’s been lost in the digital world — the things I miss the most. Those little marks capture a process, even though it took place decades (or even a century) ago. I found these at the Vanves flea market in Paris which is smaller and far less overwhelming than the giant St. Ouen market at Clignancourt. They were lying flat on a table at the back of a stand. I saw a tiny hint of twine and wood peeking out among all the other more self-important objects, and that was it. They have since become an odd sort of talisman, of both work and perseverance.

Lately, in a fledgling effort to lighten the burden of owning things I don’t actually use, I have been unpacking boxes of vintage ephemera. Metalite Teeth…case in point. I have managed to collect an embarrassing array of useless, but absolutely wonderful (to me, anyway), medical tools, drawing supplies and other strange and fascinating objects. Stay tuned. I will then be giving them away.

This has got to be one of the most photographed signs in lower Manhattan. And for good reason. The Ideal Hosiery store and sign on Grand Street is one of the last remaining bits of evidence of what was once an entire district of hose.

I used to use these eraser shields every single day when creating final blueprints or technical drawings. I miss the idea of them more than the things themselves. There are many different variations on the cutouts and the size of the plates, but here are a few of the most common ones. Buy them here, and here.