A virtual exhibit that opened Sept. 13 at the Smithsonian National Postal Museum showcases the many contributions Xerox has made to postal services in the United States. The exhibit, “America’s Mailing Industry,” tells the story of the partnership between the U.S. Postal Service and private industry, which together have helped people correspond and conduct business for more than 200 years.
Xerox has been a major supplier to the industry since introducing its first laser printer in 1977, the Xerox 9700, which printed two pages per second. That began a transformation of print-and-mail centers toward higher quality print and greater automation, which continues to this day. The latest iterations: production of greeting cards, photo books, calendars and posters automatically from photos submitted over the Internet.
“In popular culture, we’re known for introducing the first plain-paper copier and envisioning the modern office,” said Gina Testa, vice president, Marketing and Communications, U.S. Graphic Communications Operations, Xerox. “But we’ve had an equally strong influence on print-and-mail operations dating to our invention of the laser printer in 1969.”
Xerox is one of 70 companies represented in the exhibit with Web pages on their mailing industry contributions, and the only printer and press manufacturer included. More than half of the exhibiting companies are Xerox customers. The Xerox exhibit page can be found here.
“America’s mailing industry is quite possibly the most successful government–private sector partnership in our nation’s history,” said Allen Kane, director of the museum, noting that it employs almosteight million people and has a total economic value of more than $1 trillion. “We’re excited to tell this story, as most people don’t even know the industry exists.”
Future plans for the exhibit include designing and constructing a physical “America’s Mailing Industry” exhibition on-site at the museum.
About the Smithsonian’s National Postal Museum
The National Postal Museum is devoted to presenting the colorful and engaging history of the nation’s mail service and showcasing one of the largest and most comprehensive collections of stamps and philatelic material in the world. www.postalmuseum.si.edu.
Gerry Nathe, former chairman of NPES (The Association for Suppliers of Printing, Publishing and Converting Technologies); Gina Testa, vice president, Marketing and Communications, U.S. Graphic Communications Operations, Xerox; and Thayer Long, president of NPES chat at the Sept. 13 opening reception for the Smithsonian National Postal Museum’s new virtual exhibit, “America’s Mailing Industry.”
