Double pneumatic tube

In collectors' circles, a double pneumatic tube is a mail item that has passed through two pneumatic tube networks on its way from the sender to the recipient.

Due to the development of pneumatic tube networks in various European metropolises, in the course of globalizing communication, the phenomenon occurs that “fast” shipments, i.e. H. Shipments by pneumatic tube, by airmail and by express courier as well as forwarded shipments in domestic traffic as well as in traffic with foreign countries could be transported in two different pneumatic tube networks. These so-called double pneumatic mail consignments illustrate very impressively the acceleration of global communication linked to the written medium.

Berlin - Paris

Back of the letter with departure and reception stamps from Berlin and Paris

International letter by airmail and express courier as well as prepaid fee for pneumatic tube transport to the central airport in Berlin at a tariff of 1.15 RM . The following transport route can be reconstructed from the stamps: Delivery of the letter in Berlin W 9 on June 9, 1938 10:40 a.m. with the corresponding pneumatic post stamp of the airport post office Berlin-Central Airport as arrival stamp at 11:10 a.m. Transport time within Berlin: around 30 minutes. The letter took off from Berlin Central Airport on June 9, 1938 after 11:10 a.m. Arrival in Brussels, probably the night after the last train connection from Brussels to Paris has left. Continue on the Brussels -Paris rail mail route on June 10, 1938. Arrival in Paris VIII, La Boétie on June 10, 1938, between 8:00 and 9:00. Onward transport by pneumatic tube to Paris XVI with arrival there at 8:40 a.m. Onward transport by pneumatic tube to Paris 75, arrival there at 9:30 a.m. Transport time within Paris: 50 minutes. A running time of about 23 hours is documented.

Milan - Florence

Front side of a domestic pneumatic delivery express letter from Milan 10 December 1938 to Firenze. There processing by the pneumatic tube was documented by the numerator stamp on the front of the letter.

Naples - Rome

Front of a domestic pneumatic express mail from Napoli from July 8, 1937 to Roma.

Vienna - Paris

Front of an international airmail letter dated June 7, 1932 from Vienna to Paris.

Back of the same international airmail letter dated June 7, 1932 from Vienna to Paris.

With the development of air travel, airmail connections have increasingly been established between major cities in Europe. Since airmail shipments were seen as preferred shipments, they also benefited from special treatment. Airmail letters were therefore forwarded to the airmail office by pneumatic tube to ensure that they would arrive on time before the aircraft took off, even if no special pneumatic tube fee was paid. If both cities had pneumatic tube connections, it was possible that whenever the transport of a consignment by pneumatic tube appeared to be sensible, this form of transport was also chosen in the respective cities.

The pictured airmail letter from Vienna to Paris was posted in a Vienna post office on June 7, 1932. A minute stamp on the reverse shows that this consignment was processed by the Vienna Post Office at 11 a.m. and sent from there to the Vienna Telegraph Office. Here it was processed at 12:30 for transport to the airport. In the branch post office Vienna 1 - Airmail, the postage stamp was canceled in the same hour because the postage stamp had not been canceled when the letter was posted. The letter arrived in Paris on the same evening and was processed there by the airmail department of the Gare du Nord rail post office for the pneumatic tube and forwarded to the delivery post office: time of stamping 10:35 p.m. However, the delivery did not take place until the following day, June 8, 1932, because the post office post office in Paris VII says the shipment was processed at 3:30 in the morning. A running time of 16.5 hours is documented by the stamp.