Letter to Webb's Photo Supply, San Jose, California

Date of use : 1962 USA

Gilroy Public Schools to Webb's Photo Supply, San Jose, California

This envelope, sent by Gilroy Public Schools in California, represents a piece of everyday correspondence linking an educational institution with a supplier of photographic equipment. The printed return address identifies the sender as Gilroy Public Schools located at 263 North Church Street, Gilroy, California, indicating that the letter originated from an official public school administration.

The envelope is addressed to Webb's Photo Supply, a photographic supply business located at 66 South 1st Street, San Jose, California. San Jose, situated in the Santa Clara Valley, has historically been an active commercial center serving surrounding communities. Businesses such as Webb's Photo Supply typically sold cameras, photographic film, printing paper, and darkroom equipment. Their clientele often included professional photographers as well as schools, newspapers, and amateur photography enthusiasts.

Educational institutions relied on photographic equipment for several practical purposes. Photographs were used to document school activities, produce yearbooks, support educational materials, and record scientific observations. For this reason schools frequently maintained working relationships with local photographic suppliers who could provide film, processing materials, and technical equipment. The letter represented by this envelope likely concerned an order for supplies or a service related to photographic work carried out by the school.

The postal cancellation indicates that the envelope was mailed from Gilroy, California, with a date reading January 26, 1962. The postage stamp used is a 4-cent commemorative stamp issued by the United States Postal Service to mark the centennial of the Pony Express (1860–1960). The Pony Express played an important role in the early development of rapid mail delivery across the American West and remains an iconic symbol in the history of American postal communication.

This item is documented as part of the Photography in Postal History research project.
For research context, see the Research Methodology.
For academic reference, please refer to How to Cite This Archive.