Date of use : 1960s, Thailand
FAO Regional Office Bangkok to Mack Camera Service, New Jersey
This airmail envelope sent from Bangkok provides an interesting example of the relationship between international institutions and photographic technology. The sender's address printed on the envelope identifies the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO), Regional Office for Asia and the Far East, located at Maliwan Mansion on Phra Atit Road in Bangkok. This regional office served as an important administrative center responsible for coordinating agricultural development programs, research activities, and technical cooperation projects across Asia.
The letter is addressed to Mack Camera Service, a photographic equipment service company located in Union, New Jersey, United States. The firm is known for providing maintenance and repair services for cameras and related optical equipment. Businesses of this type have long played a key role in supporting professional photographers, research institutions, and media organizations by maintaining complex photographic equipment. Institutions engaged in field research, including organizations such as FAO, frequently relied on photographic documentation to record agricultural experiments, rural development programs, and environmental studies. As a result, communication with technical service providers for camera equipment was a practical necessity.
The sender named on the envelope is L. Boonserm, whose address is listed "care of FAO." This wording suggests that Boonserm was likely a staff member or researcher associated with the organization. Personnel working on international projects often corresponded with equipment suppliers or service providers in order to maintain or repair specialized photographic tools used in fieldwork.
The envelope is franked with postage stamps issued by the Thai postal administration. The stamps depict portraits of members of the Thai royal family, a common design used in Thai postage issues of the period. The presence of the "By Air Mail / Par Avion" label indicates that the letter was transported through the international airmail system, which was widely used for rapid communication between continents.
From a philatelic perspective the envelope belongs to several collecting themes. As an example of international airmail correspondence it holds significance within postal history collections. Because it originates from a United Nations institution, it is also relevant for collections focusing on international organizations. In addition, the connection with camera servicing and photographic equipment links the document to thematic collections related to the history of photography and photographic technology.
Record Information
Title: FAO Regional Office Airmail Envelope (Bangkok to New Jersey)
Category: Photographic Equipment Services / International Correspondence
Subcategory: International Correspondence / Airmail
Country: Thailand (Origin) → United States (Destination)
🗺️ Show Route
City: Bangkok (Sender: FAO Regional Office) → Union, New Jersey (Recipient: Mack Camera Service)
Date of use: 1960s
Organization (Sender): Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO), Regional Office for Asia and the Far East, Maliwan Mansion, Phra Atit Road, Bangkok, Thailand.
Company (Recipient): Mack Camera Service, 1181 Morris Avenue, Union, New Jersey, USA. A photographic equipment maintenance and repair service company.
Object Type: International commercial airmail envelope with printed letterhead
Postal Route ✈️: Bangkok → New Jersey (1960s) (Estimated Route)
Estimated Travel Time: Approximately 5-7 days (airmail via Pacific and North American routes)
Postal Features: Thai postage stamps (royal family portrait issues); Bangkok postal cancellation; "By Air Mail / Par Avion" airmail label.
Language: English
Material: Paper envelope
Dimensions: Standard commercial envelope format
Collection Theme: FAO, United Nations, Bangkok regional office, Maliwan Mansion, Thai postal history, Mack Camera Service, New Jersey camera repair, photographic equipment maintenance, international organizations, airmail correspondence, 1960s postal history, Thailand-USA communication.
Archival Significance: This 1960s airmail envelope documents correspondence between the FAO Regional Office in Bangkok and a New Jersey camera service company, illustrating the reliance of international development organizations on photographic documentation and the global networks supporting camera equipment maintenance during the mid-twentieth century.
Research Note:
This article is based on historical research and independent analysis of the material in the author's collection. The text has been prepared as an original interpretative study and does not reproduce copyrighted material.
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.
For research context, see the Research Methodology.
For academic reference, please refer to How to Cite This Archive.
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