Chris Calle (American, B. 1961) "Space Shuttle Transporting Mail" Signed lower left. Original First Day Cover Mixed Media painting on Illustration Board.

Provenance: Collection of James A. Helzer (1946-2008), Founder of Unicover Corporation.

This painting was published on the Fleetwood First Day Cover of the U.S. 45c Shuttle Airmail 20th UPU Congress Series stamp issued November 27, 1989.

The United States Postal Service has used every major innovation in transportation. In the country's early days, letters could only be delivered at the speed of foot, horseback or carriage. Later, inventions like the steamboat, train, automobile and airplane obviously had a profound effect, speeding delivery throughout the country -- and the world. In the same way, it is quite possible that today's developments in space exploration will determine the way mail will be delivered in the future. The twenty-four successful space shuttle missions completed between April, 1981, and January, 1986, carried 126 astronauts and payload specialists into orbit, and launched twenty-eight satellites. Further progress on the space shuttle may make it an integral part of the mail delivery system of the future. Other developments in space exploration, like the successful establishment of industrial colonies on space stations, would necessitate a postal service for addresses far beyond the surface of the earth. A letter might be carried by hand to the post office, by mail jeep to the airport, by airplane to the launch site, and from there to its final destination via space shuttle. This possibility may seem farfetched today. But remember, in the eighteenth century the idea of sending a letter to a location halfway around the world and getting it there overnight seemed an incredible one, too. Now people do it every day.

Image Size: 17 x 14.5 in.
Overall Size: 23.5 x 20 in.
Unframed.
(B12166)

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