The 1840 Embossed Wyon -Whiting Essays Their Genesis and Subsequent Influence on British Postal Stationery

The stimulus for undertaking the production of this book was a shared enthusiastic interest in, the various aspects of the Postal reforms, which were campaigned and planned for in the 1830's and resulted in very significant changes in the operation of the British Post Office following the introduction of Uniform Penny Postage on the 10th January 1840 The primary objective in preparing this book has been to set the context of the 1840 Wyon-Whiting essays within the aims of the reforms being introduced in 1840 for the pre-payment of postage, and their ultimate destiny to retrieve the unsatisfactory reception given to the Mulready postal stationery in May 1840. The 1841 embossed envelopes where a world first, and provided a design concept which served the British Post Office for over 130 years, and was also adapted by many other countries.