-U.S. Mail Bank c. 1921 - 1934

Curator: Here we have an object of everyday utility elevated to art—a "U.S. Mail Bank" made by the A.C. Williams Company, likely somewhere between 1921 and 1934. Editor: You know, it’s oddly compelling, isn’t it? Something about the weighty feel of it just screams "solid," yet also a bit forlorn, like a forgotten promise of savings. The tarnished metal finish tells such a good story about age. Curator: It’s primarily metal—likely cast iron, if I were to guess. We're seeing an assemblage here, a found-object aesthetic that marries function and form in a unique way. The very materiality speaks to the social context of the era – the rise of industrial production. Editor: I can almost hear the clink of coins dropping inside. But the way it mimics the official mailbox… there’s a bit of capitalist satire baked in here, isn’t there? Like, even our savings become part of the system. Plus, this little guy in that time must have brought a little patriotism home! Curator: Precisely. Its design echoes official structures while redirecting their purpose to individual saving. The use of metal signifies mass production and accessibility, influencing consumer culture during that period. Editor: Looking at it closely now, it feels kind of brutalist in miniature form! All those straight edges, a pure block... Maybe not brutalist, more 'optimistically functional', you know? The golden eagle really tries to sweeten the look. But also it’s very sad! Childhood, work, all becoming savings, put inside the belly of the state. And the eagle looking down... Curator: And what becomes money? Well, labour, right? So, the transformation is also a displacement of social function. A material transformation of effort. Editor: That is some way to kill an eagle’s vibe... What would the company workers feel knowing their everyday labour produces this melancholy thing? Curator: So many ways into this deceiving object. Material and labor locked in this geometrical object. Editor: Makes me wonder what someone hoped for when they first dropped a coin in it… anyway, it has captured my attention more than I would think.