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The Saturday Evening Post

The Saturday Evening Post

Technology

Technology

Pneumatic tubes were the future, before they became part of the past

The Saturday Evening Post
Summary
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81% Informative

Pneumatic tubes were used to move mail in New York City , London , Germany , and Washington , D.C. , and even transport food, cats, and yes, people.

The scale of these systems covered dozens of blocks in sprawling cities.

They were once part of the hidden infrastructure of the modern newspaper office.

As late as 1957 , pneumatic tubes were still seen as innovative, especially for large, increasingly multisite newspapers such as the Chicago Sun-Times .

The movement of ads, along with stories, was one of the main uses of tube systems.

In many cases, tubes were heralded not just as a technology showcase, but as a means toward the ideal of productivity.