Edward VIII Post Box, Millroad Street near junction with Abercromby Street, Glasgow

This is a free-standing, cylindrical cast iron post box dating to 1936, erected during the brief reign of Edward VIII. It is located on the north footpath of Millroad Street, near its junction with Abercromby Street in the Calton area of Glasgow, and was likely manufactured by the Carron Company of Stirlingshire.

The post box is painted black at the base, with a red shaft above. It features a swept frieze below a shallow, dentilled domed cap. A full-height, left-hinged door has a cup handle and lock on the right side. The lower portion of the door displays the royal cipher ‘EVIIIR’ in raised gothic lettering, surmounted by a crown and flanked by the words ‘Post Office’ in embossed lettering. Above the letter opening is a rectangular opening for a notice frame, with the words 'Next Collection' embossed above it.

Historical records indicate the post box was likely installed elsewhere before being moved to its present location sometime after the mid-20th century as it isn’t shown on earlier maps. A previous post box existed one block to the south on the corner of Stevenson Street and Abercromby Street from the late 19th century, and may have been replaced by the Edward VIII model in 1936. Photographic evidence suggests this post box remained on Stevenson Street until at least the 1970s or early 1980s.

The post box system was introduced following the Postal Act of 1839, championed by Rowland Hill to create a standardised and affordable postal system. The first free-standing pillar box was introduced in Jersey in 1852 and extended to mainland Britain by 1853; the first cylindrical design pillar box was cast in 1879. The royal cipher is a branding feature, with the current monarch’s monogram typically displayed on boxes erected during their reign.

Following Edward VIII's abdication in December 1936, while wall post box doors were often replaced, the doors of pillar boxes like this one were usually left unchanged. Images from 2010 show a “pouch box” attached to the eastern side of this post box, but it was removed by 2023.