Introduction
Modern delivery feels effortless: groceries, packages and takeout arrive after a few taps. These 25 archival photographs remind us that it was once a far more physical, unpredictable business.
The Old Delivery Days
The images capture workers hefting heavy crates, balancing glass milk bottles, and flinging newspapers in the early morning light. Horse-drawn wagons, bicycles and battered trucks replace today’s app-driven fleets.
Trust and Manual Labor
There were no tracking links or “driver arriving” alerts — just reliance on the person making the rounds. Trust, endurance and manual labor were at the heart of getting goods to doorsteps.
A Visual Time Capsule
Together, these pictures act as a visual time capsule, showing the grit, ingenuity and small moments of charm from an era before Amazon and on-demand delivery services.