From Norman Rockwell’s dutiful servant barraged with neighborhood children vying for one of his brightly wrapped holiday packages bundled with twine, to the equally jolly Mr. McFeely who delivered mail to Fred Rogers in his neighborhood, mail carriers ‘ hats have long represented more than just the government service they provided.

Bearing more treasures than Santa Claus, mail carriers trekked the country before most Americans, offering news and cherished communications from places afar.

As the United States Postal Service marks its 250 th anniversary, it offers a glimpse underneath the iconic hats mail carriers have worn through rain and heat and gloom of night, to deliver their bounties.

The hats provided protection, authority and a symbol of unwavering dedication of postal wo

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