Bahamas - 1940 Cover from the First Undersea Post Office with Date Stamp 6th May, 1940
On August 16, 1939, the world’s first undersea post office opened in the Bahamas. It was developed by an undersea photographer and garnered significant interest from around the world. Decades later, more underwater post offices and post boxes were established in other countries, many of which are still in operation today.
The first undersea post office was made possible by photographer John Ernest Williamson, a pioneer in undersea photography. His father had created tube that enabled communication and air flow to underwater depths of more than 200 feet. Williamson expanded on the idea and designed a chamber with a glass window that could be attached to the tube and lowered to the sea floor. Williamson would lower himself in the tube to take photographs of the sea floor and its inhabitants. He called it the Williamson Photosphere and he set it up in the Bahamas in 1914. The Bahamas had clear waters that let the sun reach down to the seafloor to help illuminate his images.
In 1939, he started the Bahamas-Williamson Undersea Expedition to film underwater scenes. It was a scientific expedition that drew increasing interest, leading organizers to decide to set up a post office there for publicity. The post office opened on August 16, 1939.
The first two letters sent from the post office were written by the governor of the Bahamas. He took the tube down to the underwater post office and sent letters to King George VI and President Franklin Roosevelt. Roosevelt sent a response that read: “I greatly appreciate your kind thought in writing to me upon the occasion of the opening of this most unusual and interesting post office. I am sure that this unique contribution to science will give immeasurable pleasure to those persons who are privileged to visit the Bahamas.” Those who could make the trip flocked to the unique post office and collectors around the world ordered covers bearing the special “Sea Floor” postmark. The post office closed in 1941.
Includes a Newspaper Cutting .
Please note dirt/foxing and handling damage