Long before Uber Eats and Postmates brought our 3 a.m. munchies cravings straight to our doors, there were a whole host of cyclists and drivers who treated delivering goods like an Olympic sport. Enter the snow-treading, box-balancing delivery men who made a living rushing food, newspapers, milk and more all around town.
From cool ice delivery girls to turn-of-the-century paper boys, here are 23 old-school delivery men putting DoorDashers to shame.
1
“Men carrying pots. Korea, around 1900.”
2
“Newspaper delivery boys. Mexico City, 1960.”
3
"Western Union Delivery Boys, 1938."
4
“Food delivery, Ray, Iran, 1959."
5
“Mailman posing with his heavy Christmas delivery (1929).”
6
“My wife's grandfather sometime in the 1960's when he was a Sunbeam Bread delivery guy. This picture was taken by a local photographer who happened to be at one of his stops that day.”
7
“The milkman - 1950s, Worcester, MA.”
8
“Ice delivery girls, 1918.”
9
“Newspaper boys and girl in NYC, 1910.”
10
“Milkman dropping off and picking up milk, 1939.”
11
“Bicycle Delivery Boy, Dallas, 1913.”
12
“Milkman making his deliveries despite the flood in Buckinghamshire, 1954.”
13
“Ice delivery man in Houston, TX 1920.”
14
“1909. Coca-Cola delivery truck in Knoxville, Tennessee.”
15
“Mail delivery in 1914.”
16
“London Milkman still making deliveries, 1940.”
17
“1960s, My Great Uncle, the Milkman, aka probably the father of most Reddit mods.”
18
“US Post Office parcel post delivery team [1914].”
19
“Louis Vuitton delivery cart in Paris, 1888.”
20
“Two men stand by a Coca-Cola delivery truck, c. 1910.”
21
“Man delivering soba noodles on a bicycle. Tokyo, Japan, 1955.”
22
“Soba noodle delivery on bicycle in Tokyo, 1935”
23
“A milkman delivery, 1950.”
