The royal history of PostNL
220 years of history
PTT Post: 1928 - 1998
We started under the naam PTT Post in 1928 (Staatsbedrijf der Posterijen, Telegrafie & Telefonie) – a trusted brand for many decades.
TPG Post: 1998 - 2006
TNT: 2006 - 2011
In 2006 we adopted Thomas Nationwide Transport (TNT Post) as our new name, refocusing our strategy to also include the international market while switching from red to orange as our signature colour.
PostNL: 2011 - now
How posties dress: then and now
In the Netherlands, we all know how what our postmen and women look like, but what were their uniforms like in the past? Let’s take you back in time.
Postman in 1878
Postbode in 1964
Many years later, in 1964, the grey uniform was made up of coat, trousers, cap, shirt, tie, scarf and gloves. For the first time, the postie’s clothes were made of synthetic fibres. Despite the compulsory cap, postmen were increasingly seen without them and the obligation to wear one was scrapped in 1973. Those who liked their caps and wanted to keep wearing them were able to request and wear one.
Postman in 2011
The evolution of the postbox
The orange postbox that’s so instantly recognisable to every person living in this country is very different from how these boxes used to look. You’ll find them everywhere: strategically placed in the streets or inside at PostNL locations. In the old days, they were designed mainly for elegance, whereas today’s postboxes are modernist and primarily functional.
Postbox in 1850
This majestic postbox graced the country’s streets for no less than 110 years. By the end of 1850, the first dark-green letterboxes were placed in Amsterdam, Rotterdam, The Hague and Utrecht. By 1869 they were given a second slot to put mail in, after stamps for printed matter were introduced.
Postbox in 1960
In 1960, PTT trialled twelve new postboxes in The Hague. A state-of-the-art postbox in the company’s red and white signature colours. After two years, the first twin letterbox was launched in 1962, separating local mail from post going further afield elsewhere in the country or abroad. Easier for sorting.
Postbox in 2011
By 2011, streets across the Netherlands sported over 19,000 postboxes – easy to spot thanks to our bright orange signature colour today. A great deal of thought and time went into the design of our new livery in 2011. And of course our postboxes join in the fun at special events: at the Gay Pride festivities in Amsterdam our postboxes in the nation’s capital went temporarily pink!
Transport over the years
Mail car 1928
This mail car with closed boot was protected by bars on the inside. Both the back and the sides of the car said “posterijen” (postal services) in white lettering. The typography was very modern for the times and is considered PTT’s “second house style”.
Mobile post office 1952
A means of conveyance and a post office in one, weighing in at 19 tonnes! Yes, you read that correctly. This post office was first used at the road racing circuit in the Dutch town of Assen, locally known as the “TT Assen”, on 28 June 1952. The post office had three window-counters, a postbox, three stamp vending machines, a telex machine and no less than three phone booths. The vehicle was sold to Circus Toni Boltini in 1970, which went on to use it for their tills. Why was it sold? It was too expensive to run and not very practical in use.
Roodrunner 2001
In 2001 we introduced the so-called “roodrunner” (“rood” being Dutch for “red”). Its name says it all: it was fast! These e-bikes allowed our people to cover long distances while expending less energy. Sustainable! This cargo bike has a metal frame and a plastic pannier (capacity 125 kg). The deliverer won’t hurt their back when ferrying this around, as it’s an ergonomic model with only the wheels turning to change direction, not the entire container.
Numbers of letters and parcels a year
Smarter sorting processes and more efficient transport have helped us increase our mail deliveries. In a separate development, there’s been a massive rise in the number of parcels we deliver – a trend that continues to this day.
| 1875 | 1900 | 1925 | 1950 | 2022 | |
| Number of letters | 45 million | 100 million | 250 miljoen | 423 miljoen | 2,4 miljard |
| Number of parcels | 1 million | 2,5 million | 7,5 miljoen | 13 miljoen | 384 miljoen |
Want to know more?
You’ll find more historical information at iconenvandepost.nl. And if you’re curious about our stamp designs, why not check out postzegelontwerpen.nl, which is part of the Museum of Communication.