Pneumatic despatch was an experiment I did back around 2017, when I wanted to test out the quality of the print-on-demand services that I had available. It was supposed to be sort of a mail art thing, but I shelved it before sending it out to anybody, because I didn't like the way the magazine felt in the hand. I respect the opinion of my cutaneous sensory system, and the paper of the cover was clearly too waxy to the touch.
I took the title of the magazine from my favorite mail carrying system, often used for delivery of small parcels and internal written communications in bigger institutional buildings. There was even a company — London Pneumatic Despatch Company — whose vision was to design, build and operate an underground railway system for the carrying of mail, parcels and light freight between locations in London. They were up and running for a few years in the second part of the 1800’s. I also remember seeing a pneumatic tube system in operation at my local university library some time back in the early 1990’s.
Maybe you ask yourself: “is it spelled despatch, though …?” And you may be justified in doing so. Because in American English it’s dispatch. But in British English, it’s despatch. And I suppose I wanted to make sure I didn’t give the Queen a reason to raise an eyebrow when she got her copy of my mail art magazine delivered to enjoy with her afternoon tea.
