Black History

Philip Bell Downing: Black Creativity Seen in Everyday Objects

The Providence, R.I.–born Philip Bell Downing was creative from childhood, always looking for ways to improve on the routines of daily life. As the son of abolitionist George T. Downing, also manager of the US House of Representatives’ dining room in Wash., D.C., and entrepreneur Serena L. deGrasse, young Philip was exposed to influential leaders all of his life. In fact, in the mid-1830s, his grandfather Thomas Downing was a key player in the United Anti-Slavery Society of the City of New York. Later, Phillip would always be at his side, watching and learning.

Published

3 years ago

October 24, 2022

Oakland Post

Caption: Philip B. Downing Letter Box patent and photo of USPS box. Public domain patent and public domain photo by Petr Kratochvil.

By Tamara Shiloh

During the early 19th century, pieces of mail and packages could only be posted at the town’s post office. For many, this meant traveling long distances and delays due to inclement weather.

A more convenient solution was presented in October 1891, when Philip Downing’s (1857–1934) patent for the Street Letter Box made it possible for residents to leave their mail inside a tall metal box for the postman to pick up and take to their home post office.

The letter box was constructed of metal, had four legs and a self-closing hinge door that kept mail safe from the elements and potential thefts. That same year (1891), Downing received another patent for a design with a chute that would unload mail into a postal worker’s bag.

The Providence, R.I.–born Downing was creative from childhood, always looking for ways to improve on the routines of daily life. As the son of abolitionist George T. Downing, also manager of the US House of Representatives’ dining room in Wash., D.C., and entrepreneur Serena L. deGrasse, young Philip was exposed to influential leaders all of his life. In fact, in the mid-1830s, his grandfather Thomas Downing was a key player in the United Anti-Slavery Society of the City of New York. Later, Phillip would always be at his side, watching and learning.

Downing’s idea for the letter box came about because his family relocated often. In what seemed to have been every city, they too had to travel far to post mail. Like all great inventors, he saw a gap in progress, became creative and filled it.

Downing’s letter box (known today as a mailbox) has since gone through several improvements. During the early 20th century, the U.S. Postal Service approved the design of a locking curbside mailbox. Also introduced were specifications for installing curbside mailboxes that included placing the letter box 6-8 inches back from the curb.

Still, many features stemming from Downing’s invention have remained intact.

Although best known for the letter box, Downing received patents for other inventions. His first, the ‘New and Useful Improvements in Street Railway Switches’ (June 1890), was for an improvement in streetcar and train switches that allowed the switch to be opened or closed by the brakeman from the platform of the car. This patent ultimately led to the light switch. Later, in January 1917, he would, using a roller and an attached water tank, create and receive a patent for an envelope moistener.

During the late 19th and early 20th centuries, Downing successfully filed at least five patents with the U.S. Patent Office. None, however, were more widely used than the letter box. After a long career as a postal clerk, he died in Boston in 1934. He was 77. Perhaps one day his face will appear on a postage stamp.

Read with the young ones about items used in our everyday lives, including the mailbox, created by African American men and women in Charron Monaye’s “Imagine Life Without African-American Inventors.”

Oakland Post

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Activism

Learning Life’s Lessons

Since his release over five years ago, Richard has committed himself to making a difference, particularly by reaching out to women and families who lack the presence of a father or husband. He knows he cannot undo the years lost behind prison walls, but he is determined to use his past to build a better future for others. His story mirrors that of many who have walked a similar path. Yet, it remains uniquely his own – a testament to the power of change, resilience, and the belief that even from tragedy, something good can emerge.

Published

1 day ago

June 14, 2025

Oakland Post

Richard Johnson and son Fati. Courtesy photo.

“California’s three-strike laws gave me 2 life sentences for drug possession. After serving 28 years, mostly in solitary confinement, I am free to lead a movement to get the formerly incarcerated to give back.”

By Richard Johnson

I have written this book in hopes of being able to help others from not traveling down the path that leads to imprisonment or a cemetery. At the very beginning of writing this book, it began as a message to my son Fati Yero Gaidi, who was only two years old at the time that I was given two life sentences in prison for drug possession, under the newly implemented three-strikes-you-out law. The more that I wrote, the book began to evolve beyond its intended purpose for my son; it became something that any and everyone could utilize on their separate journeys through life challenges that we encounter. The book helped me put my thoughts, reasoning, perceptions, and views on display, while opening doors that, for the most part, were closed. The book can be purchased via Amazon. Learning life lessons.

About the Author

By Post staff

Richard “Razor” Johnson, 74, is a man whose life journey is marked by hard-earned wisdom, redemption, and an unshakable commitment to guiding the next generation. Once sentenced to life under California’s Three Strikes Law, he was released through what he calls nothing short of divine intervention. His time behind bars, particularly in Pelican Bay State Prison, gave him a new raw and unfiltered understanding of life’s hardest truths.

With the realization that time is precious and the future is shaped by the lessons we learn, Richard writes with urgency and purpose. His book—a 300-page labor of love—is dedicated to young men who may not have a father to teach them the meaning of life’s most important words. Through definitions filled with wisdom, experience, and deep personal insight, he offers direction to those who find themselves lost, just as he once was.

His words are not just lessons; they are a call to action. He hopes that by investing in young minds with wisdom and insight, they will be better equipped to navigate life’s trials, learn from their mistakes, and find their path to success. Richard “Razor” Johnson writes not just to be heard, but to help – because he knows firsthand that sometimes guidance can make all the difference.

Post publishers Paul and Gay Cobb visited Johnson in San Quentin and attended his graduation while he was in prison. He became a columnist with the Post News Group and has continued his advocacy for the formerly incarcerated by urging them to “give something back”. Johnson says he will be speaking at prisons, colleges, and media outlets to help organize voter registration and community service projects.