TAKE A CLOSER LOOK AT V-MAIL:

"My Dearest Husband": How V-mail Changed War Communication

Short for "Victory Mail," V-mail was developed by Eastman Kodak and was the main way soldiers stationed abroad were able to communicate with friends and family back home. Prior, one of the only ways to reach loved ones was through Air Mail, which was sent by airplane and was often more expensive than regular mail and took too long to be used for any urgent messages. V-mail allowed for faster, less expensive correspondence. Because the letters were censored before being transferred to microfilm, V-mail was one of the most secure methods of communication. After letters arrived at their destination, the negatives would be blown up to full size and printed. In addition to increased security, this method meant saving shipping space that could otherwise be used for necessary war materials. Using this small microfilm saved the postal system thousands of tons of shipping space, fitting the equivalent of 37 mail bags worth of letters into just one.

As primary sources, letters sent by V-mail offer great insight into how soldiers and their loved ones handled things like shortages, rationing and the fear of war. Let's take a closer look at these V-mail related artifacts from the Museum's collection.

Image Gallery:

Back to Main