Carter Collection Jimmy Carter Mailbox with Safe Place Symbols

Creator

Center for Digital Heritage and Geospatial Information

Files

Publication Date

2022

Abstract

During the Great Depression era, the Jimmy Carter Boyhood Farm would often be the stop-off for homeless vagrants in search of work who rode the train that ran on the rails in front of the Carter homestead. The mailbox post was a medium for communication among the riders, showing them that this house was a safe place. Often depicted were symbols denoting good food and drink and kind women marked in chalk on the wooden post. Today, the National Park Service keeps this communication system alive, marking the mailbox post in front of the boyhood home of our nation's 39th President, Jimmy Carter, with the same symbols used during this time of need for many. Jimmy's mother, Lillian Carter, was known for her kindness and generosity, a trait that her son inherited.

Extent

1 3-D Model

Keywords

Cultural property, Railroads, Signs and symbols, Symbols for travelers, National Park Service, Historic preservation, Homesteads, Farming, Country homes, Agriculture

Alt Text

A three-dimensional model of a worn, metal mailbox on a wooden post set against a still image of a single-story house with white columns with stone details, surrounded by trees. The model of the mailbox features the text "U.S. Mail" on its front, a slightly-faded red flag, and a white sketch on the side of the post, possibly in chalk, of a symbol that designated the mailbox's owners as a "safe place." The symbol itself consists of an encircled X shape sitting on top of a cross. A single annotation has been added to the model which the viewer can click on to view additional information. The model can be rotated, moved, and zoomed in and out to allow for viewing of additional details at multiple angles.

Type

MovingImage

Recommended Citation

Center for Digital Heritage and Geospatial Information, "Carter Collection Jimmy Carter Mailbox with Safe Place Symbols" (2022). Carter Collection - 3D Models. 26.
https://digitalcommons.usf.edu/cdhgi_carter_3d/26