Finland: postal transport over the years
At the library of the Dutch philatelists association in Houten, I came across this picture of a Finnish post delivery man on a motorbike.
Despite the old motorbike it is probably a fairly recent photo, as the large number plate in front resembles a Finnish registration plate for so-called "veteran vehicles": two white letters and up to three white numbers on a black reflective background.
In rural areas, motorbikes were often used to deliver letters. In the 1960s, mopeds were added to make the job easier.
But now the question: which motorbike is it?
After I sent the article to our editor Paul he quickly answered. He had done an internet search and found two things.
First, a clearer picture, not only of the front but also of the back. This showed that it was a postcard from the Post Museum in Helsinki.
The moment Paul pointed this out, it dawned on me, because the book in which I found the image contained this card, among other things. The cards could be taken out of the book and used.
He also found which motorcycle was used. It concerns a Jawa Perak 250cc single cylinder (there was also a 2-cylinder 350cc), which was used by the postal service in the 1950s and 1960s.
Jawa Perak 250cc single cylinder
Jawa Perak 350cc 2-cylinder
Nico helling, with additional info by Paul Essens
Top - Back to former page - Home |