Erik Roper trialled the use of stilts when he was a milkman in Leiston as he thought he’d be able to step over the hedges and fences between his customers’ houses. He enjoyed some initial success, despite frequently breaking the glass bottles, but had to end the experiment following a number of allegations of voyeurism, after being caught several times peering into upstairs windows. He sought to recover his reputation with a plan to introduce stilt-racing as an Olympic event, starting with the annual Saxmundham Sports Day, but the unsympathetic locals branded it the “Peeping Tom’s Derby” forcing Roper to cancel the competition. He is said to have sawn up his stilts in frustration and used them as firewood.
During the early 20th century it was a common practice for French mailmen to deliver the post while on stilts, except during leap years, when they’d deliver the mail on a unicycle.
why nobody knows here there were no WC cabins and everybody poops in a bowl and throw it from the window on the street. For this reason until 18th century European embassies allowed only out of the city in Istanbul.
The practice started in the early 1800’s when a cheese company started delivering to people in second floor apartments.
The previous unheard of cheese shot to fame after the manufacturer ran adds in local Gazettes asking people if ” they got their stilts on yet “
if they fell over how did they remount if there were no convenient walls or high places to sit on while attaching the stilts. If they couldn’t and the mail was late, was the postman in for the high jump? 😉
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Erik Roper trialled the use of stilts when he was a milkman in Leiston as he thought he’d be able to step over the hedges and fences between his customers’ houses. He enjoyed some initial success, despite frequently breaking the glass bottles, but had to end the experiment following a number of allegations of voyeurism, after being caught several times peering into upstairs windows. He sought to recover his reputation with a plan to introduce stilt-racing as an Olympic event, starting with the annual Saxmundham Sports Day, but the unsympathetic locals branded it the “Peeping Tom’s Derby” forcing Roper to cancel the competition. He is said to have sawn up his stilts in frustration and used them as firewood.
That was a smart way to avoid dogs nipping at your heels.
Clearly an elevated position in the community
It looks like there are stilts leaning against the door 🚪.
Did he moonlight as a sheetrocker
Before the termite invasion.
During the early 20th century it was a common practice for French mailmen to deliver the post while on stilts, except during leap years, when they’d deliver the mail on a unicycle.
Hey Historic Photographs how about a shred of context.
Maybe more appropriate for Venice… or it’s a safety measure against dogs attack
For when he used to have to place the mail in pigeon holes
Air mail
Early Amazon drones.
Monsieur is receiving air mail.
Why the stilts ?
why nobody knows here there were no WC cabins and everybody poops in a bowl and throw it from the window on the street. For this reason until 18th century European embassies allowed only out of the city in Istanbul.
He does plastering as a side hustle
In desert or swampy areas, the use of such a stilts it possible to overcome the route faster and not get your feet dirty 🙂
At that time, everybody looked up to the mailman.
The practice started in the early 1800’s when a cheese company started delivering to people in second floor apartments.
The previous unheard of cheese shot to fame after the manufacturer ran adds in local Gazettes asking people if ” they got their stilts on yet “
Our pot holes would’ve killed that feller 😂
They must have had good reason why they used stilts!
He makes progress in strides!!!
Staying out of the way of the neighbourhood dogs. 😂😂
Why does this require stilts?
He got high while working.
Was this an early attempt at social distancing or did the customer just have bad breath? 🤔
He only delivered to the lower class
Bigger steps. Walk fast. Less energy used.
His other job was as a plasterer 😁
Is this the origin of the term, “stick in the mud.”
Poor mailman.
That must be hard….
Why does the “in the 20th century” make me feel more like a dinosaur than if you just gave a circa year lol
Was that just so he could travel faster? Never used stilts before, but I imagine you could get some speed up on the right surface.
Must be delivering high utility bills
If this is the rise the postal strikers are after today let them have it.
They had to keep hiring people to do this because the circus was plucking them from their jobs!
if they fell over how did they remount if there were no convenient walls or high places to sit on while attaching the stilts. If they couldn’t and the mail was late, was the postman in for the high jump? 😉
There is a second set of stilts leaning against the structure, so maybe this person is a local shepherd that also use the stilts.
Air France the early days…..
When being ‘high’ at work was actually a prerequisite.