Cassian Gray is a London-based photographer who studied BA Photography at Kingston School of Art. His recent project The Posties, is a celebration of the many individuals that make up a more than 500-year-old establishment: the Royal Mail postal service. Inspired by the light that the current COVID-19 pandemic has shined on various occupations that were previously overlooked, such as NHS staff and other essential workers, Gray set out to capture the “posties” who have been roaming the UK streets for over half a millennium.
Today, they deliver around 15 billion items every year, with this number expected to rise as talks of their working on Sundays progresses. While there has been a decrease in the number of letters being sent – due to the ease of email and mobile communication – the number of parcels continues to grow, burdening them with even more weight as they struggle to meet our demand. This essential service, which they carry out through rain or shine, keeps the country connected via an intimate web of human interaction. This series seeks to pay tribute to them for this invaluable work.
The Posties
