author
A. D. (Alfred Daniel) Smith
A careful early 20th-century writer on postal history, best known for a detailed study of how postage rates developed and the ideas behind them. His work combines historical research with practical insight from inside Britain’s postal system.
1 Audiobook
The Development of Rates of Postage: An Historical and Analytical Study
by A. D. (Alfred Daniel) Smith
About the author
A. D. Smith, identified in library and archive records as Alfred Daniel Smith, is known for The Development of Rates of Postage: An Historical and Analytical Study, published in 1917. The book was prepared as a research studentship report for the University of London and was later circulated widely enough to be preserved by major digital libraries.
The work presents Smith as a serious researcher interested not just in postal history, but in the economic logic behind postal pricing. Contemporary editions describe him as holding a B.Sc. in Economics and working in the secretary’s office of the General Post Office in London, which helps explain the book’s mix of historical detail and administrative understanding.
Little biographical information about Smith appears to be readily available beyond what is attached to his book and library records. Even so, his surviving work remains useful for readers interested in communications history, public policy, and the development of modern postal systems.