Messenger bags may seem to be a relatively new innovation born on the streets of New York, London and San Francisco where they were popularized by cycle couriers. That is certainly true as regards their recent history, but their roots go back a lot further in time. More than a century ago postmen used large leather bags slung across the shoulders in a similar fashion to modern messenger bags. Those old leather postal bags lacked many of the innovations and conveniences of the newer ones, but the lineage is clear.
The bloodline established by dispatch riders and couriers during the Second World War is also evident in the newer bags used by couriers. The old canvas messenger bags that they used to carry orders and messages were also closed by a large flap and were worn across the shoulder. In form and function they were incredibly similar to the bags subsequently adopted by cycle messengers. The old canvas bags proved so durable and convenient that they were adopted for a wide range of uses. One could find special versions for paratroopers as well as ordinary infantrymen. These pouches also proved useful for far more than just carrying documents and orders. Soldiers adapted them to carrying ammunition, medical equipment and other supplies.
And it was these bags which provided some inspiration to later generations of cycle couriers when they developed the messenger bag as we now know it. Yet the continued evolution and development of these bags has not stopped. Many are now produced with dedicated protective pouches for laptop computers. Most have small pockets for holding keys, mobile telephones and small change. In fact although the basic form and function of these bags have remained unchanged for over a century they are almost unrecognizable as siblings. No doubt, the bags that are in fashion twenty years from now will be similarly unrecognizable.
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