Wright Auction

Jack Markuse of the Markuse Corporation commissioned architects Michael Graves, Robert Venturi, Stanley Tigerman and Clifford Selbert to design mailboxes for both city and rural homes. Markuse gave them “as little guidance as possible so they'd use their imagination and feel no constraints” and the result was “mailboxes that resemble, in miniature, the finest contemporary and traditional structures.” Tigerman’s design was modeled after his and Margaret McCurry’s weekend residence in Lakeside, Michigan and Graves's mailbox, as noted by Markuse, “is akin to a caboose or sarcophagus, depending on your point of view.” The designs debuted at “Accent on Design” at the Javits Center in 1990 and were part of Markuse's Projects line of smart, upscale, high-quality home accessories with a European approach to materials and design.