Artifact Details
Appearing to be handmade, a paper label with an image of a yellow pneumatic tube and the words "Save the Tubes" is adhered to a 2.25-inch button pin. This button was created as part of a larger campaign by CIA officers to save the pneumatic tube system in the Original Headquarters Building (OHB) from being decommissioned in 1989.
OHB's pneumatic-tube mail delivery system was installed during its construction. The system operated from 1962 until 1989. The system had more than 30 miles of 4-inch-diameter tubing. At that time, this system was one of the world's largest.
By 1989, tube traffic had decreased as offices moved into the New Headquarters Building which did not have a tube system, and electronic communication improved. Not everyone agreed with the decision to decommission the tube system, and "SAVE THE TUBES" became a rallying cry for many employees. The campaign, complete with lapel pins and notepads, did not succeed, but they had fun trying.