Smithsonian Libraries: NPM Library

22 posts categorized "NPM Library"

July 01, 2011

National Postal Worker Day

Celebrate your local letter carriers today on National Postal Worker Day.

National Postal Museum Library photo, Postal photograph: letter carriers, San Francisco, c. 1894, pph 924 "Station J."

—Elizabeth Periale

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May 20, 2011

On May 20, 1927, at 7:52 a.m., Charles A. Lindbergh, an air mail pilot, flew from New York to Paris, arriving at 10:22 p.m. the next day. He flew 3610 miles and became the first man to fly non-stop across the Atlantic alone, breaking the non-stop distance record for an airplane. The sources listed below provide a window into aviation history and help capture the excitement and romance of a major breakthrough in air travel.

A commemorative stamp to mark the 50^th anniversary of Lindberg’s flight was issued May 20, 1977, at Roosevelt Field in Long Island, NY.

—Beverly Coward

Sources consulted:

Charles A. Lindbergh, A Biographical and Philatelic Study, by Walter Curley, HE 6183 L57R33, 1963.

Catalog of the Charles A. Lindbergh Collection of Cardinal Spellman Philatelic Museum, Inc., compiled and edited by Sister M. Fidelma and Walter Curley, HE 6183 L57C3X, 1968.

Stamp Design Files, Scott Catalog 2009, Vol. 1, May 20, 1977, 1710 A1099, Spirit of St. Louis (entitled “Charles A. Lindbergh’s solo transatlantic flight from New York to Paris, 50^th anniversary”).

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Technorati Tags: Beverly Coward, Charles Lindbergh, flights, philately, Spirit of St. Louis, stamp collecting, stamps

January 29, 2011

Stamp Collecting—The King of Hobbies

For National Hobby Month:

Stamp Collecting

The king of hobbies, stamp collecting, began soon after the first appearance of the postage stamp in 1840 Victorian England. And as their use spread quickly to other nations the public became fascinated with the beauty of their designs and the diversity available from places many had never heard of before.

Soon, stamp producers realized a growing market beyond the original purpose of certifying payment for postage and began creating customized stamps solely for the hobbyist in mind. Commemorative stamps were issued, the first for the 1876 Centennial Exhibition in the US and the 1893 Columbian Exposition are just two examples. Private businesses began to accumulate and sell different stamps to customers before 1850, less than ten years after their first appearance. Later, the idea of the “first day issue” stamp with envelopes with special cancels became widely popular, and for some, a separate hobby in itself.

For most stamp collectors, the hobby begins in childhood by simply clipping new and interesting stamps from mail received at their home. Perhaps, later the hobbyist will ask friends for envelopes they’ve received to increase the variety. As they grow older, the adult collector will purchase rare or hard to find stamps from a broker placing them into albums designed to protect their collection while still allowing enjoyment. They may go to stamp conventions to purchase, trade, sell or just learn about different areas to pursue their hobby.

Stamp Collecting - album and supplies

The appeal to the collector is expansive, the lure of the hunt, the speculation of enhanced value, the simple charm of beauty for both young children and adults, and the educational value awarded to children. The challenge of searching and discovering rare or obscure stamps is in itself as rewarding an experience as owning that stamp. Buying rare stamps for the investment value gives the collector both the intrinsic value that ownership brings along with the prospect of increased wealth. For all collectors, the artistry and beauty brings intrinsic value to even the least costly stamp. And finally, for young collectors, the educational possibilities of learning about new cultures and nations, geography and history, brings rewards that last a lifetime.

—Timothy Bartholomew