[press release]
Martin Kent Miller Is New AFDCS Executive Secretary

The American First Day Cover Society has chosen Martin Kent Miller as its new Executive Secretary and contracted with his firm The Image Forge to manage the AFDCS Central Office. The new address is P.O. Box 27, Greer, SC 29652-0027. The office telephone number remains (540) 940-1629 and the email address still is afdcs@afdcs.org.

Miller, 55, succeeds David Lorms, who became Executive Secretary in November 2020 and resigned to pursue other interests. Miller has been married for 33 years to Jennifer Miller, the executive director of the American Topical Association. They have three children and one granddaughter.

He currently edits First Days, the official journal of the AFDCS; Topical Time (American Topical Association), The U.S. Specialist (United States Stamp Society), The Philatelic Exhibitor (American Association of Philatelic Exhibitors), and the Pennsylvania Postal Historian (Pennsylvania Postal History Society). He is a past editor of The American Philatelist (American Philatelic Society) and was chief content officer of the APS.

Miller holds a BFA in Computer Graphic Design from Harding University. He created The Image Forge firm in 2003 so that he could work in design, graphics, printing, marketing, and communications, all in one job.

For the first time, he will have a cachetmakers bourse table at Great American Stamp Show 2023, for his new Philatelic Press line of cachets and stamp art. He also collects Fluegel cachets and FDCs of the 1934 National Parks issue, as well as Bohemia and Moravia (Czechoslovakia in World War II). His exhibit of the latter, Böhmen und Mähren: Nazi Propaganda in World War II Czechoslovakia, will be his first competitive exhibit. His major topical interests are emus on stamps and Albrecht Dürer, and the postal history of the R.J. Reynolds Tobacco Co.

The AFDCS Central Office process membership and other records, coordinates activities and handles other administrative tasks. Miller and The Image Forge are also charged with providing the AFDCS with a new integrated records system and website.

“I see the job as an opportunity to make a contribution to one area of philately that I truly love, FDCs and cachet making,” he says. “While I enjoy editing, my professional experience is in integrated communications. This gives me an opportunity to make a bigger contribution.”

In addition to First Days, the AFDCS also publishes handbooks, catalogs and multimedia programs. It is also a cosponsor of the big annual national stamp collecting show, Great American Stamp Show, which is scheduled this year for August 10-13 in Cleveland, Ohio.

For more information on the society, visit www.afdcs.org or write to the AFDCS.

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APS Dedicating Holocaust Stamps Exhibit
Museum exhibit of 11 million stamps and postal relics honors the victims of the Holocaust

BELLEFONTE, Pa., May 16, 2023 – The American Philatelic Society, in partnership with Penn State University’s Hillel and the Holocaust, Genocide and Human Rights Education Initiative, will formally dedicate the museum exhibit “A Philatelic Memorial of the Holocaust.” The event will be on May 31, 2023, at 6 p.m. at the American Philatelic Center in Bellefonte, Pennsylvania.

The invitation-only ceremony will include remarks from award-winning filmmaker and director of the Holocaust, Genocide and Human Rights Education Initiative Boaz Dvir; Penn State Hillel; American Philatelic Society Executive Director Scott English; and educator Charlotte Sheer, who initiated the Holocaust Stamps Project with her students at Foxborough Regional Charter School. Tours of the exhibit will be offered after the ceremony.

In 2018, K-12 students of Foxborough completed a nine-year project collecting 11 million stamps representing the victims of the Nazi regime. Donations came from Holocaust survivors, their families, and others from 48 U.S. states and the District of Columbia and 29 countries. Known as the Holocaust Stamps Project, the educational initiative included peer-to-peer teaching tools created by students on various aspects of the Holocaust.

The American Philatelic Society built the exhibit “A Philatelic Memorial of the Holocaust” from the Project’s 11 million stamps and educational materials. The exhibit also includes actual postal relics sent to and from concentration camps and ghettos during the Holocaust.

“A 2020 survey showed nearly two-thirds of millennials and Generation Z lacked basic knowledge of the Holocaust,” said Scott English. “This exhibit brings to life the tragedy of the Holocaust using the voices and artifacts of the victims. We have a duty to connect the past to the future so that it never happens again.”

“A postcard mailed from a Poland ghetto might be the only surviving, tangible evidence of the life and death of a Jewish victim of the Nazi regime. To touch history like that makes it real,” said APS exhibit coordinator Susanna Mills. “The American Philatelic Society is proud to safeguard and share those stories told by stamps and postal relics.”

The American Philatelic Center is open to the public for tours on Monday to Friday, 8:30 – 5:00 pm.

A public open house for “A Philatelic Memorial of the Holocaust” will be held on June 11, from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m., at the American Philatelic Center. The open house will feature discussions of Holocaust-era postal history, the creation of the exhibit, the founding of the Holocaust Stamps Project, and the importance of human rights education. All are welcome to attend.

About the American Philatelic Society
With members in more than 110 countries, the American Philatelic Society is the largest, non-profit organization for stamp collectors in the world. Founded in 1886, the APS serves collectors, educators, postal historians and the general public by providing a wide variety of programs and services. Resources include the American Philatelic Research Library; the monthly magazine The American Philatelist; stamp authentication services; adult and youth education initiatives; and more at www.stamps.org.

About PSU Hillel and the Holocaust, Genocide and Human Rights Education Initiative
The Holocaust, Genocide and Human Rights Education Initiative at Penn State enables K-12 educators to effectively teach difficult topics such as racism and trauma. The Initiative offers sustained and customized professional learning programs and online modules. Through a trauma-informed lens, the Initiative guides teachers in helping students develop insight into the human condition and life skills such as empathy, active listening, critical thinking, civic discourse and agency by applying inquiry approaches to the instruction of difficult topics.

Penn State Hillel is the foundation for Jewish Campus Life at the Pennsylvania State University. Penn State Hillel’s mission is to enrich the lives of the estimated 5,000 Jewish students at Penn State, encouraging students to pursue tzedek (social justice), tikkun olam (repairing the world), and Jewish learning, and to support Israel and global Jewish peoplehood.

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Broadhead Named 2023 Distinguished Topical Philatelist

Longtime philatelist, publications editor, author, presenter, and leader Thomas W. Broadhead of Knoxville, Tennessee was named the 2023 Distinguished Topical Philatelist by the American Topical Association.

ATA established the annual award in 1952 to pay tribute to individuals who have made significant contributions to topical philately and to the ATA in particular. Award recipients represent the highest and best in philatelic experience and service.

“Tom is accomplished as a collector and exhibitor, and he is generous in sharing his knowledge with others,” Hamman said. “There is not enough space here to list all of Tom’s philatelic accomplishments.”

Broadhead’s experience in the field and hobby of stamp collecting runs the gamut from personal collecting, exhibiting, writing, publication editing, presenting, and leadership in local and national philatelic organizations.

Since 1996, Broadhead has held leadership roles in the Knoxville Philatelic Society (KPS), serving as president, secretary, assistant treasurer and KnoxPEx chair. He writes and edits the club’s monthly newsletter, which received a 2022 gold Star Route Award by the American Philatelic Society. He also serves as APS and ATA chapter ambassador for KPS.

Broadhead became a member of the ATA board in 2019 and second vice president in 2020. He is the fundraising chairperson for ATA. He also serves as co-coordinator for ATA’s My One-Page Exhibit, an annual virtual exhibiting program that has engaged hundreds of new and experienced exhibitors from around the world.

He has presented numerous live and zoom presentations for ATA on topics that include Josephine Baker-Performing Artist and Hero of France, The Great Sphinx of Egypt-A Story in Stamps, and The Most Beautiful Bridge in Paris.

A prolific writer, Broadhead has published dozens of articles in philatelic journals including ATA’s Topical Time, APS’s The American Philatelist, and France and Colonies Philatelist.

In 2018, Broadhead was recognized with a Nicholas Carter Volunteer Award by APS. He has also received the Barbara R. Mueller Award for the best article published in The American Philatelist in 2008. In 2016, he received the Roland Hill Award of the Southeast Federation of Stamp Clubs.

Broadhead has also brought focus on philately in his career. Recently retired from his position as Director of Undergraduate Admissions at the University of Tennessee and former a professor of Paleontology and Biostratigraphy at UT, Broadhead taught several honors classes in philately that were in high demand by students.

“Tom Broadhead is an incredible ambassador of philately,” Hamman concluded, “relaying both the educational value and the fun of the hobby. His warmth and enthusiasm embody the image ATA strives to project.”

Broadhead will be presented the Distinguished Topical Philatelist Award at the 2023 Great American Stamp Show in Cleveland, Ohio.

Cheryl Ganz is the new president of the American Philatelic Society, the USA’s largest stamp collecting organization. She was elected by the Board of Directors to fill the vacancy created by the resignation by Bob Zeigler. He was “not able to attend this meeting,” said Ganz in the electronic (Zoom) meeting. According to executive director Scott English, Zeigler had an Indiana stamp club meeting and was the “designated driver” for several other members.

“I pledge to give [this office] my all,” she said after her nomination. She added that the APS is in good shape and it was a great time to be leading the organization. She also noted that it is the first time that both the APS and the American Philatelic Research Library have women presidents — Melanie Rogers heads the APRL.

Ganz was the only nominee and the vote was unanimous.

Dr. Ganz is a life member of the APS and chair of its Board of Vice Presidents. Her numerous philatelic honors include the Lichtenstein Medal for Distinguished Service to Philately from the Collectors Club of New York (2016), the APS’ Luff Award for Exceptional Contributions to Philately (2016) and the Roll of Distinguished Philatelists of the Royal Philatelic Society London (2018).

She joined the staff of the Smithsonian’s National Postal Museum in 2005 after earning her PhD in History at the University of Illinois Chicago, and from 2007 until her retirement in 2014, she was the NPM’s chief philatelic curator. She is currently its “curator of philately emerita” — a title created to recognize her “significant and lasting contributions” to the museum.

She also currently serves on the Citizens’ Stamp Advisory Committee, which reviews stamp design nominations and makes recommendations to the Postmaster General.

Her books include The 1933 Chicago World’s Fair: A Century of Progress and Every Stamp Tells a Story: The National Philatelic Collection, and is a co-author of Zeppelin Hindenburg: An Illustrated History of LZ-129. Her philatelic exhibits include” Delivering Hope: FDR & Stamps of the Great Depression;” “Fire & Ice: Hindenburg and Titanic;” and “Favorite Finds; Pacific Exchange: China & U.S. Mail.”

“One day at a flea market, I acquired an envelope that had been on the Graf Zeppelin, and that was it,” she told UIC Alumni magazine in 2015, when she received the school’s Alumni Achievement Award.

She was married to fellow collector P. Felix Ganz until his death in 1992. She lives in the Chicago area, and has been active in “Chicagoland” philately for many years.

Zeigler [below] himself rose to the APS presidency as the result of a resignation: Mick Zais had to give up the leadership post to become Deputy Secretary of Education in the Trump administration.

“Bob stepped up when we needed leadership,” English told VSC in an email. “He built a strong bond between the APS and APRL Boards to work as a team by being transparent and inclusive and we are better served for it.”

English called Zeigler “a collector’s president, traveling to stamp shows, stamp clubs, and representing the APS all over the country. He volunteered countless hours serving as a judge, expert, speaker, and as President of the APS, all while managing his law firm back home.” Zeigler is listed as an “emeritus partner” on the website of Zeigler, Cohen & Koch. He specialized in medical malpractice defense, products liability, and insurance coverage disputes, as does the firm.

English said Zeigler’s specialty allowed him to give valuable advice to the APS on how to deal with the COVID pandemic.

Stephen Reinhard [right] will leave the Board as Immediate Past President. Reinhard was elected to the APS Board in 2011 as Vice President. In 2013, the APS membership elected Reinhard as President of the APS Board, and he served until 2016. Since 2016, Reinhard has served as the Immediate Past President of the APS Board.

Per the APS Bylaws, Ganz appointed Greg Galetti, the vice president of the APRL, to fill the vice president vacancy created when she became president. The Board also approved a resolution honoring Reinhard for is service to the APS.

The meeting lasted less than an hour.

Updated April 18th:
At the American Philatelic Research Library board of trustees meeting, Galetti resigned as a trustee and vice president of the APRL, reports Foster Miller in The Stamp Collecting Forum.

Jean Wang, a doctor and well-known topical philatelist, was elected to replace him as a trustee. Tom Bieniosek was elected as the new vice president

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Zeigler Resigning as APS President

APS President Bob Zeigler announced his intention to step down as President of the American Philatelic Society, effective March 31, 2023. Zeigler will remain on the APS Board of Directors as Immediate Past President.

Following Section 5.7(a) of the APS Bylaws, the APS Board of Vice Presidents has called a meeting for Monday, April 3, 2023, at 7:30 pm Eastern to fill the vacancy “by election by the Board of Directors from among its own membership.”

Bob Zeigler was elected Vice President to the APS Board of Directors in 2016. In May 2018, the APS Board of Directors elected Zeigler to fill the remaining term of APS President Mick Zais, who resigned to become Deputy Secretary of Education. Zeigler was re-elected by the APS membership in 2019 and again in 2022. During Zeigler’s tenure as President, the APS met the response of closure during the COVID-19 pandemic and helped retire the debt of the Match Factory in Bellefonte.

“Bob stepped up when we needed leadership,” APS executive director Scott English told VSC in an email. “He built a strong bond between the APS and APRL Boards to work as a team by being transparent and inclusive and we are better served for it.”

English called Zeigler “a collector’s president, traveling to stamp shows, stamp clubs, and representing the APS all over the country. He volunteered countless hours serving as a judge, expert, speaker, and as President of the APS, all while managing his law firm back home.” Zeigler is listed as an “emeritus partner” on the website of Zeigler, Cohen & Koch. He specialized in medical malpractice defense, products liability, and insurance coverage disputes, as does the firm.

Stephen Reinhard [right] will leave the Board as Immediate Past President. Reinhard was elected to the APS Board in 2011 as Vice President. In 2013, the APS membership elected Reinhard as President of the APS Board, and he served until 2016. Since 2016, Reinhard has served as the Immediate Past President of the APS Board.

The meeting to elect a new President will be held via Zoom and is open to the public. To register for the meeting,

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ATA Course: Buying Covers for Thematic Collections

Damian Läge, the highest award-winning thematic exhibitor in the world, will present a three-part course sponsored by the American Topical Association (ATA) in May, via Zoom. He was recently chosen to sign the Roll of Distinguished Philatelists, one of the most prestigious honors in our hobby.

The course will cover aspects of recognizing, evaluating and shopping for covers with multiple frankings for a collection and/or exhibit. Läge points out that many covers you encounter at dealer booths and online have more than one stamp. These covers, with multiple frankings, vary dramatically in their philatelic importance. The course will show how to add some important items to your collection, often at a low price. Collectors and exhibitors will benefit from the course content.

Läge will share his research and insights in three sessions:

• Saturday, May 6, 6 p.m., via Zoom – Multiple Frankings in Topical/Thematic Collections and Exhibits: How and Why
• Sunday, May 7, 6 p.m., via Zoom – The Evaluation of Multiple Frankings: Great, Greater, Greatest – Learn to identify quality covers
• Sunday, May 14, 6 p.m., via Zoom – How to Find Multiple Frankings for Your Collection and Exhibit

For those in time zones that make it difficult to attend the live presentation, the sessions will be taped and made available to those who register for the course. Those who enroll will be able to watch the programs again, at their convenience. Cost for the three sessions is $25 for members, $45 for non-members, with an option to purchase the course and membership at a discounted rate. Registration is open in the Events section on the ATA website at americantopical.org.

Läge has won the highest exhibiting awards and has lectured widely throughout the world. His high enthusiasm makes his presentations both educational and entertaining. In 2015, his was the first thematic exhibit to receive 98 points at an international competition (ECTP 2015). In 2020, his one-frame exhibit, The Maori Pigeon, won the Grand Prix at ALPE-ADRIA in competition with all multiple frame exhibits in all classes. Last year he won the Grand Prix at CAPEX in Toronto. He has been winning top awards since he began exhibiting as a teenager.

This course is the result of Läge’s research and evaluation of many covers with multiple frankings. He discovered that online sellers often have philatelically significant covers for sale at good prices, as their prices often don’t differentiate great covers from mediocre ones.

This is an opportunity to learn from one of the most accomplished philatelists in the world.

[press release]
ATA Offers Thematic Exhibiting Creativity Workshop, March 4 and 11

The American Topical Association will offer a two-session workshop titled Thematic Exhibiting: Connecting Through Creativity on consecutive Saturdays, March 4 and 11, beginning at 4 p.m. Eastern Time via Zoom.

This how-to workshop on developing the thematic exhibiting storyline through creativity is taught by exhibiting multi-award winner Dr. Jean Wang.

In the first workshop session, Wang will show examples from her Blood: A Modern Medicine exhibit to demonstrate how thematic exhibitors can use creativity and draw on all branches of philately to illustrate a non-philatelic story. After the first session, participants may send a scan of a potential exhibit item for her review and comment. Participants also have the option to outline a point they want to make in their non-philatelic story to garner Wang’s advice on exhibit items to seek.

Session number two provides discussion, sharing and brainstorming opportunities for participants based on details from the first session. This high-engagement workshop will maximize participants’ planning options by capitalizing on live interaction with Wang.

Dr. Jean Wang is a hematologist and leukemia researcher in Toronto, Canada. She has received 19 awards and myriad accolades for her thematic exhibiting, including Grand Awards for her Blood exhibit in CANPEX 2019 and ORAPEX 2022. Wang’s philatelic expertise includes receiving Royal Philatelic Society of Canada’s Long-time Contribution Award. She is a member of the Canada Post Stamp Advisory Committee.

The workshop series costs $25 for ATA members and $45 for non-members. If non-member participants choose to join ATA at the time they register for the workshop, the cost for both the workshop and annual membership is $60 for US residents and $70 for international residents, which are discounted rates. Registration is quick and easy on the ATA website. For more information and to register for the workshop, go to the ATA website [direct link].

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GW Bicententennial FDCs Zoom Talk on February 26

The next American First Day Cover Society educational Zoom presentation will be held on Sunday February 26, 2023 at 8PM EST/7PM CST/6PM MST/5PM PST. Tricia Richmond will provide a presentation on first day covers and event covers of the 1932 US George Washington Bicentennial issue.The presentation is free to all. AFDCS membership is not required.

Here is the Zoom information for the presentation:
Click here for the link

Meeting ID: 856 4348 9109
Passcode: 215959

Tricia Richmond produces McIntosh Cachets along with her daughter Darcy. Tricia is a member of the Fred C. Sawyer North Texas Chapter and the Art Cover Exchange.

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GASS ’23 Pre-Show Learning Event – All About Cancellations

The APS is again hosting a pre-show learning event prior to the Great American Stamp Show ’23 in Cleveland, Ohio: “All About Cancellations”

Date: Wednesday, August 9th, 8:00 a.m. – 5:00 p.m. (lunch on own)

Instructor: Gary Wayne Loew

Location: Westin Downtown Cleveland, OH

Cost: $50 APS member / $100 non-members

Registration Deadline: July 21, 2023

Whether you are a postal historian or a marcophilist, postal cancellations are central to the understanding of the postal artifacts that we collect. This course is designed to provide you with a very thorough background about cancellations. Collectors of every country and every specialization will want to attend this in-depth course.

The course is limited to ONLY 30 PARTICIPANTS so register now!

The course will include three major topics:

• • Classification & Categorization Systems
  • Types of devices
  • Uses

The presentation materials will be profusely illustrated with cover examples of each topic.

While primary emphasis will be on U.S. and British Empire materials, worldwide examples will broaden your understanding of philately from every continent. You will return home with a robust package of course materials to give you a firm foundation for additional personal research.

About the Instructor
Gary Wayne Loew is a philatelic researcher and postal historian. He is the retired APS Director of Expertizing and Editor-in-Chief of The American Philatelist and the Philatelic Literature Review. He is also the author of over 80 philatelic articles and book reviews. His two-volume book, Fundamentals of Postal History, is scheduled for publication in early 2026. Gary has lectured widely on many topics about postal history. His proudest philatelic accomplishments include the numerous roles he has played in digitizing journals for the USPCS, USSS, and the complete run of the U.S. Postal Bulletin. An APS life member, he is a member of over thirty philatelic societies and clubs.

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ATA Offers Exhibiting Picture Postcards Workshop, Feb 6-20

The American Topical Association will offer a three-session, how-to workshop on exhibiting picture postcards in February. The weekly workshop will be held consecutive Mondays on February 6, 13 and 20 beginning at 7 p.m. Eastern Time via Zoom.

The first workshop session, entitled “Why Postcards Matter,” covers a history of early 20th century postcards and why they are an important part of philately worthy of study.

Session number two, “Steps to Telling Your Story,” discusses non-philatelic story lines in the exhibiting process with details about fashioning the exhibit’s title and introduction. Tips for creating a plan for organizing the exhibit will also be presented in the second session.

Session three is called “Resources for Collecting and Documenting Your Postcards.” This session details documentation of picture postcard history and offers a look at resources for information to provide descriptions of the postcards selected for an exhibit. Tips for making observations about the postcards in the exhibit round out the final session.

Course participants will receive quick reference guides, a useful digital book on real photo postcards, and an extensive bibliography to assist in creating, researching and constructing a picture postcard exhibit.

Workshop instructor is ATA President Dawn Hamman [left], a multi-award-winning postcard exhibitor who has earned gold and large gold awards for her postcard exhibits. Hamman’s winning exhibits include The Jewel City—Picture Postcards of the Panama Pacific International Exposition, San Francisco, 1915; The Life and Legacy of Abraham Lincoln; A Day at Ocean Beach; and He Built a Business Empire With Ostrich Feathers.

The workshop series costs $25 for ATA members and $45 for non-members. If non-member participants choose to join ATA at the time they register for the workshop, the cost for both the workshop and annual membership is $60 for US residents and $70 for international residents, which are discounted rates. Registration is quick and easy on the ATA website. Go to americantopical.org and click on the Events tab to find the workshop listing.