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Pennsylvania Postal History ExhibitionThe Chester County History Center (CCHC) presents the special exhibit Letters and Post Cards: 1820-1920 Chester County with a collection of postal history and picture post cards that illustrate U.S. postal delivery from and to West Chester from 1820 to 1920. This exhibit presents the rare opportunity to view hundreds of examples from the exclusive collection of renowned philatelist and guest curator William Schultz.

Visitors will also be able to view Domestic Rates – U.S.P.O. Acts of 1792 to 1863, Schultz’s nationally award-winning postal history materials. tI includes rare early examples of mail that depict pivotal moments in postal delivery in the U.S. as it changed from something affordable to only a few to a method of communication that the average person could use.

Whether you are fascinated by colorful post cards of scenes gone by or are intrigued by how far a letter traveled 200 years ago, this exhibit will capture your imagination. The exhibit is included with museum admission and open to the community.

CCHC has long been a safe keeper, partner, and supporter of postal history. Since 2019, the History Center has hosted The Philatelic Gathering in West Chester welcoming a group of stamp and postal history collectors that every month explores and shares a myriad of topics and create new philatelic friendships. This partnership underscores the value of postal history as part of the fabric of our society and asserts the History Center’s commitment to its preservation.

This region, steeped in rich American history, witnessed the emergence and development of postal services as a vital conduit for communication, trade, and cultural exchange. The evolution of postal services in the Greater Philadelphia area reflects the broader historical trends of the nation and provides a unique lens through which the growth, challenges, and resilience of these communities can be comprehensively understood.

Chester County History Center has been Chester County, PA’s resident storyteller since its founding in 1893. CCHC is a nonprofit historical institution with the mission to “Link the Past to the Present, to Inspire the Future” while engaging, preserving, educating, connecting, and imagining with our community. CCHC is responsible for three centuries of history through the preservation of documents, photographs, and newspapers in our research library and photo archives, as well as artifacts in the museum. These primary historical materials are central to the core exhibition “Becoming Chester County,” the first visible storage space, and year-round youth and adult education programs.

[From the website, the visiting hours are Wednesday through Saturday, 10:00 a.m. to 2 p.m. There is an admission charge. Visiting information here.]

This post consists of several pages. “Mouse over” the bottom margin and up/down arrows should appears.

Registration link

[press release] [click on any of the pictures for larger versions]
National Postal Museum To Host Maynard Sundman Lecture
Cheryl Ganz To Speak on “U.S. Zeppelin Postage Stamps”

The Smithsonian’s National Postal Museum will host the 20th Maynard Sundman Lecture Thursday, Nov. 2, at 4 p.m. ET at the museum and also online on Zoom. Admission is free, but reservations are required.

Everyone wants to own a set of zeppelin stamps from the 1930s. But why did the Post Office Department issue four zeppelin stamps to subsidize a German aircraft’s operations during the Great Depression? Why were the values of these stamps so high and who received all that money? How did the rates and routes change from 1930 to 1933? Why were zeppelins important to transoceanic mail service?

The lecture audience can learn the stories about these zeppelin stamps that are so iconic to philatelists today. Cheryl Ganz will trace production of the issues at the Bureau of Engraving and Printing from source materials to die proofs to certified plate proofs with marginal markings. The first days of issue examples will cover the various city postmarks and private cachets. Finally, she will illustrate when and where Graf Zeppelin flew mail with U.S. franking and the many ways that passengers, crew and collectors sought to create varieties.

Ganz is a social/cultural historian and lifelong stamp collector. These two interests have directed her research in both local postal history and zeppelin posts.

Ganz is a Smithsonian curator emerita following her retirement as the chief curator of philately at the National Postal Museum and as lead curator of the William H. Gross Stamp Gallery, the world’s largest postage stamp gallery. She currently serves as president of the American Philatelic Society, as the USA North Central representative of the Royal Philatelic Society London and as a member on the U.S. Postal Service’s Citizen’s Stamp Advisory Committee—the committee that selects subjects and reviews designs for U.S. postage stamps.

About Cheryl Ganz
Ganz’s exhibits, publications and talks focus on her specialty of zeppelin posts and memorabilia worldwide, especially from U.S. airships, the 1933 Graf Zeppelin Chicago flight and Hindenburg. She founded and administers the Facebook group of Zeppelin & Airship Collectors and edited and co-edited “The Zeppelin Collector” for 37 years. In addition to zeppelin material, she collects Wisconsin postal history, Germany, Switzerland and China.

Her philatelic recognitions include the Roll of Distinguished Philatelists, APS Luff Award for Exceptional Contributions to Philately, Smithsonian Philatelic Achievement Award, Writers Unit Hall of Fame, Alfred F. Lichtenstein Memorial Award for Distinguished Service to Philately, Mortimer L. Neinken Medal, Carlrichard Brühl Medal, Carl Lindenberg Medal, Wisconsin Philatelic Hall of Fame, AAMS Aerophilatelic Research Award, RPSL Lee Medal, Nicolas Carter National Service Award, USPCS Distinguished Philatelist Award, Elizabeth C. Pope Lifetime Achievement Award, FISA Gold Medal, Canadian Aerophilatelic Society Award, Chris Hunt Award, Newberry Award and the Single Frame Champion of Champions.

Ganz earned a doctorate in U.S. history from the University of Illinois at Chicago. Her publications include The 1933 Chicago World’s Fair: A Century of Progress, Delivering Hope: FDR & Stamps of the Great Depression, Fire & Ice: Hindenburg and Titanic, Favorite Finds, Pacific Exchange: China & U.S. Mail, Every Stamp Tells a Story: The National Philatelic Collection,Zeppelin Hindenburg: An Illustrated History of LZ-129 and U.S. Zeppelin and Airship Mail Flights plus more than a hundred articles.

The National Postal Museum’s Maynard Sundman Lecture Series was established in 2002 through a donation by Sundman’s sons, David and Donald. The Sundman lectures feature talks by authors and expert philatelists on stamps and stamp collecting.

The public can visit the museum’s website [direct link] for additional information and registration instructions.

About the Smithsonian’s National Postal Museum
The National Postal Museum is devoted to presenting the colorful and engaging history of the nation’s mail service and showcasing one of the largest and most comprehensive collections of stamps and philatelic material in the world. It is located at 2 Massachusetts Ave. N.E., Washington, D.C., across from Union Station. The museum is open daily from 10 a.m. to 5:30 p.m. (closed Dec. 25). For more information about the Smithsonian, call (202) 633-1000 or visit the museum website.

[press release] [click on any of the pictures for larger versions]<
National Postal Museum Announces Smithsonian Philatelic Achievement Award Recipients
John McClure Hotchner, Donald J. Sundman and Scott R. Trepel Will Receive Award Nov. 4

The Smithsonian’s National Postal Museum has announced the 2023 Smithsonian Philatelic Achievement Award recipients, John McClure Hotchner, Donald J. Sundman and Scott R. Trepel. They will be honored at a gala at the museum Nov. 4.

The Smithsonian Philatelic Achievement Award (SPAA) was established in 2002 to honor and celebrate living individuals for outstanding lifetime achievement in the field of philately. This achievement may include original research that significantly advances the understanding of philately, exceptional service to the philatelic community or sustained promotion of philately to the benefit of current and future collectors.

“The National Postal Museum is honored to present this esteemed award to these prominent and influential individuals,” said Elliot Gruber, director of the museum. “Their lifetime achievements in the field of philately embody the essence of this award.”

The SPAA award medallion (right) is a 3-inch, gold-plated bronze disc depicting a sunburst with eight straight and eight wavy rays. Derived from the family coat of arms of James Smithson, founding benefactor of the Smithsonian Institution, the sunburst became the Institution’s official seal June 3, 1966, and is incorporated into the official flag flown by Smithsonian facilities and Smithsonian-sponsored expeditions throughout the world. As such, it is a universally recognized symbol of enlightenment and learning that links the Smithsonian’s history with its future. The medallion is suspended from a grosgrain neck ribbon in Smithsonian blue and yellow.

“I could not be more delighted that the Smithsonian Institution has chosen to honor these three impressive philatelists,” said Charles Shreve, chair of the museum’s Council of Philatelists. “Each has contributed, in unique ways, to the betterment and promotion of stamp collecting—one of the greatest and most enjoyable hobbies in the world.”

A special website provides information about the SPAA gala event, including information on purchasing tickets to attend the event.

About the recipients:

John McClure Hotchner, RDP, FRPSL, United States (born 1943), has been a collector since age 5, with wide-ranging interests that include numerous country and thematic studies. Selections from World Rarities and Uniquities, his 400-page exploration of the breadth and depth of philately, have been shown in numerous courts of honor at the American Philatelic Society, World Series of Philately and international shows. Hotchner is a competitive exhibitor and an accredited philatelic, literature and chief judge who has headed juries at numerous national and international shows.

As a member of the U.S. Postal Service’s Citizens’ Stamp Advisory Committee 1998–2010, Hotchner helped select more than 1,700 U.S. stamps—steadfastly championing subjects that he felt highlighted American cultural, historical and scientific achievements. A member of the National Postal Museum’s Council of Philatelists 2002–2017, he was named to emeritus status on his retirement. He led the American Philatelic Society for 16 years in numerous capacities, including the board of vice presidents (1991–1993), director at large (1994–1997) and president (1997–1999). He has served on the boards of more than 20 other organizations including Stamps for the Wounded, which introduces wounded veterans to philately as a form of occupational therapy.

Hotchner’s reputation as a writer, editor and researcher has been established through thousands of columns and articles published in a wide number of philatelic magazines. These include feature articles for Linn’s Stamp News, where his “U.S. Notes” column has appeared in virtually every issue for 32 years; U.S. Stamp News; The Philatelic Exhibitor, which he edited from 1986 to 2010; and The American Stamp Dealer and Collector.

Hotchner has received the United States Stamp Society’s Walter Hopkinson Award (1984); the Luff Award for Outstanding Service to the American Philatelic Society (2004); the Collectors Club of New York’s Alfred F. Lichtenstein Memorial Award for Distinguished Service to Philately (2005); the American Association of Philatelic Exhibitors’ Bernard Hennig Award for Excellence in Judging (2008); the U.S. Philatelic Classics Society’s Distinguished Philatelist Award (2008); the St. Louis Stamp Expo’s Elizabeth C. Pope Award for Lifetime Contributions to Philately (2013); and the American Philatelic Society’s Charles J. Peterson Lifetime Achievement Award for Philatelic Literature (2013). He was elected to the Writers’ Unit Hall of Fame in 1999 and invited to sign the Roll of Distinguished Philatelists in 2017.

Donald J. Sundman, FRPSL, United States (born 1954), is a lifelong stamp collector, second-generation professional philatelist and tireless promoter of stamp collecting. He became general manager of Mystic Stamp Company in 1974 at the age of 19 and was named president in 1980. From paper catalogues to a “This Day in History” mobile phone app launched in July 2015, Sundman’s marketing has popularized stamp collecting and made it accessible to beginning collectors.

In 1985, he purchased stamps from the partial pane of $1 Rush Lamp inverts, and later discovered that the sheet was originally purchased by employees of the Central Intelligence Agency, making worldwide news. In 1998, he purchased the only privately held copy of the 1¢ Z Grill, which he later traded for the unique Inverted Jenny plate number block. He exhibited these rarities frequently at stamp shows, helping to boost attendance and garner positive press coverage for philately. Sundman assisted the American Philatelic Research Library in recovering one of the stolen stamps (position 76) from its ‘McCoy block’ of Inverted Jenny stamps, offering a reward for its return in 2014. (The photo above is from NYC World Stamp Expo 2016.)

He joined the National Postal Museum’s Council of Philatelists in 1995 and was elected chairman in 2004, a position he held until 2021. He endowed the museum’s annual Maynard Sundman Lecture Series in 2000, along with his older brother David, to honor their father. He was a major sponsor of the National Postal Museum’s William H. Gross Stamp Gallery. He has presented numerous items to the National Philatelic Collection, including the famed 1979 $1 ‘CIA Invert’ he played a key role in uncovering.

Sundman became a trustee of the Philatelic Foundation in 2006 and has served as its secretary and vice-chairman. He has sponsored more than 8,000 new American Philatelic Society members and received the Society’s Luff Award for Outstanding Service in 2010. He is a member of the Club de Monte-Carlo de l’Elite de la Philatélie and was elected a Fellow of the Royal Philatelic Society London in 2019. He co-authored (with Janet R. Klug) 100 Greatest American Stamps (2007).

Scott R. Trepel, FRPSL, United States (born 1962), began his philatelic career right out of high school, working for Stanley Gibbons and Christie’s/Robson Lowe in New York. He joined the Robert A. Siegel firm as a partner with its founder in 1992. As president of Robert A. Siegel Auction Galleries, he has organized innumerable famous name sales and held the gavel when many records were broken, including the Inverted Jenny plate block at $2.97 million, the Brazil Pack strip at $2.185 million, the Hawaiian 2¢ Missionary cover at $2.242 million, the Inverted Jenny single at $1.35 million and the 1¢ Z Grill at $935,000.

Trepel’s auction catalogs incorporate a high level of research, including census data and historical background for the items offered, that have garnered philatelic literature awards. He has published numerous research articles in well-respected journals and edited the 1869 section of The Chronicle of the U.S. Classic Issues for many years. He co-authored (with Ken Lawrence) Rarity Revealed: The Benjamin K. Miller Collection for the Smithsonian National Postal Museum and The New York Public Library. He has also self-published books on the City Despatch Post and the Pony Express.

For his research work in U.S. philately, the U.S. Philatelic Classics Society has awarded Trepel the Dr. Carroll Chase Cup on four separate occasions (1989, 1994, 2003 and 2006). He has also won the society’s Mortimer L. Neinken Award (1987) and Distinguished Philatelist Award (1996).

About the Smithsonian’s National Postal Museum
The National Postal Museum is devoted to presenting the colorful and engaging history of the nation’s mail service and showcasing one of the largest and most comprehensive collections of stamps and philatelic material in the world. It is located at 2 Massachusetts Ave. N.E., Washington, D.C., across from Union Station. The museum is open daily from 10 a.m. to 5:30 p.m. (closed Dec. 25). For more information, visit postalmuseum.si.edu. Follow the museum on Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, Pinterest and YouTube.

[press release] [click on any of the pictures for larger versions]
Smithsonian’s National Postal Museum Launches New Virtual Exhibition
Complete Collection of U.S. Postage Stamps Honoring Asian, Native Hawaiian and Pacific Islander Americans or Their History and Culture

The National Postal Museum’s new virtual exhibition, “Stamps Across the Pacific: A Visual History of Asian American, Native Hawaiian and Pacific Islander Migrations” is now available for viewing on the museum’s website.

The exhibition showcases the diversity and cultural significance of Asian, Native Hawaiian and Pacific Islander American communities in the United States through the medium of postage stamps. It features every U.S. Postal Service-issued stamp commemorating their unique histories, identities and contributions to American culture. Additional objects from the museum’s vast collection place these migrations within the larger context of U.S. relations with their countries of origin, and they help to illustrate these communities’ experiences in the United States. Detailed descriptions give insights into the rich cultural traditions of these celebrated communities.

Native Hawaiian, Asian, and Pacific Islander immigration to the United States has a long and complex history, dating back to the mid-19th century when Chinese immigrants first arrived in search of economic opportunities. Over time, they were joined by others from countries around the Pacific Rim, including Japan, Korea and the Philippines, who began to arrive in large numbers during the 20th century.

“We are thrilled to share this new virtual exhibit with the public during Asian American, Native Hawaiian and Pacific Islander American Heritage Month,” said Daniel Piazza, chief curator of the National Postal Museum. “We hope that visitors to this virtual exhibition come away with an appreciation for the diverse experiences of these communities in the United States.”

The experiences of these immigrants in America have been shaped by political and economic factors, including periodic outbreaks of violence against them and discriminatory government policies such as the Chinese Exclusion Act of 1882 and the internment of Japanese Americans during World War II. Despite these challenges, Native Hawaiian, Asian and Pacific Islander immigrants have formed strong communities in the United States and significantly contribute to American society in areas such as science, technology, the arts and others.

About the Smithsonian’s National Postal Museum
The National Postal Museum is devoted to presenting the colorful and engaging history of the nation’s mail service and showcasing one of the largest and most comprehensive collections of stamps and philatelic material in the world. It is located at 2 Massachusetts Ave. N.E., Washington, D.C., across from Union Station. The museum is open daily from 10 a.m. to 5:30 p.m. (closed Dec. 25). For more information about the Smithsonian, call (202) 633-1000.

[press release] [click on any of the pictures for larger versions]
National Postal Museum Announces Nomination Process for Smithsonian Philatelic Achievement Award
Award To Recognize U.S. and International Philatelists

The Smithsonian’s National Postal Museum has announced the opening of the nominating process for the 2023 Smithsonian Philatelic Achievement Award (SPAA). The Smithsonian award will recognize philatelists from the U.S. and international philatelic communities. The nomination process is open Jan. 19 through March 1. Award winners will be honored at a museum-hosted gala event in Washington, D.C., Nov. 4.

The SPAA was established in 2002 to honor and celebrate living individuals for outstanding lifetime achievement in the field of philately. This achievement may include original research that significantly advances the understanding of philately, exceptional service to the philatelic community or sustained promotion of philately to the benefit of current and future collectors.

The SPAA medallion is a 3-inch, gold-plated bronze disc depicting a sunburst with eight straight and eight wavy rays. Derived from the family coat of arms of James Smithson, founding benefactor of the Smithsonian, the sunburst became the Institution’s official seal June 3, 1966, and is incorporated into the official flag flown by Smithsonian facilities and Smithsonian-sponsored expeditions throughout the world. As such, it is a universally recognized symbol of enlightenment and learning that links the Smithsonian’s history with its future. The medallion is suspended from a grosgrain neck ribbon in Smithsonian blue and yellow.

Eligibility criteria and information about the entry and judging processes can be found on the museum’s website. Award winners will be approved by the Smithsonian Board of Regents, consisting of the chief justice of the United States, the vice president of the United States, three members of the United States Senate, three members of the United States House of Representatives and nine citizens.

About the Smithsonian’s National Postal Museum
The National Postal Museum is devoted to presenting the colorful and engaging history of the nation’s mail service and showcasing one of the largest and most comprehensive collections of stamps and philatelic material in the world. Through the preservation and interpretation of our postal and philatelic collections, the Smithsonian’s National Postal Museum educates, challenges and inspires its audiences on the breadth of American experiences. It is located at 2 Massachusetts Ave. N.E., Washington, D.C., across from Union Station. The museum is open daily from 10 a.m. to 5:30 p.m. (closed Dec. 25). For more information about the Smithsonian, call (202) 633-1000 or visit the museum website at www.postalmuseum.si.edu.

[press release] [click on any of the pictures for larger versions]
National Postal Museum To Host Maynard Sundman Lecture
Lecture Focuses on Polar Philately and the Wilkes Antarctic Expedition

The Smithsonian’s National Postal Museum will host the 19th Maynard Sundman Lecture Tuesday, Nov. 1, at 4 p.m. ET online on Zoom. Admission is free, but reservations are required. The discussion, “Polar Philately and the Wilkes Antarctic Expedition,” will be presented by Hal Vogel [left], retired Army special operations and intelligence officer and professor emeritus at Rowan University in New Jersey.

In 1838, the U.S. Exploring Expedition (1838–42) began its examination of Antarctica in what would become this worldwide adventure’s most remembered legacy leading many to remember it as the “Wilkes Antarctic Expedition.” The expedition created what organized philately, including one of its specialties, polar philately, refers to as “archival mail,” or ordinary mail that serves as written testimony to aspects and personalities of an historical event. Unfortunately, although discoveries of this type of mail from polar expeditions do still occur, (archival) mail still is unknown from a number of the earliest expeditions. Mail from the Wilkes Antarctic Expedition only began to surface in the 1980s.

Using the postal history of this expedition as an example, Vogel’s talk will introduce the field of polar philately—its geographic scope, categories and periods—and examine how the intriguing mail of this exciting polar expedition helps document its highly historic events.

Vogel is a leading polar philatelist and the winner of this year’s American Philatelic Society’s Luff Award for Distinguished Philatelic Research.

He began collecting polar materials and studying polar history in the 1950s, when he began communicating with some of the last pre-World War II polar explorers. He continued this work while later pursuing his doctorate in polar studies in Antioch University’s Department of History and Geography.

While completing his degree, he began writing a research column for Ice Cap News, the publication of the American Society of Polar Philatelists (ASPP), and has written a column for every issue since 1974. Including the articles for the column, he has published more than 300 polar history, aerophilatelic, military postal history and polar philatelic articles in philatelic journals in the United States, Norway, Great Britain, Germany, France, Australia and New Zealand.

His most prominent publications are the books Essence of Polar Philately, edited by Alan Warren and published by ASPP in 2008, and Ahead of the Pack: Postal History Sampling of Heroic Age Polar Expeditions, written with Serge Kahn and published in 2015 by The Museum of Stamps and Coins of Monaco. The latter won the Academy of European Philately’s award for the best published philatelic work in Europe the same year. Vogel and Kahn are now working on the second edition.

Vogel is a former president of the ASPP and a member of many national and international philatelic organizations. He has held elected and appointed positions with several of them, including serving on the boards of the Universal Ship Cancellation Society, the Military Postal History Society and the Alaska Collectors Club.

A nationally accredited philatelic and literature judge since 1978, his own polar, military and aerophilatelic exhibits have won numerous awards, including the first grand award ever presented to a polar exhibit in a major competition. This past exhibition season, four of his exhibits received large gold medals, three grands and other specialty awards from at least six different shows.

The National Postal Museum’s Maynard Sundman Lecture Series was established in 2002 through a donation by Sundman’s sons, David and Donald. The Sundman lectures feature talks by authors and expert philatelists on stamps and stamp collecting.

The public can visit the museum’s website for additional information and registration instructions.

About the Smithsonian’s National Postal Museum
The National Postal Museum is devoted to presenting the colorful and engaging history of the nation’s mail service and showcasing one of the largest and most comprehensive collections of stamps and philatelic material in the world. It is located at 2 Massachusetts Ave. N.E., Washington, D.C., across from Union Station. The museum is open daily from 10 a.m. to 5:30 p.m. (closed Dec. 25). For more information about the Smithsonian, call (202) 633-1000 or visit the museum website at www.postalmuseum.si.edu.

[press release] [click on any of the pictures for larger versions]
Smithsonian’s National Postal Museum to Open Baseball Exhibition
“Baseball: America’s Home Run” Opens April 9

The National Postal Museum’s exhibition “Baseball: America’s Home Run” explores America’s national pastime through the unique lens of stamps and mail. On view Saturday, April 9, through Jan. 5, 2025, it invites visitors to explore exciting and memorable stories about how the game of baseball became an integral part of American history and tradition.

Featuring hundreds of U.S. and international stamps commemorating great players and historic moments, and drawing on original artwork and archival material from the U.S. Postal Service’s esteemed Postmaster General’s Collection, the exhibition approaches the story of baseball from a unique, worldwide perspective.

The display of stamps and mail will be complemented by dozens of objects loaned by other Smithsonian museums, the National Baseball Hall of Fame, law enforcement agencies and renowned private collections that have never before been on public display. These rare artifacts—exclusively shared with the public as part of the exhibition—showcase a treasure trove of historically significant game-worn uniforms, jackets and hats, game-used bats and memorabilia from America’s pastime.

The exhibition pays tribute to many of the game’s greatest legends, including Jackie Robinson, Roberto Clemente, Babe Ruth, Ty Cobb, Lefty Grove, Lou Gehrig and countless others. Of the more than 60 baseball stamps issued by the United States since 1939, the vast majority commemorate individual players. Many of these postal portraits feature specially commissioned artwork designed to mimic the look and feel of classic baseball cards and recall players whose achievements on and off the field made them household names. On display for the first time, original stamp art and production material from the Postmaster General’s Collection is paired with actual game-used artifacts as a powerful visual reminder that these players—whom most know of only from photographs and old footage—were once flesh and blood.

The lives and careers of some of baseball’s greatest players, including those from the Negro Leagues, are examined through the postage stamps that tell their stories. For a number of stamps, the museum is able to show the original artwork commissioned by the U.S. Postal Service, picturing various players along with the actual uniform they wore in the artwork, such as Jackie Robinson’s road uniform from the 1948 season. Uniforms and game-used bats of Babe Ruth, Joe DiMaggio and other great players from the 20th century will be on display.

These tributes are especially meaningful at the 75th anniversary of Robinson being called up to the Brooklyn Dodgers in 1947 as Major League Baseball’s first African American player and the 50th anniversary of Clemente’s death (1934–1972), who was born in Puerto Rico and played 18 seasons at right field for the Pittsburgh Pirates.

“We are proud to have Institution-wide cooperation from the Smithsonian, participation from the greatest organizations dedicated to the sport of baseball and support from businesses and private collectors who love the game,” said Elliot Gruber, director of the museum [left, at the press preview]. “I would like to offer special thanks to the lead sponsors of the exhibition—the Washington Nationals Ball Club, Heritage Auctions, Milwaukee Tool, the National Postal Museum Society, Ricos Products Co. and Smithsonian-published author Stephen Tsi Chuen Wong who also serves as honorary advisor to the exhibition, for their generous support.”

The exhibition will be presented in English and Spanish through a collaboration with the Smithsonian Latino Center, creating broad appeal to collectors of stamps and memorabilia, family audiences and baseball fans.

“The exhibition examines the mythologies of the game of baseball and the role postage stamps have played in creating and enforcing that mythology,” said Daniel Piazza, chief curator of the museum [right, at the press preview]. “We tell some of the lesser-known stories about the game of baseball through the medium of stamps and mail and explore fascinating details about the game in new and unique ways.”

Special exhibition themes examine the game of baseball:

• “Creating Baseball” looks at early U.S. baseball-themed stamps and the myths they reflect about the origins of the sport. The Centennial of Baseball stamp gave tacit federal recognition to the now-discredited claim that Abner Doubleday invented baseball in 1839 at Cooperstown, New York. Similarly, a 1969 stamp honoring Anna “Grandma” Moses shows “July Fourth,” her painting of a small-town Independence Day baseball game, reinforcing misconceptions about the sport’s rural American origins, when it was, in fact, a big-city game that evolved from British antecedents.On the right, the June 12, 1939, opening of the National Baseball Hall of Fame in Cooperstown, New York, known as the “Cavalcade of Baseball,” was the first professionally marketed sporting anniversary in American history. Postmaster General and New York Yankees fan James A. Farley issued a postage stamp for the occasion. This is a pane of 50 autographed by Farley, on display in the exhibition.
• “We All Play Ball” examines baseball’s global spread in the late 19th and early 20th centuries. With modest equipment needs, baseball was played by American soldiers on military posts around the world and quickly adopted by local people. International baseball stamps will be complemented by memorabilia and military-issued equipment. Watching and playing baseball helped the Irish, Italians, Jews, Poles and other immigrant groups break down ethnic walls and show their determination to integrate into American communities. Europeans learned baseball in this country, but most Latino immigrants came already knowing and playing the game, making them one of baseball’s fastest growing audiences and comprising more than 25% of professional baseball players.
• “The Negro Leagues” takes its inspiration from U.S. Poet Laureate Donald Hall, who described a passion for baseball as “a kind of citizenship perhaps more authentic than anything which can be on a piece of paper.” However, African Americans were denied the opportunity to play Major League Baseball until 1947, so they formed their own professional leagues and teams—in the process reaffirming their Americanness to a country that refused to acknowledge their equality. On the right, a postal team player jersey. Baseball teams composed of postal clerks and letter carriers first appeared in large cities around the turn of the 20th century.
• “Legendary Playing Fields” explores the sense of community that accompanies the familiar surroundings of a favorite baseball park—whether it is a classic stadium like Wrigley Field in Chicago or a newer green cathedral such as Washington, D.C.’s Nationals Park. In the early years, stadiums were generally built on undesirable land in the worst parts of town. One of Washington’s earliest baseball grounds, Capitol Park, was located in an underdeveloped working-class Irish neighborhood dubbed Swampoodle for the tendency of its unpaved streets to flood. Coincidentally, this very plot of land is now the home of the National Postal Museum. “Baseball: America’s Home Run” explores the history of Capitol Park and other parks, including production material for the 2001 U.S. Postal Service’s stamp, Baseball’s Legendary Playing Field Issue, paired with signs, seats, architectural elements and other artifacts from the stadiums depicted on the stamps.

NPM Manager, Public Relations & Internal Affairs Marty Emery [left] speaks to the press during a pre-opening briefing, April 6 2022. A special website makes available the stories, themes and historical artifacts presented in the exhibition, and it provides multi-media storytelling by some of the most significant organizations and people associated with the game of baseball. Schedules and information regarding public programing and events associated with the exhibition are outlined as well, providing experiences for both on-site and online visitors.

The photographs here are by Juan Carlos Briceño and courtesy the National Postal Museum.

“Baseball: America’s Home Run”

In celebration of the iconic role of baseball in the American experience, the Smithsonian National Postal Museum in Washington, DC, will open Baseball: America’s Home Run next month on April 9.

Celebrating Women’s History Month

From the depictions of prominent and remarkable women on American postage stamps to the role of women within the US postal system, the Smithsonian National Postal Museum’s website has something for everyone. A series of featured collections showcases the many and varied women celebrated on American stamps. Web visitors can learn more about the role of women in the history of America’s postal system, from famous aviatrix Amelia Earhart, to relatively unknown colonial postmaster Mary Katherine Goddard. Start exploring

Education and Visitor Services @ NPM

It should be no surprise that the first month of Spring—a season commonly associated with femininity—is also a time to celebrate women and their varied experiences. Whether it is Women’s History Month or not, NPM’s Department of Education & Visitor Services is always working to share the stories of women from postal and philatelic history. In this issue of Postmark, we have rounded up a few resources, educational materials, and upcoming events that promote just some of the fearless and fierce women from our collection. If you have any suggestions on other inspirational women for us to feature in future resources, please email us at NPMEducation@si.edu with an overview.

More of the March newsletter is here.