The sights at Old Sacramento State Park — about a mile from Great American Stamp Show — aren’t just above-ground.
After several devastating floods they decided to raise the city by hauling in dirt. The project began in 1868 and finished in 1873. This basically made the first floors of many buildings become the basements and the second floor became the first floor. Today, there are tours of Sacramento underground.
There’s even an underground (or mostly underground) passageway back to the convention center area. 
Monthly Archives: November 2021
Shreve to Head US Museum’s Council
[press release]
National Postal Museum Appoints New Chairman to Its Council of Philatelists
Charles F. Shreve To Lead Council
The Smithsonian’s National Postal Museum has announced the appointment of Charles F. Shreve as chair of its Council of Philatelists. The council provides the museum with philatelic advice, advises on engagement with the global philatelic community, promotes and advocates for the museum’s mission, purpose and programs to the nation and helps build the financial base of the museum. Members are appointed by the Smithsonian’s Board of Regents.
“Charles Shreve’s leadership was pivotal in helping the National Postal Museum create the William H. Gross Stamp Gallery, the finest collection of philatelic exhibitions in the world,” said Elliot Gruber, director of the museum. “He assumes chairmanship of the museum’s Council of Philatelists at a crucial time as the museum re-imagines its atrium level galleries and public spaces, as well as our strategic commitment to develop and launch new digital engagement experiences.”
Shreve has served on the museum’s Council of Philatelists since 2001. He is a life-long professional philatelist who has made a career of his hobby for more than four decades. In the early 1980’s he developed an innovative style of describing and presenting stamps in luxuriant auction catalogues, which allowed him to be counted among the premier auctioneers of high-quality U.S. and International stamps and postal history. In 1993 he 
founded Shreves Philatelic Galleries, and the firm quickly rose to a leading position in the international philatelic marketplace. In 2007 he sold his firm to an international auction company based in London and became an independent consultant for high end collectors. In 2012 he joined Robert A. Siegel Auction Galleries as director of their International auctions. In his career Charles has been involved in the sale of nearly one billion dollars’ worth of rare philatelic material.
Charles maintains numerous memberships in the hobby, including being a life member of the American Philatelic Society, the U.S. Philatelic Classics Society and the American Stamp Dealers Association. In addition, Charles is a Fellow of the Royal Philatelic Society of London.
Shreve succeeds Donald Sundman as chair of the museum’s Council of Philatelists. Sundman served as chair since 2003 and will continue serving as a member of the council. “Don Sundman has been a central guiding force for the National Postal Museum,” said Gruber. “His dedication and passion to the National Postal Museum has been instrumental in broadening the reach of the museum within the global philatelic community.”
Other members of the National Postal Museum’s Council of Philatelists are listed on the museum’s website.
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 currently open Friday through Tuesday, 10 a.m. to 5:30 p.m. For more information about the Smithsonian, call (202) 633-1000.
More Old Sacramento Photos
No, no, this isn’t a photo of a stamp collector in the hotel bar after TurkeyPex 2022 (or 1872, for that matter). 
It’s one of the displays from Old Sacramento State Park, a little over a mile from the convention center where Great American Stamp Show 2022 will be held August 25-28. 
You might want to leave some time in your trip to visit Old Sacramento. It looks as if it will be worthwhile.
Canada’s 2022 Stamp Programme
Pre-2022 overview story is here.
Updated December 31st.
| January 21 February 7 March 1 April 7 April 12 April 22 May 20 June 7 June 9 June 21 July 7 July 21 September 19 September 21 September 29 October 6 October 17 October 28 November 1 November 1 November 7 November 14 |
Black History: jazz artist Eleanor Collins Sc. 3316 Queen’s Platinum Jubilee Sc. 3317 pane, 3318 booklet Flowers: Calla Sc. 3319-23 (see page) Organ and Tissue Donation Sc. 3324 Eid Sc. 3325 Singer Salome Bey Sc. 3226 Endangered Whales Sc. 3327 (souvenir sheet), 3328-3332 Gov. General’s Foot Guards (env) Sc. TBA Vintage Travel Posters (CAPEX) Sc. 3333 (souvenir sheet), 3334-3338 Indigenous Leaders (3) Sc. 3339 (souvenir sheet), 3340-3342 Ukraine Relief Sc. TBA Vintage Carousels Sc. 3343, 3344-3348 Community Foundation Sc. B33 1972 Canada-USSR Summit Hockey Series Sc. 3349 Truth & Reconciliation Sc. 3350-3 Diwali Sc. 3354 Canadians in Flight (second set) Sc. 3355-60 (See page) Remembrance Day: Tommy Prince Sc. 3361, 3362 for booklet version Christmas Star (modern take on Nativity) Sc. 3364 Holidays Birds Sc. 3363, 3365-7 (see page) Hanukkah Sc. 3368 Monique Mercure Sc. 3369 single from pane, 3370 booklet single |
For all Canadian new issues:
The press release issued December 20:
[press release] [click on any of the pictures for larger versions]
Indigenous leaders, legendary singers, and vintage travel posters and carousels among subjects in Canada’s 2022 stamp program
Other stamps will shine a spotlight on the National Day for Truth and Reconciliation, organ and tissue donation and endangered whales
OTTAWA – The 2022 Canadian stamp program will celebrate some of the country’s most accomplished individuals, historic milestones, holidays, and creatures that share our planet.
The line-up includes the following subjects, among others:
- Two legendary jazz and blues singers
- Life-saving organ and tissue donation
- Vintage travel posters, which will be launched at the CAPEX 22 international philatelic exhibition in Toronto
- Three eminent Indigenous leaders
- The plight of endangered whales in Canadian waters
- Vintage carousels that are the pride of five Canadian communities
- The National Day for Truth and Reconciliation, which honours the lost children and survivors of the residential school system and their families and communities
- Canadians in Flight, part II, a return trip showcasing more examples of aeronautical prowess.
The following popular series will also return:
- Our annual Flower stamps will bloom with elegant callas.
- The Canada Post Community Foundation issue will once again encourage Canadians to support children and youth.
- New Eid, Diwali and Hanukkah stamps will honour the spirit of these cultural celebrations.
- Annual Christmas and holiday stamp issues will feature a modern take on the Nativity and messages of good cheer from three beautiful birds.
Canada Post is proud of its role as one of Canada’s storytellers. The independent Stamp Advisory Committee recommends the subjects for the annual stamp program and relies on thoughtful input from groups and individuals to ensure that those chosen are meaningful to all Canadians.
[en Francais pour les médias d’information]
Dirigeants autochtones, chanteuses légendaires, et affiches touristiques et carrousels d’époque parmi les sujets choisis pour le programme des timbres-poste du Canada de 2022
D’autres timbres porteront sur la Journée nationale de la vérité et de la réconciliation, le don d’organes et de tissus ainsi que les baleines en voie de disparition
OTTAWA – Le programme des timbres-poste du Canada de 2022 comptera parmi ses sujets variés des Canadiens accomplis, des moments marquants de l’histoire, des fêtes et des créatures avec lesquelles nous partageons notre planète.
Voici quelques-uns des sujets au programme:
- Deux chanteuses légendaires de jazz et de blues.
- Dons d’organes et de tissus qui sauvent des vies.
- Affiches touristiques d’époque, dont le lancement aura lieu à l’exposition philatélique internationale CAPEX 22 à Toronto.
- Trois éminents dirigeants autochtones.
- Le sort des baleines en voie de disparition dans les eaux canadiennes.
- Carrousels d’époque qui font la fierté de cinq communautés canadiennes.
- La Journée nationale de la vérité et de la réconciliation, qui rend hommage aux survivants du système des pensionnats et aux enfants qui ne sont jamais rentrés chez eux, ainsi qu’à leurs familles et leurs communautés.
- Exploits de l’aviation canadienne, partie II, un nouveau volet qui met en vedette d’autres prouesses aéronautiques
Les séries populaires suivantes seront aussi de retour:
- Notre série annuelle de timbres sur les fleurs qui seront ornés d’élégantes callas.
- Le timbre de la Fondation communautaire de Postes Canada qui invitera encore une fois les Canadiens à soutenir les enfants et les jeunes.
- De nouveaux timbres consacrés à l’Aïd, à Diwali et à Hanoukka qui rendront hommage à l’esprit de ces fêtes culturelles.
- Les timbres annuels de Noël et des Fêtes présentant un regard moderne sur la Nativité ainsi que trois superbes oiseaux porteurs de messages de gaieté.
Postes Canada est fière de faire partie des conteurs du Canada. Le Comité consultatif sur les timbres-poste, qui travaille de façon indépendante, recommande les sujets du programme annuel des timbres en s’appuyant sur la contribution réfléchie de groupes et de particuliers pour s’assurer que les sujets choisis sont significatifs pour tous les Canadiens.
Veteran Stamp Dealer Stanley Piller Dies
U.S. Classics dealer Stanley Piller has passed away, according to posts online. He was elected earlier this year as president of the American Stamp Dealers Association. According to his Facebook page, he was born October 21, 1942.
A native of New York City, Piller was living in Contra Costa County, Calif., east of Oakland. According to his firm’s website, he had been a member of the APS since 1963 and of the ASDA since 1971. He began selling covers as a child, and purchased an existing stamp store in 1976. He had a masters degree in Chemical Engineering.
Piller was author of the book New York Postmaster’s Provisional and had written for philatelic periodicals such as Stamp Collector and Scott Stamp Monthly. He was also an expertizer for all three of the services.
Near GASS 2022: Old Sacramento
About a mile from the convention center where Great American Stamp Show 2022 is being held is Old Sacramento State Park. Shown here is the B.F. Hastings Bank Building, built in 1852, which served as the western endpoint of the Pony Express. 
It’s part of a 28-acre state park that was Sacramento’s waterfront during the Gold Rush.
And just to give you an idea of where it is in relation to the stamp show at the SAFE Convention Center:
London 2022 Information
Here are some of the press releases we’ve posted about London 2022, the international stamp show being held 19 to 26 February at the Business Design Centre in Islington in London:
More To See During GASS 2022 Than Just Stamps
Please note these important announcements May 4th on hotel rooms and exhibit frames.
Meanwhile here are some of the messages and pictures we’ve posted on tourism opportunities in Sacramento during Great American Stamp Show 2022, August 25-28.:
GASS 2022 Side Trip: Crocker Museum
One site you might like to visit while in Sacramento for Great American Stamp Show 2022 is the Crocker Museum: 
It began in the mid 1800s as a personal gallery of the wealthy Crocker family and is still one of the leading museums in California today.
It is about 1.4 miles from the SAFE Credit Union Convention Center where the stamp show is being held, or about 25 minutes by mass transit.
Writer Margaret Atwood (Canada 2021)
Updated November 26th:
Stamp Specifications:
Reuters coverage of the ceremony:
CTV coverage of the ceremony:
Updated November 25th:
From left to right: Sarah Polley, actress, writer, director, producer and political activist, Ceta Ramkhalawansingh, National Chair of The Word On The Street Canada, Chair of the Harold Innis Foundation, Co-founder of the Women and Gender Studies Institute at the University of Toronto, and citizen activist, internationally renowned Margaret Atwood and Doug Ettinger, President and CEO of Canada Post.
[press release] [click on photos for larger versions]
Internationally renowned Margaret Atwood featured on new stamp
Prolific, award-winning author one of Canada’s most successful literary figures
TORONTO – Canada Post today unveiled a new commemorative stamp to honour literary giant Margaret Atwood and her incredible 60-year career.
With more than 50 works to her credit – including novels, short fiction, poetry, criticism, graphic novels and children’s stories – Atwood is among the most successful and admired writers Canada has ever known.
Born in Ottawa in 1939, the best-selling writer burst onto the literary scene in the early 1960s with two award-winning collections of poetry, Double Persephone and The Circle Game. In 1969, she established herself as a serious writer of fiction with her first novel, The Edible Woman.
Sometimes referred to as “the queen of CanLit,” Atwood has sold millions of books, which have been translated into more than 30 languages. Several of her works have been adapted into films and critically acclaimed television series, including the Emmy Award-winning series The Handmaid’s Tale.
Atwood’s success is also reflected in the international acclaim and numerous awards and honours she has received, among them the Giller Prize, two Booker Prizes, two Governor General’s Literary Awards, a Guggenheim Fellowship, the Franz Kafka International Literary Prize and the PEN Pinter Prize. She is a Fellow of the Royal Society of Canada, a Chevalier of France’s Ordre des Arts et des Lettres, an International Honorary Member of the American Academy of Arts and Sciences and, in 1981, she was named a Companion of the Order of Canada.
The stamp, designed by Steven Slipp and printed by Lowe-Martin, features a photograph by renowned photographer Ruven Afanador, with the lines “A word after a word after a word is power” from her poem “Spelling.” The front of the Official First Day Cover [shown below] showcases a sketch by the author entitled Neither fish nor flesh (1975). The cancel – a raven silhouette symbolizing Atwood’s interest in birds – is postmarked in Toronto, which was chosen due to the author’s deep connections to the city’s publishing community.
The stamp and collectibles are available at canadapost.ca and postal outlets across Canada.
[en Francais pour les médias d’information]
Un nouveau timbre met en vedette Margaret Atwood, auteure de renommée internationale
Auteure prolifique et récipiendaire de plusieurs prix, elle est l’une des plus grandes figures littéraires au Canada
TORONTO – Aujourd’hui, Postes Canada a dévoilé un nouveau timbre commémoratif en l’honneur de la légendaire auteure Margaret Atwood et de ses soixante années de carrière.
Avec plus de 50 œuvres à son actif, dont des romans, des nouvelles, des poèmes, des critiques, des romans graphiques et des histoires pour enfants, Margaret Atwood est l’une des écrivaines les plus brillantes et les plus acclamées du Canada.
Née à Ottawa en 1939, cette auteure à succès fait son entrée sur la scène littéraire au début des années 1960 avec ses recueils de poésie primés, Double Persephone et The Circle Game. C’est en 1969, lors de la publication de son premier roman, La femme comestible, que Margaret Atwood se distingue comme romancière.
Parfois surnommée « Queen of CanLit » (reine de la littérature canadienne), Margaret Atwood vend des millions de livres traduits dans plus de 30 langues. Plusieurs de ses œuvres sont adaptées pour le cinéma et la télévision, notamment la série télévisée acclamée par la critique La servante écarlate, qui a remporté des prix Emmy.
La renommée internationale de Margaret Atwood et les nombreux prix et prestigieuses récompenses qu’elle a reçus, comme le prix Giller, deux prix Booker, deux Prix littéraires du Gouverneur général, une bourse Guggenheim, le prix littéraire international Franz Kafka et le prix PEN Pinter, témoignent aussi de son succès. Elle est membre de la Société royale du Canada, Chevalier de l’Ordre des Arts et des Lettres de France, membre honoraire international de l’American Academy of Arts and Sciences et, depuis 1981, Compagnon de l’Ordre du Canada.Le timbre, conçu par Steven Slipp et imprimé par Lowe-Martin, présente une photo prise par le célèbre photographe Ruven Afanador. En arrière-plan, on peut lire la phrase « A word after a word after a word is power » (Un mot après un mot après un mot, c’est le pouvoir), un vers tiré du poème Spelling de Margaret Atwood. Le recto du pli Premier Jour officiel présente un dessin de l’auteure intitulé Neither fish nor flesh (1975). Le cachet d’oblitération, une silhouette de corbeau inspirée de l’intérêt d’Atwood pour les oiseaux, porte la mention « Toronto ON » en hommage aux liens profonds que l’écrivaine entretient avec la communauté éditoriale de la métropole.Le timbre et les articles de collection sont en vente sur postescanada.ca et dans les comptoirs postaux partout au pays.
Framed Art product:
[Media Advisory from November 22]
Canada Post recognizes acclaimed writer Margaret Atwood with new stamp
Canada Post invites you to attend the unveiling of a special stamp in honour of renowned Canadian writer, Margaret Atwood, at the Toronto Reference Library on Thursday, 
November 25.
[Photo: Author Margaret Atwood at the 2015 Texas Book Festival in Austin, Texas, United States. © 2015 Larry D. Moore. Licensed under CC BY-SA 4.0. More on at Atwood in Wikipedia.]
Note: Due to COVID-19 capacity restrictions and protocols, the event is open to a limited number of people. Any media interested in attending are required to confirm their attendance to media@canadapost.ca by Wednesday, November 24.
Those registered to attend will receive all required COVID-19 protocols in advance to help maintain everyone’s safety.
Who: In attendance at the live event will be the following:
- Margaret Atwood
- Sarah Polley, actress, writer, director, producer and political activist
- Ceta Ramkhalawansingh, National Chair of The Word On The Street Canada, Chair of the Harold Innis Foundation, Co-founder of the Women and Gender Studies Institute at the University of Toronto, and citizen activist
Where: Bram and Bluma Appel Salon
Toronto Reference Library
789 Yonge Street, 2nd Floor, Toronto
When: Thursday, November 25, at 11 a.m.
[en Francais pour les médias d’information]
Postes Canada rend hommage à l’auteure acclamée Margaret Atwood avec un nouveau timbre
TORONTO – Postes Canada vous invite au dévoilement d’un timbre émis tout spécialement en l’honneur de la célèbre auteure canadienne, Margaret Atwood, à la Toronto Reference Library, le jeudi 25 novembre.
Remarque: En raison des limites de capacité et des mesures liées à la COVID-19, seul un nombre limité de personnes pourront assister à l’événement. Les représentants des médias qui souhaitent y prendre part doivent confirmer leur présence à l’adresse media@postescanada.ca d’ici le mercredi 24 novembre.
Les personnes inscrites seront informées à l’avance de toutes les mesures relatives à la COVID-19 à respecter pour assurer la sécurité de tous.
Qui: Invités présents:
Margaret Atwood
Sarah Polley, actrice, scénariste, réalisatrice, productrice et activiste politique
Ceta Ramkhalawansingh, présidente nationale de The Word On The Street Canada, présidente de la Harold Innis Foundation, cofondatrice du Women and Gender Studies Institute de l’Université de Toronto, et militante citoyenne
Où: Bram and Bluma Appel Salon
Toronto Reference Library
789, rue Yonge, 2e étage, Toronto
Quand: Jeudi 25 novembre à 11 h (HE)
