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New: Abraham Lincoln Certified Plate Proofs
November 15, 2008 - Oct. 2010 (new opening date)
Eleven certified plate proofs for postage stamps honoring Abraham Lincoln are on view in the Philatelic Gallery pullout frames. Certified plate proofs are the last printed proof of the plate before printing the stamps. These plate proofs are each unique, with the approval signatures and date. Issued from 1894 to 1959, the stamps feature a variety of Lincoln portraits.
New: Alphabetilately: An Alphabet of Philately
September 26, 2008 - October 29, 2009
To celebrate the museum's 15th anniversary, this exhibition presents an alphabet of philately through 26 topics, in which each letter stands for some aspect of stamp collecting or the sending of mail. From Advertising Covers to Zeppelins, each topic is introduced by a non-postage stamp image (called a Cinderella), designed by 26 designers in the San Francisco area. The 26 topics and their delightful definitions provide an ideal showcase for displaying both historical and modern items from the museum's collection.

Free brochure

web Web: www.postalmuseum.si.edu/Alphabetilately

New: Victory Mail
March 6, 2008 - March 8, 2010
This exhibition showcases the museum's collection of World War II V-mail correspondence. The V-mail system, named after the WWII "V for Victory" symbol, was developed to help reduce the shipping space needed for the massive increase in mail being sent between American armed forces overseas and their family and friends at home. By reducing letters to microfilm size for the trip, thousands of pieces of mail could be shipped taking up only a fraction of the space traditional letters used. Once transported, microfilmed mail was reproduced to a quarter of the original size for final delivery. More letters meant better morale and less shipping space ensured other vital war materials reached the battlefront.

Among the items on display are a rare strip of 16mm V-mail microfilm, which were usually destroyed after the contents were printed, and various letters that reveal the local color and humor of military life in the Pacific and European Theaters.

web Web: www.postalmuseum.si.edu/victorymail

New: Amelia Earhart's Personal Collection
November 12, 2007 - Indefinitely
Amelia Earhart, the first woman to fly across the Atlantic Ocean, was an avid stamp and cover collector. On view are key pieces from her collection, including photographs and stamps commemorating her flights. She often flew signed pieces of mail that were then sold to philatelists to support her endeavors.
New: Part II: Rarity Revealed: The Benjamin K. Miller Collection
November 5, 2007 - March 2, 2009
On view in Part II of this exhibition are U.S. stamps printed from 1894 to the 1920s from the Benjamin K. Miller Collection. Donated to the New York Public Library in 1925, the collection was the first complete collection of U.S. stamps ever assembled and has been called the "crown jewels" of U.S. stamp collecting for its variety, depth, and rare holdings.

Part II begins with stamps from 1894 when the Bureau of Engraving and Printing began issuing U.S. stamps, ending the printing of stamps by private companies. This rotation includes an "Inverted Jenny" -- a misprinted 24-cent airmail stamp issued in 1918.

web Web: www.postalmuseum.si.edu/millercollection

New: Postal Inspectors: The Silent Service
February 7, 2007 - February 28, 2009
This exhibition spotlights the oldest federal law enforcement agency and its role in fighting crime from the earliest days of our nation to the present. Featured objects include the handcuffs used on Ted Kaczynski (the "Unabomber") when he was apprehended, a mail bomb, a Tommy gun, a detonator used in a 1923 train robbery, and a bio-hazard suit.

Hands-on learning activities

web Web: www.postalmuseum.si.edu/inspectors

The Art of Cards and Letters
- Permanent
While other galleries focus on mail service, this gallery emphasizes the art of letter writing, a cherished art form providing a window into history.

web Web: www.postalmuseum.si.edu/exhibits/2d_cards.html

Binding the Nation
- Permanent
This gallery provides an overview of events in America from colonial times through the 19th century, stressing the importance of written communication in the young nation. As early as 1673, regular mail was carried between New York and Boston following Indian trails. That route, once known as the King's Best Highway, is now U.S. Route 1.

web Web: www.postalmuseum.si.edu/exhibits/2a_binding.html

Customers and Communities
- Permanent
By the turn of the 20th century, nearly 10,000 letter carriers worked in over 400 cities. The nation's population was expanding at top speed, and with it, the nation's mail volume and the need for personal mail delivery. This gallery focuses on the modern changes in mail service introduced at the turn of the century

web Web: www.postalmuseum.si.edu/exhibits/2b_customers.html

Moving the Mail
- Permanent
Faced with the challenge of moving the mail quickly, the postal service looked to trains, automobiles, airplanes, and buses to deliver the mail, all of which are the focus of the museum's 90-foot-high Atrium gallery.

web Web: www.postalmuseum.si.edu/exhibits/2c_moving.html

Philatelic Gallery
- Permanent
The history of the stamp begins in 1840, when Great Britain issued the first gummed postage stamp. Since then stamps of every subject, shape, and design have been produced for consumer use or as collectibles. Some stamps tell stories while others contain secrets and hidden meanings. This gallery is for all collectors, as well as for those who know little about the renowned hobby of philately.

web Web: www.postalmuseum.si.edu/exhibits/2f_philatelic.html

Future Exhibition: Lincoln, Slavery, and the Civil War
Upcoming: March 6, 2009 - March 8, 2009
Eliot Landau's award-winning philatelic exhibition combines philately, ephemera, and artifacts in an engaging exploration of Lincoln's presidency, the Civil War, and Black History.

Last update: January 13, 2009, 19:24

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