Wordless Wednesday

The computer age and the advent of the Internet provide stamp collectors with numerous ways to improve and further enjoy their hobby. One of the best of these is the fact that we have access to stamps and stamp exhibits that we might not be able to see otherwise. Instead of drawings or even photographs we have high resolution full-color scans of stamps accompanied by informative text and other information. We have access to stamps that we might never be able to come near at our fingertips to study and enjoy.

One of the places we can go to view stamps is the National Postal Museum collection. This collection is part of the Smithsonian and in some sense it can be seen as “America’s Collection”. The collection is huge and contains many fascinating pieces. What makes it especially exciting is the fact that the Museum can collaborate with other branches of the Smithsonian to make unique exhibits that bring the stories behind the stamps to life. A recent example of this is The American Indian in Stamps: Profiles in Leadership, Accomplishment and Cultural Celebration. This exhibit shows numerous depictions of American Indians on U.S. Stamps as well as a variety of artifacts from the Smithsonian Museum of the American Indian. This is something that should be explored as an informative exhibit on the history of the Native Americans and as an excellent example of how technology and philately can combine.

The American Philatelic Society is offering a wonderful free downloadable album to coincide with the release of the 50th Anniversary of Alaska Statehood commemorative. The album is titled Stamps of Alaska and has spaces for the various stamps devoted to the 49th state. This is a great for new collectors or fans of U.S. stamps. It is also a good example of how even a relatively narrow topic can be presented in an attractive and informative way, and can serve as an example for your own presentations.

What do you think about the 2008 U.S. stamp “crop”. Did you like the topics chosen? The artwork and design? The good people at Linn’s Stamp News are conducting a poll of the popularity of the 2008 offerings from the U.S. Postal Service. This is an excellent opportunity to let your feelings be known about last year’s stamps. Linn’s is a highly respected philatelic magazine and the results of this poll will no doubt be the subject of scrutiny by the Postal Service. So take a minute and let them know what you think. Also let me know what polls and surveys you would be interested in seeing here!