BGuthrie Photos: DC -- Natl Postal Museum -- Exhibit (MIA Galleries 6): Alphabetilately: An Alphabet of Philately

DC -- Natl Postal Museum -- Exhibit (MIA Galleries 6): Alphabetilately: An Alphabet of Philately:

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Description of Pictures: Alphabetilately: An Alphabet of Philately
September 26, 2008 – October 12, 2015
Level 1: Mail in America Galleries
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.

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Copyrights: All pictures were taken by amateur photographer Bruce Guthrie (me!) who retains copyright on them. Free for non-commercial use with attribution. See the [Creative Commons] definition of what this means. "Photos (c) Bruce Guthrie" is fine for attribution. (Commercial use folks including AI scrapers can of course contact me.) Feel free to use in publications and pages with attribution but you don't have permission to sell the photos themselves. A free copy of any printed publication using any photographs is requested. Descriptive text, if any, is from a mixture of sources, quite frequently from signs at the location or from official web sites; copyrights, if any, are retained by their original owners.

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[1] SIPMAZ_110618_001.JPG Medium (Email) (Bigger?)	[2] SIPMAZ_110618_002.JPG Medium (Email) (Bigger?)	[3] SIPMAZ_110618_009.JPG Medium (Email) (Bigger?)
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[10] SIPMAZ_110618_064.JPG Medium (Email) (Bigger?)	[11] SIPMAZ_110618_066.JPG Medium (Email) (Bigger?)	[12] SIPMAZ_110618_071.JPG Medium (Email) (Bigger?)
[13] SIPMAZ_110618_084.JPG Medium (Email) (Bigger?)	[14] SIPMAZ_110618_093.JPG Medium (Email) (Bigger?)	[15] SIPMAZ_110618_095.JPG Medium (Email) (Bigger?)
[16] SIPMAZ_110618_098.JPG Medium (Email) (Bigger?)	[17] SIPMAZ_110618_105.JPG Medium (Email) (Bigger?)	[18] SIPMAZ_110618_108.JPG Medium (Email) (Bigger?) $In the 19th century, stamps were bisected -- horizontally, vertically, or diagonally -- to complete a particular rate. They were also occasionally cut in thirds (trisects) or quarters (quatrisects). By the 20th century, the need for this practice had disappeared in the US, but some collectors have enjoyed trying to pass envelopes with bisected postage through the mail. On occasion, they succeeded. Today, it's illegal to cut, deface, or even overlap stamps on your mail. Fractional stamps are also a way to complete a rate, and the US has issued several fractional denominations. Most of these paid concessionary rates for third-class bulk and non-profit mailings.$
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[49] SIPMAZ_110618_260.JPG Medium (Email) (Bigger?)	[50] SIPMAZ_110618_271.JPG Medium (Email) (Bigger?) $Small Print, Big News. Many overprints -- even though they are only several letters or words -- tell a great deal about a moment in time. An overprinted stamp is a fraction of the size of a newspaper headline, a magazine cover, or a street banner, but its message is clear. When the overprint is a numeral, it instantly communicates economic news; when it includes a different unit of currency, the news is political as well. A celebratory overprint conveys the excitement surrounding an event, both at the time and in retrospect. The circumstances prompting a postal authority to overprint an existing stamp may be politically or economically challenging, or they may be cause for celebration. The four main reasons are: * To change its value. The overprinted denomination always supersedes the original value. * To show political or territorial control. Occupying powers usually provide some level of postal service in the occupied territory. * To change its status. For example, if there is a shortage of airmail or postage due stamps, the postal authority may overprint a regular stamp to create a stamp for that specialized purpose. * To commemorate an event or to honor a person.$	[51] SIPMAZ_110618_276.JPG Medium (Email) (Bigger?)
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Specific picture descriptions: Photos above with "i" icons next to the bracketed sequence numbers (e.g. "[1] ") are described as follows:
1. SIPMAZ_110618_001.JPG: Certified Plate Proof Collection: Beginning in the 1960s, the Bureau of Engraving and Printing (BEP) transferred more than 30,000 certified plate proofs -- the last proofs pulled from a stamp printing plate before production begins -- to the Smithsonian. Certification refers to the signatures, dates, and markings of the BEP official who approved the proof.
2. SIPMAZ_110618_009.JPG: Experimental Huck-Cottrell Press certified plate proof, United States, 1957. In 1955, the Bureau of Engraving and Printing purchased five Huck-Cottrell printing presses to replace the aging Stickney-model presses that dated from 1914. As they learned to use the new machines, BEP employees produced numerous experimental printing plates from master dies for stamps that dated back as far as the 1930s. This is a proof of one of these experimental plates, rarely seen by collectors or the public.
3. SIPMAZ_110618_016.JPG: Polish prisoner of war stamps, 1943-1944 During World War II, inmates of four German-run prisoner of war camps produced primitive stamps, from printing plates, engraved in leather, wood or linoleum. All four of the stamp-issuing POW camps were oflags, which housed officers and generals. Because of their rank, oflag prisoners were allowed much more freedom than the enlisted men confined in stalags.
4. SIPMAZ_110618_037.JPG: During World War II, President Franklin Delano Roosevelt conceived of a stamp series featuring the flags of countries conquered by German and Japanese forces. Reproducing the flags in accurate colors required multicolored stamp printing presses, which the Bureau of Engraving and Printing did not then possess. The American Bank Note Company of New York City was contracted to print the series of thirteen stamps in 1943-44. This is one example from a series of proofs that were prepared so postal officials could approve the stamps' designs.
5. SIPMAZ_110618_052.JPG: Chicago Perforations: US postage stamps were not perforated until 1857. Prior to that, users cut individual stamps from a full pane with scissors or a razor. The perforated stamp on this envelope is from a private experiment conducted in Chicago in 1856.
6. SIPMAZ_110618_064.JPG: The 12-cent black George Washington stamps of 1851 were occasionally bisected, each half being used to pay the six-cent rate for a domestic letter traveling more than 3,000 miles.
7. SIPMAZ_110618_071.JPG: Graf Zeppelin die proof, signed by Hugo Eckener, United States, 1930 This die proof, which was presented to us by the Post Office Department of the United States, is in turn presented by me to my friend, Dr. Philip G. Cole, in recognition and appreciation of his accomplishments as the world's foremost airmail collection. Hugo Eckener The United States issued three zeppelin stamps in 1930 to subsidize the Graf Zeppelin's special flight to South America and the United States. A special set of proofs was presented to Dr. Hugh Eckener, manager of the Zeppelin Company, who in turn inscribed them to Philip G Cole of Brooklyn, New York, a noted airmail stamp collector. National Philatelic Collection curators purchased this item at auction in 2006 using the interest in an endowment from the estate of Emma Batchelor (1881-1960), another early airmail collector. Since the 1960s, curators have used Batchelor Fund money to add exceptional airmail pieces to the National Philatelic Collection.
8. SIPMAZ_110618_084.JPG: 1851 Engraved Steel Die A consortium of stamp collectors pooled funds in 2003 to purchase this steel die for the National Philatelic Collection. The engraver, Henry C Benner of Washington, DC, submitted prints from this engraving of George Washington as a proposal for a US postage stamp in 1851. Officials ultimately selected another design. It is displayed here along with a reversing mirror and burin (chisel) used by master engraver Elie Timothee Loizeaux (1873-1956), who engraved stamps for more than thirty countries.
9. SIPMAZ_110618_093.JPG: A IS FOR ADVERTISING COVERS In the late 19th century, businesses dressed up their envelopes and postalcards with elaborate, colorful images to promote their goods and services. Today, printing technology and targeted marketing techniques join forces to produce envelopes literally covered with images, slogans, and offers. Both vintage and modern covers provide a glimpse of the culture, commerce, and design of their times.
10. SIPMAZ_110618_095.JPG: Advertising covers in the US were gaining popularity by the 1850s, when they were simply corner return addresses bearing a company name. Gradually, forward-thinking enterprises added illustrated advertising messages to their envelopes and cards on either back or front -- and, occasionally, on both sides. This illustrated mail became so prevalent that collectors of advertising covers tend to specialize in a particular subject, such as hotels, farm animals, or office equipment. Today, most people's daily mail includes a high proportion of direct-mail advertising, all vying for attention. E-postage is a new aspect of marketing -- allowing artful mailers to extend their message right onto the stamp that delivers an invoice or an invitation.
11. SIPMAZ_110618_105.JPG: B IS FOR BISECT A postage stamp cut in half and used to pay half of its face value. In the early decades of stamps, senders resorted to this practice when they lacked postage of the required denomination. For collecting purposes, a cancellation must "tie" the bisect to the envelope to prove that the stamp was actually used to send mail. Otherwise, any cancelled stamp could be cut in half and passed off as a bisect.
12. SIPMAZ_110618_108.JPG: In the 19th century, stamps were bisected -- horizontally, vertically, or diagonally -- to complete a particular rate. They were also occasionally cut in thirds (trisects) or quarters (quatrisects). By the 20th century, the need for this practice had disappeared in the US, but some collectors have enjoyed trying to pass envelopes with bisected postage through the mail. On occasion, they succeeded. Today, it's illegal to cut, deface, or even overlap stamps on your mail. Fractional stamps are also a way to complete a rate, and the US has issued several fractional denominations. Most of these paid concessionary rates for third-class bulk and non-profit mailings.
13. SIPMAZ_110618_125.JPG: C IS FOR CINDERELLA STAMP It looks like a postage stamp, but this imaginary issue is without postal validity. The name refers to printed labels, including poster stamps, advertising labels, mail art, and charity seals. Many of the subjects depicted on these would be inappropriate for real postage stamps. Like the fairy-tale character who was not invited to the ball, Cinderella stamps are normally left out of the stamp catalogue.
14. SIPMAZ_110618_127.JPG: Cinderellas are created for a variety of reasons. Advertising cinderellas may promote goods, services, political candidates or events. Cinderellas may be sold to raise money for a cause or as souvenirs of an events. They may be patriotic or subversive, highly artistic or purely entertaining. Many cinderellas are rich in historical references that are intriguing to research. Some cinderellas look so much like actual stamps that only an expert can tell the difference. The hobby of stamp collecting itself inspires artful and ingenious cinderellas, including exhibition seals, advertising labels, and dealer ephemera.
15. SIPMAZ_110618_130.JPG: Cinderella honoring Bataan Relief of Illinois This private organization promoted humanitarian relief for Bataan War Prisoners. Several hundred Illinois men were victims of the Bataan Death March in 1942. United States, 1945.
16. SIPMAZ_110618_152.JPG: D IS FOR DUCK STAMP The U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service issues a federal duck stamp every year to validate duck hunting licenses. Though sold at post offices, these are tax stamps with no postal value. Unlike modern U.S. postage stamps, all of which have designs commissioned by the Postal Service, duck stamp designs are chosen in a competition open to all artists who wish to submit their work.
17. SIPMAZ_110618_158.JPG: The first annual federal duck stamp was issued in 1934, shortly after Congress passed the Migratory Bird Hunting Stamp Act and President Franklin Roosevelt signed it into law. Popularly known as the Duck Stamp Act, this formalized the first source of federal funding to acquire and protect wetlands. Three distinct and overlapping audiences buy duck stamps, widely considered to be among the most beautiful of American issues: hunters, to validate their licenses; collectors; and conservationists. Since its inception, this program has generated more than $700 million, preserving wildlife habitats in some 5 million acres of American wetlands.
18. SIPMAZ_110618_165.JPG: Black Scoters plate number remarque by Joe Hautman A remarque is an artist's print -- in this case, a stamp -- to which the artist adds a small original sketch or painting in the border. Hautman is a three-time winner of the federal duck stamp competition. United States, 2002.
19. SIPMAZ_110618_174.JPG: Every Stamp Tells a Story
20. SIPMAZ_110618_178.JPG: ALPHABETILATELY AN ALPHABET OF PHILATELY The items shown in this ARAGO featured collection are all part of the Smithsonian National Postal Museum�s exhibition Alphabetilately, on view September 26, 2008 to September 6, 2011. Alphabetilately presents an innovative way of looking at the hobby of stamp collecting, via a philatelic alphabet in which each letter stands for an aspect of the collecting of stamps or the sending of mail. A piece from the Museum's permanent collection "illustrates" each letter in the exhibition. Additional objects on exhibit also have stories to tell about the lengths, sometimes creative, sometimes heroic, to which people have gone to stay connected via mail. By "clicking" on individual objects in this Arago featured collection, you can learn more about the objects, "zoom in" to see incredible detail, and view associated object images. The Alphabetilately exhibition at the Smithsonian National Postal Museum opened on September 26, 2008. Alphabetilately presents twenty-six exhibit cases, from Advertising Covers to Zeppelin Post {shown at left}. Each case includes a cinderella design that illustrates the topic, as well as a definition. A rarity from the Museum's permanent collection anchors each case, supplemented by additional stamps, covers, and 3-D artifacts. A copy panel puts the topic in the context of the exhibition, providing detailed description of the key piece and other material. Ancillary materials in the Z case include two early 20th century cinderellas from Germany, a Graf Zeppelin timetable and a baggage label, a Graf Zeppelin America flight-flown cover, and a Hindenburg disaster post card. The enduring appeal of zeppelin flight is represented by a 2003 Graf Zeppelin souvenir sheet, a Zeppelin NT Friedrichshafen flown envelope, and a Zeppelin NT diecast toy from China. Plan your visit to the National Postal Museum soon!
21. SIPMAZ_110618_181.JPG: E IS FOR EFOs "Errors, Freaks, and Oddities" refers to misprints, misperfs, and other stamp production errata. Perforations shouldn�t run down the middle of the stamp; ink shouldn't be smeared or blobby; elements of the art shouldn't overlap -- or be missing. Errors in design occur as well, such as on the notorious 1994 Legends of the West stamps, where the wrong Pickett brother was shown.
22. SIPMAZ_110618_200.JPG: Known to collectors as EFOs, this category includes three different kinds of deviations from the intended norm. Errors are major mistakes that repeat themselves sheet after sheet, if they go undetected. There are production errors, when something goes wrong in the printing, and design errors, when an inaccuracy exists in the art. Freaks are partial production mistakes, a fluke of circumstance that probably will not repeat itself in exactly the same way. Oddities are stamps whose "oddness" may derive from various sources, accidentally or intentionally, due to mechanical or human error. Some EFOs are obvious to anyone's eye; detecting others may require specialized knowledge. Design Errors. Some design errors get corrected and the stamps re-issued. This was the case with The Legends of the West in 1994. After the stamps had been distributed to post offices, someone discovered that the Pickett brother identified as Bill was actually Ben. Unsold sheets were returned to the Postal Service, which held a public drawing. Winners were able to buy a single sheet at a set price. It can be fun to compare and collect design errors and their corrected versions. In some cases, it takes a sharp eye to see the difference.
23. SIPMAZ_110618_209.JPG: George Washington double printing, United States, 1917-19 Sinclair Lewis, Center pair -- vertical perforations omitted, United States, 1980 Paddlewheel Steamer with dark blue omitted, United States, 1989 Tomb of Jahangir with double surcharge (one inverted), Pakistan, 1961 Runners with green omitted, Liberia, 1955 George Washington revenue pair with double perforations, United States, 1862 Paddlewheel Steamer with complete image, United States, 1989
24. SIPMAZ_110618_213.JPG: Grand Canyon with foldover "crazy" perforations, United States, 1934 Calvin Coolidge with shifted vignettes, United States, 1938
25. SIPMAZ_110618_217.JPG: Summer Olympics with shifted colors, Costa Rica, 1984 Summer Olympics with normal colors, Costa Rica, 1984
26. SIPMAZ_110618_221.JPG: Oil Lamp with shifted light source, United States, 1975 Oil Lamp with correct placement, United States, 1975
27. SIPMAZ_110618_225.JPG: Postal Eagle with angled perforations, United States, 1978 Postal Eagle with correct perforations, United States, 1978
28. SIPMAZ_110618_229.JPG: Lovenotes: Robert Indiana miniaturized his LOVE painting for the 8 cent stamp (1973), cutting the letters out of colored paper. LOVE has also been expressed on stamps with hearts and flowers, a rainbow of sentiment, and a pair of conversation candies.
29. SIPMAZ_110618_233.JPG: N IS FOR NUMERALS Most stamps bear numerals of some sort that indicate their value as postage. The First two U.S. stamps featured an Arabic "5" on the five-cent issue and aRoman "X" on the ten-cent issue. The denomination may be shown as a numeral, or spelled out, or even both. Some recent stamps show no numerals at all, but are valid for the current rate for their level of service. The stamps shown here, the world's second stamp issue, are widely known as Bull's Eyes. An unseparated pair of these resembled a pair of bull's eyes because of the oval setting surrounding the highly-ornamented numerals. Brazil, 1843.
30. SIPMAZ_110618_240.JPG: The denomination is an important design element on most stamps. The earliest US stamps did not follow any consistent protocol for showing their value, but by 1861, a standard had been established. On all US postage stamps issues between 1861 and 1907, the denomination appeared both in words and in numerals. Almost all US stamps issued since 1908 bear their denominations in numerals only. Of the thousands of US stamps issued in the past 100 years, only several dozen have denominations expressed in words as well as numerals. The way in which the unit of currency appears on US stamps has also evolved over time: from "cents" to the "¢" symbol, to the simple "c" and, as of 1985, to no indication at all. Units still appear on dollar-value stamps.
31. SIPMAZ_110618_248.JPG: Many 20 ¢ stamps used an upper-case O for the zero. A lower-case c replaced the ¢.
32. SIPMAZ_110618_251.JPG: Denominations on modern high values are shown in various type treatments. The $5 stamp (top) was issued in 1994.
33. SIPMAZ_110618_260.JPG: O IS FOR OVERPRINT Any new text, numerals, or design element printed on an existing stamp, thereby creating a new stamp. The overprinted stamp may have a different denomination or a different usage, or even be for a different country. There have been very few overprints in the U.S., but many other countries have issued them more frequently, prompted by change of government, hyperinflation, or frugality. The center image is inverted on the 1-cent Vasco Nunez de Balboa and 2-cent Fernandez de Cordoba stamps (below), printed in New York for use in the Panama Canal Zone. Some of the "CANAL ZONE" overprints, applied in Panama City, were also inverted. Canal Zone, 1907.
34. SIPMAZ_110618_271.JPG: Small Print, Big News. Many overprints -- even though they are only several letters or words -- tell a great deal about a moment in time. An overprinted stamp is a fraction of the size of a newspaper headline, a magazine cover, or a street banner, but its message is clear. When the overprint is a numeral, it instantly communicates economic news; when it includes a different unit of currency, the news is political as well. A celebratory overprint conveys the excitement surrounding an event, both at the time and in retrospect. The circumstances prompting a postal authority to overprint an existing stamp may be politically or economically challenging, or they may be cause for celebration. The four main reasons are: * To change its value. The overprinted denomination always supersedes the original value. * To show political or territorial control. Occupying powers usually provide some level of postal service in the occupied territory. * To change its status. For example, if there is a shortage of airmail or postage due stamps, the postal authority may overprint a regular stamp to create a stamp for that specialized purpose. * To commemorate an event or to honor a person.
35. SIPMAZ_110618_281.JPG: Overprints changing the status or use of a stamp. "OB" stands for official business and "OHMS" stands for "On His/Her Majesty's Service." These stamps were overprinted for air mail use.
36. SIPMAZ_110618_296.JPG: P IS FOR PERSIAN RUG The nickname given to the high values in a series of documentary revenue stamps issued in 1871. Their large size and intricate, colorful designs are more like those of currency than of stamps, even for the time of their issue. Revenue stamps showed payment of a fee for goods or services and were affixed to objects as well as to checks, photographs, and legal documents. The proofs shown here were approved for the 1871 "Second Issue" of revenue stamps, but never actually produced. There are 26 known proof copies, 11 in the permanent collection of the National Postal Museum and 15 in private hands. United States, 1871.
37. SIPMAZ_110618_305.JPG: The American Civil War (1861-1865) necessitated implementing the country's first sales taxes, to finance the North's war effort. Taxes were levied on a wide range of goods and services; a revenue stamp affixed to a document or product proved that the tax had been paid. Revenue stamps, though not valid for the payment of postage, are usually produced by a government authority. However, in the 19th century, a provision of the tax law allowed companies to produce their own revenue stamps. The government, when spared the cost of producing and distributing the stamps, offered businesses a tax break. Many companies seized this advertising opportunity and produced "private die proprietaries." "Sin taxes" stamps. The United States Internal Revenue produced "sin taxes" stamps for alcoholic beverages and other luxury goods. Many of these had backgrounds suggestive of stock certificates. The "Narcotic" stamp would have been affixed to a bottle of tonic combining opium and coca. Occasionally, documentary revenue stamps were overprinted for non-documentary uses, such as silver and cigarette tubes.
38. SIPMAZ_110618_319.JPG: S is for se-tenant sheets. Se-tenant is the French term for "joined together." In philately, it refers to two or more adjacent stamps having different designs, denominations, or colors. Once rare, this has become the most popular format for US stamps. Some sheets feature alternating designs; on others, each stamp on the sheet is a unique design. There have even been several 50-stamp sheets showcasing an aspect of each state.
39. SIPMAZ_110618_325.JPG: Q IS FOR QUALITY One of the reasons people collect stamps is the high quality of design and production. Many collectors regard the $1 Western Cattle in Storm {1898} as the most beautiful stamp ever produced in America. The subject matter, the composition with its intricate border, and the fine engraving combine to make this a miniature masterpiece.
40. SIPMAZ_110618_336.JPG: For collecting purposes, quality also refers to the condition of a stamp. Collectors and philatelic professionals rate stamp quality -- from Good to Superb -- based on several factors. These include: centering, gum condition, perforations, impression, color, and freshness. If the stamp has been used, the cancellation's position and appearance are important. For certain stamps, the difference in value between a top-quality item and a mediocre or damaged example can be significant. Collectors also consider the condition of envelopes, generally avoiding folds, stains, tears, and smears. However, sometimes flawed or damaged material is particularly collectible, such as crash mail or misperforated stamps. Engraving for stamps. Until the mid-1900s, most postage stamps were produced from steel engravings, usually in a single color. The most prominent and prolific engraver of art for stamps was Czeslaw Slania (1921-2005), who engraved portraits, landscapes, action scenes and tiny type for 1,000 stamps issued by more than thirty countries, including the United States. Slania's extraordinary talent and legendary perfectionism gave the world some of its most exquisite stamps.
41. SIPMAZ_110618_341.JPG: Advertising cover with Simon Bolivar diagonal bisect. The bottom point of the stamp was torn off, either during its journey or subsequently. Such as piece is a bargain for a stamp collector, an ephemera hunter, or a graphic designer, as its financial value is significantly diminished by the damaged stamp. Venezuela, 1904.
42. SIPMAZ_110618_344.JPG: Air Crash envelope recovered from the Trans-Canada Air Lines collision over Moose Jaw, Saskatchewan, Canada, 1954.
43. SIPMAZ_110618_355.JPG: R IS FOR RAILWAY POST A Railway Post Office {RPO} was a special mail car on a train. From the 1860s until the 1950s, most intercity mail in the U.S. was postmarked and sorted by hand en route in these cars. While a train was still in motion, RPO clerks used a long hook to pick up mailbags hung on special track-side poles. The last true RPO made its final trip between Washington D.C. and New York in 1977.
44. SIPMAZ_110618_363.JPG: Both Great Britain and France had used trains as rolling post offices for years before the first documented en route mail sorting in the US, in July 1862. Specially-outfitted cars contained the paraphernalia needed to collect, postmark, sort, and re-pouch the mail, from handstamps to pigeonholes. After WWII, Highway Post Offices (HPOs) inside special buses supplemented the RPOs. Ultimately, the RPO system outlasted HPOs by three years. Trains on stamps are a popular collecting topic, both with stamp collectors and with railroad history buffs.
45. SIPMAZ_110618_372.JPG: Envelope addressed to Clara Barton. The Boston Streetcar RPO picked up this piece of mail and a clerk postmarked it at 4am on July 24, 1911. The Boston Circuit RPO ran only at night, collecting and sorting mail from suburban post offices. This route operated for twenty years (June 8, 1895 to June 30, 1915) and carried the heaviest mail volume of any Boston Streetcar RPO. Mail leaving Boston was sorted and pouched for train connections to other cities, especially at South Station. Clara Barton (1821-1912) founded the National First Aid Association of America after resigning from the Red Cross in 1904. She died in Glen Echo, Maryland. United States, 1911.
46. SIPMAZ_110618_384.JPG: S IS FOR SE-TENANT Se-tenant is the French term for "joined together." In philately, it refers to two or more adjacent stamps having different designs, denominations, or colors. Once rare, this has become the most popular format for U.S. stamps. Some sheets feature alternating designs; on others, each stamp on the sheet is a unique design. There have even been several 50-stamp sheets showcasing an aspect of each state.
47. SIPMAZ_110618_391.JPG: The first US se-tenant issue featured four different designs of flora associated with Christmas (1964). By the 1970s, se-tenant designs began to extend between stamps, so that a complete design occupied two or four stamps. Se-tenant sheets have been issued in checkerboard patterns of stamps; rows where each stamp design is different; and, ultimately, full sheets where every stamp's design is different. Se-tenants also appear on coils and in booklets. The se-tenant format is attractive for presenting sets, species, or a single topic. Postal themes frequently figure on se-tenants, including letter-writing, mail delivery vehicles, and postal employees.
48. SIPMAZ_110618_415.JPG: T IS FOR TOPICAL Stamps relating to a single topic or theme, such as birds, space, or peace. This popular style of collecting allows people to express their individual interests and tastes. It is surprisingly difficult to think of a topic that has not been shown on a stamp somewhere -- lightning, murder, and paperclips are among the unlikely subjects people have sought, and found, on stamps.
49. SIPMAZ_110618_426.JPG: There are dozens of specialty organizations dedicated to the collecting of topical stamp subjects. Many of these groups publish specialized catalogs, checklists, and periodicals dedicated to furthering philatelic knowledge and to exploring topics through their depiction on stamps. Five topics popular with collectors are shown here: Heritage Themes, Lighthouses, Stamps on Stamps, Maps, and US Flags. Any one of these topics could easily fill this entire case. Many stamps contain multiple themes, and careful examination, especially with a magnifying glass, can reveal sub-specialties and surprises. You can be the topic. Building a topical collection that illustrates your own life can be a quick project or an on-going pursuit. You can find stamps that depict: * the year you were born * places you have lived or traveled (or would like to visit) * people you admire * pastimes you enjoy * your favorite pets or plants. Stamps can be the main attraction, in a frame or an album, or they can be mini-illustrations for narratives you write.
50. SIPMAZ_110618_445.JPG: X IS FOR "X" CANCEL The "X" mark has been used in many ways both on stamps and by postal services. X was once a common way to pen-cancel a stamp, in the days when mail processing was entirely manual. However, the vagueness of the marking makes it unpopular with collectors, who prefer to know when and where an item was mailed. As a Roman numeral, X appeared on the ten-cent value of the first U.S. stamp issue.
51. SIPMAZ_110618_454.JPG: The "X" mark has appeared in myriad forms on stamps and envelopes. In addition to being a common pen-cancel, "X" was also a popular handstamp cancellation for many decades. Because early handstamps were individually carved, it is often possible to confirm the exact post office where a stamp or envelope was "X" canceled. An "X" is sometimes found printed in the selvage of "stamped paper" to prevent the blank space being reused by forgers. In some countries, a large cross marking is placed on registered mail. "X" has rarely been used as the Roman numeral 10, because the Universal Postal Union requires that denominations appear in Arabic numerals.
52. SIPMAZ_110618_466.JPG: "X" pen cancel on stamp denominated "X" The 1847 George Washington stamp paid the ten-cent rate to send a half-ounce letter more than 300 miles. However, this letter was "overweight," requiring that an additional fee be collected from the recipient. United States, 1850.
53. SIPMAZ_110618_468.JPG: Y IS FOR YVERT & TELLIER Yvert & Tellier is a French company that publishes French-language catalogues for stamps of the entire world and also markets other philatelicliterature and supplies. Catalogues are an essential tool for collectors, providing comprehensive illustrated listings of past stamp issues. Albums, tongs, magnifiers, and glassines help philatelists handle, store, and display their collections.
54. SIPMAZ_110618_479.JPG: Ode to Glassine (not archival, but delightful) Glassine, forsaken by many collectors in favor of more preservation-safe materials, is a marvelous mystery. Some European glassine is very pale blue, and old glassine can yellow so deeply, it becomes almost amber. Glassine sleeves, with no flap, have a thumb-cut notch on the open side. Sheets of glassine make fine flysheets and interleaving. Don't overlook glassine embossed with a spider web pattern! And an American No. 2 glassine holds a business card perfectly. Ah, transfixing translucence! Collectors use many tools and accessories to classify and study stamps. Some tools have changed very little over time, such as albums, tongs, and stamp hinges. Catalogs are still printed annually, but they are also now available on CDs and DVDs. Other new tools for collectors include sophisticated magnification devices, scanners, and digital cameras. Computers have also changed the way that stamps are bought and sold. The Internet allows collectors to share information worldwide, and online auctions make new acquisitions available around the clock. Stamp collectors research and write about their specialties, generating new literature every year: books, journals, articles, exhibits, and web sites.
55. SIPMAZ_110618_485.JPG: Yvert & Tellier Postage Stamp Catalogue, 1929 The annual catalogue of Yvert & Tellier, written in French, includes details of worldwide postage stamps. The 1929 edition had 1,310 illustrated pages, with countries organized alphabetically from the Azores to Zululand. France, 1929.
56. SIPMAZ_110618_488.JPG: F IS FOR FIRST Stamp collectors love firsts! The world's first stamp was the Penny Black issued by Great Britain in 1840. The first two U.S. stamps were the five-cent Franklin and ten cent Washington of 1847.There will always be new firsts. The Breast Cancer Research issue of 1999 was the first U.S. semi postal. Popular collecting firsts also include First Day Covers and First Flight Covers.
57. SIPMAZ_110618_497.JPG: First US triangle stamps, 1997 Firsts are fun. Philatelic firsts are often greeted with fanfare, including First Day Covers, which are new stamps postally used on envelopes on the first day of issue. A popular and challenging collecting specialty is firsts of the world -- trying to acquire a copy of the first stamp issued by every country that has ever issued a stamp. Sometimes "firsts" are disputed or the subject of intensive and extensive research. New firsts can be the result of advances in printing, perforating, or computer technology. They have also been created for new kinds of airmail service or for new rates, such as Priority Mail. Firsts can be inspired by art, design, or a worthy cause.
58. SIPMAZ_110618_501.JPG: Folded letter mailed with the first US postage stamp. On July 1, 1847, the United States issued its first two postage stamps, a 5 cent stamp depicting Benjamin Franklin and a 10 cent stamp depicting George Washington. The 5 cent stamp carried a half-ounce domestic letter up to 300 miles, in this instance from Boston, Massachusetts to Providence, Rhode Island. The 1847 stamps were replaced by a new series in 1851, when an ever lower set of rates went into effect.
59. SIPMAZ_110618_517.JPG: G IS FOR "G" STAMP From a series of non-denominated U.S. alphabet stamps issued in alphabetical order, to aid the transition to new postal rates in the United States. The series solved the USPS's need to order stamps to meet new First-class letter rates before the Postal Rate Commission had approved a specific adjustment. The first stamp {A} was issued in 1978, and the last {H} in 1998.
60. SIPMAZ_110618_528.JPG: 1-cent Benjamin Franklin stamp with "G." precancel The J.E. Williams Company of Glastonbury, Connecticut used this overprinted stamp to mail unsealed envelopes enclosing advertising fliers to potential customers. United States, c. 1879.
61. SIPMAZ_110618_531.JPG: Non-denominated stamps are also known as No Value Indicated (NVI) stamps. They can mystify mailers or postal clerks who need to know their value. In fact, the Universal Postal Union used to require that all stamps show their denomination in Arabic numerals. So, NVI issues initially could not be used on mail to foreign destinations. The UPU later revised this policy, and NVI stamps are now valid for postage to all destinations. Throughout the 1950s, Canada overprinted the letter "G" on existing stamps to indicate their intended use by government agencies. Previously, Canada had followed the convention used by most British Commonwealth countries and overprinted the initials OHMS (On His/Her Majesty's Service) for this purpose. The first US "Forever" stamp sold for 41 cents when issued in 2007. It will pay the first-class domestic postage rate forever. Since the end of the alphabetic series in 1998, other US rate-change stamps have included flags, flowers, and toys.
62. SIPMAZ_110618_540.JPG: The first US "Forever" stamp sold for 41 cents when issued in 2007. It will pay the first-class domestic postage rate forever. Since the end of the alphabetic series in 1998, other US rate-change stamps have included flags, flowers, and toys.
63. SIPMAZ_110618_542.JPG: A -- 15 cents -- 1978 B -- 18 cents -- 1981 C -- 20 cents -- 1981-82 D -- 22 cents -- 1985 E -- 25 cents -- 1988 F -- 29 cents -- 1991 G -- 32 cents -- 1994 H -- 33 cents -- 1998
64. SIPMAZ_110618_550.JPG: H IS FOR HANDSTAMP Any postal marking stamped by hand, whether as a cancellation, routing mark, or other processing notice -- such as "Returned to Sender" and "Postage Due." Various handstamps appeared frequently on mail a hundred years ago, and postal historians delight in the stories they tell. Handstamps are less common today, replaced in many instances by labels or automated printing.
65. SIPMAZ_110618_561.JPG: Envelope postmarked as "Rock & Roll Station," a special USPS cancellation designed to complement the Elvis stamp. The creator of this souvenir cleverly planned its "Return to sender" by addressing it to Elvis Presley in Las Vegas. Collectors use the term "philatically contrived" to describe mail intentionally prepared as a special souvenir. Elvis Presley 45 record sleeve. The title refrain from his hit, Return to Sender, is far more familiar to listeners than the handstamps that inspired it. Many collectors enjoy researching the rates and routes that were in effect when a particular envelope or card was posted. Handstamps are key to restracing a piece of mail's journey to its ultimate destination. Prior to the introduction of postage stamps in 1840, a postal clerk would indicate the amount of postage paid, either using a hand-stamping device and an ink pad or writing the number by hand. Until well into the 20th century, clerks continued to hand-stamp or hand-write fees due, special service requirements, clerk and carrier handling instructions, and other notices. Today, integrated mail processing, standardized rates, forwarding labels, and other automation innovations have significantly reduced the need for handstamps.
66. SIPMAZ_110618_564.JPG: Confederate express envelope from 1861. Multiple handstamps document the letter's progress in August 1861. Starting in Richmond, Virginia, it was hand-stamped "Paid 10," confirming payment of the Confederate postage for a distance beyond 500 miles. The Adams Express Company transmitted the letter to Louisville, Kentucky, and affixed the 3 cent 1857 US postage stamp to pay its passage via US postal system to Boston. However, by the time the letter arrived in Boston, the new 3 cent 1861 postage stamps had been introduced in that city. The old 1857 stamp was not recognized for payment, and the letter was marked "Due 3 cents." Since the addressee had moved on to Caldwell, New York, the letter was forwarded to that city at an additional charge of 3 cents, for a total of "Due 6 cents."
67. SIPMAZ_110618_568.JPG: Alphabetilately handstamp. The handstamp was available to postal patrons at the National Postal Museum for thirty days following the opening reception on September 25, 2008. On this envelope, the postage of 42 cents was paid by the 41 cent e-stamp in combination with a second stamp.
68. SIPMAZ_110618_571.JPG: Diplomatic correspondence. Envelope mailed from Brazil on August 22, 1939, per the Rio de Janeiro postmark "22 VIII 39". The postage of 1200 reals is evidenced by the meter marking. The multiple handstamps include "Registrado" with the number written in by hand. Sent from the office of the Brazilian Secretary of the Interior to United States Secretary of State Cordell Hull, with no more specific address than "Washington DC."
69. SIPMAZ_110618_575.JPG: I IS FOR INVERTS Production errors in which one part of a stamp's design is printed upside-down. Such errata should be caught and the stamps destroyed during printing, but occasionally they slip out and become very sought after. Some invert errors are produced intentionally by postal administrations. The most dramatic U.S. accidental inverts have resulted in an upside-down ship, train, and airplane.
70. SIPMAZ_110618_583.JPG: The most famous US stamp printing error is the "inverted Jenny." One sheet of 100 stamps with an upside-down image of blue airplane escaped detection. The biplane pictured in the design is the famous JN-4-H "Jenny" modified by replacing the front cockpit with a mail compartment. A Washington DC post office sold the one undetected sheet of the error on May 14, 1918. The National Postal Museum has two of the 100 stamps in its permanent collection, but neither of them is on display here. Because the red and blue dyes are hyper-sensitive to light, the stamps can only be exhibited periodically. On May 13, enough sheets had been printed for the Post Office to place an initial delivery on sale at the Washington DC main post office. Only nine days had passed between the start of design engraving and stamp delivery -- exceptionally fast work by the Bureau of Printing and Engraving, particularly in view of extra wartime demands placed upon the agency. On May 14, 1918, William T Robey, a stamp collector, stopped in at the New York Avenue branch post office and asked the clerk if he had any of the new airmail stamps. The clerk reached down and pulled out a full sheet which he placed on the counter in front of Robey. Robey, stunned, realized at once that he was looking at a full sheet with the center vignette of the airplane upside down! Not saying a word, Robey handed the clerk $24 for the sheet of 100 stamps. Holding the sheet up so the clerk might see it, Robey asked if he had any more like it. Suddenly aware of what he had just sold, the clerk slammed down the window and ran to report the sale to his supervisor. Robey, fearing that he might be forced somehow to relinquish his new-found treasure, hurried out with the sheet tucked safely under his arm.
71. SIPMAZ_110618_589.JPG: The Pan-American Inverts: The original Pan-American stamps were issued May 1, 1901 to promote the Pan-American Exposition in Buffalo, NY. Invert errors of the 1 cent and 2 cent values were found, and inverts of the 4 cent value were printed and distributed intentionally -- this year the USPS issued this souvenir sheet to celebrate the centenary of the original event. It reproduces all three of the inverts, plus an advertising label issued to promote the original fair.
72. SIPMAZ_110618_595.JPG: Telegraph stamp with inverted overprint. Costa Rica, 1945 King Neptune with 1p surcharge. Barbados, 1907 King Neptune with 1p inverted surcharge. Barbados, 1907. Christmas stamp with inverted precancel. United States, 1969 Special Delivery stamp with inverted precancel. United States, 1893
73. SIPMAZ_110618_597.JPG: J IS FOR JOINT ISSUE When two or more countries issue stamps on the same date to commemorate the same event or honor the same person, place or idea. Usually the central vignette is the same, framed with different lettering and denominations. This recent form of international artistic collaboration is becoming increasingly popular with postal administrations and with collectors.
74. SIPMAZ_110618_605.JPG: 5 cent St Lawrence Seaway invert. This Canadian joint issue with the US produced one of the world's most famous modern invert errors. On June 26, 1959, the United States and Canada issued stamps to commemorate the opening of the St Lawrence Seaway. The designs for this joint issue were very similar. The US was able to print both the red and the blue in a single pass through the Giori Press. Canada Post, however, printed their stamp in two separate press passes. In a few cases, the sheets of stamps were rotated 180 degrees prior to the second pass, resulting in an inverted center error. A small number of these were distributed to post offices; some were used in the mails, while others were bought by collectors. Canada, 1959. First day covers for joint issues often show the stamps and cancels from both issuing countries on the same envelope. Comparing the stamps can reveal many details regarding alphabets and typography. Canada, for example, uses two languages (in a single alphabet) on its postage stamps; Israel uses three languages, each with a different alphabet. Friendship between countries is an implied theme of many joint issues. Performers, authors, and artists may be honored on a joint issue, with one stamp issued by their country of birth and the other issued by their "adopted" country.
75. SIPMAZ_110618_608.JPG: Seen through the magnifying glass on both the US and the Swedish stamps is a US stamp from 1938 commemorating the Swedish-Finnish Tercentenary.
76. SIPMAZ_110618_611.JPG: The Europa Joint Issues. Six European countries began a series of annual joint issues in 1956. Until 1974, each country's stamp design was very similar; the following year, the member postal administrations broadened their concept. Each year, they select a theme, such as water, the circus, or integration. Today, dozens of European countries participate in this program that promotes philately and raises public awareness of shared culture, resources, and history. Apollo Soyuz Joint Space Flight -- The USSR and the US heralded the Apollo-Soyus Test Project (ASTP), the first human spaceflight mission managed jointly by two nations. It seems poetic that the issue is a pair of joined stamps showing the spacecraft from two different perspectives. Both countries issued the stamps on July 15, 1975, the actual day of the launch. 1975. Founding of Switzerland -- Switzerland and the US commemorated the 700th anniversary of the founding of Switzerland. The Swiss stamp is slightly larger; the name of the artist and the printer appear in the bottom selvage. 1991.
77. SIPMAZ_110618_643.JPG: Samuel de Champlain souvenir sheet. Joint issue by Canada and the US to commemorate the 400th anniversary of the Frenchman's exploration of North America. The souvenir sheet includes two 39 cent US stamps and two 51 cent Canadian stamps. 2006.
78. SIPMAZ_110618_646.JPG: K IS FOR KANSAS CITY ROULETTES In 1914, the postmaster in Kansas City had a large surplus stock of unperforated 1 and 2 cent stamps. To encourage sales, he obtained authorization from Washington to perforate them himself. He had each sheet hand-scored with a seamstress's tracing wheel. Today's self-adhesive stamps have die-cut wavy lines that simulate perforations. Because they were originally printed and sold unperforated, the rouletted stamps shown below are considered "privately perforated," even though the rouletting was ordered by the postmaster of Kansas City. United States, 1912.
79. SIPMAZ_110618_657.JPG: 41 cent Star Wars souvenir stamp corner with die-cut Darth Vader. United States, 2007. 32 cent Marilyn Monroe -- A perforated star appears at the intersections of the horizontal and vertical perforation lines. The star disappears when the stamps are torn apart. Untied States, 1995. The United States issued its first stamps in 1847, but it wasn't until 1857 that US stamps were perforated. Postal clerks or patrons would separate stamps with a scissors, which was time-consuming and imprecise. Occasionally, lacking a scissors or knife, people would use the crease-and-tear technique. The ingenious rotary perforated imported from Great Britain enabled officials to keep up with increased demand for stamps. Collectors pay attention to the particulars of perforations: the size of the holes, the distance between them, and the format of use (sheet, coil, booklet). Perforating with Style: For almost 100 years, stamps were perforated with perpendicular lines to create rectangular stamps. Triangles were next, produced by perforating a square stamp on the diagonal. Sophisticated die-cutting technology can now create circles, hearts, and novelty shapes. Several US stamps have also had a tiny heart where the perforation lines intersect. Arranging such stamps on an envelop can be an opportunity for creativity.
80. SIPMAZ_110618_660.JPG: 3fr Valentine's Day set of two -- It takes a gentle touch to separate these stamps from the surrounding sheet. France, 1999.
81. SIPMAZ_110618_663.JPG: European wood rouletting wheel, 1900s
82. SIPMAZ_110618_678.JPG: L IS FOR LOCAL POST Home and office delivery of U.S. mail began in 1863. Prior to that, individuals and businesses had to collect their mail at their local post offices. Private companies, which came to be called "local posts," offered mail pickup and delivery within larger cities, and some of them created their own stamps to show payment of fees.
83. SIPMAZ_110618_687.JPG: Pony Express envelope. Pony Express used pony relays to operate a ten-day transcontinental mail route between St. Joseph, Missouri and Sacramento, California. The company only operated for nineteen months during 1860 and 1861. This envelope was mailed during the Pony Express's third rate period (April-June 1861) when it was managed by Wells, Fargo and mail cost $2 per half ounce. The $2 red stamp was used on eastbound mail. The blue oval San Francisco "Running Pony" marking is one of eight used by the Pony Express. In 2005, a census of known Pony Express envelopes included 180 eastbound and 71 westbound pieces. United States, 1861
84. SIPMAZ_110618_696.JPG: Local carrier and delivery services are operated by companies that have legal rights to perform postal service on a defined route, within a specific geographical district, or for a particular service. In the mid-1800s, many such delivery companies operated in the United States. Some of them began using stamps in 1844 to show payment of fees. The stamps that these companies privately design and print are normally not valid for general use within a country, nor are they allowed for international use. Some local posts have even operated their own street corner mail deposit boxes. Today, Rattlesnake Island, a private resort in Lake Erie, is served by the only local post office air mail service operating in the United States. Rattlesnake Island is a private resort in Lake Erie off the coast of Ohio. The US Post Office did not provide service to the island. Rattlesnake Island Local Post issued its first stamps in 1966. However, the rectangular stamps were declared illegal by the US Post Office Department. In 1967, they were reissued as triangular stamps. The applicable USPS rate needed to be paid in addition, with US postage.
85. SIPMAZ_110618_699.JPG: From one of two locals that operated in and around the city of Essen
86. SIPMAZ_110618_702.JPG: M IS FOR MULREADYS Elaborately decorated pre-paid lettersheets and envelopes issued in Great Britain in 1840, at the same time as that country's first postage stamps. Noted artist William Mulready won the design competition for the postal stationery, but his fanciful artwork found no favor with the public. The Mulreadys were quickly withdrawn from sale.
87. SIPMAZ_110618_711.JPG: Early usage of Mulready envelope This envelope was postmarked at Leicester two days before Great Britain's first postage stamps and postal stationery became valid for postage. The practice of "jumping the gun" plagues philatelists to this day. Great Britain, May 4, 1840. Mulready envelope postmarked May 4, 1840. Pre-paid postage was central to Sir Rowland Hill's proposal for postal reform. Previously, postage had been paid customarily by the addressee, rather than by the sender. Postal rates were complex and were set artificially high to compensate for the loss caused by people refusing to accept their mail. Great Britain, 1901. Postal stationery includes envelopes, letter sheets, postal cards, aerograms and wrappers, officially issued by a postal administration with postage pre-printed on them. Post office sell certain items for the value of the pre-printed postage; on other items, there may be a surcharge to recover the additional cost of the stationery and printing. Postal stationery may reproduce images of actual stamps of feature stamp-like designs created exclusively for these items.
88. SIPMAZ_110618_716.JPG: Mulready caricature. Deraedemaeker lithographic reprint of "Fores's Civic Envelope." The Mulready design quickly became the object of creative ridicule. Many satirical caricatures ensued, some of them circulated by stationers who resented the government's incursion into their trade. Great Britain, c 1865.
89. SIPMAZ_110618_722.JPG: U IS FOR UNIVERSAL POSTAL UNION The Universal Postal Union {UPU} is an international organization of postal administrations, established in 1874 to regulate mail between countries. Today, almost 200 countries belong to the UPU, which continually revises standards and procedures for international rates, accounting, reimbursement,and other complexities of global postal operations.
90. SIPMAZ_110618_731.JPG: How does a letter get from here to Timbuktu? Prior to 1874, the United States would have negotiated a postal treaty with France, the colonial power in Mali, to send and receive mail. The sender might also have been required to put foreign stamps on the envelope for all of the countries through which the item might pass. The Prussian Minister for Posts, Heinrich von Stephan, founded the UPU to preclude such complexities. Today, it is a specialized agency of the United Nations and is headquartered in Bern, Switzerland. Most member countries have issued beautiful stamps honoring the Universal Postal Union. The designs frequently include globes, envelopes, or both.
91. SIPMAZ_110618_735.JPG: An airplane flies in front of the UPU emblem. United States, 1949
92. SIPMAZ_110618_738.JPG: Post card celebrating the 75th anniversary of the UPU. Great Britain, 1949.
93. SIPMAZ_110618_746.JPG: V IS FOR V-MAIL During WWII, Great Britain and the U.S. both adopted a procedure -- called the "airgraph" by the British, and "V-Mail" by the Americans -- whereby letters to and from service personnel abroad were microfilmed on the sending end, then printed out on the receiving end. This saved precious space and weight on air flights transporting supplies and mail to and from the troops.
94. SIPMAZ_110618_757.JPG: V-Mail letter returned to sender: The letter, written on V-mail stationery, was sent without being microfilmed. It was returned to sender because the addressee was missing in action. Someone then tore the letter to pieces. Later, it was lovingly put back together and mended shut. United States, 1942. V-Mail letter returned to sender. Someone ripped this letter sheet in half and then ripped the halves again. Later, someone put the pieces back together and mended the page shut. It is not possible to make out more than a few words of the contents. Kay Millar wrote this letter the day after Christmas, 1942, to Staff Sergeant JD Burton. Millar wrote the letter on a piece of V-mail stationery, but the letter was sent without being microfilmed. After it reached England, a Captain of the Air Corps wrote in manuscript "Missing in Action, Return to sender." Before it was returned to the writer, a further check for non-delivery was made and a "verified" two-line rubber stamp applied. Upon its return to the United States, it was checked one more time, and someone in the Adjutant General Office in Washington, DC, added the rubber stamp "Verified in War Dept, May 21, 1943" and signed it. After multiple verification checks that the soldier was missing in action and that the family had been notified, the letter was returned to the writer's address. 1942. Heartbreak via V-Mail: Many movies about World War II include a scene with a postman, Western Union messenger, or uniformed officer knocking at the door of a home. Everyone in the house (and in the audience) immediately feels the deep dread of anticipation: the death of a soldier, a loved one, is now a reality. Military authorities tried valiantly to ensure that families were first informed of a casualty in person, by an armed forces representative. Occasionally, errors occurred. During World War II, moving the rapidly expanding volume of wartime mail posed hefty problems for the Post Office, War, and Navy Departments. Victory Mail, more commonly known as V-Mail, used standardized stationery and microfilm processing to produce a lighter, smaller cargo. V-Mail made space available on air transport for other war supplies. It also enabled more letters to reach military personnel more quickly. In 41 months of operation, the V-Mail system helped provide a significant lifeline between the frontlines and the homefront. V-Mail letters were on occasion bearers of the news that every soldier's family dreaded.
95. SIPMAZ_110618_768.JPG: W IS FOR WAR ISSUES Wars put a great strain on the postal services of their time. Military postal history is rich with identifying marks that reveal economic adversity and extreme challenges to communication. Collectors of wartime issues often specialize in a particular conflict or a single aspect of postal operations, such as soldiers' mail, censored mail, or stamps from occupied territories.
96. SIPMAZ_110618_780.JPG: WWI American soldier's envelope from Private CL Lundeen of the 58th Balloon Company, Allied Expeditionary Forces. YMCA printed envelope marked soldier's mail. Postmarked US Army Postal Service dated March 31 (no year) at 1pm, passed by censor (MS Farr, Capt, AG). c. 1917-18. Reading the Past: Even a non-collector can become intrigued by envelopes and postal markings from times of war, which often provide a paper trail collectors delight in following. Military records and museum archives, as well as Internet bulletin boards, supplement philatelic literature for "tracing back" pieces of mail. An APO (Army Post Office) return address and a date stamp are often the starting point for researching a sender's identity, branch of service and location at the time. There are stamps and envelopes from almost every nation on the globe used during various wars, revolutions and uprisings. Nations in conflict have issued stamps and postal stationery for use by personnel in military service to mail personal letters and packages home. Many nations have issued stamps honoring military heroes and veterans, military units, naval ships, battles and other events. In wars past, mail provided for major lifeline from the front to the homefront. Correspondence often assumed heightened importance, for sender and recipient alike. Today, it is possible to transmit messages or photos with a click, but the thrill of receiving a real letter, perhaps posted with several Love stamps, seems more personal than ever.
97. SIPMAZ_110618_783.JPG: Purple Heart Medal awarded to soldiers wounded in combat. 2007. Medal of Honor (Army, Navy, Air Force). 1983. Operation Desert Shield and Desert Storm with Southwest Asia service medal. 1991. Viet Nam Veterans with Viet Nam Service ribbon. 1979. Prisoners of War and Missing in Action. 1995.
98. SIPMAZ_110618_785.JPG: Overprints in times of war reflect inflation and war taxes, as well as occupation and other changes in territorial borders.
99. SIPMAZ_110618_788.JPG: Spanish Civil War cinderellas. Charity stamps such as these were issued through the late 1940s.
100. SIPMAZ_110618_790.JPG: Civil War envelope addressed to Captain DK Andross 1st Regiment VVM, at Fortress Monroe, Virginia. VVM in this instance was the Vermont Volunteer Militia, whose men traveled to Virginia early in the Civil War to "put down the rebellion," a mission that did not succeed. Captain Andross returned to Vermont and joined the 9th Vermont Regiment as a Lieutenant Colonel under Colonel Stannare. He fought in the battle of Harper's Ferry, where he, along with many in his regiment, was captured by Southern Forces. The prisoners were sent to Annapolis and thence to Chicago under parole; there they guarded 3,500 Southern prisoners waiting, like themselves, for an exchange. After the exchange, Andross again resumed active service.
101. SIPMAZ_111127_029.JPG: Alphabetilately An alphabet of philately This very fun word presents the story of twenty-six terms within the hobby of philately -- from the perspectives of graphic artists, stamp collectors, history buffs, letter-writers, and you. Look at other people's mail. See historical events depicted in extraordinary detail on stamps and envelopes. Marvel at the art and ingenuity behind producing stamps and sending mail around the globe. See for yourself that "real mail" is alive and well and more creative than ever.
102. SIPMAZ_111127_037.JPG: Envelope postmarked in Washington DC on April 19, 1930, the first day of issue and of the three zeppelin stamps (65 cents, $1.30, and $2.60). The envelope traveled by regular means to Germany and then by Graf Zeppelin on the entire Pan American flight, from Germany to South America to North America and back to Germany. The sender overpaid the $3.90 rate by 65 cents to create a souvenir with all three stamps. Ultimately, the envelope crossed the Atlantic four times: by ship to Germany, by zeppelin to South America, by zeppelin back to Germany, and by ship back to Washington DC. James Farley, Postmaster General of the United States, donated this envelope to the Smithsonian Institution from his personal collection. United States, 1930
103. SIPMAZ_111127_072.JPG: This die proof, which was presented to us by the Post Office Department of the United Sates, is in turn presented by me to my friend, D Philip G Cole, in recognition and appreciation of his accomplishments as the world's foremost airmail collector. -- ...
104. SIPMAZ_111127_079.JPG: Chicago Perforations: US postage stamps were not perforated until 1857. Prior to that, users cut individual stamps from a full pane with scissors or a razor. The perforated stamp on this envelope is from a private experiment conducted in Chicago in 1856.
105. SIPMAZ_111127_092.JPG: The 12-cent black George Washington stamps of 1851 were occasionally bisected, each half being used to pay the six-cent rate for a domestic letter traveling more than 3,000 miles.
106. SIPMAZ_111127_098.JPG: During World War II, President Franklin Delano Roosevelt conceived of a stamp featuring the flags of countries conquered by German and Japanese forces. Reproducing the flags in accurate colors required multicolor stamp printing presses, which the Bureau of Engraving and Printing did not then possess. The American Bank Note Company of New York City was contracted to print the series of thirteen stamps in 1943-44. This is one example from a series of proofs that were prepared so postal officials could approve the stamps' designs.
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2011 photos: Equipment this year: I mostly used the Fuji S100fs camera as well as two Nikon models -- the D90 and the new D7000. Mostly a toy, I also purchased a Fuji Real 3-D W3 camera, to try out 3-D photographs. I found it interesting although I don't see any real use for 3-D stills now. Given that many of the photos from the 1860s were in 3-D (including some of the more famous Civil War shots), it's odd to see it coming back. Trips this year: Civil War Trust conferences (Savannah, GA, Chattanooga, TN), New Jersey over Memorial Day for my birthday (people never seem to visit New Jersey -- it's always just a pit stop on the way to New York. I thought I might as well spend a few days there. Despite some nice places, it still ended up a pit stop for me -- New York City was infinitely more interesting), my 6th consecutive San Diego Comic-Con trip (including Las Vegas, Los Angeles, and San Francisco). Ego strokes: Author photos that I took were used on two book jackets this year: Jason Emerson's book "The Dark Days of Abraham Lincoln's Widow As Revealed by Her Own Letters" and Dennis L. Noble's "The U.S. Coast Guard's War on Human Smuggling." I also had a photo of Jason Stelter published in the Washington Examiner and a picture of Miss DC, Ashley Boalch, published in the Washington Post. Number of photos taken this year: just over 390,000.
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