Existing comment:
The Museum
Expanding Collections & Experiences:
As the Smithsonian's collection of stamps and postal objects grew, so too did the desire for a way to display them.
1882 -- A North Dakota postmaster donates a picture of his log cabin post office to the Smithsonian.
1886 -- The Smithsonian receives a gift of 10-cent Confederate postage stamps -- the first philatelic piece accepted into its collection.
1908 -- The expanding collection is housed in the US National Museum (not the Smithsonian's Art and Industries Building).
1912 -- The Post Office Department closes its museum and donates its collection to the Smithsonian.
1964 -- The collection moves to the National Museum of History and Technology (now the National Museum of American History).
1991 -- November 6: Smithsonian Secretary Robert McCormick Adams and Postmaster General Anthony Frank sign an agreement creating the National Postal Museum.
1993 -- July 30: The museum opens.
2013 -- The Historic Lobby and William H. Gross Stamp Gallery open, along with new exhibits downstairs -- providing a wide range of visitor experiences. |