Philatelic Library
As an essential part of the global philatelic community, we truly understand that this “hobby of kings” is more than just a simple pastime – it’s a passion. Your thirst for knowledge may be quenched when you uncover the historical details about your collections, but for many collectors in our intellectual neighborhood, learning more about the evolution of stamp collecting itself is of great interest as well.
That’s why our Philatelic Library is here – to provide for your enjoyment a growing anthology of fascinating, informative and even scandalous articles written throughout the past century about philately and some of the people involved in its history.
In The Metropolitan Philatelist (New York) for April 23, 1910, editor J.W. Scott advised against collecting varieties of watermarks…
The philatelic aspects of this case were set out in a lengthy report in the July 24, 1915, issue of The Postage Stamp (London)…
In The Philatelist (London) for January 1939, L.N. and M. Williams traced the variety of adhesives used to mount stamps to pages…
R.W. Ashcroft pondered the effectiveness of philatelic advertising, in the June 1893 issue of The Canadian Journal of Philately (Toronto)…
The Origin of the Word “Philately”
The Journal of the Philatelic Literature Society (London) for April 1915 published a translation of the early article that gave our hobby…
The Little Stamp Books and the Reply Stamp
Noting the popularity of booklet stamps, Jules Bouvez suggested in the February 1905 issue of the American Journal…
Philatelic Journalism in War-Time
This timely report appeared in the October 1914 issue of The Journal of the Philatelic Literature Society (London)…
W.F. Gregory gave this auction advice in the February 1905 issue of the American Journal of Philately (New York)…
This is a chapter from The Amateur Collector : Everybody’s book on Collecting, by Dr. George C. Williamson of Hampstead, England…
Noted Collections – H.E. Deats
Alvah Davison’s profile of a famous collection appeared in The Collectors Ledger for September 1888, and was…
The Bureau of Engraving and Printing of the United States Treasury Department marked its centennial in 1962. At that time..
These musings of George F. Crofoot were published in The Worcester County Philatelist (Worcester, Massachusetts) of…
Published in Sydney in 1911, J.H. Smyth’s Philately in a Nutshell surveys the field in charming fashion and concludes…
The Postage Stamp (London) for June 5, 1915, reported “How Tommy Atkins’ Letters Are Censored.”
This article appeared in the June 1894 issue of The Post Office, published by Henry Gremmel in New York…
The Future of Stamp Collecting
The Rev. R.B. Earee’s forecast appeared in Nunn’s Philatelical Annual and was reprinted in Vindin’s Philatelic Monthly (Sydney)…
This account of the post office at Rio de Janeiro appeared in the May 1868 issue of The American Journal of Philately…
An anonymous author presented this dialogue in the March 1898 issue of The Columbian Philatelist (New Oxford, Pennsylvania).
Some Experiences of a Lady Collector
Women have collected stamps from the earliest days of our hobby. In the September 1902 issue of The Stamp Collector, published in…
This exposé, translated from L’Echo de la Timbrologie and published in the American Journal of Philately (New York) for…
“Rover” offered this seasonal celebration of philately in the July 1903 issue of The Stamp Collector, published in Birmingham, England.
The late 1890s were an exciting period for philately, according to Charles E. Jenney in the June 1898 issue of The Columbian Philatelist…
Death of M. Oscar Berger-Levrault
The passing of a pioneer philatelist was chronicled in The Stamp Collector (Birmingham, England) issue of November 1903.
The unsettled state of the postwar philatelic world was lamented by the editor of The Australian Philatelist (Sydney) in…
Some Philatelic Memories of Dixie
“C.S.A.” (a nom de philatelie) recapped the philatelic history of the Confederate States in an article that appeared in The Post Office…
In The Canadian Journal of Philately (Toronto) of July 1893, Jno. R. Hooper reported progress in the philatelic press.
The “Correos” Stamps of Venezuela
This look at 19th century Venezuelan stamps by Wilhelm Kühn of Edinburgh appeared in The Stamp Collector (Birmingham) for March, 1903.
In its September 25, 1915, issue, The Postage Stamp (London) saluted “Mr. W.R. Ricketts’ Important Work” and lamented…
The Evolution of the Stamp Album
This lengthy chronicle by Lewis G. Quackenbush appeared in the Philatelic Journal of America for April 1894.
This report on a philatelic papyrus appeared in Carter’s Messenger (Brooklyn, New York), Volume 2, Number 1, circa 1910.
In The Stamp Collector (Birmingham, England) for February 1903, Ernest Heginbottom, B.A., tackled this endlessly controversial question.
A coming boom in revenues was touted by R.S. Walters in The Canadian Philatelist (London, Ontario) for March 1893.
Dealer Elmer R. Long shared memories of servicing U.S. first day covers in the November 1950 issue of Covers (Albany, Oregon).
The philatelic impact of Home Rule for Ireland was weighed in this report from The Canadian Philatelist (London, Ontario) for June 1893.
Major Cover Show Held at Museum
Philadelphia staked a claim to philatelic fame with this report by George W. Caldwell in the December 1951 issue of Covers (Albany, Oregon).
This article by “Post Master” appeared in the first issue of The Western Philatelist, published in Chicago in January 1887.
C.R. Gadsden reported an innovative way to mount covers, in the October 1887 issue of The Western Philatelist (Chicago).
M.K. Essaji – The dealer who sold India
The prolific Jal Cooper profiled a longtime Bombay stamp dealer in the March 1944 issue of India’s Stamp Journal (Bombay).
Charles Prant undertook to answer a provocative question in the June 20, 1942, issue of Stamp Wholesaler…
This profile of a well-known stamp dealer was published in The Badger State Philatelist (Delavan, Wisconsin) of February 1888.
C.W. Bruce proclaimed the joy of shades in the July 1945 issue of India’s Stamp Journal (Bombay).
The “Common” versus the “French” School
The Eagle Philatelist (Kansas City, Kansas) for July 1892 offered Harry F. Kantner’s account of an early schism within the hobby.
In the January 1892 issue of The Eagle Philatelist (Kansas City, Kansas), E.S. Luther recommended several stamp periodicals…
Murder Pair Revealed as “Approval Pirates”
Stamp Wholesaler (Burlington, Vermont) recounted in its June 20, 1942, issue a lurid tale of two murders who would stop at nothing…
Of all the reasons why people collect stamps, their inherent beauty is perhaps the easiest to explain to those who aren’t naturally drawn…
Stamp Collecting for Beginners
As one of the world’s most popular hobbies, philately, also known as stamp collecting, has been around almost since the issuance…
Help! I’ve Just Inherited a Stamp Collection
If you’ve been willed a stamp collection, consider it a sign of the great esteem your loved one had for you…
Stamp collecting is a hobby that dates back to the 19th Century. This interesting historical trajectory includes the birth…
Caring for Your Stamp Collection
Some basic knowledge of how to preserve your stamp collection is essential to protecting your investment for the long term…
The History of Stamp Counterfeiting
Counterfeiting of stamps immediately became a profitable enterprise for those daring enough to try it. It was not until much later…
Philatelists Throughout History and Today
The hobby of stamp collecting is greatly enjoyed by those in the United States, with an estimated 22 million people…
No matter how involved you are in the philately world, learning more about stamps and the postal system in general…
Famous FBI Cases of Stolen Stamp Collections
Many people around the world collect stamps. It is a relaxing hobby for some and a heroic quest for others, as they seek to find that…