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New: Delivering Hope: FDR & Stamps of the Great Depression
June 9, 2009 - June 6, 2010
Franklin D. Roosevelt, president during the Great Depression, used stamps to communicate with the American people. A stamp collector himself, he understood the power of visual imagery, and he changed the look of stamps to convey messages of hope, optimism, and the solidity of the federal government. This exhibition offers novel insights into FDR's personality, his relationship with Postmaster General James A. Farley, and his concern for the welfare of the American people.

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

New: Abraham Lincoln Certified Plate Proofs
November 15, 2008 - October 2010
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, 2010
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.

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

New: Victory Mail
March 6, 2008 - May 31, 2011 (new closing date)
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.
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: Pony Express: Romance vs. Reality
Upcoming: April 3, 2010 - Permanent
The legendary name of the Pony Express calls up thrilling images of horse and rider racing across treacherous terrain. Yet the actual Pony Express lasted for less than two years (April 1860 to October 1861). It owes its enduring fame to the romanticizing of the American West that began in the late 19th century. Pony Express riders have raced through Wild West shows and dime novels, comic books and movies. Pony Express: Romance vs. Reality examines fictional and actual stories from the history of the world's best known mail carriers.

Last update: March 11, 2010, 18:43

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