Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1939-09-10
AMONG THE STAMP COLLECTORS
News Phaec World Its Interests and PeopleReview of
the Stamp Press-List of Local Meetings
Bv James Waldo Fa,Ucen.

clared: What this country needs
is a postal museum" In support OF
his suggestion, he prints a letter
from William Bird in Paris reading
In part as follows: The postal mu-
scum of France, in aid of which
the recent Fragonard semi-postal
was issued, is now in process OF in
stallation. 1t is housed in charm
ing 18th century dwelling, built
by the DUO de Choiseul-Praslin in
the Rue st. Roman, near the Mont
parnasse Station.
THE exhibits will be in three
groups, the first relating to the his
tory of mail carrying, the second to
postmarks and the third to stamps.
One of the most ancient documents
in the first group is a receipt for
postal charges, written on parch-
ment in 1889. Royal warrants ap-
pointing postmasters, old postal &C
count books and autographs of all
the heads of the postal service IN
France for the past 300 years are
among other interesting items.
The postmark section will include
the marks and cachets used on let
tiers before the invention of the
postage stamp. There is remark
ably complete collection of the post
marks of the Napoleonic era, when
France had 1874 departments instead
of SO, as now. One was the Depart
ment of the Ebro, with its capital
at Tarragona SPAIN. The De-
IF
the city of Bremen, and that OF the
Zuyder Zee embraced Amsterdam.
"Unquestionably, the most inter-
esting section of the collection, how
ever, will be the stamp collection.
The French mint will place on view
complete sheets of all the stamps
ever issued by France, as well as the
original designs, specimens, color
trials and other curiosities not to
be found in the richest private COL
lections. There will also be an al
most complete assortment of can
collation. marks of all localities, from
1849 to date.
Just when the museum will be
opened to the public is not known.
The organizers are being retarded
by lack of funds. The sale of the
Fragonard stamp is progressing sat-
isfactorily. however, and it is hoped
that it will bring in enough money
to permit installation of the eX-
hibits during the coming winter"
Mr.. Means proposal is-in harmony
with that put forward several years
ago by Washington collectors, who
urged that postal history division
be organized in the Smithsonian
Institution under the supervision of
Mrs. Catherine L. Manning, curator
Of philately.
John W. Longnecker Of Warehouse
Point. Conn. winner of the silver
plate at the Fourth American Phila-
telic Congress, Hartford, last No
vember, writes: WARS and rumors
of wars seem to have an interesting
II uncanny way of mixing into my
stamp collecting which began some
Al years ago when my North Da-
kota friend, Benny Sneller, left me
as a teacher in little country
school. Benny. as bugler of Com
pany I. First North Dakota Volun-
teers, started trail in the Philip
pines that led to narrow bed
beneath a statue on the courthouse
lawn at Wahpeton. In loneliness,
I turned to the postage stamps of
the Philippines.
Again, Is years ago, heart sick
and weary with the news of the
young war to end all wars in Eu-
rope, I again turned to my stamps
for surcease and forgetfulness. BY
then had learned psychognostic
truth-the way to blot out persist
ent unwelcome thoughts from the
mind Is to busy that mind with a
pleasant job. Many nights Sleep
those long dreadful years, came
from studying my stamps with
10-power glass, pencil and sketch
paper.
Again, the fateful Sunday before
Labor Day, this year of sadness
1899, while the radio blared flash
after bulletin the stamp volumes
were brought down from dusty
shelves. For the third time in one
life, postage stamps became the
safety valve from the awful realiza-
ton Of war"
Whether or not the postage stamp
centenary program, planned by the
Royal Philatelic Society of London,
will be Cancelled because of the war
has not yet been decided. The COM
mittee in charge of the American
aspect of the celebration, headed by
David D. Caldwell, meanwhile is
carrying on.
The officials of the Post Office De-
partment are said to be considering
a plan for the issuance of stamp
to commemorate the Booth anniver-
sary of the establishment of postal
service within the present borders of
the United States. It was on No
vember S, 1899, that the first colo
NAL postal station was opened at
the house of Richard Fairbanks in
Boston. Collectors interested in the
proposal to mark the tercentenary
of the event may write to Deputy
Third Assistant Postmaster General
Roy M. North.
Stamps Magazine for September 9
says, editorially: do you realize
that in these trying times stamps
are one of the few safe commodities
to hold? That they represent prob
ably the only tangible property
that can be transported and which
has an international market?
Hold on to your stamps. Build
up your collections Much as we
deplore the idea of looking upon
stamps purely as an investment,
these are times when they might
STAMPS.
COLUMBIA STAMP SHOP
34O6 14th St, NV,