Evening star., 1944-05-07
Otanps.
By James Waldo Fa,ccetf.

oA 14AA1e1ClkjklAd 0lCo Aeot ou1IddS
night. He had been i'll for two
months, but his family and friend;
anticipated his recovery as recently
as 10 days ago. Funeral services
were held at Pleasantville, N. j.
Wednesday afternoon.
Mr.. Klein was a native of Hun.
gary, born June 26, 1878. He re.
ceived his elementary schooling ir
Budapest and Vienna, specializing
in the Hungarian, German ane
French languages. After coming tx
America in 1894 he studied cleo
trical engineering at Drexel Insti.
tute and Italian and Spanish at thu
University of Pennsylvania. Hi.
final decision to make a profession
of dealing in philatelic material de.
veloped as a natural consequence,
of his activities as a collector. II
boyhood he specialized in the issue.
of Heligoland. Later, he wrot,
technical monographs on the ennis.
sions of South Bulgaria and sew.
eral South American countries. Hi.
major literary achievement, how.
ever, was the book on the water.
way packet marks of the United
States, 1818-1899, which he pub.
lished in 1910, and to which ht
added two pamphlet supplements ir
1912.
Meanwhile, Mr.. Klein's reputation
as an expert judge of classic
stamps grew with the years. He
was the official expert of the Ameri-
can Philatelic Society from 1911 te
1881, international secretary of the
same organization from 1928 to
1885, president from 1885 to 1887
and again international secretary
from 1887 onward. In connection
with these positions, he travelled ex-
tensively abroad as well as in all
parts of North America. BY invi-
tation he was a member of juries
for stamp exhibitions at Chicago
1911; New York, 1918, 1926 and
1896; Vienna, 1923 and 1888; Mon
treal. 1925; London, 1884; Brussels,
1885, and Paris, 1887.
Mr.. Klein established the annual
American Philatelic Congress in
collaboration with the writer of
these words in 1885. The plans were
discussed in detail on board the
White Star Liner Georgic, home
ward bound over the Atlantic in
the summer and were put into effect
at the first gathering of stamp schol-
ars at Philadelphia during the
Christmas holidays of that year
Further assemblies of the same kind
for the reading and discussion of
specialized papers on philatenc
themes were held, with Mr.. Klein
presiding, at Cleveland, 1896; Chi
cago. 1887; Hartford, 1888; Atlantic
City, 1889; New York City, 1910
and Boston, 1941. The eighth con-
gress, scheduled for Cincinnati, was
Cancelled because of the war, but
the papers prepared for it were
printed in the annual congress book
as usual. Mr.. Kleins valedictory
appearance as chairman was at the
ninth congress, held at the Pan
American Union Building here last
autumn. In recognition of his gen.
erous voluntary labors in behalf
of the stamp collecting public, he
was awarded the first Michael j.
Eidsness. jr., memorial plate in
1888.
A past president of the American
Stamp Dealers Association Mr..
Klein likewise was an officer of the
French Academy Of Philately, an
honorary member of the Dresden
and the Jamaica Philatelic Societies.
a member of the Junior Philatelic
Society of London, the Collectors
Club Of New York and many other
stamp organizations. He Joined the
Washington Philatelic Society in
1885.
Admitted to American citizenship
In 1900, Mr.. Klein married Sara e.
Conover, a school teacher of Alb
secon, N. j., who survives him with
two daughters, Dorothy and Dolo-
res, all three well known to local
stamp enthusiasts.
Mr.. Klein's philatelic friends in
cluded the most eminent collectors
OF the past five decades. Among
his customers were King George v
and President Roosevelt. He bought
for the late Col. E. H. r. Green
the famous w. T. Robey sheet OF
24-cent airmail inverts discovered
in Washington in 1918. Several
hundred auctions of stamps and
covers were held under his manage
ment, and the total value OF
philatelic property handled by him
ran into multiple millions OF
dollars.
When told of his death, Gerard
Ten Eyck Beeckman stunned ur
the opinion of the generality OF
advanced collectors in the remark.
Gene XII ein knew more about
stamps than any other man of his
generation. There is nobody to take
his place."
The 3-cent merchant marine
stamp will be released at the United
States Merchant Marine Academy
Kings Point, N. Y, as well as a,
Savannah, Ca, May %; and the
Scent telegraph centenary com.
memorative probably will 90 on sale
IN Baltimore as we'll as in Wash
ington, May "A.
Stamp meetings for the week are
litSed as follows:
Tuesday evening at 8-Collectors
Club of Washington, Thomson
School, Twelfth and L streets NV
Program, exhibition and bourse.
Wednesday evening at 8-Wash-
mgton Philatelic Society, Lee
Sheraton Hotel, Fifteenth and I
streets NV. Annual business meet.
ing, election of officers. Limited te
members only.
STAMPS AND COINS.
Stamp Collectors-U. s. postage, revenue,
and Confederatesr on and off covers, O
very fine quality for sale or exehsnxe
Can Mr.; Wright, CHI. 974I after s pm