Smithsonian National Postal Museum

Happy Independence Day! To celebrate, explore our virtual exhibition Long May It Wave: The Story of the American Flag Through Stamps! Although the flag has been one of the most popular subjects for as well as the most commonly used postage stamps, the designs of these stamps have uniquely varied and evolved over time. Do you have a favorite American flag stamp?

Long May It Wave The museum's main entrance is located on the corner of First Street and Massachusetts Avenue NE. Other entrances have variable hours.

Happy National Postage Stamp Day! The Postal Service commemorated the 100th and 150th anniversaries of the Smithsonian Institution in 1946 and 1996 with the issuance of these stamps. Both feature the Smithsonian Institution Building, more commonly known as the Castle. The Castle, the first Smithsonian building built, was designed by architect James Renwick and constructed between 1847 and 1855.

© United States Postal Service. All rights reserved.

During the nineteenth century, post riders used this Swedish post horn to announce the arrival of the mail. Did you know Sweden also has a postal museum? Postmuseum, Stockholm

On June 19, 1865, Union troops arrived in Galveston, Texas with the news that the more than 250,000 enslaved Black people in the state were free. This day came to be known as , now officially a federal holiday. Celebrate with : nmaach.si.edu/Juneteenth

CALL FOR PAPERS. The Thirteenth Postal History Symposium will take place November 15-16, 2024 at the American Philatelic Center in Bellefonte, PA. The theme is The Universal Postal Union: Connecting the World by Mail. Sponsored by the American Philatelic Society, American Philatelic Research Library, the Smithsonian's National Postal Museum, U.S. Philatelic Classics Society and Collectors Club of Chicago.

A one-page proposal and CV are due June 17, 2024. In addition to a one-page proposal stating the question/s to be answered, the basic argument, and the source base, each individual should submit
a one-page curriculum vitae that includes contact information (e-mail, phone, address) to [email protected]. Accepted proposals must result in papers of 5,000-6,000 words, including bibliographic material and citations due September 16, 2024.

The Treaty of Berne, officially signed in October 1874, established the General Postal Union, marking the most significant moment in the history of collaborative international mail service. Renamed the Universal Postal Union in 1878, the multinational organization sought to standardize disparate international mail operations while concomitantly establishing uniform postal rates. From 22 attending nations in 1874 to the 192 member countries of today, the impact of the UPU as a unifying organization providing universal regulations governing the delivery of mail worldwide is evidenced in the events that lead to its formation and those that have followed since. Now, 150 years on, the UPU stands as one of the most enduring examples of cooperative international relations, and the only one dedicated exclusively to the business of mail.

Possible topics include:
• Economic, political and technical conditions that led to the need for a unifying postal entity.
• How the organization has evolved since its creation.
• Whether the multinational organization met the continuing needs of disparate postal administrations.
• Impact on the mail operations within and between member countries.
• Universal postal regulations and legislation as they relate to the diversity of postal users.
• How the UPU has affected the politics of international mail operations.
• Mail as a unifying catalyst of international relations.

For more information and updates regarding the 2024 Postal History Symposium, please see the Postal History Symposium page on the American Philatelic Society’s website at https://stamps.org/postal-history-symposium or contact event organizers at [email protected].

We are so excited to introduce a new virtual learning opportunity for 6-12-year-olds! A series of asynchronous, interactive, biweekly modules, STAMP Camp launches on June 26! More information and pre-registration can be found at the link: https://postalmuseum.si.edu/stamp-camp

Send your child’s curiosity to new heights and deliver exciting fun this summer with the National Postal Museum’s free virtual STAMP Camp! Embark on an exciting journey into the realm of STEAM: science, technology, engineering, art, and math, from the comfort of home.

By registering for STAMP Camp with the National Postal Museum, you will receive five free STEAM and postal-themed activities throughout June, July and August, to complete at your own pace with the young learner in your life.

Designed to inspire young minds, each activity is packed with museum objects, hands-on activities, and engaging challenges- including Katie’s Challenge! An exclusive weekly extension created especially for STAMP Camp by Katie Kirk, the National Postal Museum’s 2024 Guest Artist.

This program is best for learners ages 6 and up and is recommended for ages 6-12, with adult support. Registration required. Sign up today to receive notification when the first module goes live: https://bit.ly/STAMP_Camp.

In his own words, postal worker Gregory Huff describes one of the proudest moments of his career as an LGBTQ+ postal employee, when he spearheaded the Harvey Milk stamp unveiling during LGBTQ+ in June 2014 for the Newark, NJ Main Post Office.

"Harvey Milk was an early pioneer, champion and advocate for gay rights. Milk’s achievements as an openly gay man and member of the San Francisco Board of Supervisors gave hope and confidence to the LGBTQ community, and his story continues to inspire today. He was a visionary who believed that government should not only represent all citizens, but also provide needed community services and ensure equality for all. That’s why, when the Postal Service honored Harvey Milk with a forever stamp, I knew I had to be a part of making sure it was recognized and celebrated for the important historic moment that it was."

"Part of our preparation included making sure that service talks were distributed district-wide via e-mail to recognize LGBTQ month and encourage management to give service talks regarding zero tolerance, bullying, and harassment. We also prepared a special cancellation for stamps purchased at our event. The ornate lobby of the Main Post Office in Newark, NJ provided an excellent setting for our celebration, and included three speakers from the Northern NJ District. Other guests from local LGBTQ organizations were also involved. The Harvey Milk stamp was unveiled with applause, cheers, and many people capturing the moment on their cameras. Overall the event was a success, and it made me feel so proud that the Postmaster supported my idea and recognized LGBTQ Pride Month."

"As a member of the LGBTQ community, the issuance of this stamp reaffirmed to me the Postal Service’s commitment to the core values of diversity, equality and inclusion. I am so glad that the Postal Service decided to honor him (and many other LGBTQ people) on a U.S. postage stamp, and being a part of the stamp unveiling ceremony made me proud to be an employee of such a great organization."

Milk, along with San Francisco Mayor George Moscone, was assassinated on November 27, 1978. The Harvey Milk Forever stamp was issued May 22, 2014. ©USPS; all rights reserved.

Exciting news from our friends at the Smithsonian’s National Zoo and Conservation Biology Institute : Giant pandas are returning to Washington D.C.! As part of a 52-year-old conservation partnership with the China Wildlife Conservation Association, two new bears—Bao Li and Qing Bao—will arrive by the end of 2024. Renovations to the Zoo’s indoor and outdoor panda exhibit include multi-level climbing structures, shallow pools for bathing and play, fun new enrichment items, and more space for the bears to roam. The Zoo will also update the ever-popular Giant Panda Cam, which has brought milestone moments to millions of fans across the globe.

Giant pandas are found mainly in the mountainous forests of southwestern China, where they feed largely on bamboo.
In 1992, USPS issued a colorful booklet of Wild Animals 29-cent commemorative stamps, featuring five of nature's creatures: the giraffe, king penguin, flamingo, white Bengal tiger, and this charming giant panda.



© United States Postal Service. All rights reserved.

Memorial Day is a time to honor and remember those who have lost their lives defending the United States. On May 30, 1991, the 125th anniversary of the first “Memorial Day” (first called “Decoration Day”), USPS issued the “Flags On Parade” stamp to commemorate the occasion. Stamps depicting flags had been popular, so the designers of the stamp chose to portray the flag in a new manner: three flags rippling in the wind, as if they were passing in a parade, snapping to attention.

Today we pay reverence to the service and sacrifice of the brave individuals who live on in spirit. © USPS; all rights reserved.

Virtual Story Time | Monday, May 20 | 11am ET

Celebrate the recent release of a set of postage stamps featuring Ansel Adams' stunning black and white photography with a reading of the book Antsy Ansel: Ansel Adams, A Life in Nature. Participants are invited to bring a nature photograph to share with the group.

Recommended for ages 4-7, but all are welcome. Registration required: https://www.eventbrite.com/e/story-time-with-the-national-postal-museum-registration-141338917507

! This metal R2-D2 collection box is covered with a vinyl “skin” that makes it take on the appearance of a droid character in the film Star Wars. Transferred from the United States Postal Service in October 2007, this collection box is signed by George Lucas and then Postmaster General John E. Potter.

March 2007 marked the 30th anniversary of the release of the first Star Wars film. To honor the event, USPS in collaboration with Lucasfilm Ltd. released 400 round-top mail collection boxes across the country. This box was installed at Union Station in Washington, DC, next to the Postal Museum!

R2-D2 was chosen to have its likeness placed onto collection boxes because of his shape, which is similar to that of the mailboxes and because it “embodies the trust and dependability for which the Postal Service is renowned” according to a press release from USPS. It is currently on view at the National Air and Space Museum, Smithsonian Institution's Udvar Hazy Center!

© Lucasfilm Ltd. and the United States Postal Service. All rights reserved.

“Art is doing. Art deals directly with life.”
-Ruth Asawa

Groundbreaking artist Ruth Asawa (1926-2013) is primarily recognized for her intricate wire sculptures and large scale public artworks. She was also a passionate arts educator who believed everyone should feel empowered to create and experience art in their own lives. As an American of Japanese descent, Asawa was interned as a teenager in 1942 due to President Franklin D. Roosevelt’s executive order which sent over 120,000 Japanese Americans to internment camps. Asawa, who had begun making art as a young child, studied drawing and painting under the tutelage of other artists who were also interned, including employees from Disney Studios.

She received a scholarship to study at Black Mountain College, an opportunity that changed her world and the course of her life. The experimental, liberal arts school was built around experience; Asawa was able to explore and develop her own artistic principles under the guidance of an extraordinary faculty that included Anni Albers, Marguerite Wildenhain, Merce Cunningham, and Josef Albers. A 1947 trip to Mexico further shaped Asawa’s art, where she studied how locals looped wire to make egg baskets. She built upon this technique to create intricate, elaborate looped-wire sculptures. Asawa was intrigued by the way the wire took up space without concealing it; by the natural shadows that appeared in, around, through the sculptures. A handful of these works appear on her 2020 USPS Forever postage stamps.

Asawa was passionately devoted to arts education and spent many years teaching and encouraging thousands of students as she created and supported numerous artistic outlets. In 1968, Asawa co-founded the Alvarado School Arts Workshop, which brought professional artists into public schools in the San Francisco area. It also cultivated parental involvement, thus nurturing a community of arts appreciation and pursuit. She became a member of the San Francisco Arts Commission through which she lobbied politicians and charitable foundations to support arts programs for San Franciscans of all ages. Asawa served on the California Arts Council, the National Endowment for the Arts, and become a trustee of the Fine Arts Museums of San Francisco. She played a major role in the founding of the public arts high school in San Francisco in 1982, which was renamed the Ruth Asawa San Francisco School of the Arts in 2010.

Among her many works are large, commissioned, and absolutely stunning public artworks such as Andrea’s Fountain at Ghirardelli Square (1968) and the Hyatt on Union Square Fountain (1973), both in San Francisco, and one of her final compositions: the Garden of Remembrance at San Francisco State University. Asawa collaborated with landscape artists Isao Ogura and Shigeru Nambis to bring her vision to life: that is, installing boulders from each of the ten camps where Japanese Americans were interned.

©USPS; all rights reserved.

Enjoy a sound bath, make a calming craft, and spend time with family and friends at ’s
IlluminAsia, May 10-12. s.si.edu/3QaNf5F

In a new blog post, follow along with Postal Museum collections and curatorial staff as they initiate the transfer of over one hundred postal jackets, hats, trousers, accessories such as ties and belts, and more from a storage facility at the National Museum of American History.

Roll-Up Your Sleeves: Part II Follow along with Postal Museum collections and curatorial staff as they initiate the transfer of over one hundred postal jackets, hats, trousers, accessories such as ties and belts, and more from a storage facility at the National Museum of American History.

Happy Earth Day! USPS issued these "Go Green" stamps in 2011 encouraging simple steps to reduce your environmental footprint through practices such as conservation, recycling, and building with ecology-friendly plans and materials in mind.

©United States Postal Service. All rights reserved.

A new blog "Loss and Letters: Artifacts of Grief" highlights a special collaborative program exploring grief hosted by President Lincoln's Cottage.

Loss and Letters: Artifacts of Grief A recap of a special collaborative program with President Lincoln's Cottage exploring grief.

Happy ! These 1984 postage stamps feature four native American orchids. North America is home to over 200 orchid species, and more than half are endangered or threatened somewhere in their native range. The North American Orchid Conservation Center (NAOCC) was established by the Smithsonian Institution and the United States Botanic Garden to assure the survival of all indigenous orchids in the U.S. and Canada.

Learn more about Smithsonian Gardens' care and conservation of orchids through its exhibit online or onsite. Open through April 28 at the National Portrait Gallery USA and the Smithsonian American Art Museum and the Renwick Gallery‘s Kogod Courtyard, the exhibit explores efforts to grow, research, protect, preserve, and educate others about these beautiful plants and their habitats – and imagine the future of orchids.

©United States Postal Service. All rights reserved.

This postage stamp features the phrase "Eid Mubarak" in Arabic calligraphy, "May your religious holiday be blessed."

The commemorative stamp was issued in 2001 and is in the collection of our Smithsonian National Postal Museum.

✉️: ©USPS. All rights reserved.

Happy Eclipse Day! This sensational cosmic event will intrigue sky-gazers across North America; another 20 years will pass before a total Solar Eclipse can be seen again over the continent.

To commemorate the Solar Eclipse in 2017, the U.S. Postal Service released a first-of-its-kind stamp that changes when you touch it. The Total Eclipse of the Sun Forever stamp transforms into an image of the Moon from the heat of a finger. These images depict the before and after of the stamp.

If you are viewing the eclipse today, be sure to use protection for your eyes!

© United States Postal Service. All rights reserved.

Whether you’re a novice stargazer, an admirer of stunning visualizations of celestial objects, or chasing totality this eclipse season, a new educational guide from the Smithsonian features tips for exploring objects in the sky, examining the tools that help us better understand the universe, and exploring ways culture and the arts have used the cosmos to stimulate our imaginations. Download your free copy today: https://s.si.edu/WonderAndAweGuide

Finding Our Place in Space Through the Lenses of Art, Culture, History and Science A new Smithsonian guide features tips for exploring objects in the sky, examines technology that helps us better understand the universe, and explores ways culture and the arts have used the cosmos to stimulate our imaginations

Virtual Story Time | Monday, April 8 | 11am ET

Celebrate National Letter Writing Month with The Gardener by Sarah Stewart, a story set in the Great Depression that is told through letters from a girl to her family while she lives with her uncle in New York. We will learn a little about that era and explore the importance of letters throughout American history.

Recommended for ages 4-7, but all are welcome. Registration required; register at the link!

Story Time with the National Postal Museum Join educators from the National Postal Museum for live, interactive story time. Designed for children ages 4-7, but all are welcome!

Happy St. Patrick’s Day! These stamps were issued by the Vatican in 1961, to commemorate the fifteenth centenary of the death of St. Patrick. The 15-lire value shows a panoramic view of the island in Lough Derg known as "Saint Patrick's Purgatory" and the inscription "Santuario di S. Patrizio 461-1961" (Sanctuary of Saint Patrick). Lough Derg, located in County Donegal, is in the north central part of Ireland, close to the border. Saint Patrick is said to have often visited the island in Lough Derg for meditation and prayer. The 40-lire values depicts a medieval statue of Saint Patrick and the inscription "S. Patrizio Apostolo d'Irlanda 461-1961."

“We were segregated two ways, because we were Black and because we were women.”

—Major Charity Adams Earley, Lieutenant Colonel, 6888th Central Postal Directory Battalion

At a time when the United States Military remained segregated, the women of the 6888th Central Postal Directory Battalion – part of the Women’s Army Corps – played an important role overseas during World War II. As the first predominantly African American, all women battalion to serve overseas, the 6888s deployed first to Birmingham, England then later to Rouen, France. Overseas, letters from the home front had sat undelivered in temporary post offices for as long as two years. The women were charged with processing mail sent to the approximately seven million American troops stationed in Europe. Morale is one of the main factors that can help or cripple an army, and the women of the 6888th Central Postal Directory Battalion facilitated a much-needed boost.

Members of the 6888th Central Postal Directory Battalion can be seen here working with French civilians to clear the backlog of American military mail in Europe, 1945. Image courtesy U.S. Army Women's Museum Archives.

Issued in 1952 and 1997, respectively, these two stamps – each honoring U.S. Military Servicewomen – are notable for their similarities, as well as their differences.

From the outset of World War I in 1914, American women went abroad to volunteer with uniformed civilian organizations, like the Red Cross, providing war relief services. When the U.S. officially declared war in 1917, the Army and Navy assigned nurses to overseas duty in record numbers, and the war marked the first time women enlisted in the Navy and Marine Corps. World War II again increased the need for military personnel, and over 40,000 women served in the armed forces during the international conflict.

The 1952 “Service Women” stamp honors the women in the United States Armed Services, both at home and abroad. The stamp features women who serve in the four branches of the military – the Marine Corps, Army, Navy and Air Force – standing in front of the United States Capitol Building. The stamp design is based on a photograph of four women in uniform; however, the photo had been taken for a military recruiting folder and none of the models had actually been a member of the armed services.

The Postal Service issued a 32-cent "Women in Military Service" commemorative stamp on October 18, 1997, in Washington, DC, coinciding with the dedication of the Women in Military Service for America Memorial in Arlington, Virginia. The stamp features uniformed women from the Army, Marines, Navy, Air Force, and Coast Guard and honors their achievements as well as the diversity of the U.S. armed forces.

©USPS; all rights reserved.

On Wednesday, February 28 from 2-3pm at the museum, we are excited to partner with Access Smithsonian for See Me en Español, a free interactive program for Spanish-speaking adults with dementia and their care partners. A few spots are still available! Register at the link: https://bit.ly/seeme-npm

Participants will explore some of the Smithsonian’s most beloved objects through small group discussions and multi-sensory activities. See Me programs provide intellectual engagement, socialization, and an opportunity for loved ones to spend time together in a relaxed setting.

Miércoles el 28 de Febrero a las 2 de la tarde, en alianza con Access Smithsonian, estamos emocionados para ofrecer See Me en Español, es un programa interactivo gratuito para adultos de habla hispana con demencia y sus compañeros de cuidado. ¡Todavía hay espacio! Registre aquí: https://bit.ly/seeme-npm

En cada evento, los participantes van a explorar algunos de los objetos más queridos del Smithsonian a través de discusiones en grupos pequeños y actividades multisensoriales. Los programas See Me proporcionan compromiso intelectual, socialización y una oportunidad para que sus seres queridos pasen tiempo juntos en un ambiente relajado.

We invite you to celebrate the beauty, diversity, and intricacies of language at the ninth annual Mother Tongue Film Festival! This free event will showcase 10 programs, featuring 23 films in 27 languages from 12 regions of the world. With the theme “Finding Balance,” the festival will explore personal journeys and examine the path to building harmony within our world, societies, families and selves.

Screenings run from Wednesday, February 21, through Saturday, February 24, in a variety of venues on and near the National Mall. All films are fully open captioned or subtitled in English, and American Sign Language interpretation will be provided for all introductory remarks, Q&As, and discussions. All venues are wheelchair accessible, and all are welcome.

Register today: mothertongue.si.edu



📷: Film still from “Burros” (dir. Jefferson Stein)

Happy Presidents’ Day! A commemorative stamp honoring the bicentennial of the executive branch was issued on April 16, 1989, at Mount Vernon, Virginia. The dedication ceremony took place at Washington's home in conjunction with a reenactment of his departure for New York City for his inauguration exactly two hundred years before. The Postal Service offered pictorial postmarks at eighteen locations along the route Washington followed.

Washington was notified that he had been unanimously elected president just two days before he left Mount Vernon for New York. He believed that the reactions of people along the way would foreshadow the success or failure of his presidency. He had no need to worry. Inhabitants of every town along his journey north rushed out to cheer, and at every crossroad, Washington stopped to exchange greetings. By the time he reached Philadelphia, 20,000 citizens "lined every fence, field, and avenue," wishing him good luck.

The format of Howard Koslow's stamp design is similar to his work on the US House and US Senate stamps. The central vignette features a head-and-shoulders detail from a bronze statue of Washington that stands on the site of the first inauguration at Federal Hall National Memorial in New York City.

©United States Postal Service. All rights reserved.