ZOOM PROGRAM AVAILABLE "Pushing the Envelope - A History of the Post Office Through Stamps" is available for Zoom presentations to libraries, senior centers, stamp clubs and other organizations.  Zoom programs are presented thanks to the support of NobleSpirit of Pittsfield, New Hampshire, the 2021 official event sponsor for the Museum. More info at: NobleSpirit Click Zoom for more details.  If you would like a link for how to register to watch one of these programs, email to Zoom. TAKE OUR VIRTUAL TOURS Have you taken our virtual tours of the Museum's main gallery and the exhibit on the celebration of the 19th amendment? Click on our website to reach the YouTube links: tour

MUSEUM CELEBRATES BLACK HISTORY MONTH

Every year the Museum celebrates Black History Month with an exhibit of famous African-Americans on US postage stamps. The concept of Black History was first organized by historian and author Carter G. Woodson (pictured above) in 1915. The Covid-19 virus has prevented visitors to see this year's exhibit but the Museum has posted many of the exhibited stamps on the Museum website. Included in the exhibit are many of the stamps in the special Post Office Black Heritage series which was started in 1978. Harriet Tubman was the first person to be honored. Since then 43 other men and women have been recognized for their contribution to America. Click on exhibit to view these and other stamps. You can also read about these stamps on this American Philatelic Society's site. Click: Heritage FREE OFFER: If you would like some stamps and first day covers celebrating Black History month, email your mailing address to history.

STAMP FOR AUGUST WILSON Award-winning playwright August Wilson is receiving one of the nation’s highest honors when he takes center stage on a Forever stamp. The stamp will be dedicated Jan. 28 on the Postal Service Facebook and Twitter pages. For more information, Wilson. One of America’s greatest playwrights, Wilson is hailed as a trailblazer for helping to bring nonmusical African American drama to the forefront of American theater. Wilson collected innumerable accolades for his work, including seven New York Drama Critics’ Circle Awards; a Tony Award, for 1987’s “Fences”; and two Pulitzer Prizes, for “Fences” and 1990’s “The Piano Lesson.” A film version of his play Ma Rainey's Black Bottom is currently showing on Netflix.

HANK AARON ON A STAMP? The recent death of baseball legend Hank Aaron raises the question of if and when the Post Office will honor him with a commemorative. Baseball players are a popular subject on US stamps. Up until 2007 a person needed to have passed away for at least ten years before they could appear on a US stamp. Now the general rule allows the Post Office to honor someone who has been dead for only five years and some exceptions have been made to this guideline. The only person who gets honored on a stamp within a year of their death is a president. The Stamp Advisory Committee decides who should be honored on each stamp. The Aaron stamp shown here from the African country of Malawi was issued circa 2007.

IMPROVING THE POST OFFICE Recently Vox News published an article entitled "How the Biden Administration Can Save the Postal Service." It made suggestions for new services the Post Office should provide including banking services at low fees, more electric vehices, longer hours to compete with UPS and FedEx and creating an inexpensive internet service, To read more about these proposas and other suggestions click on postoffice..

FUNERAL STAMPS IN THE NETHERLANDS

The Dutch take notifying people of the death of a relative or friend by mail very seriously. In fact they even produce a special stamp to be used only for mailing such notices. Envelopes using these stamps get top priority in their delivery. Funeral directors prepare these notices and special procedures are used by postmasters to insure these letters get delivered efficiently. For more information about these stamps click on Dutch

INAUGURATION POETS ON STAMPS The young poet laureate Amanda Gorman captivated the whole country with her recitation of her poem The Hill We Climb at the January 20 presidential inauguration. Some historians compared it to Langston Hughes' poem Let America be America Again written in 1936. And did you know that two other poets who have read their poems at past presidential ceremonies have appeared on a US stamp. Here are their images. Perhaps Ms. Gorman will someday also receive such an honor.

CELEBRATE THE YEAR OF THE OX On February 2 the Post Office will issue The Year of the Ox, the second stamp in a new series of Lunar New Year stamps introduced in 2020. The mask on the stamp design incorporates elements with symbolic meaning. Several of the patterns were created with the style of Asian textiles in mind, as well as purple flowers that represent the arrival of spring, which Lunar New Year also signals in Chinese culture. The star in the center of the ox’s head references the celestial themes of the Chinese zodiac. The year runs from Feb. 12, 2021 to January 31, 2022. The four Year of the Ox stamps below were issued by the New Zealand Post Office

TRIVIA QUESTION

The now extinct woolly mammoth appeared on this 1996 stamp along with three other long gone animals. But an earlier U.S. stamp also has a connection to this beast. What stamp is it? Send your answer to trivia. If you would like to know the answer, email to the same link. A correct answer will get you some first day covers of state flags on stamps.

CAN YOU GIVE US A HAND? As we look forward to safely reopening the Museum, we have continued sharing our educational programs electronically and creating exhibits to be shared with all of our enthusiasts – ages 6-60 and 9-90! We thank all those who have already recently supported us. We ask others of you if you can also please support our efforts by going to the bottom on our webpage (click webpage) and clicking on the donate button. A $50 contributionwill give you a one year individual membership.

YOUTH CLUB MEMBERSHIP OPEN

The Museum continues to offer a free, one year membership for children ages 6 to 16 in our Youth Club. Children receive a monthly packet of topical stamps, worksheets and philatelic information, a discount in the Museum store, a monthly stamp calendar plus free admission for themselves and the family. For more information email to Club. Thanks go to Museum volunteers Jessica Leuscher and Erika Epstein for supervising this program

FREE EDUCATIONAL CALENDAR If you would like to receive our monthly calendar/almanac that features stamps which celebrate historic events of each weekday of the month, email to calendar. January 27, 1791 Mozart is born in Salzburg. JANUARY 29 IS NATIONAL PUZZLE DAY

This Swiss stamp was issued in 1990 to celebrate the national census This stamp is from the USPS Century series

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