Over one thousand visitors joined the National Postal Museum for "The Pageantry of the Post," an afternoon of special offerings celebrating the Museum's latest exhibition, The Queen's Own: Stamps That Changed the World. A combination of hands-on activities, self-guided exploration, and guided tours allowed visitors to see the world's first stamps, design crowns fit for kings and queens, act out the Queen's Coronation, create a British stamp collection, and experience "Machin Mania."
Video Clip: Festive Flair
See the excitement and energy of the Museum Atrium during the program! (18 seconds, QuickTime Player required)
Video Clip: Coronation Corner
Smithsonian intern and public program volunteer Caroline Mah helps a young visitor experience coronation. There are stamps from 1953 on display in The Queen's Own exhibition commemorating the Coronation of Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II. (18 seconds, QuickTime Player required)
Pageantry of the Post participants select their favorite stamps
Creative Collecting
After learning about the story behind the Royal Philatelic Collection, program participants select their favorite stamps to make their own creative collections.
A young visitor places her crown on the pillow before being coronated.
Philatelic Fanfare
After decorating crowns with a variety of collage materials, including British Machin Head Stamps, a young visitor places her crown on the pillow before being coronated.
A young visitor carefully studies a British stamp before adding it to his creative collection.
Philatelic Fascination
A young visitor carefully studies a British stamp before adding it to his creative collection.
These young program participants are hard at work creating crowns like the one worn by Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II on British stamps.
Crowning Glory
These young program participants are hard at work creating crowns like the one worn by Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II on British stamps.
Program participants made crowns in honor of the crowns worn by Her Majesty Queen Victoria on the Penny Black stamp and Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth on Machin Head stamps.
Crowning Achievement
Smithsonian intern and public program volunteer Lauren Schuman works with young visitors as they decorate their crowns. Program participants made crowns in honor of the crowns worn by Her Majesty Queen Victoria on the Penny Black stamp and Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth on Machin Head stamps. (Image courtesy of Rebecca Loan)
These young visitors actively engage themselves with the task of collecting British stamps.
Studying Stamps
Whether talking with friends about stamps or taking a more individual approach, these young visitors actively engage themselves with the task of collecting British stamps. (Image courtesy of Rebecca Loan)
