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Topical Reference Pages

Browse these pages to discover resources organized by topic.
 
         
circle stamp design sketch   African Americans in the Postal Service and Philately
The National Postal Museum celebrates African American history by providing online resources about the role of African Americans in the postal service and philately.
         
circle Curtiss Jenny airplane   Airmail Service
Not only did America’s Post Office Department fund the nation’s commercial aviation industry, but from 1918-1927, the Department operated the nation’s airmail service. Postal officials hired pilots and mechanics, purchased airplanes and equipment, established aviation routes and led the nation into the commercial aviation age.
         
circle Cha Cha Cha stamp   Asian and Pacific Americans in the Postal Service and Philately
The Museum celebrates Asian and Pacific American history by providing online resources about the role of Asian and Pacific Americans in the postal service and philately.
         
circle Nurse Clara Barton poses with Union soldiers and officers in front of a post office tent at the Army of the Potomac headquarters; 1863.   Civil War
2011 marks the 150th anniversary of the start of the Civil War. The National Postal Museum is proud to offer Civil War-related material and stories as seen through the lens of postal history and philately. We hope you enjoy the collection of resources that we have assembled.
         
circle 1c Columbus in Sight of Land single   Columbian Exposition and the Nation’s First Commemorative Stamps
The Museum celebrates the 1893 World’s Columbian Exposition and the story of Christopher Columbus’s journeys to the New World as told through the nation’s first commemorative stamps, the 1893 Columbians.
         
circle Mallard hen   Duck Stamps
Officially known as “Migratory Bird Hunting and Conservation Stamps,” Federal Duck Stamps are the longest running series of U. S. stamps. They are also among the largest and most beautiful of stamps, depicting all species of North American ducks, swans and geese.
         
circle   Green Ways event logo   Green Ways to Move the Mail
The Green page if your destination for events and projects that explore relevant connections between mail and environmental issues.
         
circle   Cha Cha Cha stamp stamp   Hispanic Americans in the Postal Service and Philately
Hispanic and Latino people demonstrate excellence in many areas including politics, public service, music, film, sports, business, science, and the military. The National Postal Museum is proud to recognize the significant contributions of these people and related events though various online exhibits.
         
circle   holiday postage stamp   Holidays
The Green page if your destination for events and projects that explore relevant connections between mail and environmental issues.
         
circle   Owney   Owney
One of the most popular exhibits in the National Postal Museum is the story of Owney, the stray dog who became the unofficial mascot of the Railway Mail Service in the late 19th century.
         
circle   Pony Espress exhibit banner   The Pony Express
While the Pony Express itself ended 18 months after it’s energetic start, its story lived on through wild west shows, dime novels, and movies.
         
circle   graph diagram   The Complete Collection of U.S. Postage Stamps
One of the world's most popular hobbies, philately is the study and collection of stamps. Many hobbyists collect regular postage stamps, others collect special-use issues—some of which are unrelated to postal service. National postal administrations or smaller political entities and their lawful competitors issue stamps. So too do local posts, express companies, and even forgers.
         
circle Benjamin Franklin   Postmasters General
A complete list of the Postmasters General of the United States of America.
         
circle   RMS clerks sorting mail   Railway Mail Service
For more than a century, the core of America’s postal system was the Railway Mail Service. From its beginnings in the midst of the Civil War to its slow decline after World War II and the service’s last run in 1977, the history of America’s Railway Mail Service is one that was central to America’s postal history.
         
circle   Roberto Clemente postage stamp   Sports and Recreation
The National Postal Museum proudly celebrates the rich legacy of American sports including its athletes, events and accomplishments through a variety of online resources. Explore the links below to discover how stamps and postal history objects showcase this important thread of the American cultural quilt.
         
circle   Learn About Stamps   Stamp Collecting
Find stamp collecting resources on the museum's websites.
         
circle   stamp image   The Vatican City Collection
In the heart of the Italian peninsula, nestled within the city of Rome, lies the world's smallest nation, Vatican City. It issued its first stamps on August 1, 1929. To celebrate the 80th anniversary of the birth of the Vatican City nation and its post office, the Smithsonian National Postal Museum has digitized its complete collection of Vatican stamps.
         
circle   Amelia Earhart   Women in the Postal Service and Philately
From the depictions of prominent and remarkable women on American postage stamps to the role of women within the US postal system, the museum’s website has something for everyone. A series of exhibits showcases the many and varied women celebrated on American stamps. Web visitors can learn more about the role of women in the history of America’s postal system, from famous aviatrix Amelia Earhart, to relatively unknown colonial postmaster Mary Katherine Goddard.
 
 
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