Lately in Philately . . .

Did you know that U.S. President Franklin Delano Roosevelt was an avid stamp collector? He once said, “I owe my life to my hobbies-especially stamp collecting.”

A small but enthusiastic group of interns convened at the National Postal Museum a few weeks ago to follow in FDR’s footsteps for an afternoon of philately, the study of stamps and postal history. First, they chatted and ate lunch while they sorted through piles and piles of prints of old stamps, repurposing them to decorate postcards. Then, they took a docent-led tour of the museum, taking with them fascinating tidbits of postal history, like that the celebrated transcontinental Pony Express mail service ran for only eighteen months. At the end of the afternoon, the interns left with their handmade mementos and a greater appreciation for the field of philately.

The interns display their handiwork.