Every Stamp Tells a Story: The National Philatelic Collection (Smithsonian Contribution to Knowledge)

Part I. Connecting Stamps To History And Culture -- 1. The World Of Stamps And The Inverted Jenny / Cheryl R. Ganz -- 2. Gems Of American Philately / Cheryl R. Ganz -- 3. History Of The National Philatelic Collection / Daniel A. Piazza -- Part Ii. Focusing On United States Stamps -- Creation Of The National Stamp Collection / Cheryl R. Ganz -- The National Stamp Collection / Cheryl R. Ganz, Daniel A. Piazza, And M.t. Sheahan -- U.s. Stamp Designs Over Time / Cheryl R. Ganz -- Part Iii. Expanding Beyond The National Stamp Collection -- The Postmaster General's Collection / Cheryl R. Ganz And Daniel A. Piazza -- The Benjamin K. Miller Collection / Cheryl R. Ganz -- U.s. Revenues / Ronald E. Lesher -- Part Iv. Binding The Nation -- History Of U.s. Postal Operations / Nancy A. Pope -- Mail Marks History / Cheryl R. Ganz And Daniel A. Piazza -- Military Mail / Lynn Heidelbaugh -- Hawaii / Cheryl R. Ganz -- Canal Zone And The Missing Bridge Error / Richard Bates -- Part V. Understanding Worldwide Cultures Through Philately -- The International Collections / Cheryl R. Ganz And Daniel A. Piazza -- International Treasures / Daniel A. Piazza -- Part Vi. Creating A New Home For A National Treasure -- The William H. Gross Stamp Gallery / Cheryl R. Ganz -- Windows Into America / Cheryl R. Ganz. Edited By Cheryl R. Ganz, With M.t. Sheahan ; Foreword By Richard R. John. Includes Index. Includes Bibliographical References (pages 131-132) And Index. Every stamp and piece of mail tells a story. In fact, each often tells multiple stories, ranging from concept to art design to production to usage, often with tales of politics, history, technology, biography, genealogy, economics, geography, disaster, and triumph. The lens of philately offers a fresh and engaging story of American history, culture, and identity, and it can also help deepen the understanding of world cultures. The William H. Gross Stamp Gallery, opened at the Smithsonian National Postal Museum in September 2013, has many such stories to tell. Chief philately curator Cheryl R. Ganz guides readers through some of the gallery's nearly 20,000 objects that together illustrate the history of our nation's postal operations and postage stamps. Showcases objects from the National Postal Museum's William H. Gross Stamp Gallery that illustrate the history of the U.S. postal service, including the Inverted Jenny and the envelope the Apollo 15 astronauts postmarked on the Moon