Stamp Stories | National Postal Museum

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Welcome to Stamp Stories, where we explore topics that appear on postage stamps.

Eugenie Clark stamp featuring a shark and Eugenie Clark wearing a snorkle

Stamp Stories: Eugenie Clark, Shark Lady

Dive into the story of scientist Eugenie Clark with the National Postal Museum and the Smithsonian Environmental Research Center. Learn about Clark’s remarkable life and the importance of shark research and protection through a children’s book, photos, and postage stamps.

two Mariachi stamps

Stamp Stories: Mariachi

Join educators from the National Postal Museum and the National Museum of the American Latino for an exploration of Mexican mariachi music with a children’s book, museum objects, and postage stamps.

dos sellos de Mariachi

Los Cuentos de Sellos: Mariachi

Únase a educadores del Museo Postal Nacional y el Museo Nacional del Latino Estadounidense para explorar la música de mariachi mexicana con un libro para niños, objetos de museo y sellos postales.

60 cent Hubble Space Telescope stamp

Stamp Stories: Telescopes

Wonder at the mysteries of space and learn how telescopes have helped astronomers uncover them. Smithsonian educators from the National Postal Museum and the Center for Astrophysics guide an exploration of telescopes through images, a children’s book, and postage stamps.

postage stamp featuring Roberto Clemente ready to swing a baseball bat

Stamp Stories: Roberto Clemente

Join educators from the National Postal Museum and the Smithsonian Institution Traveling Exhibition Service for an exploration of the life and legacy of baseball great Roberto Clemente. Discover his inspirational story through a children’s book, museum objects, and postage stamps.

Giant Panda stamp featuring an illustration of a panda chewing on a branch

Stamp Stories: Giant Pandas

Celebrate fifty years of giant pandas at the Smithsonian! Educators from the National Postal Museum and the National Zoo and Conservation Biology Institute highlight giant panda facts and history with photos, a children’s book, and postage stamps.

1963 March on Washington 37c cent postage stamp with painting of a crowd holding signs

Stamp Stories: Alma Thomas

Delight in the colorful world of the paintings of Alma Thomas with the National Postal Museum and the Hirshhorn Museum and Sculpture Garden. Educators explore Thomas’s life and work through museum objects, a children’s book, and postage stamps.

stamp featuring a sculpture resembling a mother holding a child

Stamp Stories: Isamu Noguchi

Discover how eastern and western cultures intersected in the life and art of Japanese American designer Isamu Noguchi. Educators from the National Postal Museum and Cooper Hewitt, Smithsonian Design Museum explore how Noguchi expressed his dual identities by looking at examples of his work and by reading a children’s book about his extraordinary life.

sheet of 12 stamps featuring the Lunar New Year dragon

Stamp Stories: Dragons

Delve into the symbolism of dragons in Chinese culture with the National Postal Museum and the National Museum of Asian Art. Educators share a dragon origin story and highlight dragons in Asian art objects and on postage stamps.

13 cent postage stamp featuring a basket design on a quilt

Stamp Stories: Quilts

Enjoy an introduction to quilts with the National Postal Museum and the National Museum of American History. Educators touch on the artistry and history of quilts through collection images, a children’s book, and postage stamps.

25 cent Tyrannosaurus Rex stamp featuring two Tyrannosaurus Rexes, one close up and one distant, in front of a cloudy sunset

Stamp Stories: Tyrannosaurus Rex

Dig into some fascinating facts about Tyrannosaurus rex with the National Postal Museum and the National Museum of Natural History.

Four Day of the Dead stamps featuring illustrations of sugar skulls and flowers

Stamp Stories: Day of the Dead

Join educators from the National Postal Museum and the National Museum of the American Indian for a book read-aloud and an exploration of the imagery and traditions of the Mexican celebration of Day of the Dead | Día de los Muertos.
Únase a los educadores del Museo Postal Nacional y del Museo Nacional del Indígena Americano para leer un libro y explorar las imágenes y tradiciones de la celebración mexicana del Día de Muertos.

A color Romare Bearden stamp

Stamp Stories: Romare Bearden

Explore the colorful and creative world of renowned artist and Civil Rights activist Romare Bearden with the National Postal Museum and the Smithsonian American Art Museum. Educators share the story of Bearden’s life and work through collection images, a children’s book, and postage stamps.

44-cent Northern Kelp Crab stamp

Stamp Stories: Fiddler Crabs

Discover how the topics of fiddler crabs, tropical biodiversity, and the Panama Canal are all connected with this fully bilingual video (English/Spanish).
Descubra cómo los temas de los cangrejos violinistas, la biodiversidad tropical, y el Canal de Panamá están conectados con este video completamente bilingüe (inglés/español).

postage stamp featuring an illustration of Amelia Earhart standing with a plane in the background

Stamp Stories: Amelia Earhart

Take a look at pilot Amelia Earhart’s compelling story with the National Postal Museum and the National Portrait Gallery. Educators explore Earhart’s life and accomplishments through museum objects and a children’s book.

Stamp featuring a break dancer and a boom box

Stamp Stories: Hip Hop

Celebrate the diverse culture of hip hop with the National Postal Museum and the National Museum of African American History and Culture. Educators explore museum objects, read a children’s book, and share postage stamps to reveal a rich history that spans decades.

Stamp featuring Rachel Carson

Stamp Stories: Rachel Carson

Explore the life of celebrated environmentalist Rachel Carson with the National Postal Museum and Smithsonian Gardens. Educators read a children’s book on Carson’s life, highlight elements of the Smithsonian Gardens Habitat exhibit, and share postage stamps related to these topics.

37-cent Pacific Coral Reef pane of ten stamps

Stamp Stories: Ocean

Dive into an underwater exploration with special guest Carol Kaufmann, author of the book Ocean. Learn about some of the amazing creatures that live in the ocean all over the world and discover both US and international stamps that match the animals in the book.

Daylight train stamp depicting a locomotive pulling train cars through countryside

Stamp Stories: Trains

Take a ride through rail history with the National Postal Museum and the National Museum of American History. Educators share museum objects and a children’s book that offer a look at some fascinating facts about trains, railroads, and postal history.

A Forever stamp with illustration of Celia Cruz singing

Stamp Stories: Celia Cruz

Learn about the inspirational life of Celia Cruz, an Afro-Cuban singer whose talent and charisma helped to popularize salsa music in the United States.
Aprenda sobre la vida inspiradora de Celia Cruz, una cantante afrocubana cuyo talento y carisma ayudó a popularizar la musica salsa en los Estados Unidos.

Ruth Asawa and a sheet of stamps showing her artwork

Stamp Stories: Ruth Asawa

Learn about the fascinating life of Ruth Asawa, a Japanese American artist whose sculptures are featured on a set of postage stamps issued by the USPS in August 2020.

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