Virtual Exhibitions

The below virtual exhibits are available online only; they are not on display in the museum.

Fifteen Objects that Changed Postal History

In celebration of the National Postal Museum's fifteenth anniversary, this exhibit uses 15 items in the National Postal Museum's collections to examine important developments in the history of the U.S. postal system.

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10-cent Lexington and Concord 1775 by Sandham stamp

Onwards to Victory

American Military History Through Stamps (1775-1913)
This virtual exhibition showcases major events in American military history from the start of the American Revolution through the Spanish-American War.

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Oddly Interesting

Beyond those items that everyone would expect to see in a postal museum are some objects that raise eyebrows among the museum's staff, let alone the general public.

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$5 Columbian Exposition Panama-Pacific small die proof

The Nation’s First Commemorative Stamps

The 400th anniversary of Christopher Columbus’s initial landing in the “New World” provided Chicagoans with an occasion to reflect, to celebrate, and to memorialize the adventurous Italian navigator. Though financial and construction problems postponed the celebration for one year, in 1893 city leaders hosted a magnificent international exhibition to commemorate both Columbus and the nation’s progress over those four centuries—the 1893 World’s Columbian Exposition. In keeping with the exposition’s celebratory theme, the U.S. Post Office Department issued the nation’s first commemorative stamps, the “Columbians”.

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Dan Brown’s Lost Symbol

Many of the people and places mentioned in Dan Brown's THE LOST SYMBOL appear on U.S. postage stamps. Without revealing Brown’s plot, this philatelic narrative showcases stamps that fall into this genre.

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3-cent Byrd Antarctic Expedition II President Franklin D. Roosevelt sketch, Scott #733

Farley’s Follies

Postmaster General James A. Farley was not a stamp collector. But at the very beginning of the FDR administration, he was determined to further ingratiate himself with the “Boss,” as he called Roosevelt, by giving him unusual examples of new postal issues.

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Free Frank front from England, with a Sunday postmark

Free Franks

Congress has generally reserved free franking privileges for the Legislature. However, it has authorized exceptions from time-to-time. Examples of some of these exceptions appear on covers in this collection.

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Hunting for Wiesenthals

The world knows Simon Wiesenthal as a Holocaust survivor who tracked down Nazi war criminals for more than half a century. What many do not know is that he spent his evenings on a very different quest: searching for vintage postage stamps.

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Certified Plate Proofs

Welcome to the National Postal Museum collection of certified plate proofs (CPPs).

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3.50e Vasco da Gama's Route to India stamp

Allan Lee Collection of Map Stamps: Volume 6

Maps and Their Elements
Allan Lee’s collection of maps on stamps represents thirty-four years of collecting passion. The intensive historical and cartographic research that he and his assistant, Wilfrid Webster, conducted took years to compile, document, and authenticate. Lee traveled to 110 countries and corresponded with their national libraries and archives in this pursuit.

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Guggenheim Museum Opens in New York

On October 21, 1959, the Solomon R. Guggenheim Museum opened in New York City. The museum's building was designed by legendary American architect Frank Lloyd Wright. To celebrate this event, the National Postal Museum has created this mini-exhibit highlighting different postage stamps with connections to the Guggenheim Museum and Frank Lloyd Wright.

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I Love Lucy Premiers on CBS

On October 15, 1951, real life husband and wife Desi Arnaz and Lucile Ball first appeared as the fictional married couple Lucy and Ricky Ricardo on CBS's newest television show I Love Lucy. Nine seasons later, the two had cemented themselves in American television history forever.

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California Becomes a State

On September 9, 1850, California was admitted to the Union as the 31st American state. In celebration of California's birthday, the National Postal Museum has created this mini-exhibit highlighting different objects and postage stamps with connections to the state of California.

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34-cent Alfred Nobel and Obverse of Medals stamp

Nobel Prize Winners of 2009

And a Look Back at Past Recipients
To honor the recipients of the 2009 Nobel Prizes, the National Postal Museum has created this mini-exhibit to highlight the winners' achievements and look back on past recipients.

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Planet Neptune Discovered!

On September 23, 1846, Astronomer Johann Galle pinpointed the planet Neptune through a telescope at the Berlin Observatory in 1846. To celebrate this event, the National Postal Museum has created this mini-exhibit highlighting different postage stamps with connections to the Planet Neptune and the timeline of its discovery.

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1-cent Pilgrim Tercentenary The Mayflower stamp

Mayflower Departs England for the New World

On September 16, 1620, the Mayflower set sail for the New World. In celebration of this historic event, the National Postal Museum has created this mini-exhibit highlighting different objects and postage stamps with connections to the Mayflower and the Pilgrims.

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1-cent Americana - Inkwell and Quill stamp

Ray Bradbury

The Man, His Life and His Work
Ray Bradbury wrote numerous books, articles, poems and short stories and is remembered as one of the great science fiction and fantasy writers of the 20th century.

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In Memoriam: Jimi Hendrix

On September 18, 1970, legendary musician Jimi Hendrix died. In celebration of Hendrix's life and music, the National Postal Museum has created this mini-exhibit highlighting different postage stamps with connections to Jimi Hendrix and the era in American history that he helped shape.

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World’s First Self-Sustaining Nuclear Chain Reaction Produced

On December 2, 1942, the Manhattan Project’s team of scientists produced the world’s first self-sustaining nuclear chain reaction at the University of Chicago. To commemorate this important accomplishment, the Smithsonian National Postal Museum has created this mini-exhibit highlighting different objects with connections to this event.

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President Truman Dedicates Everglades National Park

On December 6, 1947, President Harry Truman dedicated the Everglades National Park in the state of Florida, protecting more than 2,000 square miles of wetlands and wildlife. In celebration of this event, the National Postal Museum has created this mini-exhibit showcasing the history and wildlife of one of America’s most unique treasures.

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Postal Sources (for Educators)

Primary or Secondary Sources?

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Mail, Myth and Reality (for Educators)

Primary or Secondary Sources?

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Mail and Migration (for Educators)

Primary or Secondary Sources?

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Virtual Exhibitions

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