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Smithsonian National Postal Museum
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1
2:26
Long Life Vehicle Tests
by SmithsonianNPM 56 views
Video footage of Long Live Vehicle testing performed in Laredo, Texas in 1985. During the tests, which totaled 24,000 miles in all, officials challenged the endurance and maneuverability of three vehicles produced by Grumman and General Motors, Poveco (Fruehauf & General Automotive Corp), and American Motors.
Read more: http://npm.si.edu/museum/1d_LLV.html -
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1:09:55
The Art of the Stamp, Maynard Sundman Lecture 2012
by SmithsonianNPM 298 views
The Tenth Annual Maynard Sundman Lecture "The Art of the Stamp," Saturday, November 10th, 2012, Smithsonian National Postal Museum.
The 2012 Sundman Lecture focused on the art, process, and philosophy of contemporary stamp design. It featured speakers from the stamp designing and collecting community, including Citizen Stamp Advisory Committee member Janet Klug, US Postal Service art director Antonio Alcalรก, stamp artist and professor at the Fashion Institute of Technology Kam Mak, artist/illustrator Howard Koslow, and photographer Sally Andersen-Bruce. The program included an opportunity to have philatelic items signed by speakers. -
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2:01
Backing and Wrapping
by SmithsonianNPM 125 views
This video illustrates the basic step-by-step instructions for a preservation process called backing and wrapping. Objects that are too thick to be encapsulated are backed and wrapped using mylar and mat board. Covers with wax seals are also preserved in this way so that they do not bend and crack. Encapsulating does not have a mat board backing to support the object but rather the object is sandwiched and sealed between two sheets of mylar.
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2:33
Owney the Dog's Story, as Told by his Typist
by SmithsonianNPM 267 views
Owney was a mutt who lived in the 1880s and 1890s. He befriended postal clerks and traveled by Railway Mail Service. In this short video, staff member Erin Blasco introduces Owney's story and explains how the museum uses Owney to connect the public with key Postal Museum stories, both online and in the museum. To learn more about Owney, visit http://npm.si.edu/owney and follow him on Facebook or Twitter! You can also download his free iPad e-book or watch it online.
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5:46
The EdLab Effect: "Be the Change"
by SmithsonianNPM 397 views
The EdLab is a current, three-year initiative at the National Postal Museum incorporating new technologies and 21st century skills into classroom teaching. The program provides teacher workshops that connect Smithsonian collections to classroom content using new media tools. Educators in the workshops develop teaching skills through the lens of new media and produce mission-focused lesson plans for use in their classrooms. These missions and practices will be posted online, broadening access to educators across the nation.
http://www.npm.si.edu/edlab -
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2:22
"Protect Yourself" - US Postal Inspection Service Video
by SmithsonianNPM 575 views
U.S. Postal Inspection Service video.
Smithsonian National Postal Museum exhibit, "POSTAL INSPECTORS:
THE SILENT SERVICE"
http://npm.si.edu/inspectors
Transcript: http://npm.si.edu/inspectors/VIDEO_TRANSCRIPT.pdf -
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9:28
"All Systems at Work" (with captions)
by SmithsonianNPM 814 views
Each day the United States Postal Service processes hundreds of millions of pieces of mail and delivers to over 150 million addresses. At the center of this bustling postal network are more than a hundred Processing and Distribution Centers spread across the United States.
This video shows how letters, catalogs, magazines, and parcels make their way through mail centers. Click the "Full screen" button in the lower right corner of the video to watch full-screen.
Visit the online exhibit: http://npm.si.edu/systemsatwork
View without captions: http://youtu.be/ELAHw0JNdVk -
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9:53
Frank Ward, Ground Crew Member, "Hindenburg," May 6, 1937
by SmithsonianNPM 900 views
Frank Ward was a ground crew member for the "Hindenburg" on May 6, 1937. In this video, he describes his eye-witness view of the airship's approach, the disaster, and the aftermath. This video was made at the Smithsonian National Postal Museum.
Read more: http://npm.si.edu/fireandice
Transcript: http://npm.si.edu/fireandice/Frank_Ward_Interview_Transcript.pdf -
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1:08
"Multi-Position Letter Sorting Machine" (MPLSM)
by SmithsonianNPM 2,784 views
A short silent film showing the Multi-Position Letter Sorting Machine (MPLSM).
MPLSM operators used 20-key keyboards to type in two or three numbers from the ZIP code, so the machine could then sort the mail into one of 277 or more bins representing sections of the country. These operators sorted mail at rates of 60 letters per minute.
Visit the online exhibit: http://npm.si.edu/systemsatwork -
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1:55
"Carrier Sequence Bar Code Sorter" (CSBCS)
by SmithsonianNPM 1,080 views
A short film showing the Carrier Sequence Bar Code Sorter (CSBCS) in action.
The CSBCS is an automated machine that sorts the mail through the barcode to an individual letter carrier's mail route.
Visit the online exhibit: http://npm.si.edu/systemsatwork -
11
8:32
Missing You - Letters from Wartime
by SmithsonianNPM 579 views
"Missing You - Letters from Wartime," about wartime letters, 1861-2010, expresses the essential connection of mail between military personnel and the families and friends left behind.
Visit the online exhibit: http://npm.si.edu/mailcall
Video Credits: http://npm.si.edu/mailcall/videos/Credits_MissingYou-Video_2011.pdf -
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9:28
"All Systems at Work"
by SmithsonianNPM 6,051 views
Each day the United States Postal Service processes hundreds of millions of pieces of mail and delivers to over 150 million addresses. At the center of this bustling postal network are more than a hundred Processing and Distribution Centers spread across the United States.
This video shows how letters, catalogs, magazines, and parcels make their way through mail centers. Click the "Full screen" button in the lower right corner of the video to watch full-screen.
Visit the online exhibit: http://npm.si.edu/systemsatwork
View captioned video: http://youtu.be/agVU6KHmLR4 -
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1:10
Throwing Mail Into Bags
by SmithsonianNPM 2,090 views
Postal workers sorted some mail by tossing it into bags. This short, 57-second, silent video was produced by the "American Mutoscope & Biograph Company" in 1903. Notice the stage backdrop painted to resemble the interior of a post office.
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9:14
River of Mail
by SmithsonianNPM 625 views
"River of Mail" is a nine-minute video produced by the Post Office Department in the late 1960s to teach the public about mail processing methods used during the 1960s and early 1970s.
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1:03
"Put ZIP in Your Postal System" ZIP Code Video
by SmithsonianNPM 822 views
"Put ZIP in Your Postal System" ZIP Code Campaign Public Service Announcement Video produced by the Post Office Department, mid-1960s.
Transcript: http://npm.si.edu/zipcodecampaign/video/zip_code_message.pdf -
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1:05
Johnny Puleo ZIP Code Video
by SmithsonianNPM 1,028 views
Johnny Puleo ZIP Code Campaign Public Service Announcement Video produced by the Post Office Department, mid-1960s.
Transcript: http://npm.si.edu/zipcodecampaign/video/zip_code_Johnny_Puleo.pdf -
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0:31
"Handling" ZIP Code Video
by SmithsonianNPM 43 views
"Handling" ZIP Code Campaign Public Service Announcement Video produced by the Post Office Department, mid-1960s.
Transcript: http://npm.si.edu/zipcodecampaign/video/handling_zip_code_video.pdf -
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1:01
"Help!" ZIP Code Video
by SmithsonianNPM 398 views
"Help!" ZIP Code Campaign Public Service Announcement Video produced by the Post Office Department, mid-1960s.
Transcript: http://npm.si.edu/zipcodecampaign/video/help_zip_code_video.pdf -
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0:20
"Shop Early" ZIP Code Video
by SmithsonianNPM 87 views
"Shop Early" ZIP Code Campaign Public Service Announcement Video produced by the Post Office Department, mid-1960s.
Transcript: http://npm.si.edu/zipcodecampaign/video/shop_early_zip_code_video.pdf -
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14:25
"Swingin' Six" ZIP Code Video
by SmithsonianNPM 2,614 views
"Swingin' Six" ZIP Code Campaign Public Service Announcement Video produced by the Post Office Department, mid-1960s.
Transcript: http://npm.si.edu/zipcodecampaign/video/swingin_six_zip_code_video.pdf -
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2:46
Interview with Postal Clerk Corporal Ben Magiera
by SmithsonianNPM 252 views
An interview with postal clerk Corporal Ben Magiera about the mail's effect on morale.
U.S. Marine Corps video by Lance Corporal Kenneth Jasik.
Visit the online exhibit: http://npm.si.edu/mailcall
Transcript: http://npm.si.edu/mailcall/audio/NPMtranscript_Magiera-Afghanistan-2010_DVIDS-100111241_USMC.pdf -
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3:05
Interview with Specialist Sergio Tobias, Kirkuk, Iraq
by SmithsonianNPM 158 views
An interview with Specialist Sergio Tobias as he describes his responsibilities with the U.S. Army, Detachment 3, 394th Postal Company in Kirkuk, Iraq on January 10, 2006.
Video by U.S. Army 133rd Mobile Public Affairs Detachment.
Visit the online exhibit: http://npm.si.edu/mailcall
Transcript: http://npm.si.edu/mailcall/audio/NPMtranscript_Tobias-Iraq-2006_DVIDS-I06011608_Army.pdf -
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53:20
Orphans Preferred: The Twisted Truth and Lasting Legend of the Pony Express
by SmithsonianNPM 231 views
Author Christopher Corbett spoke about his book "Orphans Preferred: The Twisted Truth and Lasting Legend of the Pony Express" on October 8, 2011 at the Smithsonian National Postal Museum. Corbett explains why we remember the Pony Express in the way that we do an how the story is intertwined with myth, legends, exaggeration, and the occasional whopper. You can find out more about the Pony Express at www.postalmuseum.si.edu/PonyExpress We'd love to know what you think of this video. Find us on Facebook or Twitter (@PostalMuseum)!
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4:56
Remembering September 11, 2001: Letter Carrier Emma Thornton
by SmithsonianNPM 771 views
Emma Thornton's route covered floors 77 through 110 of Tower 1. It was the first to be struck that day. 10048 and 10047 were the ZIP codes for the World Trade Center buildings. Neither code exists today. On the morning of September 11, the employees of Church Street Station Post Office were busy at work inside the building, across the street from the World Trade Center. Thornton was preparing her mail for delivery. She stepped outside for a break. In this video, Thornton explains what happened that day.
In the days after September 11, Church Street Station Post Office employees were re-located to other postal facilities nearby. Customers came to the post office to collect their mail. It was an opportunity for relief and reunion.
This oral history was recorded and edited by the Smithsonian National Postal Museum. Learn more about the impact of 9/11 at http://www.postalmuseumblog.si.edu/september11 -
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11:51
Great Train Robbery (Parts 1, 2 and 3)
by SmithsonianNPM 2,108 views
The "Great Train Robbery," is the first narrative film. Directed in 1903 by Edwin S. Porter, who had worked as a cameraman for Thomas Edison. The 11-minute long film was shot in and near Edison's New Jersey studio. The storyline was inspired by several genuine robberies of mail trains in the American West.
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47:29
Curator Talk Experimental Airmail
by SmithsonianNPM 337 views
Curator Nancy A. Pope shared the dangerous and fascinating story of early experimental airmail flights on February 18, 2011, the centennial of the Wiseman-Cooke flight from Petaluma to Santa Rosa, California. From 1911 to 1914, postmasters across the country were urged to get involved with local aviation events and encourage pilots to carry mail on their flights.
Ms. Pope refers to the following pilots and aviators: John Wise, the Wright Brothers, Glenn L Curtiss, Frederick Wiseman, Henri Pequet, Gustav Hamel, Jule Vedrines, Earle Ovington, Cal Rogers, Walter Brookins, Lincoln Beachey, Charles Walsh, Farnum T Fish, Horace Kearney, Max Lillie, Paul Peck, Walter Edwards, Katherine Stinson, and Joseph Stevenson. -
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58:59
The Philately of New Zealand - Innovation Born of Necessity, 1855-1955, Maynard Sundman Lecture 2011
by SmithsonianNPM 524 views
Robert P. Odenweller, recipient of many philatelic awards, spoke as part of the 9th annual Maynard Sundman lecture on February 5, 2011.
Located halfway around the globe from precious stamp-making supplies, New Zealand's postal service used ingenious methods to recover and reuse materials, inadvertently adding to the richness of the philately of New Zealand. Mr. Odenweller examined some of the innovative measures taken to reduce waste and to make the best use of the materials available, along with other pioneering efforts to meet growing postal demands. Ingenuity dictated ways to keep the system running, and created a fascinating array of varieties that interest us today.
The video begins with a welcome from Donald Sundman, chair of the Postal Museum Council of Philatelists. Postal Museum curator Cheryl Ganz then introduces Mr. Odenweller.
View past Sundman lectures here: http://postalmuseum.si.edu/sundman -
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46:45
There's Always Work at the Post Office
by SmithsonianNPM 699 views
Author Philip F. Rubio discussed his book "There's Always Work at the Post Office: African American Postal Workers and the Fight for Jobs, Justice, and Equality."
On November 7, 1940, just two days after the election that President Franklin D. Roosevelt won for his third term, he signed Executive Order 8587 abolishing the civil service application photograph. This was no minor matter. The NAACP and the historically-black National Alliance of Postal Employees (NAPE, formed in 1913 after blacks were excluded from the Railway Mail Association) had been campaigning against the use of the application photograph since the Wilson administration began using it in 1914 to screen out as many African American applicants as it could. And the National Association of Letter Carriers (NALC), at the time still battling to keep Jim Crow branches out of its organization, had voted at its 1939 convention to support abolition of the discriminatory application photograph.
November 6, 2010 -
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52:04
The King's Best Highway: The Lost History of the Boston Post Road
by SmithsonianNPM 785 views
Eric Jaffe discussed his book "The King's Best Highway: The Lost History of the Boston Post Road, the Route That Made America." From its earliest days as the country's first postal route to the current era, the Boston Post Road has carried not just travelers and mail, but the march of American history itself. A Q&A session followed. Learn more about the book at: http://kingsbesthighway.com
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0:54
Loading Mail Car
by SmithsonianNPM 211 views
Short silent 1903 film depicting a driver of postal screen wagon unloading mail into Railway Post Office train car. The original film is in the collection of the Library of Congress.
Read more at: http://npm.si.edu/exhibits/2b1c2_screenwagon.html -
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0:29
Fast Mail Train
by SmithsonianNPM 299 views
Short silent 1903 film depicting two Railway Post Office train cars placed between the engine and the passenger cars. This placement was for the safety of rail passengers. The original film is in the collection of the Library of Congress.
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1:07:58
The First Canada-US Joint Issue: The 1959 St. Lawrence Seaway Commemorative and its Famous Invert
by SmithsonianNPM 233 views
Historian Charles Verge, is past-president of the Royal Philatelic Society of Canada and the American Association of Philatelic Exhibitors, curator of the Canadian National Stamp Collection, a prolific writer, exhibitor, and judge. He has written three books and over 200 articles related to philately in newspapers, specialized magazines, and general publications. He is a member of many local, national, and international philatelic organizations. Verge has been honored as a Fellow of the Royal Philatelic Society London and received the Queen Elizabeth II Golden Jubilee Medal in 2002 for his philatelic achievements.
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29:32
Collecting History: 125 Years of the National Philatelic Collection and Philatelic Fish Stories
by SmithsonianNPM 1,048 views
Curator of philately Daniel Piazza spoke about the National Postal Museum's newest exhibit, Collecting History: 125 Years of the National Philatelic Collection. Though the National Philatelic Collection contains incredible objects and rare artifacts, there are a few famous examples of the philatelic material that got away. Piazza shared these "philatelic fish stories" as well as described some of the things you *will* find in the collection.
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57:24
The First Canada-US Joint Issue, Charles Verge, Maynard Sundman Lecture 2010
by SmithsonianNPM 275 views
"The First Canada-US Joint Issue: The 1959 St. Lawrence Seaway Commemorative and its Famous Invert" presented by Charles Verge, The Eighth Annual Maynard Sundman Lecture, September 19, 2010, Smithsonian National Postal Museum. The museum's Maynard Sundman Lecture Series was established in 2002 through a donation by his sons, David and Donald. The Sundman lectures feature talks by authors and expert philatelists on stamps and stamp collecting.
Visit: http://www.postalmuseum.si.edu/Sundman -
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2:22
Celebrating Hispanic Heritage: People, Places and Events on stamps
by SmithsonianNPM 699 views
Stamps illuminate what we value as a people and a culture, and the Smithsonian National Postal Museum's exhibit, "Celebrating Hispanic Heritage: People, Places and Events on Stamps" sheds new light on the many contributions of Hispanic Americans and Latinos to the exploration, culture, growth, and defense of the United States.
Read more: http://npm.si.edu/HispanicAmericans -
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0:33
Origins of the Sidewalk Mailbox
by SmithsonianNPM 112 views
As mail volumes (and parcel sizes) grew, the Post Office Department looked to bigger mailboxes to handle it all. Read more: http://npm.si.edu/exhibits/2b1d_mailboxes.html
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0:44
Stagecoaches and the Beginnings of Contract Mail Delivery
by SmithsonianNPM 287 views
America's postal system has always relied on a variety of transportation systems, using contracts with companies to ensure that mail can reach across the nation, binding individuals, families and businesses together through regularly scheduled mail services. Read more: http://npm.si.edu/exhibits/2a4c_wagons.html
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1:23
U.S. and International Stamps Gallery
by SmithsonianNPM 105 views
Rotating U.S. and international stamp displays are housed in pullout frames, featuring extraordinary materials sure to excite all museum visitors from those with a general interest in postage stamps to serious philatelists.
Read more at: http://npm.si.edu/exhibits/2f_philatelic.html -
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2:55
Early Postal Technology
by SmithsonianNPM 999 views
An examination of the technologies the Post Office Department used to move mail in America's growing cities at the turn of the 20th century. Read more: http://npm.si.edu/exhibits/2b1_serving.html
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3:17
America's First Letter Carriers
by SmithsonianNPM 823 views
A look at the beginning of Free City Delivery, and the struggles of letter carriers over the next sixty years to ensure fair working conditions. Read more: http://npm.si.edu/exhibits/2b1_serving.html
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3:14
Story of a Pony Express Rider
by SmithsonianNPM 1,375 views
Retired Pony Express rider, "Boston," tells about life as a Pony Express rider. Read more: http://npm.si.edu/exhibits/2a5_ponyexpress.html
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0:54
Concord-style Mail Coach
by SmithsonianNPM 416 views
Concord-style mail coaches remained in use in the United States well into the early 1900s. Elegantly painted in bright colors and decorated with oil paintings on the doors, the fancy wagons were also built to stand up to the demands of the nation's rough and rugged roads. Read more: http://npm.si.edu/museum/1d_Concord_Mail_Coach.html
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4:55
Airmail: The Quest for Speed
by SmithsonianNPM 1,117 views
America's commercial aviation industry owes its start to the Post Office Department and the early airmail service.
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0:31
Airmail Beacon
by SmithsonianNPM 93 views
A look at the beginning of the use of aviation beacons in the U.S. Read more: http://npm.si.edu/museum/1d_Airmail_Beacon.html
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0:39
Mud Wagon
by SmithsonianNPM 250 views
A brief introduction to the use of stagecoaches to carry mail in the American frontier. Read about stagecoaches and mud wagons at: http://npm.si.edu/exhibits/2a4c_wagons.html
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0:26
Stinson Reliant and the Mail Pick-Up Service
by SmithsonianNPM 304 views
A brief introduction to the hook and wire airmail pick up service of the 1930s. Read about the Stinson Reliant at: http://npm.si.edu/exhibits/2c2b4_stinson.html
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0:35
USS Oklahoma Handstamp
by SmithsonianNPM 63 views
Dated "Dec. 6 1941," this handstamp was recovered from the USS Oklahoma after it sank during the attack on Pearl Harbor on December 7, 1941.
Read more at: http://npm.si.edu/exhibits/2d2_military.html -
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0:27
Hawes Patent Machine
by SmithsonianNPM 127 views
Russell L. Hawes invented the first commercially successful envelope producing machine in the United States. The machine was also ahead of its time as an ergonomic design. Read more: http://arago.si.edu/index.asp?con=2&cmd=1&id=17026&pg=1&mode
=1&tid=2036491 -
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0:43
Philatelic Galleries
by SmithsonianNPM 98 views
The main philatelic gallery is used to display world class collections loaned by philatelists as well as material from the Museum's collection. The rarities vault has featured changing exhibits of special objects from both the Museum and private collections.
Read more at: http://npm.si.edu/exhibits/2f_philatelic.html -
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0:45
The de Havilland DH-4 Airplane
by SmithsonianNPM 247 views
A brief introduction to the workhorse of the early airmail service, the de Havilland DH-4B airplane. Read more at: http://npm.si.edu/museum/1d_de_Havilland_DH-4.html
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0:42
The "Central America" Steamer
by SmithsonianNPM 3,510 views
A look at a mail ship that sank in the 19th century and made news again in the 20th -- the SS Central America. Read more at: http://npm.si.edu/exhibits/2a3c_americas.html
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0:37
The Wiseman-Cooke Airplane
by SmithsonianNPM 95 views
A brief introduction to Fred Wiseman's 1911 airmail flight from Petaluma to Santa Rosa, California.
Read more at: http://npm.si.edu/exhibits/2c2b1_wcooke.html -
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0:38
Pneumatic Mail Canister
by SmithsonianNPM 1,803 views
Networks of pneumatic tubes speeded mail along under city streets beginning in the 1890s. Mail was enclosed in pneumatic tube canisters that could hold up to 600 letters. The canisters traveled at an average of 35 miles per hour. The first pneumatic tubes were introduced in 1893 in Philadelphia. Boston, Brooklyn, New York, Chicago and St. Louis also used the system. By 1915, these six cities had more than 56 miles of pneumatic tubes pulsing under the streets. Read more at: http://npm.si.edu/museum/1d_Pneumatic_Mail.html
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0:43
Door Knocker
by SmithsonianNPM 506 views
Before mail boxes were common place in American homes, carriers used whistles and wooden door knockers (that fit over their knuckles) to let people know their mail had arrived.
Read more at: http://arago.si.edu/index.asp?con=2&cmd=1&id=17042&pg=1&mode=1&tid=2032268 -
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35:00
A-B-C's of Stamp Collecting by Janet Klug
by SmithsonianNPM 7,822 views
Going beyond the basics of stamp collecting, Janet Klug, past president of the American Philatelic Society and member of the Citizens' Stamp Advisory Committee, is your guide to topical stamp collecting.
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54:20
Growing Up Parker: My Life in Pens by Geoffrey Parker
by SmithsonianNPM 2,392 views
Geoffrey Parker, great grandson of George S. Parker, founder of Parker Pen Company, shares memories of discussing pen design around the dinner table in Janesville, Wisconsin. From the creative business techniques that made the company so successful worldwide to the shocking switch to colorful inks, Parker's thoughtful talk is both pen history and family history. -- May 29, 2010, National Postal Museum.
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1:09:16
Rediscovering Frances Perkins: The Woman Behind the New Deal
by SmithsonianNPM 253 views
Frances Perkins was the only woman in President Franklin D. Roosevelt's cabinet and one of his close friends. As an architect of the New Deal, she designed the mechanisms the country uses to recover from financial calamity and created the social safety net that is helping to minimize the damage to Americans today. In this presentation author Kirstin Downey discusses her book "The Woman Behind the New Deal." May 27, 2010, Smithsonian National Postal Museum
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57:08
The Pony Express Diamond Jubilee: Revisiting the Excitement of the 1935 Re-ride
by SmithsonianNPM 445 views
During the Great Depression, the celebration of the 75th anniversary of the Pony Express captivated public attention. Boy Scouts carried mail along the trail route and presented it to President Roosevelt, who said This is something fine to add to my stamp collection. This lecture includes photographs and film clips from the Howard R. Driggs Archive at Southern Utah University that capture the excitement of the historic rerun. Driggs, a historian, was president of the Oregon Trail Memorial Association, which sponsored the Diamond Jubilee. Today's speaker Camille Bradford, an attorney in Denver, Colorado, is the stepdaughter of Howard R. Driggs and founder of the Howard R. Driggs Memorial Foundation. April 10, 2010, Smithsonian National Postal Museum
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58:06
The Pony Express Keeps Delivering
by SmithsonianNPM 673 views
The Pony Express may be 150 years old, but the celebration continues! Speakers from the National Pony Express Association, Inc. discuss how they honor the Pony Express today. Find out about the 1983 Slide Ride when members of the organization saddled up to ride the mail between two California towns made inaccessible by an avalanche, the 1996 Olympic Torch Relay Ride, and other stories from the trail. April 14, 2010, Smithsonian National Postal Museum
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47:31
Former Railway Post Office clerk interview: Healey, Booth and Hagy
by SmithsonianNPM 188 views
On August 19, 2009 Smithsonian National Postal Museum curator Nancy A Pope interviews Railway Post Office clerks, Bill Healey, Aubrey Booth and Gayle Hagy, about life on the rails.
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55:42
Former Railway Post Office clerk interview: Patton, Harvey, Mitterer and Coleman
by SmithsonianNPM 498 views
On August 19, 2009 Smithsonian National Postal Museum curator Nancy A. Pope interviewed Railway Post Office clerks, Charles Patton, Richard Harvey, Otho Mitterer and Robert Coleman. They shared humorous stories of railway hijinks, pranks, and daily life on the job.
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30:12
Former Railway Post Office clerk interview: Robert Butler
by SmithsonianNPM 103 views
On August 19, 2009 Smithsonian National Postal Museum curator Nancy A Pope interviews Railway Post Office clerk Robert Butler.
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33:11
Former Railway Post Office clerk interview: Donald Peters and John Sipko
by SmithsonianNPM 149 views
On August 19, 2009 Curator Nancy A Pope interviews two former Railway Post Office clerks, Donald Peters and John Sipko.
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47:53
Former Railway Post Office clerk interview: Greg Lowell, Donald Bliss and Gerald Lange
by SmithsonianNPM 230 views
On August 19, 2009 former Railway Post Office clerks, Greg Lowell, Donald Bliss and Gerald Lange were interviewed by Smithsonian National Postal Museum Curator Nancy A. Pope shared the ups and downs of life on the rails.
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35:15
Former Railway Post Office clerk interview: Joseph Gomez
by SmithsonianNPM 149 views
On August 19, 2009 Smithsonian National Postal Museum curator Nancy A Pope interviews Railway Post Office clerk Joseph Gomez.
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13:51
Hollywoods Historical Mishaps: The Pony Express
by SmithsonianNPM 704 views
Postal Museum family programs intern Emily S. selected six different Pony Express TV shows and movies as evidence in our case against Hollywoods historical mishaps. Bonanza (1966), Young Riders (1989), and The Adventures of Wild Bill Hickok (1951) compose our TV culprits, with Winds of the Wasteland (1936), Young Bill Hickok (1940), and Frontier Pony Express (1939) as our feature-length frauds. Read the blog post at: http://postalmuseumblog.si.edu/2010/03/hollywoods-historical
-mishaps-the-pony-express.html -
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1:52:02
40th Anniversary of the 1970 Postal Strike
by SmithsonianNPM 2,527 views
On March 18, 1970, Local 36 of New York City's National Association of Letter Carriers began a wildcat strike protesting low pay and poor job advancement. Postal workers in more than 30 cities joined the strike, crippling businesses nationwide. President Richard Nixon tried using the National Guard to process mail in New York City before negotiating with workers to end the strike almost two weeks after it began.
Vincent R. Sombrotto (president emeritus of the National Association of Letter Carriers and member of Local 36), William Burrus (president of the American Postal Workers Union), and George Gould (former Staff Director of the Subcommittee on Postal Operations and Services) discuss these momentous events and the dramatic changes the strike sparked in the nation's mail service and its employees' lives. -
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1:05:46
Penny Post Higher Quality
by SmithsonianNPM 292 views
In 19th-century England, letters were one of the few ways to communicate. But most people dreaded the postmans knock.
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1:07:32
Only a Penny: The Victorian Revolution in Letter Writing
by SmithsonianNPM 1,492 views
In 19th-century England, letters were one of the few ways to communicate. But most people dreaded the postmans knock. Postage was high, and the receiver, not the sender, had to pay for the letter. As Dr. Catherine Golden writes in her new book Posting It: The Victorian Revolution in Letter Writing, the Penny Post changed all of that. Join Dr. Golden on the 170th anniversary of the Penny Post as she discusses how the system was just as revolutionary in Victorian England as e-mail, texts, and tweets are today. The talk will feature Victorian postal products that illustrate the cultural impact of the Penny Post.
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2:56
Out of the Vault: The Certified Plate Proof Collection
by SmithsonianNPM 410 views
In February 2008, the National Postal Museum received a major Smithsonian grant to digitize its certified plate proof collection. In this video the Smithsonian Channel tells the story from start to finish.
http://www.postalmuseum.si.edu/collection
Transcript: http://npm.si.edu/collection/CPP_Video_Transcript.pdf -
72
1:37
Preview: Airmail Pick-Up Past & Present
by SmithsonianNPM 294 views
How did towns without airports get airmail? Airmail pick-up! This daring type of airmail, invented by a dentist and part-time inventor, drew a crowd in 1929.
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73
39:00
Airmail Pick-Up Past & Present
by SmithsonianNPM 2,203 views
On April 12, 1939, a bright red Stinson Reliant plane swooped out of the Pennsylvania sky, snatching a container of mail suspended on a rope between two poles. "Air pick-up" was invented by a dentist and part-time inventor to provide airmail to towns that lacked airports. The system was especially useful when mail volume boomed during World War II. Air pick-up carried airmail for about ten years, but it didn't go away entirely. Military and civilian uses for pick-up were soon found. In fact, later developments of pick-up are still used today! Gary Ell, creative marketing director at Zodiac Aerospace, discusses the past and present of this quirky invention which the company continues to develop today. Mr. Ell gave this talk at the Smithsonian National Postal Museum on November 7, 2009.
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74
7:33
Object Lessons from Victorian Postal Culture
by SmithsonianNPM 984 views
Skidmore College Professor of English, Catherine Golden an expert on Victorian literature and 19th-century illustration and women writers has written a new book that examines the impact of England's launch of the Penny Post in the early 19th century. She discusses her book in this podcast "Object Lessons from Victorian Postal Culture."
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75
40:10
Holding Pieces of History: Stamps & Postal Objects In The Classroom
by SmithsonianNPM 1,013 views
A talk on NPMs virtual museum Arago and hands on history through stamps and postal objects by Alexander Haimann at Saks Middle School, Anniston, Alabama, April 29, 2009.
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76
12:27
Encapsulating a Broadside
by SmithsonianNPM 1,419 views
Post conservation treatment, the philatelic broadside is now ready for exhibit preparation. Using an ultra sonic welder Manda Kowalczyk encapsulates the broadside between two sheets of polyester film to keep it water tight and protected while on exhibition.
"Conservation of a Broadside - Part One": http://youtu.be/DeP5KPEcKfY
"Conservation of a Broadside - Part Two": http://youtu.be/O0cokmKzwtk -
77
12:04
Mail by Missile
by SmithsonianNPM 433 views
Fifty years ago, the US Navy and Post Office Department placed 3,000 letters in a missile on board the USS Barbero submarine and aimed it at the Naval Auxiliary Air Station at Mayport, Florida. In this slideshow presentation, curator Nancy A. Pope reveals more about this Cold War era mail delivery experiment.
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78
1:04:54
Lincoln, Slavery, and the Civil War, by Eliot Landau, Maynard Sundman Lecture 2009
by SmithsonianNPM 2,306 views
"Lincoln, Slavery, and the Civil War" presented by Eliot A. Landau, The Seventh Annual Maynard Sundman Lecture, March 7, 2009, Smithsonian National Postal Museum. The museum's Maynard Sundman Lecture Series was established in 2002 through a donation by his sons, David and Donald. The Sundman lectures feature talks by authors and expert philatelists on stamps and stamp collecting.
Visit: http://www.postalmuseum.si.edu/Sundman
Transcript: http://npm.si.edu/sundman/Eliot_Landau_Sundman_Lecture_2009.pdf -
79
14:00
Conservation of a Broadside - Part Two: Flattening and Mending
by SmithsonianNPM 2,615 views
This second "Conservation of a Broadside" video shows the broadside after washing [view part one: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DeP5KPEcKfY ]. After the artifact was flattened, it was ready for mending and reinforcement in areas that were fragile. There were two very small edge tears on the right edge (in the upper portion) of the sheet, and there was a small slightly skinned area on the back of the broadside (on the back of the image area). The tears were mended and the skinned site reinforced, using very thin Japanese tissue and wheat starch paste. Providing mends and stabilizing the condition of the broadside allows for safe normal handling during subsequent exhibit preparation procedures.
"Encapsulating a Broadside": http://youtu.be/OfzQewjyO6o -
80
12:25
Conservation of a Broadside - Part One: Bathing and Removing Adhesive
by SmithsonianNPM 3,939 views
In this video National Postal Museum Conservator Helen Young treats a paper artifact that is to be put on exhibit. The paper artifact (a broadside) had originally been pasted into an album, and it was removed from the album page by the conservator. The broadside had creases and wrinkles, and paste remained on the back. This video shows conservation procedures that are typical for washing a paper artifact.
"Conservation of a Broadside - Part Two": http://youtu.be/O0cokmKzwtk
"Encapsulating a Broadside": http://youtu.be/OfzQewjyO6o -
81
3:15
National Postal Museum Finds Its Home
by SmithsonianNPM 594 views
A short video about the background to the Smithsonian Institution's preservation of postal history and the creation of the Smithsonian National Postal Museum.
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82
0:43
Binding the Nation Exhibit Tour
by SmithsonianNPM 154 views
A short video about the 'Binding the Nation' Exhibit at the Smithsonian National Postal Museum
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83
0:45
Customers and Communities Exhibit Tour
by SmithsonianNPM 91 views
A short video about the 'Customers and Communities' exhibit at the Smithsonian National Postal Museum
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84
0:47
Video Tour of the National Postal Museum Philatelic Galleries
by SmithsonianNPM 953 views
A short video about the Philatelic Galleries at the Smithsonian National Postal Museum.
Read more at: http://npm.si.edu/exhibits/2f_philatelic.html -
85
1:42
Smithsonian National Postal Museum Tour
by SmithsonianNPM 7,968 views
A short video about the Smithsonian National Postal Museum
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86
21:04
Green Ways to Move the Mail: "Learn from the Past and Face the Challenges of the Future"
by SmithsonianNPM 64 views
Green Ways to Move the Mail: A challenge for the New Century
Thursday, March 20, 2008
At the National Postal Museum
"Learn from the past and face the challenges of the future: the USPS point of view" presented by Wayne Corey Vehicle Operations Manager United States Postal Service.
Mr. Corey began his Postal Service career as an Automotive Mechanic at the Northern Virginia Vehicle Maintenance Facility. He transferred to the Columbia, MD VMF and to the Baltimore, MD VMF as a Supervisor, Vehicle Maintenance. While in Baltimore, Wayne became the Administrative Assistant of Fleet Operations before being promoted and returning to Northern Virginia as the General Supervisor of Vehicle Maintenance. He joined the Postal Service headquarters staff as a Fleet Maintenance Specialist in the former headquarters Office of Fleet Management. Wayne became the Manager of Vehicle Operations in November 2005.
Wayne brings strong institutional knowledge and experience to this position. His significant strengths are in the areas of strategic planning, team building, and understanding of the automotive industry. At headquarters, Mr. Corey has been involved all aspects of fleet management. He has been a major contributor in the vehicle acquisition program, which has resulted in the purchase of over 65,000 vehicles with contract prices exceeding $1.8B over the past ten years.
His responsibilities include integrating new technology based vehicles into the postal fleet without disrupting normal operations. He has over 30 years experience with alternative fuel vehicles of all types and sizes and has been involved in the evaluation and acquisition of over 42,000 alternative fuel capable vehicles.
Mr. Corey received his vehicle maintenance training in the U.S. Army prior to joining the Postal Service. His outside interests include fishing, golf, and of course, cars, particularly Corvettes. Wayne and his family reside in Chantilly VA. -
87
23:17
Green Ways to Move the Mail: "Technologies that May be Delivering Mail in the Future"
by SmithsonianNPM 40 views
Green Ways to Move the Mail: A challenge for the New Century
Thursday, March 20, 2008
At the National Postal Museum
From current to future technologies, you will hear what technologies may be delivering the mail in the future presented by Gerald Koss Marketing Manager Ford Motor Company's North America Fleet Operations.
Gerry Koss is the Marketing Manager for Ford Motor Company's North America Fleet, Lease and Remarketing Operations with responsibility for the development of the product, and marketing strategies for all current and future Ford, Lincoln and Mercury vehicle lines. He was named to this position on May 1, 2001.
In his assignment as the marketing manager, Mr. Koss has worked closely with the Ford Government Sales Operations and the US Postal Service on current and future product offerings. Additionally, as part of his responsibilities for future product strategies, Mr. Koss is the primary interface with the fleet industry on alternative fuel technologies.
Mr. Koss began his career with Ford in 1981 as a zone manager for Ford Customer Service Division in the Colorado market. Additionally, he has held various sales and marketing positions with both Ford Division and Lincoln and Mercury in Texas, New York and Michigan. -
88
20:05
Green Ways to Move the Mail: "Can We Avert Climate Catastrophe?"
by SmithsonianNPM 41 views
Green Ways to Move the Mail: A challenge for the New Century
Thursday, March 20, 2008
At the National Postal Museum
"Can we reverse the trend of increasing atmospheric CO2 and avert climate catastrophe?" presented by Dr. Bert Drake, Senior Scientist Smithsonian Environmental Research Center.
Dr. Bert G. Drake has been a plant physiologist at the Smithsonian Institution since 1970. Dr. Drake has been involved with many different research projects, but most notable would be his 20 year study of the effects of elevated CO2 on a Chesapeake Bay wetland now the longest running experiment of its type ever undertaken.
Dr. Drake has given testimony on the effects of rising atmospheric CO2 before the Senate Committee on the Environment. He was as a member of site review teams for NASA, DOE, USDA, the Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory, and the Natural Sciences and Engineering Research Council of Canada.
A popular lecturer, he is committed to public education about how environmental science at the Smithsonian Institution is helping to understand human impacts on the natural ecosystems on which our way of life depends. He is especially committed to making the public aware of the profound changes in terrestrial ecosystems occurring as a consequence of our consumption of fossil fuels and he often speaks on this topic at schools and civic organizations.
The talk he will give will focus on the approaches to replacing carbon based energy with alternative energy sources for transportation. The presentation will illustrate the magnitude of the problem of finding fuels to reduce the staggering amounts of CO2 we are currently injecting into the atmosphere. -
89
12:50
Green Ways to Move the Mail: "Charged Up: A Shocking History of Postal Trucks"
by SmithsonianNPM 65 views
Green Ways to Move the Mail: A challenge for the New Century
Thursday, March 20, 2008
At the National Postal Museum
Presented by Nancy A. Pope Historian & Curator Smithsonian National Postal Museum.
Nancy Pope has worked with the items in this collection since 1984 and curated the opening exhibits for the National Postal Museum in 1993. She has written articles on numerous aspects of postal history, including the Pony Express, Rural Free Delivery, Parcel Post Service, Letters and Letter Writing.
She directed the renovation of the Museum's website and is working on a plan to replace many of the museum's current exhibits. The renovation plan began in the atrium, where you now see new exhibits devoted to airmail, postal contract vehicles, and city vehicle service.
New exhibits surrounding the atrium will examine the history of postal workers, the system of moving mail, the impact of mail in the military and business worlds, as well as a look into the future of mail and the postal system. -
90
3:55
Transformation Into an R2-D2 Mailbox
by SmithsonianNPM 496 views
In October 2007, the United States Postal Service transferred an R2-D2 mailbox to the National Postal Museum. This video shows the "skinning" or transformation process from the original blue street mailbox to the R2-D2 mailbox which is now part of the museum's collection. More info: http://www.postalmuseum.si.edu/museum/1d_R2D2.html
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91
38:28
African American Women on Postage Stamps, by Alexander Haimann
by SmithsonianNPM 289 views
A presentation by Alexander Haimann at The National Association of Colored Women's Clubs, Washington, DC, April 18, 2009.
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92
0:47
Rural Wagon Delivering Mail 1903
by SmithsonianNPM 1,075 views
A short silent film depicting a 1903 rural letter carrier delivering mail. The original film is in the collection of the Library of Congress.
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93
1:00
Carriers Leaving Building 1903
by SmithsonianNPM 379 views
Short silent film depicting letter carriers in 1903 leaving a post office for the day's delivery. The original film is in the collection of the Library of Congress.
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94
0:53
Wagons Loading Mail 1903
by SmithsonianNPM 214 views
Short 1903 film of screen wagons being loaded with mail at a post office. The original film is in the collection of the Library of Congress.
Read more at: http://npm.si.edu/exhibits/2b1c2_screenwagon.html -
95
1:14
Street Mail Car 1903
by SmithsonianNPM 447 views
Short 1903 film showing a horse-drawn mail wagon receiving mail from an attached trolley mail car. The original film is in the collection of the Library of Congress.
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96
0:44
Collecting Mail 1903
by SmithsonianNPM 475 views
Short film from 1903 showing a letter carrier gathering mail from a street corner package box and Scheble-style mailbox. The original film is in the collection of the Library of Congress.
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97
0:53
Train Taking Up Mail Bag from a Mailcrane 1903
by SmithsonianNPM 891 views
Short, silent film demonstrating how "mail-on-the-fly" worked. The original film is in the collection of the Library of Congress.
Read more at: http://npm.si.edu/exhibits/2c1_railwaymail.html -
98
1:03:15
The Legendary Grinnel Missionaries, David Beech, Maynard Sundman Lecture 2003
by SmithsonianNPM 1,745 views
"The Legendary Grinnel Missionaries" presented by David Beech, The Second Annual Maynard Sundman Lecture, October 11, 2003, Smithsonian National Postal Museum. The museum's Maynard Sundman Lecture Series was established in 2002 through a donation by his sons, David and Donald. The Sundman lectures feature talks by authors and expert philatelists on stamps and stamp collecting. Visit: http://www.postalmuseum.si.edu/Sundman
Transcript: http://npm.si.edu/sundman/David_Beech_Sundman_Lecture_2003.pdf -
99
52:50
The Royal Philatelic Collection: An Inside View, Michael Sefi, Maynard Sundman Lecture 2004
by SmithsonianNPM 6,954 views
"The Royal Philatelic Collection: An Inside View" presented by Michael Sefi, The Third Annual Maynard Sundman Lecture, October 16, 2004, Smithsonian National Postal Museum. The museum's Maynard Sundman Lecture Series was established in 2002 through a donation by his sons, David and Donald. The Sundman lectures feature talks by authors and expert philatelists on stamps and stamp collecting. Visit: http://www.postalmuseum.si.edu/Sundman
Transcript: http://npm.si.edu/sundman/Michael_Sefi_Sundman_Lecture_2004.pdf -
100
51:54
Second Purpose, Roger Brody, Maynard Sundman Lecture 2005
by SmithsonianNPM 214 views
"Second Purpose" presented by Roger Brody, The Fourth Annual Maynard Sundman Lecture, October 15, 2005, Smithsonian National Postal Museum. The museum's Maynard Sundman Lecture Series was established in 2002 through a donation by his sons, David and Donald. The Sundman lectures feature talks by authors and expert philatelists on stamps and stamp collecting.
Visit: http://www.postalmuseum.si.edu/Sundman
Transcript: http://npm.si.edu/sundman/Roger_Brody_Sundman_Lecture_2005.pdf
