Located in the APRL’s second floor Archives, a closed stacks area of the library, is one of the APRL’s truly unique and invaluable resources, the U.S. Stamp Files. For those researching U.S. stamps issues, especially those issues from the 20th century, the APRL’s collection of U.S. Stamp Files includes a wealth of information from various resources and is also a first stop for library staff when researching requests regarding U.S. issues.
Arranged and labeled by Scott number in archival expansion folders, the U.S. Stamp Files take up 20 shelves in the APRL Archives and include various types of research material culled primarily from three philatelic researchers: Forrest Ellis, John Stark, and Belmont Faries.
U.S. Stamp Files in the APRL Archives with Folders Individually Labelled by U.S. Scott Number
Forrest Ellis’ contribution to the files provides information on new issues and designs for U.S. stamps from the first half of the twentieth century. John Stark specialized in stamps with fluorescence and his material reflects this interest. The most notable and voluminous of the contributors to the files, Belmont Faries, served for more than two decades on the Citizen’s Stamp Advisory Committee and also wrote on stamps for a number of newspapers and philatelic publications, including the S.P.A. Journal. His files, which include everything from letters petitioning for a stamp issue to rejected designs to articles from the popular and philatelic press, provide a wealth of information on U.S. stamp design and production.
The U.S. Stamp Files contain materials from each of these three philatelic researchers. Since receiving the collection the library staff have added to the files, and on occasion continue to do so. The files contain correspondence, clippings from philatelic and other publications (articles, book chapters, notices), issue announcement posters, POD announcement and reports for new issues, photo essays, accepted and rejected stamps designs as well as other unique information regarding U.S. issues of the 20th century.
U.S. Stamp File for 1968 6c Daniel Boone issue with Ceremony Program & Clippings
Not every U.S. Stamp Files folder in the APRL collection contains all of this research material, some have more, some have less, but each folder provides information not necessarily found elsewhere. Due to the rarity of some of the material and the lack an inventory of each folder, these U.S. Stamp Files are kept in the Archives closed stacks area of the library but can be made available to researchers when visiting the library or scans/photocopies of the material in the folders can be requested and sent to patrons working remotely. If interested in seeing what the files may contain for a certain U.S stamp or stamps contact the library at library@stamps.org.