Stamp collectors (philatelists) in the St. Petersburg area meet with like-minded folks as many as six times a month. This is when they enjoy their "little printed pieces of history, topical treasures, art and culture from around the world", namely postage stamps. Their stamp haven is the St. Petersburg Stamp Club (SPSC).
The club began in 1923 when a local stamp dealer mailed an invitation to a dozen chosen people in St Petersburg stating: “Dear Sir: You are cordially invited to meet with others interested in the collection of Postage Stamps on February 10th, Saturday evening, at eight o’clock in room No 122, second floor of the Central National Bank Building. Cordially yours, W.A Bogert.”
On Sunday, February 11th, 1923, a notice appeared in the St. Petersburg Times saying -- a permanent organization of stamp collectors formed, called the St. Petersburg Stamp and Coin Club. Bugun with 10 members, the St Petersburg Stamp Club (the name changed in 1928) has grown to 1009 members on the rolls.
In 1928, the St. Petersburg Club (SPSC) established a philatelic library, that today is the “largest Philatelic Library in the South,” with more than 10,000 books, catalogs (from most stamp-issuing countries worldwide) and periodicals. These are a great resource for research and reading pleasure. In 1937, the club became chapter 157 of the American Philatelic Society.
In 1931, the SPSC held one of the first stamp exhibitions south of the Mason-Dixon Line. Opening at 8 AM, exhibits included stampless covers, early U.S. Postage, covers (stamped envelopes) autographed by wives of Presidents, the Columbian stamps of 1893 in blocks of four, and Air Mail covers commemorating the recent flights of Lindbergh, Admiral Byrd and the Graf Zepplin. At the following year’s show, the program included an Ad from Linn’s Weekly Stamp News, a picture of The Million Dollar Pier with a dirigible flying overhead, a parachutist, and sunbathers on Spa Beach. As always there was an invitation to visit the club during the sunny warm winters in St Petersburg, an invitation still true today as many current members are “snow-birds”.
The 1933 exhibition featured a copy of the famous 1918 24 cent Jenny with the airplane inverted (less than 100 exist) for the first time south of Washington D.C. The St. Petersburg Chamber of Commerce sponsored a special cachet (illustration placed on the left side of a stamped envelope) honoring the 10th anniversary of the club and the “First Stamp Club in Florida”. The cachet was applied to 4,935 pieces of mail.
The 1934 exhibition, held jointly with the U.S. Airmail Society, featured another piece of St. Petersburg history. The cachet honored the 20th anniversary of the first commercial airplane fight in the world (in January 1914) by Tony Jannus, from St Petersburg to Tampa. (see Figure).
Exhibitions continued annually until World War II. In 1954 the SPSC hosted FLOREX (the Florida Stamp Exhibition) at the Soreno Hotel in St. Petersburg, and in 1959 hosted at the Huntington Hotel in St. Petersburg. From 1978 through 1985, the SPSC often hosted FLOREX at several area hotels.
Through the years St. Petersburg Stamp Club members have taken part in regional, national, and international stamp exhibitions, and have won awards at the highest levels for their exhibits and philatelic writings.
Through the years, the SPSC club moved to twelve different locations. In June of 1981, the Club signed an agreement with the Trinity Evangelical Lutheran Church in downtown St Petersburg (401 5th Street North). Today, the club still holds its meetings in a dedicated basement room allowing the Club to permanently house its growing library of philatelic materials. Club meetings are on the first and third Wednesdays at 1PM (stamp talks), and every Saturday morning at 10AM (stamp bourse). Philatelic auctions take place every third Saturday at 11AM. The club email address is [email protected].
Even during the recent COVID 19 pandemic, members were connected via a monthly newsletter and online auctions. With our 100th year anniversary looming, it is with pleasure that the club presents this historical account. Current officers include Joe Chinnici, President; Adam Pettesch, 1st VP, Robert Roose, 2nd VP, John Grabowski, Treasurer; Robert Holmes, Secretary; Robert Parker, Librarian; and Board of Directors Mark Isaacs, Gladis Kaufman, Raymond Murphy, and Morgan Fitzgerald. The club invites area folks interested in stamp collecting to attend its centennial celebration at the upcoming BAYPEX show on Saturday, February 25 at Banquet Masters, located at 13355 49th Street North in Clearwater Fl 33782.