Today in History: Postage Stamps
Today in History–July 1–the Library of Congress features postage stamps. On July 1, 1847, the United States Post Office issued a five-cent stamp honoring Benjamin Franklin, the first postmaster general under the Continental Congress, and a ten-cent stamp honoring George Washington. Philatelists and the just plain curious can find more tantalizing tidbits by visiting the Today in History section, and clicking the links below for sorts of stamp sources.
Funeral procession of Miss Americ-Stamp
Postal stamp promotional display
British war savings stamp poster
Postage stamp historical newspaper coverage
Periodical articles
- “Cheap Postage” The Living Age Volume 1, Issue 2, May 25, 1844
- “Penny Postage” The Living Age Volume 1, Issue 4, June 8, 1844
- “Postal Reform – Cheap Postage” Harper’s New Monthly Magazine Volume 3, Issue 18, November 1851
- “New Postage-Stamp Obliterator” Manufacturer and Builder Volume 1, Issue 2, February 1869
- “The New Postage-Stamps” Manufacturer and Builder Volume 1, Issue 11, November 1869
- “A New Thing in Postage” Manufacturer and Builder Volume 1, Issue 12, December 1869
- “Postage Stamps and Their Origin” Harper’s New Monthly Magazine Volume 43, Issue 257, October 1871
- “History of the U. S. Rates of Postage” Manufacturer and Builder Volume 5, Issue 4, April 1873
- “Cheap Postage” Manufacturer and Builder Volume 5, Issue 4, April 1873
- “Important Postage Changes” Manufacturer and Builder Volume 6, Issue 9, September 1874
- “Postage on Small Parcels and Publications” Manufacturer and Builder Volume 7, Issue 6, June 1875
- “Prepayment of Postage” Manufacturer and Builder Volume 10, Issue 4, April 1878
- “What Postage Costs” Manufacturer and Builder Volume 11, Issue 6, June 1879
- “How Postage Stamps are Made” Manufacturer and Builder Volume 26, Issue 5, May 1894
- “An International Postage Stamp” Manufacturer and Builder Volume 26, Issue 11, November 1894
- “United States Postage Stamps” The New England Magazine Volume 19, Issue 5, Jan 1896
Library blog posts
- The Civil War and the Mail Teaching with the Library of Congress
- Of Postcards and Postage Picture This