All about stamps

The Postal Museum’s virtual 'Summer of Stamps' festival to celebrate the world of stamp collecting, is due to end this Sunday 9 August.

The pandemic has affected hobbies in many ways, not all of them negative. Whilst many collecting events have been postponed, the slower pace of life and extended time many of us have had to spend inside has seen a surge in the popularity of many traditional hobbies, including stamp collecting.

Last month, in a bid to address both the absence of events and the increased interest in the ‘Hobby of Kings’, in partnership with the Postal Museum, the team behind the www.allaboutstamps.co.uk website and Stamp Collector magazine launched the Summer of Stamps festival, which has attracted thousands of philatelists from around the world.

The festival has offered collectors a bustling stamp marketplace, featuring the latest stock and information from a wide range of stamp traders and auction houses. There has also been daily content, including exclusive videos and guides from The Postal Museum and organisations such as the British Library, the Royal Philatelic Society London and the American Philatelic Society.

Over the course of the festival, the Postal Museum has opened its extensive archives in a five-part series of ‘Inside the Postal Museum’ exhibits. These have included details and images of many stamps, essays and rejected designs, such as the material issued during the short-lived reign of Edward VIII, as well as a look at perhaps the most famous stamp of them all, the 1840 1d black, better known as The Penny Black.

Due to the ongoing pandemic, the Postal Museum still hasn’t been able to open its doors, but they have been busy behind the scenes to ensure the museum can reopen safely later this year. Click here for more. Remember, with a valid ID, Royal Mail colleagues can access the museum for free.