National Postal Museum

Not to be confused with The British Postal Museum & Archive, formerly known as the National Postal Museum.

National Postal Museum

Location within Washington, D.C.
Established	July 30, 1993 (1993-07-30)
Location	Postal Square Building Washington, D.C.
Coordinates	38°53′53″N 77°00′30″W / 38.898°N 77.0083°W / 38.898; -77.0083Coordinates: 38°53′53″N 77°00′30″W / 38.898°N 77.0083°W / 38.898; -77.0083
Director	Allen Kane
Public transit access	Union Station
Website	www.postalmuseum.si.edu

The National Postal Museum, located opposite Union Station in Washington, D.C., United States, was established through joint agreement between the United States Postal Service and the Smithsonian Institution and opened in 1993.

Premises

The museum is located across the street from Union Station, in the building that once served as the Main Post Office of Washington, D.C. from 1914, when it was constructed, until 1986. The building was designed by the Graham and Burnham architectural firm, which was led by Ernest Graham following the death of Daniel Burnham in 1912.^[1]

The building in which the museum is housed, also serves as the headquarters of the United States Department of Labor's Bureau of Labor Statistics as well as a data center for the United States Senate.

Displays

The museum houses many interactive displays about the history of the United States Postal Service and of mail service around the world. Also on display is a vast collection of stamps. The museum houses a gift shop and a separate stamp shop, along with exhibits on the Pony Express, the use of railroads with the mail, the preserved remains of Owney (the first unofficial postal mascot), and an exhibit on direct marketing called, "What's in the Mail for You," that produces a souvenir envelope with your name printed on it and a coupon for the gift shop. As a Smithsonian museum, admission is free. This museum also houses a library.^[2]

In 2005, the museum acquired John Lennon's childhood stamp collection.^[3]

In September 2009, the museum received a $8 million gift from investment firm founder William H. Gross to help finance the expansion of the museum. The museum now hosts the William H. Gross Stamp Gallery named in his honor.^[4]

Events

Since 2002, the museum has presented the Smithsonian Philatelic Achievement Award every two years.

Gallery

Opening sign for dedication of the National Postal Museum
Mail-carrying stagecoach at National Postal Museum
Air-mail plane anchored from the ceiling at the National Postal Museum
Dead letters exhibit at Postal Museum
Museum poster extolling value of postal delivery
John Lennon's childhood stamp collection

References

↑ Weeks, Christopher. (1994) AIA Guide to the Architecture of Washington, D.C. (3rd Edition), Johns Hopkins University Press. ISBN 0-8018-4713-3.
↑ "Museum library".
↑ John Lennon's First Album. Owen Edwards, Smithsonian.com, September 2005. Retrieved 17 September 2016.
↑ "William H. Gross Stamp Gallery". National Postal Museum. Retrieved 2013-10-02.

External links

Wikimedia Commons has media related to National Postal Museum.

National Postal Museum official website
National Postal Museum Library Official website
Smithsonian's National Postal Museum at Google Cultural Institute
Arago: People, Postage & the Post

United States Postal Service

Organizations	American Letter Mail Company American Postal Workers Union Board of Governors of the United States Postal Service Bureau of Transportation Citizens' Stamp Advisory Committee National Alliance of Postal and Federal Employees National Association of Letter Carriers National Association of Presort Mailers National Postal Mail Handlers Union National Rural Letter Carriers' Association Postal Regulatory Commission Postal Transportation Service PostalWatch Incorporated United States Postal Inspection Service United States Postal Service Office of Inspector General

Systems	Address Management System Advanced Facer-Canceler System Coding Accuracy Support System Flats Sequencing System Locatable Address Conversion System United States Postal Savings System

Services	Click-N-Ship Express mail in the United States National Change Of Address Permit mail Permit Reply Mail Postal notes Railway Mail Service Registered mail Special Delivery Special handling

Facilities	Air Mail Facility Boat Railway Post Office Community post office Dead letter office Highway Post Office J. W. Westcott II List of United States Post Offices National Postal Museum Network Distribution Center Railway mail service library Red Brick Roads Sectional center facility Streetcar Railway Post Office Terminal Railway Post Office

Legal	Comstock laws Post Office Act Postal Reorganization Act Postal Service Act Private Express Statutes Rural Post "Good" Roads Act of 1916 Title 39 of the United States Code

Related	Airmails of the United States CAR-RT SORT Catcher pouch Cimarron Redoubt Domestic Mail Manual Facing Identification Mark Flats Information-Based Indicia The Inspectors Intelligent Mail barcode Label 228 List of postal killings List of U.S. state abbreviations List of United States airmail stamps Mail bag Mail cover Mail hook Mail Isolation Control and Tracking Mail jumping Mail pouch Mail sack Mail satchel The Mail Story Nixie ORM-D Owney (dog) Pony Express mochila Postage stamps and postal history of the United States Postal Alpha Numeric Encoding Technique Postal Clause Postal worker Postmaster General Prohibitory Order Remote Bar Coding System Rural Free Delivery Rural letter carrier STD-4C United States post office murals List of murals USPS Post Office Box Lobby Recycling program United States Postal Service creed

Smithsonian Institution

Museums	African American History and Culture African Art Air and Space Udvar–Hazy American Art American History American Indian Heye Center Anacostia Arts and Industries Castle Cooper–Hewitt Design Freer Hirshhorn Numismatic Collection Natural History Barcode of Life Caribbean Coral Reef Global Volcanism Portrait Gallery Postal Renwick Sackler Zoological Park

Research	American Art American Gardens Conservation and restoration Archives Astrophysics Conservation Biology Environmental Research Libraries Marine Station Museum Conservation Institute Migratory Bird Tropical Research

Cultural	Asian Pacific Latino Folklife and Cultural Heritage Folklife Festival Folkways

Media	Air & Space Smithsonian magazine Books Scholarly Press

Other	Affiliations James Smithson Ripley Center Science Education Traveling Exhibition Service Wilson Center (The Wilson Quarterly) Smithsonian Jazz Masterworks Orchestra

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