The Benefits of Technology

The computer age and the advent of the Internet provide stamp collectors with numerous ways to improve and further enjoy their hobby. One of the best of these is the fact that we have access to stamps and stamp exhibits that we might not be able to see otherwise. Instead of drawings or even photographs we have high resolution full-color scans of stamps accompanied by informative text and other information. We have access to stamps that we might never be able to come near at our fingertips to study and enjoy.

One of the places we can go to view stamps is the National Postal Museum collection. This collection is part of the Smithsonian and in some sense it can be seen as “America’s Collection”. The collection is huge and contains many fascinating pieces. What makes it especially exciting is the fact that the Museum can collaborate with other branches of the Smithsonian to make unique exhibits that bring the stories behind the stamps to life. A recent example of this is The American Indian in Stamps: Profiles in Leadership, Accomplishment and Cultural Celebration. This exhibit shows numerous depictions of American Indians on U.S. Stamps as well as a variety of artifacts from the Smithsonian Museum of the American Indian. This is something that should be explored as an informative exhibit on the history of the Native Americans and as an excellent example of how technology and philately can combine.