National Postal Museum
Royal Philatelic Society London's 150th Anniversary
October 18, 2019 – October 19, 2019
The Smithsonian’s National Postal Museum is pleased and proud to host the official North American celebration of The Royal Philatelic Society London’s 150th anniversary from October 17–20, 2019. The special theme of the program is the 1939 state visit of King George VI and Queen Elizabeth to Washington, D.C., which began next door to the Museum at Union Station. The royal visit marked the only time the world’s most two famous stamp collectors—The King and President Franklin Delano Roosevelt—met face-to-face. In the same way, eighty years later, the Smithsonian and RPSL bring together some of the world’s leading philatelists for three days of activities. The exhibition includes displays of Empire and Commonwealth treasures and royal autographs from the National Postal Museum’s collection, as well as a non-competitive exhibition of single-frame exhibits by RPSL’s North American members. The exhibition is open to the public on Friday and Saturday, affording visitors a deeper understanding of the range of material collected and studied by RPSL’s North American members.
1939 royal visit commemoration cover
