goSmithsonian - February 2009 - (Page 60) THE BASICS HOURS: 10 to 5:30; closed December 25. ADDRESS: 2 Massachusetts Ave. at 1st Street, NE PHONE: 202.633.1000 (voice/tape) 202.633.5285 (TTY) WEB: postalmuseum.si.edu goSmithsonian.com METRO: ● Union Station National Postal Museum Located on Capitol Hill next to Union Station, the National Postal Museum is housed in a Beaux Arts-style building designed by Daniel Burnham. From 1914 to 1986, the building was the Washington City Post Office. M metro ® (RED LINE) An alphabet soup of fun facts about the history of the postal service and U.S. stamps is on view through October 29. HIGHLIGHTS In “Moving the Mail,” see how a letter gets delivered to obscure places like the bottom of the Grand Canyon and how early airplane pilots found their way cross-country in the dark. In 1918, 100 stamps showing an upside down Curtiss JN-4D Jenny went into circulation—an embarrassing error. Today, the Inverted Jenny is a collector’s item. See one in the “Rarities Vault of the Philatelic Galleries” on the atrium level. Just off the atrium, view three early mail-carrying airplanes: a 1936 Stinson Reliant, a 1919 de Havilland DH-4B and a 1911 WisemanCooke biplane. “Victory Mail” showcases the museum’s collection of World War II V-mail correspondence—letters opened, sorted and copied onto microfilm and then flown to the troops overseas. “Alphabetilately: an Alphabet of Philately” Twenty-six letters tell the story of stamp collecting and mail delivery in celebration of the museum’s 15th anniversary. LINCOLN AT THE SMITHSONIAN GOSMITHSONIAN.COM/LINCOLN “Abraham Lincoln Certified Plate Proofs” See 11 certified plate proofs bearing portraits of the 16th president. “Lincoln, Slavery and the Civil War” (March 6-8) A three-day exploration of Lincoln’s presidency, the Civil War and black history as viewed through philatelist Eliot Landau’s award-winning exhibition and accompanied by a lecture by Mr. Landau on March 7 at 1. Fun for students: goSmithsonian.com/SIConnections 60 goSmithsonian.com MICHAEL OSBORNE Study philately and postal operations and see some of the rarest U.S. postage stamps at www.arago.si.edu http://postalmuseum.si.edu http://www.goSmithsonian.com http://www.gosmithsonian.com/lincoln http://www.gosmithsonian.com/lincoln http://www.arago.si.edu http://www.goSmithsonian.com/SIConnections http://www.goSmithsonian.com
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