Thomas M. Lera

The Smithsonian Institution Scholarly Press has just published the noted book which covers Symposia 1 through 4. It is available free in pdf form via this link. I have been unable to find a link for purchase of a hard copy (If you should locate such a link, please let me know and I'll modify this review to reflect the link).

I also note that Symposium 5 was recently held on September 30 to October 1, 2010.

Going back back to the book noted, I enjoyed it thoroughly and learned quite a bit from it. It is well detailed with photos in color and with notes and bibliographies. The book sections include:

-- introduction -- The Political Economy of Postal Reform in the Victorian Age

-- What Is Postal History? (3 articles)

-- Further, Farther, Faster: Transportation Technology and the Mail (1 article)

-- When the Mail Goes to War (4 articles)

-- Postal Reform (6 articles)

Articles range from stamp collecting to U.S. Zeppelins in 1933 and philatelic propaganda to the controversy about Sunday mail delivery. I expected the book to revolve about United States stamps, postal history and the like, but it touches several geographic areas world wide, including some of my former love, German related stamps (Germany, German states, German colonies, WW I and WW II).… (plus d'informations)