August Dietz (October 19, 1869 – September 26, 1963) was a

philatelist Philately (; ) is the study of postage stamps and postal history. It also refers to the collection and appreciation of stamps and other philatelic products. Philately involves more than just stamp collecting or the study of postage; it is possi ...

, editor and publisher, who specialized in the study of mail and postal history of the

Confederate States of America The Confederate States of America (CSA), commonly referred to as the Confederate States or the Confederacy was an unrecognized breakaway republic in the Southern United States that existed from February 8, 1861, to May 9, 1865. The Confeder ...

Early life

Dietz was born in

Prussia Prussia, , Old Prussian: ''Prūsa'' or ''Prūsija'' was a German state on the southeast coast of the Baltic Sea. It formed the German Empire under Prussian rule when it united the German states in 1871. It was ''de facto'' dissolved by an em ...

on October 19, 1869. He moved to

Richmond, Virginia (Thus do we reach the stars) , image_map = , mapsize = 250 px , map_caption = Location within Virginia , pushpin_map = Virginia#USA , pushpin_label = Richmond , pushpin_m ...

, in the United States in 1871, and began his collecting of postage stamps in 1888. He died September 26, 1963, in Richmond, Virginia.

Philatelic career

Because he was a trained

lithographer Lithography () is a planographic method of printing originally based on the immiscibility of oil and water. The printing is from a stone (lithographic limestone) or a metal plate with a smooth surface. It was invented in 1796 by the German a ...

and

typographer Typography is the art and technique of arranging type to make written language legible, readable and appealing when displayed. The arrangement of type involves selecting typefaces, point sizes, line lengths, line-spacing ( leading), an ...

, and because he had access to some of the postal sources of the Confederate States of America, he became interested in the postage and philatelic history of the Confederate States. Today he is regarded as the Father of Confederate Philately. He established himself in Richmond at 900 West Clay Street, Station A, Richmond, Virginia.

Editor and Publisher

The Dietz publishing chronology: * 1896 – editor of the Virginia Philatelist, a monthly philatelic magazine published in Richmond. * 1901 – formed his own company, Dietz Printing Company * 1924 – commenced writing articles on Confederate philately. * 1924-29 – published ''The Southern Philatelist'' *1929-33 – published ''The New South Philatelist'' * 1931 – published ''Dietz Confederate States Catalog and Handbook'' (expanded and reissued in 1937, 1945, and 1959 – expanded and published in 1986 as ''Specialized Catalog of the Postage Stamps of the Confederate States of America''.) * 1933-36 – published ''Stamp and Cover Collecting'' * 1937-39 – published ''Stamp and Cover Collectors Review'' * 1929 – published his famous ''The Postal Service of the Confederate States of America''

Writings

Dietz was considered an expert in Confederate philately and wrote widely on the subject. Some of his studies included: * ''The engraver of the Five Cents De La Rue'' * ''The South's "Way of Life" - Random Notes for the Student of Confederates'' * ''The Confederate States Post-Office Department, its stamps & stationery''

Honors

Dietz received numerous honors including: * 1938 – awarded the Lindenberg Medal by the Berlin Philatelic Club * 1940 – awarded the first

Luff Award The Luff Award is awarded by the American Philatelic Society (commonly known as the APS) for meritorious contributions to philately by living philatelists. Established The award was established in 1940 in memory of John N. Luff, distinguished ...

by the

American Philatelic Society The American Philatelic Society (APS) is the largest nonprofit stamp collecting foundation of philately in the world. Both the membership and interests of the society are worldwide. History The organization, originally named the ''American Phil ...

for Exceptional Contributions to Philately * 1948 – awarded the honorary title of “General” by Confederate Stamp Alliance * 1955 – awarded the

Lichtenstein Medal The Lichtenstein Medal, also known as the ''Alfred F. Lichtenstein Memorial Award for Distinguished Service to Philately'' is given annually to a living individual for outstanding service to philately. Origin The Lichtenstein Medal was establishe ...

by the

Collectors Club of New York The Collectors Club, often referred to as the Collectors Club of New York, is a private club and philatelic society in New York City. Founded in 1896, it is one of the oldest existing philatelic societies in the United States. Its stated purpose ...

* 1964 - inducted into the

American Philatelic Society Hall of Fame The American Philatelic Society Hall of Fame award honors deceased philatelists who have contributed significantly to the field of national and/or international philately. History The APS ''Hall of Fame'' award was founded at the 1940 American P ...

The August Dietz Award

The August Dietz Award is named in honor of the Founding Father and first President (1935–1939) of the Confederate Stamp Alliance. It is presented for distinguished research and writing in the field of Confederate philately. From 1962 through 1978 the award was presented for articles printed in the Confederate Philatelist. After 1978, the criteria were modified to include any article or publication in the field of Confederate philately.

References

Philatelic Database – August Dietz

{{DEFAULTSORT:Dietz, August 1869 births 1963 deaths Philatelic literature American publishers (people) American philatelists Businesspeople from Richmond, Virginia Recipients of the Lindenberg Medal German emigrants to the United States American Philatelic Society