The National Philatelic Museum, in

Philadelphia, Pennsylvania Philadelphia, often called Philly, is the largest city in the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania, the sixth-largest city in the U.S., the second-largest city in both the Northeast megalopolis and Mid-Atlantic regions after New York City. Sinc ...

, was a short-lived not-for-profit organization intended to create awareness of and offer courses on

philately 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 poss ...

. The museum was the brainchild of Bernard Davis, a wealthy banker and avid stamp collector. The museum, at

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and Diamond Streets in downtown Philadelphia, opened its doors on December 5, 1948. The museum offered a variety of services, including presentation of exhibits in frames for public viewing and a philatelic library. The museum also hosted numerous philatelic exhibitions held by various philatelic societies. The National Philatelic Museum was unusual in that, in conjunction with nearby

Temple University Temple University (Temple or TU) is a public state-related research university in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. It was founded in 1884 by the Baptist minister Russell Conwell and his congregation Grace Baptist Church of Philadelphia then called Ba ...

, it offered courses in philately through its Philatelic Institute. The museum published a total of 36 ''Bulletins'' containing articles on various aspects of philately, including

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, Airpost, Pan-American,

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Switzerland ). Swiss law does not designate a ''capital'' as such, but the federal parliament and government are installed in Bern, while other federal institutions, such as the federal courts, are in other cities (Bellinzona, Lausanne, Luzern, Neuchâtel ...

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and the American Philatelic Congress. The museum remained in existence for about ten years. In 1960, most of its material and equipment was transferred to the new

Spellman Museum of Stamps & Postal History The Spellman Museum of Stamps & Postal History, also commonly known as the Cardinal Spellman Philatelic Museum, is a not-for-profit organization dedicated to the appreciation of diversity through the medium of postage stamps and postal history. Lo ...

References

Publications of the National Philatelic Museum, Philadelphia
Philatelic organizations based in the United States Philatelic museums in the United States Defunct museums in Pennsylvania Museums established in 1948 Museums in Philadelphia 1948 establishments in Pennsylvania {{Philadelphia-stub