Thomas LeraWinton M. Blount Research Chair

Smithsonian National Postal Museum12 August 2010

Fellows & Archives

2012 - 2013 +

Publishing

2010 - 2013

Symposia

2009 - 2013

Lectures

2009 - 2013

Foundation 2007 – 2008

BRC

Research & Scholarship Research & Scholarship Strategy Strategy

Scholars and Researchers

2009 - 2013

Council of PhilatelistsNPM Curators

ARAGO Researchers (over 140 individuals)

NPM Conservation, Collection and Education

Museum Advisory Council

Blount Research Chair

APS, Philatelic and Postal History Societies, Individuals

Smithsonian Research Bibliography Smithsonian Research Bibliography 2009 Publication Count2009 Publication Count

Humanities

Science

National Postal Museum 21

American Art Museum 20

National Museum of American History 11

National Museum of the American Indian 12

Hirshorn Museum & Sculpture Garden 5

National Portrait Gallery 4

Center for Folk Life and Cultural Heritage 3

National Museum of African Art 3

Smithsonian Institution Archives 1

Freer and Sackler Galleries 1

Museum Conservation Institute 19

Environmental Research Center 56

National Air and Space Museum 76

National Zoological Park 106

Tropical Research Institute 260

Astrophysical Observatory 494

National Museum of Natural History 633

Total * 1725

* as of December 31, 2009

• Research portal on NPM web site

• Finding guides to museum and library collections

• ARAGO Featured Collections and Objects

• Research Equipment - VSC6000

Fellows & Archives

Foundation

Publishing

Symposia

Scholars and Researchers

Lectures

FoundationFoundation

2007 – 20082007 – 2008

Nine different positions on the stamp sampled

Red Color wave lengths

Handheld Analytical X-ray System used for elemental analysis and materials research of inks and papers and for conservation / preservation.

Fellows and Archives

Scholars and

Researchers

Publishing

Symposia

Lectures

Symposia and Symposia and LecturesLectures

2009 – 20132009 – 2013

Blount Postal History Symposium

Maynard SundmanLecture Series

Potential Symposium with IAP in 2011

Foundation

•“Stamps and the Mail: Imagery, Icons, & Identity” September 30 – October 1, 2010 (Washington D.C.)

Charles Verge: The First Canada- U.S. Joint Issue: The 1959 St. Lawrence Seaway Commemorative and Its Famous Invert – September 19, 2010

• NPM journal contributions in History, Postal and Philatelic Studies published (51 in 2009)

• Position and policy papers published as “White Papers” on the NPM Research Portal (12 from NPM Council Members)

• Smithsonian Institution Press is publishing the “Winton M. Blount Postal History Symposia: Select Papers 2006 - 2009”

Fellows and Archives

Publishing

Symposia

Scholars and

Researchers

Foundation

Lectures

PublishingPublishing2010 – 20132010 – 2013

Fellows and Archives

Scholars & Researcher

s

Publishing

Symposia Lectures

Scholars and Scholars and ResearchersResearchers

2009 – 20132009 – 2013

Six different scholarshipsawarded annually to academic scholarsand philatelic researchers

Foundation

• National Postal Museum - $2,000• Confederate Stamp Alliance - $2,000• United States Stamp Society - $2,000• Washington 2006 - $1,500• NAPEX - $1,500• George Brett publication award - $500

http://www.postalmuseum.si.edu/Scholarships/index.html

• Ms. Karen Jenks from the University of California, Irvine for her research project on “The Pacific Mail Steamship Company.” 

• Ms. Rachel Moore, Clemson University for “Getting papers from the Brazoo: Postmasters and postal workers in Charleston, New Orleans and Veracruz and the spread of news of the Mexican-American War.”

• Mr. David Herendeen, FRPSL, for “A Colormetric Analysis Methodology for Philatelic Studies.”

• The NPM / NAPEX scholarship was awarded to Ryan Ellis University of California, San Diego for “Disinfection Mail: Disease, Panic and the Post Office in Late 19th Century America.”

• 2010 Scholarship - The NPM / Washington 2006 scholarship was awarded to Diane DeBlois, Robert Harris and Kristina Wilson for “Spectral Analysis and comparison of Josef Albers’s Interaction of Color and the Presidential Series of U.S. Postage Stamps”

SMITHSONIAN NATIONAL POSTAL MUSEUM SCHOLARSHIPS APPLICATION   Name: ________________________________________________________________________ Address: ______________________________________________________________________ Email: ________________________________________________________________________ Phone: _______________________________________________________________________ Title of project _________________________________________________________________ Major (if applicable): ____________________________________________________________ Location(s) of research: __________________________________________________________ Amount of scholarship requested (maximum stipend for 4 weeks = $2,000): ________________ Scholarship Applied for:

National Postal Museum (NPM) (up to $2,000) _____ NPM and NAPEX (up to $1,500) _____ NPM and Confederate Stamp Alliance (up to $2,000) _____ NPM and United States Stamp Society (up to $2,000) _____ NPM and Washington 2006 (up to $1,500) _____ George W. Brett for publication support (up to $500) _____

On the next page write a short description of your proposed research, which should be approved by your faculty mentor (if applicable). You may also wish to include supporting papers or reports. If you are requesting money for supplies, travels, or other needs, submit a budget detailing how the money will be spent.

 Also please submit a resume and list of publications and/or Curriculum Vitae. ___________________________________________________ ________________________ Signature Date

Publishing

Symposia

Scholars and

Researchers

Foundation

Lectures

Fellows and Archives

Fellows & Fellows & ArchivesArchives

2012 – 2013+2012 – 2013+• As program grows, move

to adding SI Fellows and an endowed fellowship

• Acquiring and preserving documentary materials for public and curatorial use — under one roof

• Collecting and preserving original materials

• Begin by exploring transfer of archival materials from NPM library and collections dept.

• Third Assistant PMG files

• RMS, AMS

• Melville, Brett, Canal Zone, Manning, Travers Papers

Spectral Comparator 14 Different Light

Sources• Image comparison (side by side,

overlaid, subtracted, strobing)• Image measurement –

calibrated (areas, length, angles)

• Image reversal (mirror) and rotation

Watermarks, Grills, Comparisons

Measurements

19