The American Philatelic Society will unveil the new museum exhibit, “A Philatelic Memorial of the Holocaust,” in a public open house. The event will be on June 11, 2023, from 11:00 a.m. to 3:00 p.m. at the American Philatelic Center in Bellefonte, Pennsylvania.

The open house will include presentations about the exhibit and Holocaust-era postal relics and history by postal experts Ken Lawrence and Justin Gordon; exhibit coordinator Susanna Mills; and Jamie Droste, who completed the Holocaust Stamps Project with students at Foxborough Regional Charter School. Tours of the exhibit will be offered during the open house.

In 2007, students of Foxborough Regional Charter School made a goal of collecting one postage stamp to represent each victim of the Holocaust and the Nazi regime. Nine years later, their Holocaust Stamps Project had collected 11 million stamps, with help from the local and global community. They received stamp donations and encouragement from Holocaust survivors, their families, and many others from 48 U.S. states and the District of Columbia and 29 countries. Foxborough’s educators likewise designed teaching tools for the K-12 students on various aspects of the Holocaust.

In 2019, Foxborough donated the Holocaust Stamps Project to the American Philatelic Society, which built the exhibit “A Philatelic Memorial of the Holocaust” from the Project’s 11 million stamps and educational materials. The exhibit features a historical timeline of the Nazi regime’s persecution of the Jewish people and other victims, illustrated by postal relics sent to and from concentration camps and ghettos during the Holocaust.

“We were honored when the Holocaust Stamps Project entrusted us with their collection. More importantly, we inherited their mission of Holocaust education, which has never been more necessary,” said APS exhibit coordinator Susanna Mills. “This exhibit has something to teach people of all ages and backgrounds.”

“We are proud to have supported this important education project in the classroom and we’re honored to be the permanent home of this exhibit now,” said Scott English, Executive Director of the APS. “Stamps are not just an object for collecting, but have been a critical teaching tool for young and old alike. This exhibit is the launch of our next phase at the American Philatelic Center bringing philatelic history to life. We’re already preparing our next exhibit on Centre County’s role in air mail.”

All visitors are welcome to tour the exhibit on June 11, from 11:00 to 3:00. The American Philatelic Center is also open to the public for tours on Monday to Friday, 8:30 - 5:00 pm.

About the American Philatelic Society

With members in more than 110 countries, the American Philatelic Society is the largest, non-profit organization for stamp collectors in the world. Founded in 1886, the APS serves collectors, educators, postal historians and the general public by providing a wide variety of programs and services. Resources include the American Philatelic Research Library; the monthly magazine The American Philatelist; stamp authentication services; adult and youth education initiatives; and more at www.stamps.org.