The British Postal Museum & Archive
Freeling House
Phoenix Place Entrance
London
EC1A 1BB
Website: www.postalheritage.org.uk
E-mail: info@postalheritage.org.uk
Monday to Friday 10am to 5pm (7pm Thursday)
Saturday and Sunday Closed (very occasional opening Sats)
Admission free.
Records of the British Post Office are held from the 17th
Century to the present day. The records are classed as Public Records by Act of
Parliament: researchers may therefore examine not only published material but
unpublished papers over thirty years old.
The range of the records cover the growth of the local stamp services,
philately (which provides a background on stamp production as well as proof
impressions of date and cancellation stamps) records of employees and forms of
transport used to convey the mail, etc.
Apart from the records of the Post Office other records include private papers
relating to key individuals, the Post Office Savings Bank, broadcasting and
publicity, including a large poster collection.
Although the National Postal Museum has closed until plans for its future are
settled, facilities for researchers are available by prior appointment
at
the Postal Heritage Trust.
 (020) 7239 2570
 National Philatelic Society Library
Is located at The British Postal Museum & Archive
See above
National Philatelic Society, c/o The British Postal Museum & Archive, Freeling House, Phoenix Place, LONDON WC1X 0DL.
Tel: 020 7239 2571 Email: nps@ukphilately.org.uk
Please Telephone to confirm opening times/availability
British Library Philatelic Collections
Standing Collections are on permanent display to the general public.
at:
The British Library
96 Euston Road
St Pancras
London
NW1 2DB
www.bl.uk/collections/philatelic
British Library site: http://www.bl.uk
E-mail: philatelic@bl.uk
Monday to Saturday 9:30am to 6pm, but 8pm Tues; 5pm Sats
Sunday and Bank Holidays 11am to 5pm
Admission free.
An Information leaflet will be sent on request or may be viewed together with
other information about the British Library on their web site at http://www.bl.uk
The British Library Philatelic Collections are the National Philatelic
Collections of the United Kingdom. The collections, estimated to comprise over
eight million items, include postage and revenue stamps, postal stationery,
artwork, essays, proofs, covers and entires, "cinderella" material,
specimen issues, airmails, some postal history materials, official and private
posts, etc, for almost all countries and periods.
With such a diverse range of material, the Philatelic Collections, together
with philatelic literature, photographs, general reference material, maps,
newspapers and official publications, etc, elsewhere in the Library, make The
British Library one of the prime philatelic research centres.
An extensive display of 6,000 sheets of philatelic material is on exhibition,
including a section of the Tapling Collection (World 1840-90), the Bojanowicz
Collection (Polish Postal History 1938-49), the Model Collection (Germany
1945-46 Provisional Issues), the Moseley Collection (British Africa to 1935).
Recently added to the exhibition of material is the Vikram Chand Mauritius,
which has just been lent to the Library.
Collections not on display are available to researchers by appointment. These
include the Crown Agents Philatelic and Security Printing Archive (British
Empire and Commonwealth); the Fletcher (GB Postal History and Stamps); Foreign
and Commonwealth Office Collection (British Empire and Commonwealth 1890 to
1992); Inland Revenue Stamping Department Archive (Great Britain Revenue and
Postage stamps 1710 to 1950; UPU Collection (World 1875 to date).
The Library holds a major collection of Philatelic Literature covering all
aspects of the subject and numbers over 30,000 volumes. included is the
Crawford Library bequeathed in 1913 by the 26th Earl of Crawford. It is
probably the most complete collection of books covering the period 1861 to
1913, being 4,500 volumes.
(Facilities for researchers holding a British Library Readers Card by prior
arrangement.)
(020)
7412 7635
Please enquire as some days the Library is open later
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