The Smithsonian’s National Postal Museum (NPM) is set to host its 18th Maynard Sundman Lecture next week.
U.K. philatelist James Grimwood-Taylor, a highly decorated international exhibitor and well-known author, will begin the lecture via Zoom on Dec. 7 at 4 p.m. (ET). Admission to the lecture is free, but registration is required via the NPM website, postalmuseum.si.edu.
Grimwood-Taylor’s lecture, “The Origins, Birth, and International Reach of the Postage Stamp through 1847,” will highlight the origins of writing and postal rates before diving into the postage stamp’s humble beginnings.
A collector since age three and a full-time postal historian since his early 20s, Grimwood-Taylor was elected a fellow of the Royal Philatelic Society London in 2008. A dozen years later, he was invited to sign the Roll of Distinguished Philatelists. His research and writing includes more than 200 articles, three books and a novel. His two-volume International Postal Reforms won the 2021 Great Britain Philatelic Society President’s Prize and the Crawford Medal from the Royal Philatelic Society London for the most valuable and original contribution to the study and knowledge of philately published in book form. For his exhibiting endeavours, his renowned competitive honours include five international gold medals, including a large gold medal won at “New York 2016” for his “Postal Reforms” exhibit.
The NPM launched the Sundman Lecture in 2002.