Past Exhibitions | Smithsonian Institution

Winners of the 1997-1998 Junior Duck Stamp Art Contest

The 50 state winners of the 1997-1998 Junior Duck Stamp Art Contest are on view.

July 11, 1997 – July 30, 1997

What's in the Mail for You! Customers and Communities

Explore the direct mail industry through this hands-on exhibition featuring interactive displays, videos, computer games, holograms, and graphics.

November 4, 1996 – January 25, 2010

Postal Museum

War Letters: Lost and Found

Original letters from the Civil War, World War I, World War II, Korea, and Vietnam reveal that extraordinary history is contained in these letters.

November 11, 2005 – November 13, 2006

Postal Museum

Voting by Mail: Civil War to COVID-19

The presidential election year is the appropriate time to reflect on past examples of national voting by mail.

August 24, 2024 – February 23, 2025

Postal Museum

Victory Mail

This exhibition showcases the museum's collection of World War II V-mail correspondence.

March 6, 2008 – June 6, 2011

Postal Museum

Unwelcome: Moritz Schoenberger and the S.S. St. Louis

Letters, documents, and photographs tell the story of Moritz Schoenberger, a Holocaust survivor who traveled aboard the S.S. St. Louis with Jewish refugees in 1939.

September 15, 1994 – April 10, 1996

Postal Museum

Undercover: The Evolution of the American Envelope

Trace the evolution of envelope manufacturing in the mid-1900s through patent models from 1849-1879, illustrations, and stories of the inventors.

May 6, 1997 – May 25, 2000

Postal Museum

Treasures from the William H. Gross Collection

In honor of National Stamp Collecting Month, the museum features three great stamp rarities on loan from William H. Gross.

October 1, 2009 – October 31, 2009

Postal Museum

Trailblazing: 100 Years of Our National Parks

Featuring original postage stamp art from the United States Postal Service and artifacts loaned by the National Park Service, the exhibition explores the myriad—and sometimes surprising—ways that mail moves to, through and from our national parks.

June 9, 2016 – March 3, 2019

Postal Museum

Trailblazers & Trendsetters: Art of the Stamp

See 76 original artworks commissioned by the United States Postal Service during the last 50 years for stamps that pay tribute to American history.

November 16, 2006 – August 17, 2008

Postal Museum

Town and Country

On view are 2 highly detailed, fully functional, 1/6-size models of 19th-century mail delivery vehicles used in both urban and country settings.

September 22, 2000 – January 15, 2001

Postal Museum

Town and Country

On view are two highly detailed, fully functional, 1/6-size models of 19th-century mail delivery vehicles.

August 9, 2002 – February 4, 2003

Postal Museum

Tour de France Winner Lance Armstrong's Bicycle and Jersey

On view are Lance Armstrong's United States Postal Service jersey and a replica of the bicycle that he rode in the 1999 Tour de France Race.

July 24, 2000 – September 5, 2000

Postal Museum

Ties That Bind: The Newcomers' Experience

This small collection of letters, photos, and related objects examines the relationship between American immigrants and their families.

October 11, 1996 – May 1, 1997

Postal Museum

The Queen's Own: Stamps That Changed the World

This exhibition features some of the most spectacular pieces from Her Royal Majesty Queen Elizabeth II of England's collection.

April 6, 2004 – January 11, 2005

Postal Museum

The Madden Family Letters

A collection of letters trace the history of an African American family from Virginia through 5 generations (1740-1992).

July 30, 1993 – September 10, 1994

Postal Museum

The Jenny Class Reunion

This exhibition reunites more than 20 of the 1918 Inverted Jenny stamps.

July 30, 1996 – October 30, 1996

Postal Museum

The Graceful Envelope: 2001

On view are approximately 50 hand-crafted envelopes -- with the theme "200 Years of the Nation's Capital" -- submitted by calligraphers from around the world for the museum's 7th Annual Graceful Envelope contest.

July 19, 2001 – August 25, 2001

Postal Museum

The Graceful Envelope: 2000

Calligraphers from around the world submitted hand-crafted envelopes for the museum's 6th annual Graceful Envelope contest. These 75 were selected to go on view.

May 5, 2000 – April 15, 2001

Postal Museum

The Graceful Envelope: 1999

These 75 hand-crafted envelopes were selected from those submitted by professional calligraphers from around the world for the museum's 5th annual Graceful Envelope contest.

May 1, 1999 – October 31, 1999

Postal Museum

The Graceful Envelope: 1998

These 75 hand-crafted envelopes were submitted by professional calligraphers from around the world.

May 6, 1998 – April 30, 1999

Postal Museum

The Graceful Envelope (1997)

Hand-crafted envelopes submitted by professional calligraphers from around the world feature a range of calligraphic methods and styles.

May 23, 1997 – October 4, 1997

Postal Museum

The Graceful Envelope (1996)

These 40 uniquely designed, hand-crafted envelopes, submitted by professional calligraphers from around the world, illustrate different calligraphic methods and styles.

May 1, 1996 – October 6, 1996

Postal Museum

The First Federal Postage Stamp Issue

Commemorating the 150th anniversary of the first U.S. postage stamps, on view are the 5-cent and 10-cent federal stamps, original documents, covers from the stamps' early history, and die proofs.

June 27, 1997 – January 12, 1998

Postal Museum

The Art of Cards and Letters

This gallery emphasizes the art of letter writing, a cherished art form providing a window into American history.

July 30, 1993 – June 6, 2011

Postal Museum