Smithsonian’s National Postal Museum Presents the Arago Featured Collection “One Giant Leap for Mankind: Celebrating NASA & Apollo 11 through Stamps”

July 21, 2009
News Release

The Smithsonian’s National Postal Museum celebrates the 40th anniversary of the Apollo 11 moon landing with the Arago featured collection “One Giant Leap for Mankind: Celebrating NASA & Apollo 11 through Stamps." In partnership with the Smithsonian’s National Air and Space Museum, this exhibit includes space-related objects from the collections of both museums, highlighting a timeline of NASA accomplishments leading up to the moon landing and beyond. The lessons learned and the technology advanced by the Apollo missions pushed NASA forward to tackle new challenges in the decades following this mission.

“This pioneering effort draws upon the rich collections of the two great museums, the National Postal Museum and the National Air and Space Museum, providing a unique perspective and a clear demonstration of the benefits of collaboration and just how much the varied artifacts of our past can come together to enrich our memories and our understanding,” said Allan Needell, curator of the space history division at the National Air and Space Museum.

Discover the numerous story lines of the Apollo Program and NASA, along with dozens of objects from the two museums in the online exhibit at http://postalmuseum.si.edu/AragoSpace.

The National Postal Museum is devoted to presenting the colorful and engaging history of the nation’s mail service and showcasing one of the largest and most comprehensive collections of stamps and philatelic material in the world. It is located at 2 Massachusetts Avenue N.E., Washington, D.C., across from Union Station. The museum is open daily from 10 a.m. to 5:30 p.m. (closed Dec. 25). For more information about the Smithsonian, please call (202) 633-1000 or TTY (202) 633-5285. Visit the museum Web site at www.postalmuseum.si.edu.

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SI-327-2009