Description: The National Postal Museum was established by an agreement between the Smithsonian and the United States Postal Service in 1990. However, its extensive collections of stamps and other philatelic materials date back to 1886. The Postal Museum is housed in the lower level of the former Washington City Post Office Building, which was built in 1914. The postcards in this gallery
Description: We’re getting into the middle of the summer months and many of us have vacation or travel planned. Whether you’re hopping across the globe, or planning a “staycation” at home, take a trip virtually by browsing through some of the delightful postcards in the Smithsonian’s collections.
Description: The National Museum of American History first opened to the public in 1964 as the Museum of History and Technology. In 1980, a bill signed by President Jimmy Carter changed the museum’s name to the National Museum of American History. The postcards in this gallery show objects on display at the museum, as well as views of the building. Some objects that are now in the National
Description: The National Museum of the American Indian (NMAI) was created on November 18, 1989, when President George H.W. Bush signed an act allowing the transfer of the Museum of the American Indian into the Smithsonian to create NMAI. As one of the Smithsonian’s newer museums, the images in this gallery show the evolution of postcard use at the Smithsonian. The NMAI postcards mainly