Stamp collecting is the collecting of postage stamps and related objects. It is an area of philately, which is the study of stamps. It has been one of the world's most popular hobbies since the late nineteenth century with the rapid growth of the postal service, as a never-ending stream of new stamps was produced by countries that sought to advertise their distinctiveness through their stamps.
L.N. and M. Williams were a philatelic writing partnership made up of brothers Leon Norman Williams and Maurice Williams (1905–1976).
August Dietz was a philatelist, editor and publisher, who specialized in the study of mail and postal history of the Confederate States of America.
Frederick John Melville was a British philatelist, prolific philatelic author and founder of The Junior Philatelic Society. He was also a founder in 1907 of the Philatelic Literature Society. Melville is a member of the American Philatelic Society's Hall of Fame and was a signatory to The Roll of Distinguished Philatelists in 1921.
John Robert Boker Jr. was an American philatelist who amassed some of the most prestigious collections of 19th century stamps ever seen by stamp collectors. Before his death in 2003, the Collectors Club of New York declared him, in 1996, to be the "outstanding philatelist of the last half of the twentieth century."
William Reynolds Ricketts, of Forty Fort, Pennsylvania, was a philatelist who created the largest index of philatelic literature available during his lifetime. He was considered as the "greatest philatelic indexer of all time." Ricketts was the son of R. Bruce Ricketts and Elizabeth Reynolds Ricketts, for whom Ricketts Glen State Park in Pennsylvania is named.
George E. Hargest of Florida, was a philatelist who specialized in the study of the overseas use of United States mails.
Ethel Bergstresser (Stewart) McCoy, of New York City, was a philatelist who created a number of stamp collections, and was active within the philatelic community. She was the daughter of Charles Bergstresser (1858-1923), one of the founders of Dow Jones & Co.
Woodrow Wilson Hulme II was a philatelist noted for his work in advancing the appreciation of stamp collecting, especially by his work at the National Postal Museum in Washington, D.C.
Patricia A. Kaufmann is an American philatelist, focusing on postage stamps and postal history of the Confederate States of America (CSA).
Barbara Ruth Mueller was an American philatelist.
Nancy B. Clark of Marstons Mills, Massachusetts, and [Woods Hole, Massachusetts] is a philatelist who has served the philatelic community by her pioneering work with the Boy Scouts of America and her dedication to work at the American Philatelic Society.
David Louis Lidman was an American writer of philatelic literature in journals, books and newspapers.
Judge David D. Caldwell, of Washington, D.C., was a philatelist known to his stamp collecting friends as “Washingtonʼs Number One Philatelist”.
Leo August, of New Jersey, was an American philatelist who, as a stamp dealer and publisher, created interest and awareness in the collecting of first day covers through the introduction in 1939 of "ArtCraft" engraved illustrated envelopes for use as first day covers. He also established the landmark line of "White Ace" stamp albums. ArtCraft became one of the world's most popular cachets.
David Richard Beech MBE was the curator of the British Library Philatelic Collections from 1983–2013. He is a fellow and past-president of the Royal Philatelic Society London (RPSL). In 2013, it was announced that Beech was to receive the Smithsonian Philatelic Achievement Award for outstanding lifetime accomplishments in the field of philately.
Dorothy B. Blaney, of Pennsylvania, was the postmaster of Perryopolis, Pennsylvania, who became a leading advocate for encouraging youths to become stamp collectors. She was named to the American Philatelic Society's Hall of Fame in 1993.
Morton Dean Joyce (1900–1989), of New York City, was a philatelist who specialized in the collection of United States revenue stamps and became known by his philatelic friends as the "Dean of United States revenue collectors."
Lloyd B. Gatchell of New York City, was a philatelist who was named to the Hall of Fame of the American Philatelic Society. He was known as “Bart” to his philatelic friends and acquaintances.
Cheryl R. Ganz, FRPSL is an American philatelist who was appointed to the Roll of Distinguished Philatelists in 2018.
