Ep 2: Cheryl Ganz on postal museums and the future of the stamp

Dr Cheryl Ganz, former curator of Philately at the Smithsonian and member of the USPS Citizens Stamp Advisory Committee, joins us in this episode of Voice Mail to discuss:

• How a childhood interest in collecting led to Cheryl becoming a stamp collector
• The role of a postal museum
• Making postal museums not just for philatelists but also for the general public
• Museums as a window into global cultures
• How Cheryl came to be Chief Curator Philately at the Smithsonian
• The renewal of the philatelic exhibit - making it into an exciting gallery
• Stamps and storytelling
• Creating a stamp exhibit that will engage with digital natives
• How philately has responded digitally to the pandemic
• Online visitors to the Smithsonian
• Future of the postage stamp
• Postage stamps and national identity and heritage
• Postmarking of stamps - importance of a proper cancellation
• Changes to postage stamps over the years
• Hunting for buried treasure - stamps hidden around the house