Spellman Museum participating in World Stamp Expo

The Spellman Museum of Stamps and Postal History, one of two postage museums in the United States, calls Weston home. Next week, it will join institutions from across the world as part of the Boston 2026 World Stamp Expo.

Executive Director Brian Howard said the Expo will connect the museum with more stamp collectors than ever before. The Spellman Museum will host events in its own space and bring artifacts, such as letters and stamps, to the convention in Boston.

“This is one of the biggest events we’ve ever been a part of,” he said. “I’ve been a little busy, but I’d stop short of saying I’m overwhelmed, because I’ve got such a great team.”

The Expo, sponsored by the United States Postal Service, brings together experts and amateur postage fans to celebrate all things philately – the study of stamps and postal history.

On the Tuesday before the Expo, curator Ken Flowers was at the museum hanging up panels for an exhibit that includes some of the museum’s most prized artifacts, including 15th-century correspondence from the Vatican and several rare stamps.

“Next week with this big show, it’ll be heavy-hitter stamp collectors,” Flowers said. “They won’t be impressed by just a pretty stamp.”

In addition to working at the museum, Flowers is a philatelic influencer on YouTube. He will be speaking at the museum on Monday, May 25, as part of a panel about stamp collecting in the digital age.

“The hobby is moving from off the dining room table and onto the internet,” Flowers said.

The Spellman Museum will be taking an exhibit on the road to the main portion of the Expo in Seaport. It will feature early 20th-century artifacts from Hong Kong trading ports.

Back in Weston, the Spellman will host a presentation on Thursday, May 28 about zeppelins and their history in mail delivery. In anticipation of the event, the museum updated its exhibit on the giant airships. Howard said the museum has also prepared new post boxes for display and has renovated its community room. While the work has been done in the lead-up to the Expo, Howard says he has his eyes on the future of the museum.

“All the changes we’re making here will transcend the stamp expo. It’s a long-term investment for us to get people interested in seeing the world through postage stamps,” Howard said. “They’re for more than sending mail; it’s a way that culture is reflected through time.”

The World Stamp Expo will take place from Saturday, May 23, to Saturday, May 30, at the Boston Convention and Exhibition Center, 415 Summer St.

The Spellman Museum of Stamps and Postal History will be open Monday, May 25, and Thursday, May 28, from 10 a.m. to 8 p.m. For more information, visit spellmanmuseum.org.