John Hotchner to present Smithsonian’s National Postal Museum Sundman lecture Nov. 20

By Linn’s Staff

The Smithsonian’s National Postal Museum will host longtime Linn’s Stamp News columnist John Hotchner for the museum’s 21st Maynard Sundman lecture Wednesday, Nov. 20, at 4 p.m. Eastern Daylight Time at the museum and also via the Zoom online platform.

Admission to the lecture is free, but registration is required on the museum’s website.

“How does an innocent family activity take over one’s life?” the National Postal Museum asks in its press release announcing the lecture, then states that Hotchner will consider the question during his lecture titled “A Life in Philately.”

In the lecture Hotchner will describe how his many activities in philately were launched from his writing for Linn’s.

One such activity, his large gold-winning exhibit “U.S. Postal Counterfeits,” will be discussed in detail. The exhibit serves as the basis for the Scott catalog listings of the material and is the subject of a book soon to be published.

Hotchner has participated in every aspect of philately during his almost 50 years in the hobby while encouraging collectors to become more involved.

He has served in leadership positions in philatelic organizations such as the American Philatelic Society and the American Association of Philatelic Exhibitors. Hotchner is an accredited national and international philatelic and literature judge, and his own exhibits have won more than a dozen gold awards.

He served the maximum 12 years on the Citizens’ Stamp Advisory Committee that selects the subjects and art for United States stamps, and he served 20 years on the National Postal Museum’s council of philatelists.

Hotchner’s honors include being elected to the Roll of Distinguished Philatelists in 2017, as well as receiving the Smithsonian philatelic achievement award (2023), the American Philatelic Society’s Luff award for outstanding service to the APS (2004), the Collectors Club of New York’s Lichtenstein medal (2005) and the U.S. Philatelic Classics Society’s distinguished philatelist award (2008).

The Maynard Sundman lecture series is named for the founder of Littleton Stamp Co. who later owned Mystic Stamp Co. of Camden, N.Y. The annual lectures feature talks on stamps and stamp collecting by authors and expert philatelists.

The National Postal Museum is located at 2 Massachusetts Ave. NE, Washington, D.C., across from Union Station. The museum is open daily from 10 a.m. to 5:30 p.m.

For more information about the museum, call 202-633-5555 or visit its website.

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