Women’s Seal and Stamp Club of Albany Records, 1936-1997
Collection context
Summary
- Abstract:
- The Helping Hand Seal and Stamp Club, later the Women’s Stamp and Seal Club, was formed in 1936 by two friends, Mrs. George J. Skinner and Mrs. William Weigman. This collection includes minute books, photographs, newspaper clippings, programs, copies of stamps, constitution, and by-laws, correspondences, member information, meeting announcements, AIHA pamphlets, poems by members, Albany Academy history, award ribbons, a Loving Cup inscribed “Women’s Seal and Stamp Club of Albany,” NY Grand Award arch 26, 1946, three ink stamps, one “Elm Tree” die, painting of the “Elm Tree.”
- Extent:
- 2 boxes
- Language:
- English
Background
- Scope and content:
-
The majority of these materials contain scrapbooks, a variety of correspondences, photographs, newspaper clippings, Xeroxed copies of stamps, histories (minutes, member lists, programs, histories of the club’s Elm Tree emblem). The records and documents are divided into scrapbooks, binders, and files.
- Biographical / historical:
-
The Helping Hand Seal and Stamp Club, later the Women’s Stamp and Seal Club, was formed in 1936 by two friends, Mrs. George J. Skinner and Mrs. William Weigman, who had an interest in stamp collecting and philately, the study of stamps. At the time, membership to most organized stamp clubs was restricted to men only. In 2004, the Fort Orange Stamp Club (founded in 1926) incorporated the women’s club, though early on, both clubs met at the Albany Institute of History and Art for many years.
To celebrate the club’s tenth anniversary, the club founders created a collage of The Old Elm Tree; selected by the members as its new emblem. Elm Tree Corner, an iconic historical landmark located on the northwest corner of State and Pearl Streets, is based on the story that Philip Livingston, one of the signers of the Declaration of Independence, built his house and planted an elm tree there in 1735.
In addition to scrapbooks and journals, each year the women of the Seal and Stamp club would put together a small booklet containing information about the club, including the names of the current club officers, place and date of meetings, and purpose of the meeting. Some of the booklets also included the names and addresses of current members and the names of past club presidents. This booklet is stamped with the Women’s Seal and Stamp Club emblem, the Old Elm Tree Corner.
- Acquisition information:
- Accession: # unidentified Accession Source/Date: Gift of Gilbert Conrad, Jr., December 2010
- Rules or conventions:
- Describing Archives: a Content Standard
Access and use
- Restrictions:
-
This collection is open for research according to the regulations of the Albany Institute of History & Art without any additional restrictions.
- Terms of access:
-
The researcher assumes full responsibility for conforming with the laws of copyright. Whenever possible, the Albany Institute of History & Art Library will provide information about copyright owners and other restrictions, but the legal determination ultimately rests with the researcher. Requests for permission to publish material from this collection should be discussed with the Archivist/Librarian.
- Location of this collection:
- Before you visit:
- https://www.albanyinstitute.org/library.html
- Contact:
- mccombsd@albanyInstitute.org