Today we’d like to introduce you to Charlene Blair.
Alright, so thank you so much for sharing your story and insight with our readers. To kick things off, can you tell us a bit about how you got started?
After reading an article in a 1991 Jet Magazine about the 14th Black Heritage Stamp being issued in 1992, I became a philatelist (stamp collector). In 2017 I started the National Museum of African Americans on Stamps (NMAAS) as a way to share pieces from my collection. After almost 9 years the 501c3 organization has evolved into educating others about the hobby, being a resource to share history, and contributing to the visibility of museum professionals.
We all face challenges, but looking back would you describe it as a relatively smooth road?
Stamp collecting is not a traditional hobby in the African American community and other communities are not used to our presence in their spaces. Representing well in traditional and nontraditional spaces has increased greater awareness about African American Stamp collectors. Being a member, officer, and advocate of organizations like the Ebony Society of Philatelic Events and Reflections (ESPER) has allowed for more acceptance, curiosity of the hobby, and the benefits of having a positive community activity.
As you know, we’re big fans of you and your work. For our readers who might not be as familiar what can you tell them about what you do?
I have been an Administrative Professional for over 30+ years serving in the Financial Industry for over half of that time. I have continued to be a stamp collector doing pop-up displays at schools, libraries, expos, and vendor fairs. I have also competed at stamp shows winning bronze ribbons for three single frame exhibits. The exhibits were on Marian Anderson, the Black Heritage Series, and Music. The Marian Anderson exhibit won at the local level in St. Louis and national level in Richmond, VA. I am one of a few African American women that exhibit at this level.
Is there something surprising that you feel even people who know you might not know about?
I am known as “TheStampkeeper” and I exhibit for representation and not to win ribbons. While philately has been advertised because of rare stamps, I find value in the history and beauty of the design in the stamps. Also, I specialize in U. S. Stamps. Booker T. Washington was the first African American to appear in 1940 so the timeframe does not lend itself to “rare” unless there are errors. What can be considered “rare” is a collector having the majority of the nearly 300+ African Americans on U. S. Stamps. The Black Heritage Series is the longest running commemorative series by the U. S. Postal Service. The 50th stamp in the series will be issued in 2027.
Contact Info:
- Website: https://www.nmaas.org
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/thestampkeeper
