 | |
| Founded | 1896 |
|---|---|
| Type | not-for-profit organization |
| Focus | Worldwidephilately |
| Location | |
Area served | Worldwide |
| Method | Lectures, exhibits, philatelic literature |
| Members | 750+ |
| Revenue | membership |
| Website | The Collectors Club |
The Collectors Club, often referred to as theCollectors Club of New York, is aprivate club andphilatelic society inNew York City. Founded in 1896, it is one of the oldest existing philatelic societies in theUnited States. Its stated purpose is "to further the study of philately, promote the hobby and provide a social, educational, and non-commercial setting for the enthusiastic enjoyment of our common passion".[1]
From 1939 to 2023, the club was located at 22East 35th Street betweenMadison andPark Avenues in theMurray Hill neighborhood ofManhattan, where it maintained a philatelic library of approximately 150,000 volumes available for research or study by scholars, historians, and philatelists.[2] The building had originally been the house ofThomas and Fanny Clarke and was built in 1901–02, designed by the firm ofMcKim, Mead & White, withStanford White as the partner in charge. The architecture is a combination ofColonial Revival style with medieval-inspired windows which recall those ofRichard Norman Shaw, the avant-garde British architect of the late 19th century.[3][4]
The building was purchased by the Collectors Club in 1937, and was designated aNew York City landmark on September 11, 1979. It was sold in 2022 to the Republic ofSerbia.
The Collectors Club Philatelist, published by the club since 1922, is currently published bi-monthly and contains scholarly articles on philatelic subjects.[5]
In 2024, the club moved to leased quarters on the mezzanine floor at 58 W 40th Street, on the south side ofBryant Park near the main branch of theNew York Public Library.[6] The fit-out and relocation was completed in Spring 2024.[7]
The Collectors Club membership of over 750 includes stamp collectors from thetri-state area ofNew York,New Jersey, andConnecticut, as well as members elsewhere in the United States and in other countries.
Many prominent and world-famous philatelists have been members, including:Alfred F. Lichtenstein,Harry Lindquist,John Luff,John Walter Scott ofScott catalogue fame,Lawrence L. Shenfield,John J. Britt andTheodore E. Steinway. Prominent stamp collectors named as honorary members includeFranklin D. Roosevelt and the26th Earl of Crawford.[8]
TheAlfred F. Lichtenstein Memorial Award for Distinguished Service to Philately, established in 1952 in honor of Alfred F. Lichtenstein, is an award issued annually by the club to a living individual for outstanding service to philately.[9]
Notes
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40°44′53″N73°58′55″W / 40.74806°N 73.98194°W /40.74806; -73.98194
