Appreciation of Printing: Stamps, an Inherited Love

"It's the interactive nature of taking care of something that is 99 percent water," he says. "It's just paper fiber and ink, and it can be damaged easily, destroyed by heat and humidity."

In the Beginning...

The first "official" government-authorized adhesive stamp is largely credited to the United Kingdom's release of the Penny Black in May of 1840 (some official and unofficial attempts had been made for nearly 200 years prior). The Penny Black is a profile image of Queen Victoria that was produced on a Perkins D cylinder press. A staggering 68.8 million of these stamps were churned out, and many of them have survived through the years (one can acquire a decent copy for just a few hundred dollars).