John Kerr Tiffany
Encyclopedia
John Kerr Tiffany of St. Louis, Missouri
, was one of the earliest American philatelists
and was regarded in an 1890 poll of philatelists as the second most important person in philately, second only to the famous John Walter Scott
.
Tiffany started collecting postage stamp
s and decided to collect “every printed matter connected to the hobby of philately.” With that in mind, he established perhaps the greatest library of philatelic literature of the era. On the basis of his library holdings and other material not in his possession, he wrote and published in 1874 The Philatelical Library: A Catalogue of Stamp Publications. He continued his work in identifying and cataloging philatelic literature and, in 1889, he published The Stamp Collector's Library Companion(Part 1) and an addenda in 1990. When Tiffany died in 1897, his philatelic library was the largest in the world, and it was purchased intact by James L. Lindsay, the Earl of Crawford
. Lindsay, in turn, when he died, left the library to the British Museum
.
Among his stamp collections, Tiffany had arranged specialized collections of the United States
and British North America
. Since he lived in the St. Louis, Missouri, area, he studied the St. Louis Postmaster Provisionals (listed in Scott catalog as 11X1 to 11X8 and commonly referred to as “the bears”) and was able to correctly plate them. With the limited quantified he had to deal with, this was very difficult, but his plating was proved correct when adequate quantities were later found. Based on his findings, he wrote and published a monograph entitled A St. Louis Symposium in 1894.
Tiffany published the first comprehensive listing of United States postage stamps, entitled Les Timbres des Etats-Unis d'Amerique. It was printed in three parts in 1883, and he later expanded it in 1887 as History of the Postage Stamps of the United States of America.
St. Louis, Missouri
St. Louis is an independent city on the eastern border of Missouri, United States. With a population of 319,294, it was the 58th-largest U.S. city at the 2010 U.S. Census. The Greater St...
, was one of the earliest American philatelists
Philately
Philately is the study of stamps and postal history and other related items. Philately involves more than just stamp collecting, which does not necessarily involve the study of stamps. It is possible to be a philatelist without owning any stamps...
and was regarded in an 1890 poll of philatelists as the second most important person in philately, second only to the famous John Walter Scott
John Walter Scott
John Walter Scott , of New York City, was originally from England, but he emigrated to the United States to take part in the California Gold Rush. Unsuccessful at the prospecting trade, Scott began to sell postage stamps for collectors and in a short period of time became the nation’s leading stamp...
.
Philatelic literature
As a student in FranceFrance
The French Republic , The French Republic , The French Republic , (commonly known as France , is a unitary semi-presidential republic in Western Europe with several overseas territories and islands located on other continents and in the Indian, Pacific, and Atlantic oceans. Metropolitan France...
Tiffany started collecting postage stamp
Postage stamp
A postage stamp is a small piece of paper that is purchased and displayed on an item of mail as evidence of payment of postage. Typically, stamps are made from special paper, with a national designation and denomination on the face, and a gum adhesive on the reverse side...
s and decided to collect “every printed matter connected to the hobby of philately.” With that in mind, he established perhaps the greatest library of philatelic literature of the era. On the basis of his library holdings and other material not in his possession, he wrote and published in 1874 The Philatelical Library: A Catalogue of Stamp Publications. He continued his work in identifying and cataloging philatelic literature and, in 1889, he published The Stamp Collector's Library Companion(Part 1) and an addenda in 1990. When Tiffany died in 1897, his philatelic library was the largest in the world, and it was purchased intact by James L. Lindsay, the Earl of Crawford
James Lindsay, 26th Earl of Crawford
James Ludovic Lindsay, 26th Earl of Crawford and 9th Earl of Balcarres was a British astronomer, politician, bibliophile and philatelist. A member of the Royal Society, Crawford was elected president of the Royal Astronomical Society in 1878. He was a prominent Freemason.-Family:The Earl was the...
. Lindsay, in turn, when he died, left the library to the British Museum
British Museum
The British Museum is a museum of human history and culture in London. Its collections, which number more than seven million objects, are amongst the largest and most comprehensive in the world and originate from all continents, illustrating and documenting the story of human culture from its...
.
Among his stamp collections, Tiffany had arranged specialized collections of the United States
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
and British North America
British North America
British North America is a historical term. It consisted of the colonies and territories of the British Empire in continental North America after the end of the American Revolutionary War and the recognition of American independence in 1783.At the start of the Revolutionary War in 1775 the British...
. Since he lived in the St. Louis, Missouri, area, he studied the St. Louis Postmaster Provisionals (listed in Scott catalog as 11X1 to 11X8 and commonly referred to as “the bears”) and was able to correctly plate them. With the limited quantified he had to deal with, this was very difficult, but his plating was proved correct when adequate quantities were later found. Based on his findings, he wrote and published a monograph entitled A St. Louis Symposium in 1894.
Tiffany published the first comprehensive listing of United States postage stamps, entitled Les Timbres des Etats-Unis d'Amerique. It was printed in three parts in 1883, and he later expanded it in 1887 as History of the Postage Stamps of the United States of America.