Theodore E. Steinway of the famous Steinway piano family

Steinway & Sons

Steinway & Sons, also known as Steinway , is an American and German manufacturer of handmade pianos, founded 1853 in Manhattan in New York City by German immigrant Heinrich Engelhard Steinweg...

, was a member of the Collectors Club of New York

Collectors Club of New York

The Collectors Club of New York, often referred to as the Collectors Club, is a private club and philatelic society in New York City. Founded in 1896, it is one of the oldest existing philatelic societies in the United States...

 and Board of Trustees of the Philatelic Foundation

Philatelic Foundation

The Philatelic Foundation is a philatelic organization granted a charter in 1945 by the University of the State of New York as a Nonprofit Educational Institution.-Location:...

. In 1952, was awarded the first Lichtenstein Medal

Lichtenstein Medal

The Lichtenstein Medal, also known as the Alfred F. Lichtenstein Memorial Award for Distinguished Service to Philately is given annually to a living individual for outstanding service to philately.-Origin:...

 for his efforts in the field of philately

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...

 as well as his contributions to the growth and prestige of the Collectors Club.

Contribution to the club

Steinway supported the Collectors Club with funds for various projects, such as purchasing the philatelic library of Austria

Austria

Austria , officially the Republic of Austria , is a landlocked country of roughly 8.4 million people in Central Europe. It is bordered by the Czech Republic and Germany to the north, Slovakia and Hungary to the east, Slovenia and Italy to the south, and Switzerland and Liechtenstein to the...

n Justice Viktor Suppantschitsch for the club. The development of this library resulted in the club having one of the most extensive philatelic libraries in the world.

Philatelic Foundation

Steinway, along with other prominent American philatelists, helped found the Philatelic Foundation, which originally was located on the fourth floor of the Collectors Club of New York. He was named Chairman of the Expert Committee (1950–1952)..

Association for Stamp Exhibitions

He was also the founder of the Association for Stamp Exhibitions and was responsible for organizing the first five philatelic international exhibits in the United States which were held in 1913, 1926, 1936, 1947 and 1956.

Stamp collections

Steinway had various collections of stamps. The most significant ones were:

• specialized study of the "Sydney Views" of New South Wales
  New South Wales
  New South Wales is a state of :Australia, located in the east of the country. It is bordered by Queensland, Victoria and South Australia to the north, south and west respectively. To the east, the state is bordered by the Tasman Sea, which forms part of the Pacific Ocean. New South Wales...
  
  
• Hamburg
  Hamburg
  -History:The first historic name for the city was, according to Claudius Ptolemy's reports, Treva.But the city takes its modern name, Hamburg, from the first permanent building on the site, a castle whose construction was ordered by the Emperor Charlemagne in AD 808...
  
   and old German States
  Germany
  Germany , officially the Federal Republic of Germany , is a federal parliamentary republic in Europe. The country consists of 16 states while the capital and largest city is Berlin. Germany covers an area of 357,021 km2 and has a largely temperate seasonal climate...
  
  
• stamps with "socked-on-the-nose" cancellations
• stamps and covers relating to his family piano
  Piano
  The piano is a musical instrument played by means of a keyboard. It is one of the most popular instruments in the world. Widely used in classical and jazz music for solo performances, ensemble use, chamber music and accompaniment, the piano is also very popular as an aid to composing and rehearsal...
  
   business

Thematic collecting

Because of his interest in collecting stamps related to his business, and because he applied no rigid rules as to collecting stamps, Steinway is often regarded as one of the founders of thematic collecting, which today is a common method of collecting. Such collectors today collect stamps showing butterflies, elephants, Disney characters, famous art, and so on.

Honors

Because of his extensive interests and leadership within the field of philately, Theodore E. Steinway was awarded the first Lichtenstein Medal

Lichtenstein Medal

The Lichtenstein Medal, also known as the Alfred F. Lichtenstein Memorial Award for Distinguished Service to Philately is given annually to a living individual for outstanding service to philately.-Origin:...

by the Collectors Club of New York in 1952.

Successor

His son, John H. Steinway (1917–1989), carried on his father's work in the field of philately, and served on the Board of Trustees of The Philatelic Foundation.