“Columbus Welcomed at Barcelona”: The Story Behind a Historic Stamp
Some stamps are collectible. Some stamps are rare but only a few, like the “Columbus Welcomed at Barcelona” are miniature paintings that hold an entire moment in world history inside their tiny frame.
“Are You Too Deeply Occupied to Say If My Verse Is Alive?” - Emily Dickinson’s 1862 Letter to T.W. Higginson
Emily Dickinson’s first letter to Higginson is a quiet reminder: Some of the most important human connections begin with uncertainty.
“A Love Letter That Outlived Its Writer”: The Story of the Blue Mauritius
Some pieces of paper carry entire centuries.
The Blue Mauritius, a small square of blue-green ink printed in 1847, is one of them.
Barely an inch wide, it has become one of the most famous postage stamps in the world and it’s not for its perfection, but for its imperfection: a single phrase that made it both a mistake and a miracle.
“Everything Here Strikes Me as Very Odd”: Louisa May Alcott’s Civil War Letter
The 30-year-old author, not yet famous for Little Women, volunteered at the Union Hotel Hospital in Washington, D.C., tending to soldiers wounded in the Civil War. Her experiences were grueling, tender, and transformative and she recorded them in a series of letters to friends at home. The letter below, written to Miss Hannah Stevenson on December 26, 1862, captures her humor and humanity in the middle of unimaginable fatigue.
The Z Grill: America’s Rarest Stamp and the Mystery of Its Tiny Diamonds
In 1868, the U.S. Post Office tried to stop people from reusing stamps by pressing tiny diamond-shaped ridges into them, a process called “grilling.” The rarest of these, the Z Grill, was applied to a few 1¢ Benjamin Franklin stamps. Only two survive today, one locked in the New York Public Library and another once traded for $3 million. What began as a postal experiment became a legend: proof that even the smallest marks in history can hold the deepest stories.
A Royal Romance: King Henry VIII’s Love Letter to Anne Boleyn
In the early 1520s, King Henry VIII wrote a string of heartfelt letters to Anne Boleyn, a lady-in-waiting at the English court. These letters offer a rare, intimate glimpse into the personal side of the king, beyond the grandeur and political intrigue of the Tudor court
“Your good Sistar and Cousin”: Elizabeth I’s Letter to Mary, Queen of Scots (21 December 1568)
In the winter of 1568, Europe’s eyes were fixed on a drama between two queens: Elizabeth I of England and her cousin, Mary Stuart, Queen of Scots.
Treskilling Yellow: The One That Made History
The Treskilling Yellow remains not only a philatelic holy grail but also a symbol of the unpredictable beauty of human error.
From its pallet swap to attic discovery, from record auctions to secret private collections, it has transcended what a stamp usually means.
Designing Penny: The Racing Pigeon with a Flair for “tea”
Every community has that one friend who seems to know everything before anyone else and in Pippin’s Park Buddies, that role belongs to Penny.
“Too Late to Say Goodbye”: How Samuel Morse’s Loss Sparked a Revolution in Communication
How a letter too late to say goodbye became the birth of faster communication.
“Fly to the Bosom of Your God”: Alexander Hamilton’s Farewell Letters
On the eve of July 11, 1804, Alexander Hamilton prepared to meet Vice President Aaron Burr in a duel that would end his life. Knowing he might not return, Hamilton wrote not one but two farewell letters to his wife, Elizabeth Schuyler Hamilton.
Designing Maverick & Goose – Pippin’s Park Buddies Take Flight
When we set out to design Pippin’s Park Buddies, we knew each character needed to carry their own charm, quirks, and history. Some are grounded, some are mysterious, and a few… well, they’ve spent a little too much time in the skies. For Maverick and Goose, the challenge was to capture the nostalgia of classic aviators while keeping the humor and light-hearted charm that defines the entire collection.Today, we’re excited to share the story behind two birds of our flock: Maverick and Goose.
Between Meadows and Mortality: John Keats writes to Fanny Brawne
On August 17, 1819, John Keats wrote to Fanny Brawne from the quiet English town of Winchester. By this time, Keats was immersed in both the beauty of the countryside and the weight of his own fragile health. He was also at work on one of his last major projects, a tragedy titled Otho the Great.
Amid his creative efforts and his walks through the meadows and ruins, Keats turned to Fanny with a letter that reveals a man caught between poetic rhapsody, self-doubt, and overwhelming love.
Designing Kosmo & Morph for Pippin’s Park Buddies
Every good park has its legends: the quiet figures you only catch glimpses of and the cosmic dreamers who make you wonder if the universe is listening back. For our Pippin’s Park Buddies collection, we are bringing all of these characters to life: this blog is about Morph, the shadowy stray and Kosmo, the philosophical space dog.
From Islands to Icons: The Story of the Hawaiian Missionary Stamps
In 1851, the Kingdom of Hawaii issued its very first postage stamps. Today remembered as the Hawaiian Missionaries, they are printed on fragile blue pelure paper. These stamps carried the mail of an island kingdom that, while geographically remote was becoming increasingly connected to the rest of the world.
Diego, My Love: Frida Kahlo’s Tender Letter of Devotion
By 1940, Frida was living through both personal and physical struggles. She had been hospitalized multiple times for the lingering effects of polio and a horrific bus accident in her youth. Yet even through pain, she kept her pen moving: sending notes, sketches, and letters to Diego that reveal the depth of her longing and devotion.
Five Sons, One Letter and a President’s Condolence.
Some letters are meant to share news, others to inspire, and a few… to comfort wounds that can never truly heal. In the fall of 1864, with the American Civil War nearing its bloody conclusion, President Abraham Lincoln sent one such letter to Mrs. Lydia Bixby, a widow from Massachusetts who was believed to have lost five sons in the conflict.
The Alexandria “Blue Boy”: A Love Letter That Time Refused to Burn
In the world of philately, some stamps are prized for their beauty, others for their rarity, and a precious few for the stories they carry. The Alexandria “Blue Boy” Postmaster’s Provisional is all three: a small, simple piece of blue paper that survived against the odds, carrying with it a tale of love, defiance, and history.
The Basel Dove: Pioneering Postal Elegance
The Basel Dove represents everything we stand for: meaningful communication, beautiful design, and the enduring power of the written word.
A Letter Before Silence: Virginia Woolf’s Parting Words to Leonard.
In a world where we hide pain behind perfect photos and polished status updates, Virginia’s last letter is unflinchingly real. It reminds us that love is not always enough to save someone, but it is always worth giving. It teaches us that saying goodbye can be an act of grace.