A Philatelic Tribute to Andrew Carnegie

The Library History Buff

Promoting the appreciation, enjoyment, and preservation of library history

Andrew Carnegie was often referred to as the ‘Patron Saint of Libraries’. He donated $56,162,622 for the construction of 2509 library buildings throughout the English-speaking parts of the world. He was honored by the United States Postal Service with a 4 cent stamp on Nov. 25, 1960. The stamp was issued in conjunction with the 50th anniversary of the Carnegie Endowment for International Peace and the 125th anniversary of Carnegie's birth. Although the focus of the stamp was not Carnegie's library philanthropy, he is pictured in his library.

A first day cover with the Carnegie library stamp. The picture of the Civil War veterans was taken in front of the Carnegie Free Library in Carnegie, PA.

Great Britain issued an aerogramme in November, 1985 on the 150th anniversary of Carnegie's birth. The aerogramme tells Carnegie's life story. It includes an illustration of the Dunfermline Central Library in Scotland which was the first of 2,811 public libraries which he helped to fund.