The Library History Buff

Promoting the appreciation, enjoyment, and preservation of library history

Home

Librariana

 Postal Librariana

Library History


World Library People on Postage Stamps

Librarians, library workers, library leaders, and library supporters on postage stamps.

     Ranganathan           Windeyer       

   

Appreciation is expressed to other bibliophilatelists of the past and present whose efforts assisted in the compilation of this list. For more information go to Library People on Stamps - An Introduction  .

See also U.S. Library People on Postage Stamps.

Click on the Scott Catalog number to see the postage stamp.  Click on the person's name to find out more about the person.

 Country

Date of Issue

Scott Catalog  Number

Description

Austria

12Sep31

B94

Franz Grillparzer ( 1791-1872). Poet and dramatist.  Employee of the Court Library, Vienna, in 1813, and of the Archives of the Ministry of Finance, 1815-56, serving as its director 1832-56.

Austria

1947

489-490

Franz Grillparzer  (See above). 18g

Australia

8Aug96

1552

Margaret Windeyer  (1866-1939). A librarian at the Public Library of New South Wales, Australia (1901-1926) and leader in the National Council of Women of Australia.

Australia

16Aug2001

1996

Daniel Carl Solander (1733-82). Botanist. Served as Keeper of the Printed Books at the British Museum. Sailed on the Endeavour in 1768 with James Cook to Australia and New Zealand.  This stamp was a joint issue with Sweden Scott # 2418 (below).

Chile

Jun53

273-274

Jose Toribio Medina (1852-1932).  Bibliographer. Donated his personal library to the National Library of Chile.

China

25Jul55

243

Mao Zedong (also Mao Tse-tung) (1893-1976). President, People’s Republic of China. Library Assistant in Ch’en Tu-Hsiu’s University in Peiping in 1918. Stamp shows Mao and Stalin in Stalin’s office library, Kremlin, Moscow. There are numerous issues depicting Mao including the one below.

China

26Dec83

1899

Mao Zedong (see above). Stamp shows Mao in Library. It was issued on the 90th anniversary of his birth .

Cuba

18Oct.57

C167

D. Figarola Caneda (1852-1926) First Director of the National Library of Cuba (Jose Marti National Library).

Ecuador

1942

406

Alfredo Baquerizo Moreno (1859-1950).  Statesman, President of Ecuador 1920 and in 1931.  Director of the Public Library of Guayaquil in 1890.

Ecuador

26Sep59

C350

Alfredo Baquerizo Moreno (see above)

Egypt

19Apr25

105-107

Thoth, Scribe of the Dead, Librarian of the Gods, and God of the Librarians

France

31Jul44

B183

Jean-Baptiste Colbert (1619-1683). Controller-General of Finance from 1665 and Minister of the Navy from 1669 on, the chief minister of King Louis XIV.  As “Superintenden of the King’s Buildings” he took an active part in the development of the Royal Library (today’s Bibliotheque Nationale) and acted as the Library’s Supervisor.

Germany

1926

351

Johann Wolfgang von Goethe (1749-1832).  Author, dramatist, poet, scientist, statesman.  Supervisor of the Ducal Library, Weimar, 1797-1832, and of the Jena University Library, 1817-1832. This one of many stamp issues for Goethe.

Germany

1926

356

Immanuel Kant (1724-l804). Philosopher. Library Assistant in the Castle Library, Konigsberg, Prussia, 1766-72.

Germany

1926

359

Gotthold Ephraim Lessing (1729-1781). Dramatist and theater critic. Librarian of the Herzog-August-Bibliothek, Wolfenbuttel, 1770-81.

Germany

1926

360

Baron von Gottfried Wilhelm Leibniz (1646-1716). Philosopher, scientist, mathematician. Librarian of the Ducal Library, Hannover, 1676-90, and of the Herzog-August-Bibliothek, Wolfenbuttel, 1690-1716.

Germany

1961

831

Immanuel Kant (see above).

Germany

1961

832

Gotthold Ephraim Lessing (see above).

Germany

10Jan85

1434

The Brothers Grimm. Jacob Grimm (1785-1863) Phiologist, Professor of German. Court Librarian to King Jerome of Westphalia in 1808, Librarian of the Electoral Library, Kassel, 1816-29, and Gottingen University 1830-37. Wilhelm Grimm (1786-1859). Author and librarian. Several other stamps have been issued (see below).

 Germany

1949

B306, B307, B308

Johann Wolfgang von Goethe (see above)

 Germany

1945

4N11

Johann Wolfgang von Goethe (see above)

 Germany

1947-49

8N2,8N5, 8N9,8N15. 8N19,
8N30,8N31

 

Johann Christian Friedrich Holderlin (1770-1843). Poet. Court Librarian to the Count of Hessen-Homburg 1804-06.

Germany Berlin

1961

9N184    

Gotthold Ephraim Lessing (see above).

German Democratic Republic (East Germany)

1950

64

Grimm, Jacob Ludwig Karl (see above).

 GDR

1950

66

Baron von Gottfried Wilhelm Leibniz (see above).

 GDR

1950

67

Adolf von Harnack (1851-1930). Protestant theologian and church historian. Director-General of the Prussian State Library 1905-21.

 GDR

1954

205

Lessing, Gotthold Ephraim (see above)

 GDR

20Jan70

1170

Holderin, Johann Christian Friedrich (see above)

 GDR

24Nov70

1248-1250

Friedrich Engels (1820-1895). Socialist author, collaborator of Karl Marx.  During his residence in Manchester (1850-69) he was for a time librarian of the Schiller-Anstalt. Many stamp issues depict Engels (Czechoslovakia, Germany, Hungary, Poland, Rumania and USSR).

 GDR

26Nov85

2515a-f

Brothers Grimm, Wilhelm and Jacob with Fairy Tales written by them (see above).

 Hungary

1964

1579

Ervin Szabo, First Librarian of the Budapest Municipal Library, founded in 1904. Marxist activist. The Ervin Szabo Metropolitan Library in Budapest is named for him.

 Hungary

4Nov77

2505

Ervin Szabo (see above)

 Iceland

1Dec78

513

Halldor Hermannsson (1878-1958) served as the Curator of the Fiske Icelandic Collection at the Cornell University Library from 1905 to 1948.

 India

28Dec92

1430

Dr. Shiri Shiyali Ramarita Ranganathan (1892-1972). Internationally famous librarian who developed the Five Laws of Librarianship.

 Italy

1950

540

Lodovico Antonio Muratori (1672-1750). Antiquary and historian. Librarian of the Ambrosiana, Milan, 1694-1700, and to the Duke of Modena, 1700-50.

 Netherlands

1950

328

Janus Dousa (Jan van der Does) (1545-1604). Statesman. Curator of Leyden University 1575-1604, and its first Librarian, 1587-91.

Netherlands Antilles 2Feb95 739 Cedric Virginie, a worker in a public library in the Netherlands Antilles. Virginie is in a wheel chair.  This stamp and one other were issued to celebrate the 50th anniversary of the Verriet Institute for the Physically Handicapped.

 Nicaragua

22Jun2004

2425

Ruben Dario (1867-1916). Writer who worked in National Library. Stamp was issued on the centennial of the publication of the Book “Tierras Solares” by Dario. Stamp shows Dario and book.

 Norway

4Oct85

867

Carl Deichman (1705-1780). Founder of the Norway public library system. Stamp was issued on the 200th Anniversary of public libraries in Norway. A gift from Deichman helped start the Oslo Public Library.

Peru 21Aug71 C326 Ricardo Palma (1833-1919). Poet. Reorganized and directed the National Library in  Lima. Stamp was issued on the sesquicentennial of the library which was founded in 1821.

 Philippines

1949

B1

First Day Cover with B1-B3

Stamp depicts 3 former Directors of the Philippine National Library in Manila. Includes: Teodoro M. Kalaw (1884-1940), Professor of Law. Librarian, Philippine Library and Museum, Manila, 1916-17 and 1929-40;  Trinidad H. Pardo de Tavera (1857-1925), anthropologist, philologist, physician, public official, author. Librarian of the Philippine Library and Museum, Manila, 1923-25; and Cristobal Epifanio De los Santos (1871-1928), editor, historian, lawgiver, public official. Librarian 1925-28. Part of a set of 3 semi-postals to aid in restoration of war damaged public libraries.

Poland

1944

NB36

Conrad Celtes (Celtis) (1459-1508). Humanist, author, and teacher.  Organizer of the Court Library, Vienna, 1497-1508.

Romania 31May58 1222 Henry Wadsworth Longfellow (1807-1882). Poet. Professor of Modern Languages. Librarian of Bowdowin College, Brunswick, ME, 1829-1835.
Russia Mar58 2036 Henry Wadsworth Longfellow (1807-1882). Poet. Professor of Modern Languages. Librarian of Bowdowin College, Brunswick, ME, 1829-1835.

 St. Vincent

18Nov91

1557

Baron von Gottfried Wilhelm Leibniz (see above). This $2 stamp was issued for the 750th anniversary of Hannover, Germany. It depicts Leibniz and the ducal library in Hannover where he was in office.  On the stamp is printed “..Leibnitz, principal librarian for the Elector of Hannover…”.

St. Vincent & the Grenadines 8Jan96 2258 Minnie Mouse is shown on this stamp as "The Librarian".

Spain

1954

814

Marcelino Menendez y Pelayo (1856-1912). Literary critic and historian. Librarian of the National Library of Spain, Madrid, 1898-1912.

Sweden

16Aug2001

2418

Daniel Carl Solander (1733-82) Botanist on Endeavour and Librarian (see above). Joint issue with Australia Scott # 1996.

 Switzerland

1934

B72

Albrecht von Haller (1708-1777). Anatomist, physiologist, botanist, physician, poet. Chief Librarian of the Zurich Municipal Library 1735-36.

 Switzerland

1958

B277

Albrecht von Haller (see above)

 USA

1847

First U.S. stamp issue.

Benjamin Franklin (1706-1790). Author, statesman, scientist, inventor, philosopher.  Librarian of the Library Company of Philadelphia for three months in 1733.  Numerous U.S. issues and also other countries.

 USA

1938

807

Thomas Jefferson (1743-1826). Third President of the United States, 1801-09. Cataloged and classified material for the University of Virginia Library as well as his own private library, later the nucleus of the Library of Congress. Numerous issues.

 USA

1940

864

Henry Wadsworth Longfellow (1807-1882). Poet. Professor of Modern Languages. Librarian of Bowdowin College, Brunswick, ME, 1829-1835.

USA 15Mar07 New Issue Henry Wadswroth Longfellow (see above).

 USA

1960

1171

Andrew Carnegie (1835-1919) 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.

 USA

3Sep86

2191

John Harvard (1607-1638). Clergyman who bequeathed his library of 400 volumes and approximately 780 pounds sterling to the the New College (founded 1636) in Cambridge which was later renamed Harvard College.

Uruguay

18Mar42

512-517

Francisco Acuna de Figueroa (1790-1862). Poet, author of the Paraguayan and Uruguayan national anthems, Librarian of the National Library of Uruguay, in Montevideo.

Uruguay

24Jan63

693-694

Damaso Antonio Larranaga (1771-1848). Teacher, writer, and founder of the National Library

Vatican

1946

118

Marcello Cervini degli Spannochi (1501-1555) Cardinal (Pope Marcellus II). Librarian of the Vatican 1548-55.

Vatican 25Sep75 583 Bartolomeo Platina. First full-time librarian of the papal library. The stamp shows the fresco by Melozzo di Fordi that depicts Platina's installation as librarian.  It is one of three stamps issued on the 500th anniversary of the Vatican Apostolic Library.

Virgin Islands

5Oct2001

964

Saint-John Perse (1887-1975). Author (Nobel Prize Winner for Literature, 1960). Worked for the Library of Congress during World War II.

Sources:

Eberhart, George "Biblio-philately:  Libraries and Librarians on World Postage Stamps" in June, 1982 issue of American Libraries.

Krol, Hans and Richter, John Henry, "Libraries and Archives on Postage Stamps" in Sept./Oct., 1979 and in Nov./Dec., 1979 issues of Topical Time.  An authoritative and  comprehensive listing of libraries and archives on stamps up to the dates of the articles.

Richter, John Henry and Kaiser, John Boynton, "Librarians and Archivists on Stamps" in Topical Handbook No. 44  of the American Topical Association (includes reprints of articles published in Topical Time in 1956).

Scott Stamp Monthly.  Monthly list of  new issues by country with Scott Catalog number.

Scott Standard Postage Stamp Catalogue.  Annual comprehensive listing of all worldwide stamps.

Wertsman, Vladimir F. "Multicultural Postage Librariana, Part 1: A Survey of Noted Librarians on Stamps Around the World" in Winter 2005 issue of MultiCultural Review.

Selestat

 

Home

Librariana

 Postal Librariana

Library History

This site created and maintained by Larry T. Nix
Send comments or questions to nix@libraryhistorybuff.org

Last updated: 12-04-08   © 2005-2008 Larry T. Nix
Also check out the Library History Buff Blog.