When: closing March 3, 2019
When I go to the Postal Museum, it's a long enough trip that I try to see more than one exhibit. In addition to the John Lennon stamp album, I was able to see this show about Alexander Hamilton and the mail.
There are letters to and from Hamilton and stamps depicting him. The Post Office started as a part of the Treasury Department (new fun fact!), much to the chagrin of Thomas Jefferson. Hamilton and his regard for a powerful central government fell out of favor after his untimely death, but the Civil War revived his reputation, as the idea of the U.S. as a small agrarian country gave way to a larger, more industrial nation.
My only complaint with this show is that the pistols used in the duel between Aaron Burr and Hamilton were on display when the show opened, but only until mid-September. If I had known I could have seen these artifacts, I would have gone sooner! Clearly, I need to read the descriptions of exhibitions at the Smithsonian website more carefully, but shouldn't this sort of information be displayed more prominently? I'm pretty sure this would have been a major draw to a museum that I've never seen crowded.
Verdict: If you like Hamilton, or are interested in early American history generally, check this out. Without the pistols, I can't say this is of general interest.
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