author
John K. (John Kerr) Tiffany
1843–1897
A pioneering American stamp scholar, he helped turn philately into a serious field of study in the United States. Best known for his detailed writing on U.S. postage stamps, he was also widely respected by collectors of his time.
1 Audiobook
History of the Postage Stamps of the United States of America
by John K. (John Kerr) Tiffany
About the author
Born on February 9, 1843, John Kerr Tiffany was a St. Louis lawyer and one of the earliest important American philatelists. He studied at Harvard, then built a reputation not just as a collector, but as a careful researcher and organizer in the growing world of stamp study.
Tiffany is best remembered for works such as The Philatelical Library and History of the Postage Stamps of the United States of America. His writing helped document the literature and history of postage stamps in a way that collectors and historians could use, and he became a leading figure in American philately.
During his lifetime, he was regarded as one of the most influential people in the field, with strong ties to philatelic societies in the United States and abroad. He died on March 3, 1897, but his books remain closely associated with the early history of stamp collecting and postal scholarship in America.