Sir Edward Denny Bacon

Born in 1860, Sir Edward Denny Bacon was a British entrepreneur and philatelist who became one of the best-known stamp experts of his time. He joined the Philatelic Society, London, in 1880 and later served in many of its senior roles, including president. In 1895 he chose to work as a full-time philatelist, focusing especially on Japanese stamps and postal stationery.

Bacon worked closely with several major collections and collectors. He helped arrange and describe the famous Tapling Collection, assisted other prominent collectors, and published the catalogue of the Crawford Library in 1911. He was also the first president of the Philatelic Literature Society, reflecting how much of his career was devoted not just to collecting, but to organizing and documenting philatelic knowledge.

From 1913 until his death in 1938, he served as curator of the Royal Philatelic Collection. He was invited to sign the Roll of Distinguished Philatelists in 1921, and his long career left a lasting mark on British stamp collecting and philatelic research.