The Musée de la Poste explores the world of stamps in a new exhibition

The Musée de la Poste invites you to explore its world, with a new exhibition designed for philatelists... But not only! From January 31, 2024 to October 13, 2025, visit the Carnets de timbres dans l'air du temps exhibition.

Measuring 3.8 centimetres high and 2.4 centimetres wide, the stamp is a small object that has changed the way things are done, and left its mark on the postal world. The Musée de la Poste, located in the 15th arrondissement of Paris, invites us to revisit this artistic and commercial epic, with a brand-new exhibition on view from January 31, 2024 to October 13, 2025.

Nearly 200 booklets of stamps, original drawings, models and posters are featured in the exhibition Carnets de timbres dans l'air du temps. From 1906 to the present day, this exhibition offers an overview of this emblematic postal object, its evolution and its specific features.

More than a century of stamps unfolds before our eyes: we discover the great artists who have contributed to the creation of stamps, the favorite themes used, the insertion of advertising on this small rectangle of paper, the stamp market... The tour is divided into three main chapters: advertising, uses and art.

Stamps have evolved according to social needs and uses. A necessary object for correspondence, but also a miniature work to be collected, symbols of a heritage and a culture, the stamp is as common as it is precious, for philatelists.

In its early years, from 1906 to 1922, the stamp was above all an everyday object: no unnecessary embellishment, it had to be practical first and foremost. Between the two world wars, a dealer took over the production of stamp book covers: advertisers saw this as an opportunity to reach a wide audience. During these years, and up until 1950, the creation of stamp booklets was at its peak: 1,500 covers were designed and put on the market.

Faced with too many booklets, the French Post Office decided to regain control of this concession, and changed the format. Advertising gradually disappeared, and art and cultural collaborations came to the fore. French landscapes, famous people, cars, nature and travel, department stores, health, painters, street artists, illustrators... take turns decorating these mini-books.

The Musée de la Poste offers us ahumorous and interesting exhibition. You'll be amused to discover the old stamp booklets, which extol the virtues of a sponge or an anti-constipation drug. Exceptional engravings and models bring a forgotten era back to life. Lovers of stamps will also be thrilled by the extensive collection of old and new stamps, revealing the full diversity of illustration themes. You'll also find some of the most famous artists who have worked on these little objects, such as Miss Tic and Ben.

Discover the rich world of stamps with this new exhibition from the Musée de la Poste.