Sometimes, these notes seem to write themselves. And, sometimes, they don’t. This is one of those occasions when it is more difficult to figure out what words to put to paper. This is largely because I am writing this in early April for the May/June issue. What lies ahead is the official re-opening of the Club. We are scheduled to have an event on May 1st to thank all the many, many people who worked to get us to this stage. This ranges from real estate agents to project managers, to architects, to general contractors, and even the people who provided the shelving in the library. We wanted to hold an event such as this for two reasons- firstly, because it is the right thing to do, and secondly, to take the Club for a “shakedown cruise” before the May 11th gala. On May 11th, we’ll honor four Lichtenstein winners and officially publish Nick Kirke’s book on New York City Foreign Mail. And then, on May 15th, we will host an open house for our members. So, a lot lies ahead, and you have the benefit of hindsight, but as I write this, the future is somewhat unclear.

Let’s talk briefly about the Club and what it can offer. We have been out of the physical club for four years due to the pandemic, the sale, the fit-out, and the move into the new home we now have. I think it is fair to say that if I had asked, before the pandemic, whether we could weather this four-year absence, very few would have thought we could. But, clearly, that hasn’t been the case. We transitioned very quickly to a virtual mode of holding our programs, and that has been an extraordinary experience. In many cases, it has actually brought us together to a greater extent than what we would ever have imagined. Now, it is far more likely that I will be confronted with questions about why we need physical premises.

I recently purchased what the auction catalog described as a GB 1841 1d SG12 in orange-brown. The position is AE. Not being sure of the plate, I went online to get confirmation. It’s from plate 5. Please see the image.

The discussion then turned to the issue of the shade. Was it truly an orange-brown? Plate 5 is not known for orange-brown examples. I provided a scan. The shade is slightly different from the scan in the catalog. A catalog I can only see as a pdf on my monitor. My monitor is quite good. But is it an orange-brown or a brown-orangey color, as I stated? The conclusion was that “…[it] does show the peril of trying to determine a color via scans/monitors, a peril of which this group is well aware.” My online friend and I are unlikely to be able to square this particular circle, as our online engagement is limiting. Hence, we are reminded that being in the same place at the same time still remains useful.

We also recognize that the Club has to be an inviting place to congregate. We are very fortunate. We are now located in an ideal location, sandwiched between 5th and 6th Avenues, diagonally across from the New York Public Library. While that is true, we must also take steps to make it a home for you. We hadn’t always done that. So, we are about to buy a coffee maker   ( two actually, one making American coffee and the other a Nespresso machine, plus an electric kettle for our British friends) and we’ll have copies of the major newspapers as well as Linns and the American Philatelist always on hand in the lounge area. Make it a place to visit, meet, and engage with other members serendipitously. We will also be holding more meetings and different meetings than the traditional set-piece presentation from a podium.

And then there is the Library. Our Board of Governors recently approved a revised strategy for the Club. Regarding the Library, we said that the “purpose of the Library is to be used. It is not intended as an “archive.”Again, as I write this, we have only partially moved the Library back into the Club. But I can already see a tremendous change- for the better. The main reading room of the old Library at 22 East 35th Street was beautiful. All the books were in beautiful wooden bookcases that were fronted by glass doors. Those glass doors were locked. That is an impediment. Beautiful, yes, but a barrier. We are getting rid of barriers.

Our shelving is now open. The journals are no longer in the musty cellar. The auction catalogs are no longer buried up on the 3rd floor. All these are in the same space, on open shelves, open and available. As we moved the books back in, I walked around, and we no longer had doors, glass or not, in front of the books. It was easy to walk down an aisle and glance at the volumes on the shelves. I could casually walk around and come across things I didn’t realize we had. It was a wonderful sense of discovery.

I do hope everything will go well in May, but more importantly, I hope you will find a reason to visit New York or take the train to Midtown and spend some time with us.

–Lawrence Haber