Fall 2010 - National Peace Corps Association

50th AnniversaryA WORLD OF PEACE CORPSFive decades of Peace Corps stampsby Sarah Lyon and Erica BurmanIn a world of email, blogs, cellphones, and Skype, stampsare evocative reminders of aslower, somehow more charmingand yet fast disappearing world. Fordecades, letters were the only tetherconnecting Peace Volunteers in faroff lands to family and friends backin the U.S. As a result, ReturnedVolunteers of a certain age holdtactile memories of onionskin paper,of blue aerograms, and yes, of stamps.Colorful, whimsical—and at timesdownright odd—stamps from theirhost countries.Two years ago, the National PeaceCorps Association published ashort piece on its blog about PeaceCorps-themed stamps from aroundthe world. Stamp collector JoanNewcomb contacted us to let us knowabout her singular collection, whichshe graciously offered to share withWorldView readers.Two-dollar stamps commemorating the 40th anniversary of the death of President Kennedy(right). Stamps from Liberia depicting JFK and the Peace Corps (left).WV: How did you becomeinterested in the Peace Corps stamps?Newcomb: I became interestedin Peace Corps stamps for tworeasons. First, it was an outgrowthof a collection of John F. Kennedystamps (of which there are thousandsfrom over 200 different localitiesaround the world). Second, I servedas an academic advisor to studentsat the University of South Floridawho were majoring in InternationalStudies. Many of them went intothe Peace Corps. Also, I am achild of the 60’s. I was in collegewhen Kennedy was elected and Iwell remember the excitement andprestige surrounding the foundingof the Peace Corps. Even today Ibelieve it is one his finest legaciesand probably one of the mostsignificant, positive, and enduringaspects of US foreign relations.WV: Are you a Returned PeaceCorps Volunteer?Newcomb: No, I am not an RPCV.However I have many friends andformer students who are.Stamps from “The Friendly Islands” of Tonga, welcoming Peace Corps Volunteers.WV: Where did you do most ofyour research?Newcomb: Most of my researchhas been done on EBay and aEuropean online stamp auctioncalled Delcampe. Parenthetically,I contacted the American Topical34 WorldView Fall 2010 National Peace Corps Association