About Stamp Collectors - part 1

Articles In This Section:

· About Stamp Collectors - part 1

· About Stamp Collectors - part 2

· About Stamp Collectors - part 3

· About Stamp Collectors - part 4

· About Stamp Collectors - part 5

· About Stamp Collectors - part 6

The people began to gather early. By 9 a.m. they stood from building to curb, as much as ten abreast, and the lines extended in both directions along the west side of Lexington Avenue, around the corners of 46th and 47th streets along both long blocks back to Park Avenue, and on the other side of Park Avenue thousands more awaited the opportunity to cross.

Restaurant owners, storekeepers and the managers of hotels along the east side of Lexington Avenue opposite Grand Central Palace made another little gathering as they stood in wonder at what was going on across the street.

"What's going on?" each newcomer to the group watching would ask. "What's all the commotion about?"

"Stamp collectors!" someone would answer and the newcomer would join the silent group staring in amazement at the enormous queues waiting for the doors of Grand Central Palace to open.

Crowds waiting for doors to open at CIPEX 1947.

Yes, stamp collectors! Little ones and big ones, small boys and aged women, millionaires and street urchins — stamp collectors all. Before the week had passed two hundred and fifty thousand of them had filled Grand Central Palace to its eaves from early morning to ten o'clock at night. They were all there to attend the Centenary International Philatelic Exhibition. The hotels were crammed, restaurants could not handle the crowds awaiting to eat, stores of every description saw their stocks depleted beyond belief. It was a bonanza. As one restaurateur said, "I've seen plenty of crowds at the 'Palace' but this beats anything I've ever known!"