William Penn Brown of New York City

New York City

New York is the most populous city in the United States and the center of the New York Metropolitan Area, one of the most populous metropolitan areas in the world. New York exerts a significant impact upon global commerce, finance, media, art, fashion, research, technology, education, and...

, was an early pioneer in the hobby of stamp collecting

Stamp collecting

Stamp collecting is the collecting of postage stamps and related objects. It is one of the world's most popular hobbies, with the number of collectors in the United States alone estimated to be over 20 million.- Collecting :...

. Brown was born in India

India

India , officially the Republic of India , is a country in South Asia. It is the seventh-largest country by geographical area, the second-most populous country with over 1.2 billion people, and the most populous democracy in the world...

 of missionary parents and was raised in Japan

Empire of Japan

The Empire of Japan is the name of the state of Japan that existed from the Meiji Restoration on 3 January 1868 to the enactment of the post-World War II Constitution of...

 before he emigrated to the United States

United States

The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...

 and started a successful business selling stamps in New York City in 1860.

Philatelic activity

Starting in the 1860s, Brown was active in the business of selling stamps to stamp collectors in New York City, claiming to be the second earliest dealer of stamps in the city. He was acquainted with John Walter Scott

John Walter Scott

John Walter Scott , of New York City, was originally from England, but he emigrated to the United States to take part in the California Gold Rush. Unsuccessful at the prospecting trade, Scott began to sell postage stamps for collectors and in a short period of time became the nation’s leading stamp...

 and helped Scott financially when Scott decided to open a stamp business. William Brown was an early innovator in the operating of auctions of rare postage stamps, resulting in other auction houses eventually following his auction methods.

Philatelic literature

In 1864 Brown was the editor of the London and New York Stamp Collectors Review, the first journal for American philatelists. He also published, in 1970, a catalog entitled The Curiosity Cabinet, which contained the first listing of United States locals, including his account of finding the New Haven postmaster provisional. He also wrote, later in life, his accounts of the early days of stamp collecting.

Honors and awards

William Brown was named to the American Philatelic Society Hall of Fame

American Philatelic Society Hall of Fame

The American Philatelic Society Hall of Fame award honors deceased philatelists who have contributed significantly to the field of national and/or international philately.-History:...

in 2008.