Stamp Collecting In Popular Culture

I couldn`t help but notice that Spratt, a character in `Downton Abbey,` collects stamps.

Have you seen other collectors in popular media?

In the last season of Foyle's War (a PBS Masterpiece Mystery show), the one suspected agent is titled Jenny as he is a philatelist who has a copy of the inverted Jenny.

Haha, the last season of 'Foyle's War' is the only one I missed!

I don't watch TV, but is the aforementioned Jenny our Jenny?

Peter

Petert, what do you mean? Sorry, I am trying to read between the lines in your question...

Peter, who else has an inverted Jenny stamp that would be a recognizable philatelic reference in a TV show? So yes, I would think it is "our Jenny," though I haven't seen the show.

Knuppster, does this help you understand Peter's question? All he's asking (I think) is whether the inverted Jenny referred to in the show is the US inverted Jenny stamp (Scott #C3a to be exact).

Basil

OK guys, I am sorry about that. We have a member who signs her name "Jenny"! I was asking if it was her in Knuppster's post.

Peter

Ah, now I get it....derp!

It went by fast, but in the Foyle's War episode as I remember it, the collector's Jenny is hinge-mounted on what seems to be a random page containing a few other unremarkable, non-valuable stamps and a number of blank spaces. I love Foyle's War, but the show's usually diligent research seems to have fallen short on the philately topic.

I have just come across this topic and I know of many stamp collectors portrayed on TV, movies and on the radio, as I have written a book on the subject titled "Stamps and Stamp Collecting in Popular Culture". It is available through ebay.

The Foyle's War episode is titled The Eternity Ring from 2013 and features an atomic scientist and philatelist named Professor Fraser who owns an Inverted Jenny.

I will have to watch the Downton Abbey series.

Lawrence Bloch's character "Keller" from his novels "Hit Man", Hit List", & "Hit Parade" is a contract killer who collects stamps. Keller took up philately as a retirement hobby in the first book (Hit Man), but discovered that many of the old stamps are expensive so he had to go back to work to support his new hobby. Asked by a stamp dealer what he collects, he responds: "Worldwide before 1940." "Ah, the good stuff." The stamp dealer replies.

Rather than repeat what has already been posted, here's a link to an old thread on basically the same subject:

https://goscf.com/t/32630

For a short while, Lawrence Block wrote a column in Linn's regarding his own worldwide 1840-1940 collection. Among other things, he revealed that he uses the Brown International. He is obviously a serious collector.

Agatha Christie's Hercule Poirot on BBC was a stamp collector.

Vince

The inverted is well placed with other US Airmail