Henry Stafford Smith
Who was he?
Henry
Stafford Smith began to collect stamps whilst recovering from a
childhood attack of measles. When he was eighteen he advertised part of
his collection for sale in
The Times
and was inundated with replies. The following year (1862) he started a
stamp dealing business.
With the encouragement of other stamp collectors he published one of
the earliest philatelic magazines
The
Stamp
Collectors’
Magazine.
In partnership with his brother, Alfred William Smith, he opened a shop
in Bath at 13, George Street for the sale of foreign postage stamps. In
1866 Henry moved to Brighton where he established a new business and a
new journal
The Philatelist
(1866-76). He also published the
Illustrated
Postage
Stamp
Album and
Catalogue
of British, Colonial, and Foreign Postage Stamps from 1867, and
the
Permanent Postage Stamp Album
(1871).
[British Philatelic Trust]
Why was he in Bath?
He was born in Bath in 1843.
Location of plaque at 13, George Street:
The text reads
"These premises were formerly occupied by the philatelist Henry
Stafford Smith (b. 1843 d. 1903) who with his brother Alfred William
Smith (b. 1837 d. 1880) published from 1863 onwards 'The Stamp
Collector's Magazine'. This was the pioneer philatelic journal and Bath
is therefore the cradle city of philatelic literature."
Location map of 13, George Street:
(c) 2011
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