DC-4 SkyMaster Airmail Postal Material
1946 thru 1958

by Thomas Nichols

I started collecting worldwide stamps at an early age and in my early forties began focusing on mint United States stamps. But it wasn’t until I retired that I became an avid collector of United States postal material from the 1940s. I choose the 1940s for two reasons: it was the period of world history that most interested me and there was still a wide range of material that could be collected at a nominal cost. The fact that I was born in the 1940s also played a part in my decision. The wide range and variety of postal materials using the DC-4 SkyMaster image—everything from single stamps, special issued covers, air letters, stationary envelopes and the first U.S. Airmail coil stamp—became a special interest that led to the creation of this illustrated publication. It is hoped that this publication might inspire others in their philatelic pursuits to begin collecting postal material of their favorite time period or that deals with a favorite subject.