Herman "Pat" Herst Jr. (March 15, 1909 – January 31, 1999) was a writer of
philatelic literature
Philatelic literature is written material relating to philately, primarily information about postage stamps and postal history.
Background to philatelic literature
Philatelic literature is held by stamp collectors and dealers, philatelic soci ...
, in many cases on the history of the hobby, as well as a
stamp dealer and
stamp auctioneer. He began his career on Nassau Street in
New York City in 1933, moving to
Shrub Oak, New York in 1946, remaining there until he finally retired to
Florida in 1973.
In Florida he remained involved in philately
Philately (; ) is the study of postage stamps and postal history. It also refers to the collection and appreciation of stamps and other philatelic products. Philately involves more than just stamp collecting or the study of postage; it is poss ...
, giving speeches and talks at the Hollywood Stamp Club (Hollywood, Florida
Hollywood is a city in southern Broward County, Florida, United States, located between Fort Lauderdale and Miami. As of July 1, 2019, Hollywood had a population of 154,817. Founded in 1925, the city grew rapidly in the 1950s and 1960s, and is now ...
) and other institutions. When he died, his extensive library was donated to Florida Atlantic University, at Boca Raton, Florida
Boca Raton ( ; es, Boca Ratón, link=no, ) is a city in Palm Beach County, Florida, United States. It was first incorporated on August 2, 1924, as "Bocaratone," and then incorporated as "Boca Raton" in 1925. The population was 97,422 in the ...
.
He was active in the ACLU
The American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU) is a nonprofit organization founded in 1920 "to defend and preserve the individual rights and liberties guaranteed to every person in this country by the Constitution and laws of the United States". T ...
, The Baker Street Irregulars and other non-philatelic groups.[Herman Herst Is Dead at 89; An Esteemed Stamp Collector]
By ROBERT McG. THOMAS Jr; The New York Times; February 7, 1999
Life
Herst was born on March 15, 1909, the son of a New York lawyer. When his father died in 1913, he added the "Jr." His friends, noting his birthday every year, called him "Pat."
His mother, Lillian Myers Herst, was a violinist who conducted music lessons for summer camps.[''Conducting an Orchestra in a Summer Camp'']
'' The Violinist'', 1920 She also performed in John Philips Sousa's all-female orchestra. Herst was sent to his aunt's home in Portland, Oregon when he was 12.
At Reed College, he studied International law.
While working for a brokerage firm, he made a delivery to a stamp dealer on Nassau Street, the hub for New York stamp dealers. This meeting started Herst on his course to becoming a stamp dealer himself.
Philatelic accomplishments
Herst was primarily known for his writing, which included numerous books and articles:
* Nassau Street: a Quarter Century of Stamp Dealing (1960)
* Fun and Profit in Stamp Collecting (1962)
* Stories to Collect Stamps by (1968)
* The Complete Philatelist (1979)
* More Stories to Collect Stamps By (1982)
* Forensic Philately: an Account of the Famous English Stamp Fraud Trials... (1986)
* Herst's Outbursts, a newsletter issued from the 1940s to 1973
* wrote articles in most U.S. philatelic publications
* set up a local post in Shrub Oak, NY, which issued and postmarked its own stamps
He received several notable awards, including the American Philatelic Society's Luff Award
The Luff Award is awarded by the American Philatelic Society (commonly known as the APS) for meritorious contributions to philately by living philatelists.
Established
The award was established in 1940 in memory of John N. Luff, distinguished ...
in 1961, and was elected as the only American on the board of the Philatelic Traders Society in the UK. In 2000, he was posthumously inducted in the American Philatelic Society Hall of Fame.
Philatelic leadership
Herst's literary work in the field of philately helped introduce newcomers to the hobby; at the same time, his literature delved into the history of philately, which proved interesting to both the newcomer and the advanced collector of stamps.
He participated in philatelic events, such as auctions, issued his own local stamps showing his German Shepherd Alfie (based on an obscure 1862 law), and gave speeches on philatelic subjects.
Family
He is survived by his second wife Ida, and two children: Kenneth of Springfield, Virginia, and Patricia Held of Centreville, Virginia. He had two stepchildren: Gary K. Busch of London and Gail C. Busch of Manhattan. He left behind six grandchildren and four great-grandchildren.
Selected publications
*
*''Forensic Philately (An Account of the Famous English Stamp Fraud Trials involving Messrs. Bluett, Benjamin, Sarpy, Jeffryes and Dr. Assmus Originally Published in "The Stamp News", 1890-1892).'' Lake Oswego, Oregon: Herman Herst Jr., 1986. (ed.)
*
*
See also
* Philately
Philately (; ) is the study of postage stamps and postal history. It also refers to the collection and appreciation of stamps and other philatelic products. Philately involves more than just stamp collecting or the study of postage; it is poss ...
* Philatelic literature
Philatelic literature is written material relating to philately, primarily information about postage stamps and postal history.
Background to philatelic literature
Philatelic literature is held by stamp collectors and dealers, philatelic soci ...
* Nassau Street (Manhattan)
Nassau Street is in the Financial District, within the borough of Manhattan in New York City. Its southern end is at the intersection with Broad Street and Wall Street, and its northern end is at Spruce Street, at Pace University near the foo ...
References
{{DEFAULTSORT:Herst, Herman Jr.
1909 births
1999 deaths
American stamp dealers
American philatelists
Writers from New York City
Philatelic authors
20th-century American businesspeople
American Philatelic Society