Victor E. Engstrom (20 October 1913 – July 1, 2000 Clearwater, FL) was an American

philatelist Philately (; ) is the study of postage stamps and postal history. It also refers to the collection and appreciation of stamps and other philatelic products. While closely associated with stamp collecting and the study of postage, it is possible ...

known for his knowledge and collections of stamps of

Nordic countries The Nordic countries (also known as the Nordics or ''Norden''; ) are a geographical and cultural region in Northern Europe, as well as the Arctic Ocean, Arctic and Atlantic Ocean, North Atlantic oceans. It includes the sovereign states of Denm ...

Background

Engstrom came from

Montclair, New Jersey Montclair is a Township (New Jersey), township in Essex County, New Jersey, Essex County in the U.S. state of New Jersey. Situated on the cliffs of the Watchung Mountains, Montclair is a commercial and cultural hub of North Jersey and a diverse ...

. He was an Army veteran of World War II with the rank of colonel and served in military intelligence. He graduated from

Lehigh University Lehigh University (LU), in Bethlehem, Pennsylvania, United States, is a private university, private research university. The university was established in 1865 by businessman Asa Packer. Lehigh University's undergraduate programs have been mixed ...

in 1936. He retired as president of a major building firm founded by his father.St. Petersburg Times. July 4, 2000
/ref>

Collecting interests

Victor Engstrom was a student of

postage stamp A postage stamp is a small piece of paper issued by a post office, postal administration, or other authorized vendors to customers who pay postage (the cost involved in moving, insuring, or registering mail). Then the stamp is affixed to the f ...

s and

postal history Postal history is the study of postal systems and how they operate and, or, the study of the use of postage stamps and Cover (philately), covers and associated postal artifacts illustrating historical episodes in the development of postal system ...

of Nordic countries and their possessions. He had a world-famous reputation for his knowledge and collection of postage stamps and postal history of the

Danish West Indies The Danish West Indies () or Danish Virgin Islands () or Danish Antilles were a Danish colony in the Caribbean, consisting of the islands of Saint Thomas with , Saint John () with , Saint Croix with , and Water Island. The islands of St ...

Philatelic activity

Victor Engstrom was a member of the Scandinavian Collectors Club, where he established the Danish West Indies Study Unit and wrote extensively on the Danish West Indies in the unit's journal. He was also editor-in-chief of the three volume ''Danish West Indies Mail 1754-1917'', published from 1979 to 1982. Engstrom served various posts at the Scandinavian Collectors Club, including the office of president. He also edited the club's journal, '' The Posthorn''.

Selected works

*''Danish West Indies Postal Stationery (The Scandinavian postal stationery lexicon)''(Scandinavian Scribe. 1971) *''Danish West Indies Mails, 1754-1917. Volume I: Postal History'' (Scandinavian Printing and Publishing Company. 1979) *''Danish West Indies Mails, 1754-1917. Volume 2: The Postal Emissions''(Scandinavian Printing and Publishing Company. 1981)

Honors and awards

Engstrom received numerous awards for his expertise and his dedication to the growth of the hobby of

stamp collecting Stamp collecting is the collecting of postage stamps and related objects. It is an area of philately, which is the study (or combined study and collection) of stamps. It has been one of the world's most popular hobbies since the late nineteenth ...

. In 1975, he received the World Series Champion of Champions from the

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 The APS ''Hall of Fame'' award was founded at the 1940 American Phil ...

. He received the Earl Grant Jacobson Award for research, the Carl Pelander Award for outstanding service, and the Eugene Klein Research Award from the American Philatelic Congress. He was honored by the United States Classics Society and received the

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 ph ...

for Distinguished Philatelic Research in 1996. In 1997, he received the Distinguished Philatelist Award from the U.S. Philatelic Classics Society. He was named to the

in 2002.

References

External links

Scandinavian Collectors Club

{{DEFAULTSORT:Engstrom, Victor E. 1913 births 2000 deaths Philatelic literature American philatelists People from Montclair, New Jersey Lehigh University alumni American Philatelic Society