The Fascinating Story of Self-Adhesive Postal Stamps with Frank Slack

BESG Hosts - The Fascinating Story of Self-Adhesive Postal Stamps
with Frank Slack
- You do not have to lick them to love them.

Thursday, May 14th 2026 - 6:00 PM EST

The purpose behind this presentation is to show how the innovative designs of the 1964 Sierra Leone World’s Fair commemorative stamps heralded the modern era of self-adhesive stamps.
Sierra Leone issued the world’s first free-form, self-adhesive stamps commemorating the New York World’s Fair on February 10th,1964. The stamps were printed in the United Kingdom by a combination of thermography and lithography. The set of Regular issues featured 7 self-adhesive stamps mounted on green backing paper. The set of Airmail issues featured 7 self-adhesive stamps mounted on yellow backing paper. The stamps were designed and produced as self-adhesives for a legitimate reason, namely, to prevent the occurrence of the traditional gum sticking and curling due to the humid climate.
While the New York Times proclaimed their novelty in a February 16th,1964 article, the stamps were initially maligned by critics and collectors alike for their extreme appearance and gimmicky nature.
In hindsight, however; this pioneering Issue became the forerunner for the current boom in self-adhesive stamps produced around the world and deserve to be recognized for the technological advances they ushered in.
This is a free and open event—all are welcome. Membership is neither required or expected.
A discussion will follow the presentation, with everyone welcome to participate. Closed captioning and Computer language translation are available.

ABOUT Frank Slack
Frank Slack is a native of Cape Town, South Africa and has been a lifelong stamp collector. His current interests focus on the postal histories of Southern Africa and classical Europe.
He’s a member of the Spellman Museum, the Spanish Philatelic Society, the American Philatelic Society, the Royal Philatelic Society of London, the Rhodesian Study Circle, the American Topical Association, the Philatelic Federation of South Africa, the Philatelic Society for Greater Southern Africa, the France and Colonies Philatelic Society, the American Society for Polar Philately, the Polar Postal History Society of Great Britain, the Collectors Club of New York, the Waltham Stamp Club, and the Greater Boston Philatelic Society.
In his non-philatelic life, Frank is a Professor of Pathology at the Harvard Medical School, researching how genes control cancer and aging.
To Register: https://us02web.zoom.us/webinar/register/2917700438418/WN_551oMxsUSmmMVhQ57FMqMgb