Scope and Contents:
This collection consists of collectable postal envelopes and ephemera commemorating Abraham Lincoln's life and legacy. It was compiled by William D. Kuhns, a collector of philately who lived in Dayton, Ohio.
Little is known about William D. Kuhns other than that he was a collector of philately and lived in Dayton, Ohio between 1940 and 1969.
The collection mainly consists of collectable postal envelopes, known as philatelic covers, commemorating Abraham Lincoln's life and legacy. Materials in the collection date from 1940 to 1969, with the bulk of the items postmarked between 1959 and 1969. The envelopes, most of which have illustrated covers (known as cachets), were produced by various philately clubs and conventions, and are addressed to William D. Kuhns in Dayton, Ohio. Many of the envelopes are first day covers, meaning they were mailed on the first day the envelope or stamp was issued.
Box 1 primarily contains envelopes commemorating the anniversary of the Lincoln-Douglas debates and the Lincoln sesquicentennial. Box 2 primarily contains envelopes commemorating Lincoln's elections, inaugurations, and assassination; it also includes envelopes depicting Lincoln that were produced by foreign countries. The envelopes in the collection were originally mounted and stored in two volumes, which were disassembled for preservation purposes. They are now stored in folders, with the original order intact.
The Library purchased this collection in 2020 with support from the Dr. Harlan Horner Estate.
Creators 
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