Malaria
Philatelists
International

In mid December, 2012, I received an email from Nezka Pfeifer, the curator of the Everhart Museum of Natural History, Science & Art in Pennsylvania. Nezka was looking for a few examples of the U.S. malaria stamp issued in 1962 (Scott 1194). When I noticed the signature of the email was a curator of a museum, I replied that I would send a few of the stamps for free. I also asked what they were for. Once I heard it was for an exhibit, I sent along some malaria stamps from India, Iran, Sierra Leone, and others along with some FDCs and I sent them in an envelope with a malaria Zazzle stamp used for postage. The exhibit 'The Blood is the Life - Vampires in Art & Nature' is running from February 1st to July 2nd, 2013.

There is plenty of information currently on the Everhart Museum's web site on the current exhibitions page. I have copied some of the information below as the content of the web page will change over the months and years as new exhibitions are shown at the museum.

Exclusive to the Everhart Museum, The Blood is the Life features a multi-disciplinary exploration of vampires in our world, in fact and fiction, and how blood and bloodsucking creatures impact today's popular culture and societal mindset. These "monsters" have become a popular facet in today's culture and media, and reflect various social issues that artists use to interpret the social tensions for humanity, including disease, ostracism, and the occult. In a nod to the Everhart Museum's science collection, the exhibit will highlight hematophagy and vampire creatures that have long been present in nature, especially small mammals and insects that get their food by sucking the plasma of other animals, as well as explore the development and history of medicine, blood diseases and hematology. The Blood is the Life will also include the art of blood and the vampire in literature, film, and contemporary art, including ancient legends of vampires and mythical creatures, as well as the techniques used to prevent vampirism in the dead. Financial assistance for this exhibit is provided by PNC Bank and Michael Harris. Lenders to the exhibit include: AIDS Memorial Quilt/The NAMES Project Foundation, Michael E. Bell with Cyril Place, Jim Bosha, Bram Stoker Estate, The Burke Museum of Natural History & Culture, Delaware Museum of Natural History, Kerri Halpern (Madstone Designs), Historical Haunts, Hoffman's Far East Gallery, Gary Kwiecinski (Biology/University of Scranton), Lackawanna County Library System, Lackawanna Historical Society, Luzerne County Historical Society, Lycoming County Historical Society, Mütter Museum, Noreen O' Connor (English Dept/King's College), Ann Pang-White (Philosophy/University of Scranton), Rose Melnick Medical Museum at Youngstown State University, The Rosenbach Museum & Library, Father Sebastiaan, Scranton Times-Tribune, Betty and Bob Smith, Southern Food & Beverage Museum, Vamplets and private collectors, as well as donors Larry Fillion and LEECHES USA. A unique element of the project includes an outdoor Pollinator Garden with plants donated by Knob View Farm and The Lands at Hillside Farms.

Donated stamps and covers to the The Blood is the Life - Vampires in Art and Nature Exhibit