The Smithsonian’s National Postal Museum is proud to announce the 17th Maynard Sundman Lecture Wednesday, Dec. 9, at 4 p.m. ET online, via Zoom. Admission to the lecture is free, but registration is required. Register here. The museum will welcome Yamil Kouri Jr. to discuss the topic of his most recent book “Under Three Flags, the Postal History of the Spanish-Cuban / American War,” the winner of the American Philatelic Society’s philatelic literature Grand Award in 2019.
Cubans had long sought liberation from Spanish rule during the mid-to-late 19th century, culminating in the Cuban War of Independence in 1895. After more than three years of fighting, neither side had a clear advantage. The United States’ declaration of war against Spain in April 1898 had a decisive impact on the conflict, leading to Spain’s surrender within a few months. Although brief, these coinciding military conflicts and the multi-country occupation of Cuba produced a rich and varied postal history legacy. The presentation will explore some of the fascinating aspects of this legacy that resulted in major global consequences.
A stamp collector since the age of 8, Yamil Kouri has been active in several aspects of philately at the local, national and international level including exhibiting, judging, writing numerous publications and coordinating an annual postal history symposium. He is an active member within the organized philatelic community and represents the United States both as vice president of the Inter-American Federation of Philately and as commissioner at many international exhibitions.
Kouri is a Fellow of the Royal Philatelic Society London, as well as a member of the European Academy of Philately and the Spanish Academy of Philately. He was named a distinguished philatelist by the U.S. Philatelic Classic Society in 2019 and was invited to sign the Roll of Distinguished Philatelists in the U.K. in 2020. One of Kouri’s exhibits won the American Philatelic Society (APS) Champion of Champions competition in 2019. He also received the APS Luff Award in 2020 for exceptional contributions to philately.
Kouri is chairman of the Spellman Museum of Stamps & Postal History Board of Trustees as well as vice president of the Boston 2026 World Expo. When not involved with stamps or family events, he works as a hematologist/oncologist in the Boston area.
For Further Information Contact: Susan Smith, PhD, Winton M. Blount Research Chair: 202.633.1519, SmithSu@si.edu