Henry Ellis Harris

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

Henry Ellis (H.E.) Harris (January 21, 1902 – December 29, 1977) was a philatelist and stamp dealer who through his company, H.E. Harris & Co., popularized philately for many Americans, especially children.

Harris began selling stamps at the age of 14 and eventually built one of the largest stamp businesses in the world. Harris used the radio show "Ivory Stamp Club of the Air", and its host, "Captain Tim" Healy, to promote stamp collecting and his company. Over time, Harris's ads, offering a quantity of stamps for a small amount of money (usually ten cents) on condition additional stamps were sent on approval, became ubiquitous in many magazines and comic books.

Harris's company, which was based in Boston, sent out millions of informational booklets and stamp approvals, all over the world. While the company was noted for selling low-cost packets of stamps, it also sold rarities as well.

Harris gained media attention in 1962 when he went to court to prevent the Canal Zone and the United States Post Office Department from issuing large quantities of intentional error stamps to destroy the value of a few stamps that had reached circulation honoring the opening of the Thatcher Ferry Bridge (now the Bridge of the Americas) but lacking the silver ink used to depict the bridge. Harris had acquired some of the error stamps, and claimed that the issuance, which would reduce the value of the error stamps to a few cents each, violated his rights. He was successful in his lawsuit. For this, he was given the Luff Award in 1966 for exceptional contributions to philately.

Harris was elected posthumously to the American Philatelic Society Hall of Fame in 1979.[1]