Mercer Bristow - Stamp detective

Genaro C. Armas of the Associated Press did an interesting piece on Mercer Bristow, Director of Expertizing Services for the American Philaletic Society.

Armas writes,"Mercer Bristow's office looks like a cross between a library and a bad imitation of a set from 'CSI.' On desks and tables sitting among bookshelves is an odd collection of apparatus: magnifying glasses of different sizes, odd-looking rulers with serrated edges, a 3-foot "crimescope" that emits ultraviolet light and is hooked up to video monitors. No dead bodies or crime scene investigations here, though. Just stamps. Lots of them."

Shown above is a CrimeScope Digital Imaging System which is used to magnify objects (such as stamps) many times their original size.

To read the entire article, click here.