Collector Creates History Through Covers

Maryland's Frederick News-Post reports, "Some people use books to record history... Bill Wells uses envelopes."

His philatelic covers have traveled the world. They have been signed by former Vice President Walter Mondale, former President Bill Clinton and several military leaders.

Wells, 88, has been a stamp collector since 1933, when he received his first stamp book for Christmas according to reporter Lauren Beward. In the 1980s Wells decided to do more than collect unique stamped envelopes. After joining the Carroll County Philatelic Society in Maryland, he started to make his own.

Wells adorns his envelopes with stamps related to a specific event along with cachets, designs or texts that explain the event, usually of his own design writes Beward

"Then he sends the cover off to the town where the event takes place to receive a special postmark for the exact date. Many of his postmarks are from overseas.A self-proclaimed history buff, Wells has created and collected covers for thousands of events, including several wars, the lunar landing, the first airmail flights and the founding of Jamestown," according to the article.

Wells is quoted in the piece as saying, ""My father worked at the post office for 44 years as a carrier. He knew how much I liked these envelopes and stamps, so if he would see something unique or foreign he'd ask his clients 'If you're just going to throw that away, can I have to give to my son?'"

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