philatelic (philately) museum and research centre in the City of London (London, City of). It is located in a section of London's General Post Office, next to St. Bartholomew's Hospital (Saint Bartholomew's Hospital). The museum opened in 1966, largely through the efforts of Reginald M. Phillips, who donated his 19th-century stamp collection and other resources to the cause. Its extensive holdings of postage stamps include domestic and foreign issues dating to Britain's (and the world's) first stamp in 1840. In addition to the Reginald M. Phillips Collection, it holds the Post Office Collection and the Berne Collection. The museum has a specialized library and archives.