ROBINETTE, HOWARD AUGUSTINE

Copyright 2011-2018 John N. Lupia, III

Howard Augustine Robinette (1883-1949), was born on June 4, 1883, at Lebanon, Pennsylvania, son of Augustine Robinette (1841-1919), a clerk in the Pensioner's Office, and Agnes B. Boole (1851-1927).

In 1900, he moved to Washington, D.C. and lived in his parent's home most of his life until the late 1930's.

In 1910, he worked as a Patent Attorney .

His WWI draft card states his occupation as a draftsman.

At least by 1926, Robinette was a clerk and salesman in the stamp dealership of Hamilton F. Colman, Second Bank Building, 509 Seventh Street, NW, Washington, D. C.

In 1928, Robinette purchased the stamp dealership of Hamilton F. Colman. Colman had purchased the stamp business of John Murray Bartels (1871-1944) q.v.

According to the 1930 U. S. Census, Robinette was still single and a stamp dealer, the owner of a Stamp Shop, 509 Seventh Street, NW, Washington, D. C.

According to the 1940 U. S. Census, he was married to Sadie F. Robinette (1883-1960).

Fig. Correspondence from Robinette to Frank C. Wardwell (1868-1955), Oil City, Pennsylvania, a noted stamp collector and speaker at clubs, postmarked registered mail, Washington, DC, November 14, 1931. Courtesy Lupia Numismatic Library.

His WWII draft card states he was a stamp dealer living at 325 Highland Drive, Kenwood, Montgomery, Maryland, with his stamp shop at 900 F. Street, NW, Washington, D.C.

On October 12, 1945, he was the guest speaker at the Baltimore Philatelic Society meeting.

Fig. Robinette advertisement in Hobbies, Vol. 53, March (1948) : 126. Courtesy Lupia Numismatic Library.

He died on February 1, 1949, at Prince George's, Maryland.

“The Washington Philatelist,” a feature in the Washington Post, February 13, reported his death as : “a severe loss to all philatelists, not only in the Washington area, but throughout the country, for Mr. Robinette was one of the leading dealers in the philatelic world.”

Bibliography :

Hobbies (1948)

Washington Post, February 13 (1949)

Columbia Historical Society, Vol. 50 (1949) : 495