That’s why our Philatelic Library is here – to provide for your enjoyment a growing anthology of fascinating, informative and even scandalous articles written throughout the past century about philately and some of the people involved in its history.
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| Whither
Watermarks? In The Metropolitan Philatelist (New York) for April 23, 1910, editor J.W. Scott advised against collecting varieties of watermarks. Read More... |
A
War Stamp Court Martial The philatelic aspects of this case were set out in a lengthy report in the July 24, 1915, issue of The Postage Stamp (London). Read More... |
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| By
Gum! It’s Stuck In The Philatelist (London) for January 1939, L.N. and M. Williams traced the variety of adhesives used to mount stamps to pages. Read More... |
Does
It Pay? R.W. Ashcroft pondered the effectiveness of philatelic advertising, in the June 1893 issue of The Canadian Journal of Philately (Toronto). Read More... |
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| The
Origin of the Word ‘Philately’ The Journal of the Philatelic Literature Society (London) for April 1915 published a translation of the early article that gave our hobby its name. Read More... |
The
Little Stamp Books and the Reply Stamp Noting the popularity of booklet stamps, Jules Bouvez suggested in the February 1905 issue of the American Journal of Philately (New York) that further innovation was needed. Read More... |
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| Philatelic
Journalism in War-Time This timely report appeared in the October 1914 issue of The Journal of the Philatelic Literature Society (London). One hundred copies of each issue were printed and went to members only. Read More... |
Stamp
Auctions W.F. Gregory gave this auction advice in the February 1905 issue of the American Journal of Philately (New York). Read More... |
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| Rare
Postage Stamps This is a chapter from The Amateur Collector : Everybody's book on Collecting, by Dr. George C. Williamson of Hampstead, England. The book was published by Robert M. McBride & Company in New York in 1924. Read More... |
Noted
Collections - H.E. Deats Alvah Davison’s profile of a famous collection appeared in The Collectors Ledger for September 1888, and was reprinted in The Worcester County Philatelist (Worcester, Massachusetts) for December 1891. Read More... |
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| Coiled
Postage Stamps The Bureau of Engraving and Printing of the United States Treasury Department marked its centennial in 1962. At that time, the Department published History of the Bureau of Engraving and Printing, 1862-1942. A chapter on “new horizons in a new century, 1994-1913” traces the development of coil stamps under the heading “Coiled Postage Stamps.” Read More... |
Notes
on United States Stamps These musings of George F. Crofoot were published in The Worcester County Philatelist (Worcester, Massachusetts) of November 1892. They first appeared in The American Philatelic Magazine (Omaha, Nebraska). Read More... |
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| Australia
in a Nutshell Published in Sydney in 1911, J.H. Smyth’s Philately in a Nutshell surveys the field in charming fashion and concludes with “`Bits’ of Information Concerning the Stamps of Various Countries.” Here are his observations on the Australian Commonwealth and States. Read More... |
Censoring
Soldiers’ Letters The Postage Stamp (London) for June 5, 1915, reported “How Tommy Atkins’ Letters Are Censored.” Read More... |
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| Rouletting
This article appeared in the June 1894 issue of The Post Office, published by Henry Gremmel in New York. Crawford Capen was the editor and probable author of this anonymous piece. Read More... |
The
Future of Stamp Collecting The Rev. R.B. Earee’s forecast appeared in Nunn’s Philatelical Annual and was reprinted in Vindin’s Philatelic Monthly (Sydney) for January 1889. Read More... |
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| The
Brazil Post Office This account of the post office at Rio de Janeiro appeared in the May 1868 issue of The American Journal of Philately, edited by John Walter Scott and published in New York City. The article ends with a comma, in the middle of a quotation. Such were the vagaries of the early philatelic press. Read More... |
Album
Gossip An anonymous author presented this dialogue in the March 1898 issue of The Columbian Philatelist (New Oxford, Pennsylvania). Read More... |
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| Some
Experiences of a Lady Collector Women have collected stamps from the earliest days of our hobby. In the September 1902 issue of The Stamp Collector, published in Birmingham, Mrs. Decima Hamilton shared her memories of young collectors in a Victorian household. Read More... |
The
Truth about the Stamps of the Somali Coast with Inverted Centers This exposé, translated from L’Echo de la Timbrologie and published in the American Journal of Philately (New York) for February 1905, sparked an acid commentary from George L. Toppan, editor of the AJP. Read More... |
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| Stamp
Hunting in Summer “Rover” offered this seasonal celebration of philately in the July 1903 issue of The Stamp Collector, published in Birmingham, England. Read More... |
These
Stirring Times The late 1890s were an exciting period for philately, according to Charles E. Jenney in the June 1898 issue of The Columbian Philatelist (New Oxford, Pennsylvania). Read More... |
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| Death
of M. Oscar Berger-Levrault The passing of a pioneer philatelist was chronicled in The Stamp Collector (Birmingham, England) issue of November 1903. Read More... |
Worries
and Anxieties The unsettled state of the postwar philatelic world was lamented by the editor of The Australian Philatelist (Sydney) in its December 1923 issue. Read More... |
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| Some
Philatelic Memories of Dixie “C.S.A.” (a nom de philatelie) recapped the philatelic history of the Confederate States in an article that appeared in The Post Office for November 1894. The journal was published by Henry Gremmel in New York City, with Crawford Capen as editor. Read More... |
Philatelic
Journalism In The Canadian Journal of Philately (Toronto) of July 1893, Jno. R. Hooper reported progress in the philatelic press. Read More... |
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| The
“Correos” Stamps of Venezuela This look at 19th century Venezuelan stamps by Wilhelm Kühn of Edinburgh appeared in The Stamp Collector (Birmingham) for March, 1903. Read More... |
Two
Great Philatelic Indexes In its September 25, 1915, issue, The Postage Stamp (London) saluted “Mr. W.R. Ricketts’ Important Work” and lamented the delays in its publication. Read More... |
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| The
Evolution of the Stamp Album, from Lallier to Mekeel This lengthy chronicle by Lewis G. Quackenbush appeared in the Philatelic Journal of America for April 1894. Read More... |
Letter
Postage 250 B.C. This report on a philatelic papyrus appeared in Carter’s Messenger (Brooklyn, New York), Volume 2, Number 1, circa 1910. Read More... |
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| Used
versus Unused In The Stamp Collector (Birmingham, England) for February 1903, Ernest Heginbottom, B.A., tackled this endlessly controversial question. Read More... |
Fiscal
Collecting A coming boom in revenues was touted by R.S. Walters in The Canadian Philatelist (London, Ontario) for March 1893. Read More... |
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| First
Day Cover Recollections Dealer Elmer R. Long shared memories of servicing U.S. first day covers in the November 1950 issue of Covers (Albany, Oregon). Read More... |
Home
Rule and Philately The philatelic impact of Home Rule for Ireland was weighed in this report from The Canadian Philatelist (London, Ontario) for June 1893. Read More... |
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| Major
Cover Show Held at Museum During Postal History Convention Philadelphia staked a claim to philatelic fame with this report by George W. Caldwell in the December 1951 issue of Covers (Albany, Oregon). Read More... |
Music
in Philately This article by “Post Master” appeared in the first issue of The Western Philatelist, published in Chicago in January 1887. Read More... |
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| Mounting
Entire Envelopes C.R. Gadsden reported an innovative way to mount covers, in the October 1887 issue of The Western Philatelist (Chicago). Read More... |
A.K.
Essaji - The dealer who sold India first issues by weight! The prolific Jal Cooper profiled a longtime Bombay stamp dealer in the March 1944 issue of India’s Stamp Journal (Bombay). Read More... |
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| Setting
Used Stamp Values Charles Prant undertook to answer a provocative question in the June 20, 1942, issue of Stamp Wholesaler (Burlington, Vermont). Read More... |
Ernest
F. Gambs This profile of a well-known stamp dealer was published in The Badger State Philatelist (Delavan, Wisconsin) of February 1888. Read More... |
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| Color
and Philately C.W. Bruce proclaimed the joy of shades in the July 1945 issue of India’s Stamp Journal (Bombay). Read More... |
The
“Common” versus the “French” School of Philately
The Eagle Philatelist (Kansas City, Kansas) for July 1892 offered Harry F. Kantner’s account of an early schism within the hobby. Read More... |
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| Our
Philatelic Publications In the January 1892 issue of The Eagle Philatelist (Kansas City, Kansas), E.S. Luther recommended several stamp periodicals from among the scores then being published. Read More... |
Murder
Pair Revealed as “Approval Pirates” Stamp Wholesaler (Burlington, Vermont) recounted in its June 20, 1942, issue a lurid tale of two murders who would stop at nothing, even asking for approvals, then not returning them. Read More... |
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| "The World Of Stamps and Stamp Collecting" By John Apfelbaum and David Lidman Definitely make sure to check out John Apfelbaum's in-depth and comprehensive guide to all aspects of philately. Available, for the first time ever, online for your viewing pleasure!
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