Hobbyists offer view of the personal, plus history through stamps
By Jeannette I. Andrade
Philippine Daily Inquirer

ROBERT Tan, president of the Philippine Philatelic Federation: Reviving an interest in what is considered as the world’s most fascinating hobby. PHOTO BY NIÑO JESUS ORBETA

Before children of the new generation forget how a stamp looks like, postage stamp collectors and the Philippine Postal Corp. (Philpost) have teamed up and brought out their treasured compilations for the public to see the biggest stamp exhibit to be held in the country.

The Philippine Philatelic Exhibition (Philpex) 2012 is out to prove that stamp-collecting still has a place in the hearts of the young who have become so obsessed with instant communication that writing letters in longhand has become almost like a dying art.

Philpex 2012 is a festival of international exhibits and entries from member clubs of the Philippine Philatelic Federation (PPF) with the theme “Knowledge and fun through stamp-collecting.” The public can view the display for free until Feb. 3 at the main lobby of the Central Post Office at Liwasang Bonifacio in Manila.

Collectors from the Cebu Philatelic Society, the Filipinas Stamp Collectors’ Club (FSCC), the International Philippine Philatelic Society, the Naga City Philatelic Society, the Philippine Chinese Philatelic Society, the Quezon Philatelic Society and the Dumaguete Stamp Club have lent their rare diverse collections for the common cause of reviving a flagging interest in what is generally considered the world’s most fascinating hobby.

Lawrence Chan, FSCC officer, told the Inquirer that the exhibit is a show-and-tell on a much grander scale where participants in the competition and exhibit produce baby theses on their respective multi-themed collections.

Collections

“In their presentations, they describe their collections, including a brief history and discussion on the stamps or other philatelic materials they have included. Sometimes they tell stories of themselves in the process, allowing a person going through the collection to get an insight on the exhibitor,” Chan explained.

Among the more intriguing displays is a presentation by Dionisio Taeza which he dubbed “Friends Never Die, They Just Fade Away,” for which he was awarded a bronze medal under the category of thematic philately.

Taeza’s exhibit featured a long exchange of letters and postcards between him and a friend.

“Extraordinary Stamps,” arranged by Jerson Danseco of the Quezon Philatelic Society, lives up to its title, earning for the exhibitor a silver bronze medal under the thematic philately category.

Danseco included a small disc-shaped stamp from the People’s Republic of China, which can be played on any CD player, as well as other odd-shaped postage stamps.

RUIZ Peñafrancia’s collection highlights important events in the life of the late Pope John Paul II. PHOTO BY NIÑO JESUS ORBETA

Famous scenes

In his “Hologram” collection, which won for him a large vermeil trophy under the thematic philately category, Nilo Dizon highlighted the history and  of holographic postage stamps in  his massive compilation.

Viewers will notice stamps covered with a thin film of silver foil. Up close, one sees pictures of prominent personalities and famous vistas from the postage stamps’ countries of origin.

Postcards, commemorative coinsas well as stamped envelopes with calligraphic longhand writing on its face to indicate the addressee of the post, are also on display

 

Chan said the use of multi-media by the exhibitor is generally accepted if it forms part of the theme.

Longhand writing can also earn points for stamp contest competitors, particularly if the person he corresponds with is famous, he said, adding that there is also a need for a catchy title for the collection.

In Ruiz Peñafrancia’s exhibit, “Blessed Pope John Paul II, the Making of a Saint,” for which the philatelist from the Naga City Philatelic Society earned a silver bronze under the thematic philately category, she  showed important events in the late Pope’s life.

The competition features 50 collections, including those from International Philippine Philatelic Society representatives Don Peterson and Hans Becker.

Becker won a large vermeil trophy under traditional philately for his collection of Philippine government and anniversary  slogans.

International standards

Chan said the board used international standards and rules governing philatelic competitions set by the Fédération Internationale de Philatélie, a network of philatelists worldwide.

Knowledge, study and research on the theme of the collection, he pointed out, accounted for 35 percent of the rating. The condition and rarity of the postage stamps are 20 percent each, while the condition and importance make up 10 percent of the total score. Presentation accounts for only 5 percent of the total rating.

Among the entries, PPF president Robert Tan’s  “China Pre UPU 1778-1872” and “Philippines: Pre-Philatelic Era” won  gold trophies under the postal history and traditional philately categories.

Young exhibitors

The youth philately exhibits, collections of people below 18 years old, brought a breath of freshness to an otherwise, adult-dominated hobby. Collie Marquez’s “It’s the Cat’s Meow,” a collection of felines on stamps, got a silver medal.

Joanna Argosino’s “The Time Giants Ruled the World,”  dinosaurs depicted on stamps, earned for her a silver under the same category, while  Reena de Jesus ran off with  a vermeil trophy for her “The World of Music” exhibit.

Dojie Lutera, FSSC president who was awarded a vermeil trophy for his “Postal History of the Philippine Cordillera” collection under the postal history category, lamented the dwindling number of stamp collectorsin the country.

Recalling a time when there were more than 100,000 local  stamp hobbyists, he said he hopes Philpex would  “revive an enthusiasm and appreciation” for stamp-collecting.

“The challenge  for us is to renew an interest in philately,” Lutera said. “As you view each exhibit, take time to enjoy the collections. You can see how beautiful the world is through our eyes.”

Source: Newsinfo.inquirer.net

In this video, you’ll hear about the market value of the “Inverted Jenny” being 4,000$….Nowadays it has reached a market value of very close to 1,000,000$. Yep, no typo here, one million dollar.

Enjoy!

The Story Behind Stamps (1957) DVD Edition

 

An episode from a TV series titled World Through Stamps: The
Stories Behind Postage Stamps which aired in the 1950s.

Narrated by well-known CBS newsman Robert Trout, this 13-minute program
starts off talking about early attempts at long distance flights before
World War I.

It then goes into about how the U.S. government was only one that would
bankroll airplanes and developed the first airmail routes in 1918. They
also show an example of the first airmail stamp, along with the
infamous “upside down Jenny” stamp, which they quote as being worth
$4000. The story moves to the barnstormers who bought up surplus Jennys.

This and more than 60,000 other “ephemeral” (advertising, educational,
industrial, and amateur) films were archived by Rick Prelinger in New
York City beginning in 1993.  In 2002, the film collection was
acquired by the Library
of Congress, Motion Picture, Broadcasting and Recorded Sound Division.

To visit the Prelinger Archive, click here.

Source: The Stamp Collecting Round Up

Product Details

This rare piece of history is a great documentation of aviation history as told through stamps. Terrific historical documentation of older stamps. This is a one-of-a-kind educational compilation.

• Actors: Robert Trout
• Directors: Thomas Craven
• Producers: Craven Film Corporation
• Region: All Regions
• Number of discs: 1
• Studio: Quality Information Publishers, Inc.
• Run Time: 13 minutes
• Average Customer Review: Be the first to review this item
• ASIN: B000J2YBQ8
• Publication Date : 2006
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #261,759 in Movies & TV (See Top 100 in Movies & TV)

Odd, but interesting. Great moments in aviation history as told through postage stamps.

Source: Philatelic Database

The History of Aviation Told Through Postage Stamps (1953)

The film was produced in 1953, apparently as part of a series, and features broadcast reporter Robert Trout as a host (and Groucho Marx lookalike). He explains that Lindbergh’s historic flight radically shifted the public perception of aviation. Before it, airplanes were considered to be “fit only for freight — and fools.”

This whimsical short film combines historic postage stamps and amazing archival footage to tell the story of early aviation, culminating in Charles Lindbergh’s 1927 crossing of the Atlantic Ocean. Lindbergh began his career as a U.S. Air Mail pilot, flying a route between Chicago and St. Louis. When he completed his transatlantic flight, countries around the world printed stamps in celebration.

Source: The Atlantic

REVIEWS

1. Reviewer: Spuzz

5.00 out of 5 stars

September 25, 2005

Subject: Yay Lindbergh!

Totally fun overview of the history of airplanes, told, yes, through stamps! My God! What a great idea! I LOVED this film! The film uses both archival clips and the stamps to weave our way through history. The narrator seems to love this idea too. Its quite obvious that this was a series, and I would like to see more of this pleaaaaaaaaase!! (Hint Hint Rick!) This is a MUST see on this site!

2. Reviewer: Wilford B. Wolf

3.00 out of 5 stars

July 29, 2005

Subject: Extreme stamp collecting!

This film appears to be a syndicated 15 minute TV show from 1953 about the stories on stamps. This episode is called “New Horizons For Old” and covers primarily Lindbergh’s flight across the Atlantic in 1927.

The piece starts off talking about early attempts at long distance flights before World War I. It also talks about how the US government was only one that would bankroll airplanes and developed the first airmail routes in 1918. They also show an example of the first airmail stamp, along with the infamous “upside down Jenny” stamp, which they quote as being worth $4000 (and now worth several million). The story moves to the barnstormers who bought up surplus Jennys. This ties back into Lindberg, who got his start on this circuit before finally flying mail.

The piece is illustrated with many examples of period newsreels of planes. There is also discussion of the other people that attempted to cross the Atlantic in 1926 and why Lindbergh called his plane “The Spirit of St. Louis”.

Overall, a decent overview of the historic flight and some good footage of early airplanes. However, it’s fairly average in the end.

NEW HORIZONS FOR OLD By Alan Stern

Pan over CUs of various airmail stamps:

CU 1949 airmail stamp commemorating 45th anniversary of Wright Brothers flight
French stamp commorating July 25, 1908 Bleriot flight across English channel
VS old Bleriot plane taking off
VS old World War I-vintage planes, not clearly identified
VS World War I combat in air and anti-aircraft fire from ground
May 16, 1919: US Navy seaplane taking off from Newfoundland (NC4); one lands at Azores; two lost
CU New York Times page about trip
VS New York Stock Exchange and Wall Street ca. 1919
CU first airmail stamp Ð 24 cents of Curtiss Jenny in flight
CU inverted center stamp
VS Jenny flying, air-to-air
Spectators on ground looking up to sky, ostensibly watching air show
VS airshow activities
CU finger pointing at book, looking for specific passage; then specific passage outlined in The Spirit of St. Louis, by Charles A. Lindbergh
CU Lt. Commander Richard E. Byrd
Noel Davis
Capt. Charles Nungesser
Clarence Chamberlin and Bert AcostaÕs plane
VS CUs other aviators
LS ByrdÕs plane crashing at Teterboro airport
Wreck of DavisÕs plane
NY Times headlines about loss of Nungesser and Coli
CU Charles Lindbergh in helmet, goggles and leather flying jacket
Spirit of St. Louis being rolled to airport
Lindbergh suiting up for flight, does final interviews
Lindbergh gets into Spirit of St. Louis
Lindbergh takes off from New York, very heavily loaded; finally wheels up (May 20, 1927)
Aerial over Rhode Island and Cape Cod
LS ocean waves (VS)
Coast of Nova Scotia
Wing against sky, over ocean
Rocky coast of Newfoundland
Ocean
Clouds; fog enters frame from right
Night sky illuminated by moon
Lightning in night sky
Clouds seen from above
Flyby fishing boats on ocean
Coast of Ireland from air
Flying over England, buildings on coast
Night shot of Place de la Concorde
Night shot, people milling around airfield and running to plane
Nighttime mob (good)
Running figures on field
CU smiling Lindbergh in Paris
VS commemorative stamps honoring Lindbergh, issued by various nations

To all  the readers of the blog a very healthy, peaceful, happy and prosperous 2012 !

Happy stamp collecting

Talk soon,

Janice

Will the USA Citizens Stamp Advisory Committee issue a Bruce Lee Stamp in 2012 for the Year of the Dragon?

Click on the arrow to start the video.

In order to get Bruce Lee’s candidacy on the Selection Commitee’s radar, vote here.

Ever thought of starting a topical stamp collection on Trains and Locomotives ?

Watch this video with Wade Saadi and you’re on your way!

‘Postage stamps are unique works of art that tell a story’

Tchou Tchou

Enjoy!

Talk soon,

Janice

To all Stamp Collectors with a little bit of  Sherlockian wit, here’s a fun contest that you might want to check out!

The Round-Up has decided to have a ”What’s This Stamp” contest from time to time. The rules are simple.

The first person to correctly identify the stamp pictured above by country will win a very nice presentation pack courtesy of Royal Mail.

What's This Stamp? | Source: http://stampcollectingroundup.blogspot.com

The first person to correctly identify the stamp pictured by country AND SCOTT CATALOGUE NUMBER will also win a Royal Mail presentation pack.

So go ahead, make my day, and identify the stamp shown above.

Send entries to: donschilling@att.net.

Hum…no clue yet…

You?

Good luck!

Janice

PS: Thanks Don for this great idea!

Oldest Post Office in the World - Sanquhar, Scotland (1712)

I’m always happy to receive emails from our dear Scottish friends, Iain and Margaret. They are so entertaining and always filled with great stories directly sourced from their worldwide traveling adventures.

In yesterday’s mail, Iain mentions a conversation with row seat passenger while flying from Prestwick, Scotland to Wrocklaw, Poland:

“I recall that we talked a bit – on the plane – about Chopin’s time in Scotland, the last summer of his short life. Monday – 17th October – is the Anniversary of Frederick Chopin’s death in 1849.”

Today being October 17th, let’s take a few minutes to reflect upon one of the world’s most greatest musical prodigies!

Alex Birman rendered the enthralling power of Chopin’s music in such a beautiful way, that I decided to publish his article below .

(I added some images )

The Fantasy Impromptu of Stamps

‘You are sitting in your library on a rainy day, your company consisting of a dusty, old radio and a hot cup of jasmine tea.

You turn the dial to your favorite classical music station.

As you close your eyes and take in the magic which begins to embrace your very existence in that room, your ears are captivated and consumed by a whirlwind of notes and rhythms and harmonies and dissonances.

That which hypnotizes you in all of its wonder and genius is none other than Frédéric Chopin’s breathtaking Nocturne Opus 72 no.1, and you instantly become whisked away to a romantic ballroom where the prodigy, himself, is caressing and pounding out each and every measure, with the precision of a savant, as your soul waltzes to the dark and intricate melody.’

Ballroom Dancing - Photo by rafeejewell on Flickr

‘Each note is significant to the whole, with every crescendo and decrescendo sending chills up your spine; you truly appreciate the great murder that is modern music. Such an experience is fairly typical for the average sophisticate with a refined taste in music. This feeling of complete and total enthrallment is most likely the reason why Chopin is considered to be one of the most talented and innovative musical geniuses in the vast history of piano.’

Philatelic Cover produced by Vietstamp.net

‘Frédéric Chopin was born in the village of Zelazowa Wola, in Warsaw, Poland, on March 1, 1810, to a French father and a Polish mother. During the duration of his musical life, after he was recognized as a child prodigy at the age of eight, he grew in popularity as a master Polish composer of piano music during the Romantic period (1820 – 1869) and is still considered to be one of the greatest piano composers of all time.

He proved to be quite the innovator, in many respects, including the invention of the ballade music form for piano and the innovation of structures, such as the nocturne, the sonata, the waltz, the impromptu, the etude, and the prelude.’

Frederic Chopin on Vietnam Maxicards - Source: http://vietstamp.net

‘It was an unfortunate day when the keys of the grand piano grew silent, on October 17, 1849. Chopin died in Paris, of what some claim to have been a broken heart, resulting from an affair he’d had with the French novelist, Madame Dudevant, more commonly known as “George Sand.”

This is a beautiful stamp souvenir sheet, issued by Chad in 2010, commemorating the 200th anniversary of the birth of famous Polish Romantic composer and virtuoso pianist Frédéric Chopin. Also featured on the sheet is French novelist George Sand.

‘One must take into consideration, though, that the life of such a passionate being rarely ends in anything other than heartache and tragedy. The era of a great musical master had come to the end of its chapter, but the spirit of his passion, lived out through each note, was left to haunt the ears and souls of generations to come.’

Source: The Fantasy Impromptu of Stamps

Chopin composed his popular Nocturne in E-flat major, Op. 9, No. 2 when he was about twenty. Like much of Chopin’s music, this nocturne is tinged with melancholy. Click on the arrow below to hear and listen to the melody…

The nocturne is reflective in mood until it suddenly becomes passionate near the end. The new concluding melody begins softly but then ascends to a high register and is played forcefully in octaves, eventually reaching the loudest part of the piece, marked fortissimo. Tension increases dramatically as the crescendo brightly moves up to the long trill. After a brilliant trill-like passage, the excitement subsides; the nocturne ends calmly.

Source: Wikipedia

1999 - Joint Issue from France & Poland - 150th Anniversary Death

For these are latter days I know
The Great Depression now is spreading
God’s word declared it would be so

I’m going where there’s no depression
To the lovely land that’s free from care
I’ll leave this world of toil and trouble
My home’s in Heaven, I’m going there

In that bright land there’ll be no hunger
No orphan children crying for bread
No weeping widows toil and struggle
No shrouds, no coffins and no death

I’m going where there’s no depression
To the lovely land that’s free from care
I’ll leave this world of toil and trouble
My home’s in Heaven, I’m going there

This dark hour of midnight nearing
Tribulation time will come
The storm will hurl in midnight fears
And sweep lost millions to their doom

I’m going where there’s no depression
To the lovely land that’s free from care
I’ll leave this world of toil and trouble
My home’s in Heaven, I’m going there
My home’s in Heaven, I’m going there

Waltz for piano No. 7 in C sharp minor, Op. 64/2, CT. 213

lyrics

Since 1956, UNESCO participates in commemorations of anniversaries of eminent personalities, works or events that have contributed to the mutual enrichment of culture in order to give them worldwide significance.

Inside the 2010-2011 program, Frederic Chopin’s 200th Anniversary of birth has been proposed by Poland, with the support of France.

To Chopin’s beautiful music!

Talk soon,

Janice

Click on the arrow below to start the video:

“Virtual stamp collecting has become a favourite pastime on social media platforms such as FaceBook, Flickr and Twitter/Twitpic. This is a short introduction with all you need to know to get started as well as directions to the main virtual stamp websites. Start your virtual stamp album online today. Its the most fun you can have with your computer on! ”

Bruce Kilgour

Source: Youtube

It truly can be fun!

Mind you, would virtual stamp collecting exhibits be accepted inside Stamp Collecting Societies’s Exhibitions?

Will all the cutting edge technology available nowadays, i.e. projectors, slide shows, laptop computers and notebooks, it’s technically surely possible.

What do you think?

Do comment below as it would be great to hear your thoughts on this subject.

Before I sign off…

If you’d like great philatelic and stamp related stories as well as rare stamps auction trends appearing in your Facebook feed without having to lift your little finger, you are kindly invited to join the Discover Topical Stamp Collecting Facebook Fan page.

I’d be delighted to have ungoing conversations with you on that social media platform as well.

Until next, enjoy your hobby.

Talk soon,

Janice

Your Topical Stamp Collecting Queen

Rugby France 2011 Silver Stamp on Private Cover | Designer: J.C. Leducq

Just received this beautiful!…magnificient!…envelope postmarked at Cestas Post Office, (just south of Bordeaux, France) and bearing the Rugby France 2011 Silver Stamp!

Background depicts  a sunset over New Zealand city landmarks. Top left corner shows the Rugby World Cup and underneath, a listing of all participating countries with country flags.

This private cover is such a beautiful stamp collectible!

To read more about this French silver stamp issue, click here => France Silver Rugby Stamp Commemorates Rugby World Cup Editions

Enjoy!

Talk soon,

Janice

USA 1979 Will Rogers Actor & Humorist Scott 1801

“Even if you’re on the right track, you’ll get run over if you just sit there.”

In his great wisdom, Will Rogers gave us a secret key towards the realization of our goals: take action!

USA 1948 Will Rogers Commemorative Postage Stamp

Remembering Rogers

On November 4, 1948, the U.S. Post Office commemorated Rogers with a three-cent stamp. He also was honored on the centennial of his birth, in 1979, with the issuance of a U.S. Postal Service 15-cent stamp.

At the time of his death, Will Rogers was the country’s most widely read newspaper columnist, between his daily “Will Rogers Says” and his weekly column. His Sunday night half-hour radio show was the nation’s most-listened-to weekly broadcast. He was the nation’s number-two movie box-office draw in 1933, behind Marie Dressler; and number one in 1934; he was second in 1935, behind Shirley Temple.

Many a place is named after him, including the Will Rogers World Airport in Oklahoma City, Oklahoma, and the submarine USS Will Rogers. Will Rogers’ home, stables, and polo fields are today the Will Rogers State Park in Pacific Palisades, California. Rogers’ birthplace, on land overlooking his original ranch now covered by the reservoir Lake Oologahis, is open to the public.

“]

[November 4, 1879 – August 15, 1935

A statue of Will Rogers on a horse stands on the Texas Tech University campus. At Epcot Center in Florida, an Audio-Animatronic Will Rogers is seen twirling his lasso and speaking in the “American Adventure” 1930s sequence. The Will Rogers Shrine of the Sun observation tower, built near Cheyenne Mountain in Colorado Springs, Colorado, is open every day of the year, weather permitting.Will Rogers had many famous sayings, but was known widely for “I never met a man I didn’t like,” which indicated his love and respect for people all over the world.Source: http://www.u-s-history.com/pages/h3701.html

USA Regular and 22 carat Gold Stamp - Will Rogers Commeorative Cover

1931 Will Rogers Flight to Nicaragua after Managua Earthquake

Until next, happy collecting!

Janice

Your Topical Stamp Collecting Queen

ATA's Journal of Thematic Philately - May June 2011 Edition - Going Green Topically

In the May-June 2011 Journal of Thematic Philately issued by the American Topical Association (ATA), I read with great pleasure Wayne L. Youngblood’s article titled: “Greenstamps Provide Topical Springboard” in which he relates his challenging experience of creating first day covers with the USA Go Green stamps released last April 14th.

USA-2011-Go-Green-Pane-of-16-stamps

Mr Youngblood’s creativity is amazing! Just to give you an idea, take a look at this wonderful philatelic collectible produced with the first stamp of the pane which descriptive reads: “Buy Local Produce, Reuse Bags”:

USA 2011 Go Green Private FDC by Wayne L Youngblood | Topical Time

And the above is just one fabulous example!

Get your hands on the May-June 2011 issue of the Topical Time to discover how the other 15 stamps of the series were matched with related documents by Wayne L. Youngblood to create fascinating first day covers.

The Journal of Thematic Philately is published bi-monthly and mailed out to all their members. Are you currently a member of the American Topical Association?

If not, I recommend you join as soon as possible in order to benefit from all the resources available to members only. Share ideas with worldwide stamps collectors all around the globe. The ATA promotes topical stamp collecting by encouraging the collection, research, and study of topical stamps and their subjects.

You will also get access to ATA published books, checklists and audio-visual programs. The ATA host and participate in many philatelic exhibitions. You can even get assistance to acquire or dispose of collections.

Call them up at 618-985-5100 or simply print the form below and mail out to the adress shown.

Believe me, it’s not an expense. It’s an investment into hours and hours of pleasure inside your hobby .

Enjoy and until next, happy collecting!

Janice

Your Topical Stamp Collecting Queen