PHILATELY

Press, Volume XC, Issue 27303, 20 March 1954, Page 3

PHILATELY

A New Approach to Stamp Collecting. By Michael Harrison and Douglas Armstrong. Batsford. 196 pp.

This beautiful book, with many illustrations both in colour and black-and-white, describes the development of the hobby of stamp-collecting from its beginnings down to the present day, when it has become an intensive and highly scientific culture, no more a mere schoolboy’s pastime than high finance. It considers the social, cultural, political arid economic undertones of Modern Philately, provides many fascinating stories of the acquisition—and sometimes the loss—of rare stamps, and discusses the entirely new field in philatelic art that has been opened up by the ihodern photographic methods of reproduction. The authors are enthusiastically of the opinion that there is something for everybody in stamp-collecting, and that far more than a knowledge of geography, history and politics can be learnt from the hobby. They cite the modern “thematic” collection that has taken great strides in recent years, i.e. stamps showing birds, fishes, beasts, ships, aeroplanes, famous masterpieces of art, and a thousand and one other objects of human interest. Their informed enthusiasm should help to win new disciples to this fascinating pastime and prove of value to the already established collector.