FOR STAMP COLLECTORS

Evening Star, Issue 21137, 24 June 1932, Page 2

FOR STAMP COLLECTORS

[By Philatelist.]

Any news notes, and items of philatelic interest will always bo appreciated. Address care Editor.

Frequent reference has been made in this column, to tbo different types of collections that can be compiled. Some extremely interesting ones were displayed at the recent philatelic exhibition held at Sydney. A brief description of one of them is given in a report in the June number of the ‘ Australian Stamp Monthly ’ of a recent meeting of the Philatelic Society of New South ,Wales, from which the following extract is taken:—“The main business at the society’s meeting on May 3 was a display by Mr C. F. Laseron, who showed his collection illustrating history and legend on stamps. This collection, which won the first award in it? division at the exhibition, was divided into four sections. The first was devoted to Biblical scenes and church history, the first stamp being a local showing Adam and Eve in the Garden of Eden. Other well-known scenes in this division 1 included the shipwreck of St. Paul, the story of the Good Samaritan, and some of the recent Italian issues. Mythical and legendary scenes followed, and illustrated St. George and the Dragon as portrayed by stamps of many countries, in addition to many others. The third section illustrated exploration, and naturally Columbus here occupied a prominent place, as a great number of countries have honoured him. ,Vasco da Gama and Captain Cook were also prominent in this group. The latest, and largest, section contained general scenes from the history of the, world. A number of battle scenes were noticed, and several countries which have had a long fight for their independence have celebrated its ultimate achievemnt by a series of coninieraoratives depicting scenes in the historic struggle. The entire collection was most artistically arranged and fully ' annotated. Mr Laseron confessed that it had taken hours of search to find the historical facts connected with sumo of the scenes. The collection was formed during a comparatively brief period, and though there are still a few blanks, it stands as an example of what can bo achieved by patience and perseverance.” HAIRDRESSERS OF THE WORLD. AVhat a quaint collection could bo made showing the different types ol hairdressing m various parts of the world The bobbod-haired lady on the 35c of Salyadois, 1924 issue, would probably be a favourite, but thoro are many other styles of hairdressing, modern and classical. Then there arc the savages, such as those on the latest issue of French Madagascar, and others on the stamps of the B.elgian Congo and Ruauda-Urundi. THE WORLD’S PRODUCTS. How many of the world’s staple commodities can you find illustrated or commemorated on stamps ? The Chilean stamps have two designs commemorating the nitrate industry. Wo do not find many among the Empire issues until wo come to Newfoundland, which gives us- fishing, mining, logging, sealing, and paper-making. Kedah gives us rice, and the Turks and Caicos Islands salt. Among foreign countries several South and Central America States have mentioned coffee on their stamps; Ecuador’s issue of 1930 refers to cocoa, tobacco, fruit growing, and sugar; while the Mozambique set adds ivory, rubber, and copra. Groat Lebanon draws our attention to silk, and Costa Rica brings in the banana. AVAR SOUVENIRS. The stamp album is full of souvenirs of past wars. Collectors of British stamps search eagerly for stamps postmarked with a special device which shows that they were used in the Crimea, while Indian stamps are found with a special cancellation of a field force operating in one of the Abyssinian campaigns. Then there are the stamps of the Transvaal and of the Grange Free State, which were overprinted with the letters V.R.I. or E.R.I. during the South African AVar, while many wars between foreign countries are commemorated by special stamps, or recalled by certain postmarks. The Great AVar provided an excuse for the issue of a great many special stumps of various kinds. Some of the most interesting will not be found listed in the stamp catalogues, as they were not a Government issue. I refer to the Ruhleben stamps issued at the famous prison camp in Germany during the war. STAMP ECHOES. T wonder if Britain is going to issue a special stamp in 1940 to commemorate the one hundredth anniversary of the issue of the first adhesive postage stamp, “penny black”? The British Post Office authorities seem to have a prejudice against issuing unnecessary stamps, and perhaps they are wise, but surely there is much to be said in favour of a special issue on this historic occasion. Britain would not be the first country to commemorate its early stamps in this way. If you look at the postal jubilee stamps issued by Japan in 1921 you will see reproductions of the designs of the first Japanese stamps in the corners, the central design being the national and postal flags of the country.

Visitors arc said to be hastily departing from Naples as there is fear that Vesuvius will again be in eruption. Sec Naples and fly.