STAMP EXHIBITION

Otago Daily Times, Issue 22903, 10 June 1936, Page 13

STAMP EXHIBITION

OPENING CEREMONY A REPRESENTATIVE COLLECTION An interesting exhibition of stamps, held under the auspices of the Returned Soldiers’ Association in the club rooms, was opened to the public last evening. Mr H. L. Paterson, president of the association, occupied the chair, and the Mayor (the Rev. E. T. Cox) performed the opening ceremony.” “ I desire to offer my compliments to the Returned Soldiers' Association on the success which has attended the Anzac stamp effort,” said Mr Cox. “ Not only has it attracted world-wide interest amongst collectors, but it will add a very substantial contribution to the fund for which it was designed. It also makes a very fitting commemoration of the twenty-first anniversary of the historic landing at Gallipoli. “ May I also congratulate the committee that has organised this exhibition? The very fine display of stamps from the Government collection,\as well as those from private collections makes a visit here well worth while to the general public who are not interested in collecting. But to the collector it is of vital value. There is nothing that so arouses interest as seeing what others possess. This creates the desire for the acquisition of choice and rare specimens. Stamp collection has many points of interest. To the youth beginning hie quest it offers an education of great geographical value. The knowledge of the various States and nations of the world so acquired greatly supplements the instruction given in schools It also has a considerable historical interest, for as the student seeks knowledge of the various past issues he cannot fall to imbibe some definite information as to the changes that have taken place in national life. Any such quest has a definite cultural value. But I suppose at the root of much collecting is the age-old desire to acquire that which increases wealth. Probably no field of investment has during the past decade been so profitable as that of stamp collecting. While we sleep the number of collectors grows apace, and it is this ever-growing army that makes collecting a profitable venture, and it is one where it is very difficult for the income tax collector to step in and demand his toll of the profits.” Mr Cox concluded with the hope that the exhibition would spur on the enthusiasts and increase the number of devotees to the cause, as well as swell the funds of the Returned Soldiers’ Association.

The collection is a very representative one, which includes not only many valuable individual stamps but also complete collections of a most interesting nature. Although local philatelists are the chief contributors to the display, there are several cards from other parts of the Dominion, perhaps the most interesting being a representative Government collection of unused stamps, which

includes various commemorative issues. There qre also complete collections of the British Empire Silver Jubilea stamps and the Dutch charity issues. Canadian issues) complete from 1893, and a set of Vatican City stamps are of particular interest to philatelists, while a comprehensive display of the colourful triangular Cape of Good Hope stamps is worthy of note. The exhibit of one well-known Dunedin collector includes a sheet of the famous British ‘‘penny blacks,” the first stamp ever issued, and several curiosities in the form of “ tete beche ” and “ si-tenant ” stamps. Numerous covers are also included in the exhibition, one carried by the Dutch airliner during the Centenary Air Race, and several carried by Sir Charles Kingston! Smith on his nearly disastrous Tasman crossing being among the most outstanding. Some French vignettes, although not actually stamps, are gems of engraving, picturing the numerous tourist attractions and beauty spots of France, and form interesting additions to the exhibition.

The exhibition will be open to the public to-day and to-morrow.