This month’s American Philatelic Society staff profile features Betsy Gamble, the APRL’s Technical Services Coordinator. Betsy processes all of our journals, auction catalogs, and price lists, and catalogs new items for the collection. She also oversees loading records from member libraries into the philatelic Union Catalogue hosted by APRL.
Category: APRL News
Rare books and Japanese stamps
One of philately’s rarest books is currently on display at the Smithsonian National Postal Museum in Washington, DC.
A.M. Tracey Woodward’s Postage Stamps of Japan and Dependencies was published in 1928. Only 100 signed and numbered copies were produced. The Smithsonian’s copy is on display alongside original pages from Woodward’s collection of the 1 sen issue of 1872.
The APRL also has a copy of Woodward’s book in its rare books collection. We don’t loan rare books such as this one, but luckily for researchers the book was reprinted in 1976. We have three copies of the reprint available for loan.
The plates illustrated in Woodward’s book came from the collection of F.J. Peplow. These plates were first reproduced and published in Plates of the Stamps of Japan 1871-6. This book was produced in an even more limited private edition of 25 copies. The APRL is currently working with Penn State’s University Libraries to digitize this book with high-resolution scans of the plates. I’ll update PLR readers as soon as we have more details about this book.
Penn State students volunteer at APRL
A group of Penn State students came out to Bellefonte on Monday to volunteer as part of a day of service honoring Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. Some of them spent their time in the APRL sorting our collection of stamp albums.
A larger group spent their time in the APS Education Department, and more pictures from the day are available on the APS Facebook page. Thanks to APS Director of Education Gretchen Moody for coordinating the day of service!
The APRL collects examples of albums (and stock books), showing how they have changed through the years. The collection includes many examples of Scott, Harris, and Minkus albums, as well as albums produced by postal administrations, topical albums, and albums for children. Many visitors like to see an example of their first album, but the collection can also be used to study the habits of collectors and the businesses associated with the hobby. Continue reading “Penn State students volunteer at APRL”
New books at the APRL, January 2011
Arge Danzig e.V Rundschreiben (Wiesbaden; Berlin: Arge Danzig e.V, [1936?]-): ill.; 30 cm. [Journal]
ArGe Fiskal Philatelie im BDPh. Deutsche Stempeltarife aus einem Tagesnotizbuch des Jahres 1916: Jaresgabe 2000 (Solingen [Germany]: ArGe Fiskal Philatelie im BDPh, 2000): 21 cm. [Shelved with the journal Fiskal-Philatelist]
Basaran, Mehmet. Cover story: one man’s journey in to the unknown, part 2: Tughra stamps on cover 1863-1865 (Turkey: M.I. Basaran, c2010): 208 p.: col. ill.; 29 cm. [Call No. G7431 .S4 B297c 2010]
Bertazzoli, Enrico, Beppe Ermentini, & Gianluigi Roncetti. Perfin italiani: catalogo delle perforazioni commerciali de francobolli dell’area italiano, con valuazioni = Italian perfins: catalogue of trade perforations on stamps of the Italian area, with evaluations (Vignola (Mo), Italy: Vaccari, 2009): 299 p.: ill.; 25 cm. + 32 transparencies + 1 computer optical disk [Call No. G6711 .P438 B536c 2009]
Branz, Hermann. Deutsche Post in Marokko: Tarifanderungen im Uberweisungsverkehr (Berlin: Berliner Philatelisten-Klub, 1968): 15 p.: ill.; 21 cm.
Bundesmuseum. Europa-Marken 79: Geschichte des Post- und Fernmeldewesens: Sounderausstellung des Bundespostmuseums, Schaumainkai 53, 6000 Frankfurt 70, Geoffnet, Dienstag bis Sontag 10-16 Uhr: 3. Juni bis 7. September 1980 (Frankfurt [Germany]: Bundesmuseum, 1980): 32 p.: ill. (some col.); 21 cm.
Philatelic Literature Review 4th Quarter 2010 features
The online edition of the Philatelic Literature Review 4th Quarter 2010 issue is available to subscribers. In this issue:
President’s Message — Roger Brody
From the Librarian’s Desk — Tara Murray
Colophon — David L. Straight
Library News — Larry T. Nix
What’s on Your Bookshelf — Kathy Johnson
Keeping Up with the Latest News Online — Tara Murray
Philatelic Decoupage — Bonny Farmer
A Peek Inside the APRL Archives: The Clipping Files — Tara Murray
Philatelic Fiction: A Bibliography, Part I — Gerald Strauss, Paul Albright and Michael Meadowcroft
2011 Postal History Symposium
Philatelic Exhibits Available from the APRL Part II: Italy – Viet Nam
APRL New Acquisitions
APRL Want List
Book Reviews
New books at the APRL, December 2010
Aizenberg, Salo. Postcards from the Holy land: a pictorial history of the Ottoman Era, 1880-1918 (Shaker Heights, OH: Society of Israel Philatelists, 2010): 385 p. : col. ill., maps ; 29 cm.
Beauregard, Gerard de & H. de Gorsse. The stamp king (London: Stanley Gibbons, c2010): v, 119 p. : ill. ; 24 cm. [Call No. HE6184 .L776 B383s 2010]
Bechtold, Gunter, Udo Fleiner, & Rolf Tworek. Gebrauchte Inflationsmarken – echt oder falsch? ([Berlin]: Verein der Deutschlandsammler e.V., INFLA Berlin, c2008): 86 p. : col. ill. ; 21 cm. [Call No. G6081 .I43 I43 no.48]
Burns, Ronald A. A type written transcription of the U.S. Post Office Dept. Stamp Bill Book numbers for the Issue of 1870 Ordinaries, 1870-1879. Part One. The National & Continental Issues (Shelbyville, IN: Ronald A. Burns, [2010?]): 71 p. : ill., facsims. ; 28 cm. [Call No. G3701 .D313 B967t pt.1 2010]
Burns, Ronald A. Selected records from the files of the 3rd Assistant Postmaster General, 1869-1907 [papers on the large Bank Note period of 1870-1890] (Shelbyville, IN: Ronald A. Burns, [2006]): 111 p. : facsims. ; 28 cm. [Call No. HE6340 .B967s 2006]
Return your books using Delivery Confirmation
When you borrow books from the APRL by mail, you can now return them using Delivery Confirmation instead of the more expensive Signature Confirmation.
We will still ship your books to you using Signature Confirmation, but will now enclose a green Delivery Confirmation form for your return. We will still be able to track return shipments, and can be sure they are delivered back to the library since all packages are received in the APS mailroom.
If your package contains only library books being returned to the APRL, you can use Library Mail or Media Mail.
Welcome Neil Coker to the APRL
Neil Coker joined the staff of the APRL today as our new Reference Assistant.
Prior to coming to Bellefonte, Neil lived in St. Louis and worked for Regency-Superior as an auction manager and lot describer. In addition to his philatelic knowledge, Neil has a degree in geography and Soviet studies, and experience maintaining a reference library.
Neil will provide reference assistance, copies or scans of articles, and book loans.
From the APRL archives: Clipping files
As promised, for American Archives Month, here is a peek inside the APRL archives.
The APRL has a vast collection of clipping files, assembled from donations of material from philatelists.
The collection got its start in the late 1980’s with a donation of some 120 file drawers from the estate of Ernest A. Kehr.
Kehr’s clippings cover the world, but the folders related to his collecting interests (air mail, Switzerland, the Philippines, and Egypt) contain the most material.
APC construction update
You may have heard about the construction underway at the American Philatelic Center in Bellefonte, or even seen photos of the construction on the APS website.
Some of the activity is in a building currently used for the APRL annex, which houses our archives, excess material, and infrequently used items. A portion of the space in this building will be used for the stairwell and restrooms for the Match Factory’s newest tenant, Graymont.
All of the library’s collections are safe during construction. Library staff moved items away from the construction area, and the contractor has installed plastic sheeting, as you can see in the photo. We will continue to have access to the library annex during and after construction.
The other piece of the construction project is install new roofs on two buildings that will eventually be the library’s home.