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Where to see Stamps
& Postal History
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Looking
at exhibits of stamps and postal history can be both enjoyable and a valuable
way of increasing your own knowledge and expertise. Opportunities to do this can take
the form of
- Displays given at your philatelic society
- Philatelic Competitions and Exhibitions open
to the public
- Postal Museums
- Philatelic Collections open to the public
A
welcome development in recent years has been the introduction of on-line
galleries of philatelic rarities on the websites of the country's major
collections including The Royal Philatelic Collection and the Collections held
at the British Library. Further details are given below.
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Displays
at your Philatelic Society
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the Society's own members, these are invariably
interesting and informative. Examples of such philatelic displays can found in the current
programme of meetings at the National
Philatelic Society.
Visit the Join
a Club page for information on society
meetings in general and how to find a Society.
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| Philatelic
Competitions
& Exhibitions open to the public |
Competitions
and Exhibitions open to the public are a good
way to see stamps and displays of
material. The country is divided up into
Philatelic Federations many of which organise
Federation Days that include such
competitions. On a larger scale are the annual
National Competitions, the exhibitions held
at STAMPEX at the Business Design Centre in
Islington, London and the international
exhibitions held in this country such as
LONDON 2010 and London 2015 EUROPHILEX
.
Click
here for details of forthcoming events.
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| Postal
Museums |
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Bath
Postal Museum
27
Northgate Street
(on the corner of Green St.)
Bath
BA1 1AJ
This fascinating museum includes collections
of philatelic material and items demonstrating
the vital role played by Bath in the
development of communications, and improving
the British postal service. Full details,
including directions and opening hours, may be
found on the Bath Postal Museum website www.bathpostalmuseum.org
which also
offers the opportunity to browse its digital
collection
Email .info@bathpostalmuseum.org
Tel: 01225 460333
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The British Postal Museum & Archive
Freeling House
Phoenix Place Entrance
London
EC1A 1BB
Records of the
British Post Office are held from the
17th Century to the present day. The
records are classed as Public Records by
Act of Parliament: researchers may
therefore examine not only published
material but unpublished papers over
thirty years old.
The range of the records cover the
growth of the local stamp services,
philately (which provides a background
on stamp production as well as proof
impressions of date and cancellation
stamps) records of employees and forms
of transport used to convey the mail, etc. Apart
from the records of the Post
Office other records include private
papers relating to key individuals, the
Post Office Savings Bank, broadcasting
and publicity, including a large poster
collection.
Although the National Postal Museum has
closed until plans for its future are
settled, facilities for researchers are
available by prior appointment at the
Postal Heritage Trust.
In
addition the public Search Room at The British Postal Museum & Archive
stages small exhibitions of items from its holdings. Highlights of the current
(November 2011) "Treasures of the Archive" Exhibition include one
of the only complete sheets of Penny Blacks in the world, and the Old Original
die of 1840 from which all Penny Blacks and many Penny Reds were created. Also
displayed are unique items celebrating the centenary of the world's first
regular Aerial Post from Hendon to Windsor, established as part of the
celebrations for the coronation of King George V. This includes the striking
1911 poster promoting the flight, original artwork for commemorative postcards
and envelopes, and the postcard addressed from the pilot Gustav Hamel to the
Postmaster General. Original handstamps from both Hendon and Windsor will also
be on display. Click
here to view past exhibitions on line.
Further details including directions and
opening hours may be found on the website www.postalheritage.org.uk
E-mail: info@postalheritage.org.uk
Tel: 020 7239 2570
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Philatelic
Collections open to the public |
British Library Philatelic Collections
The British Library
96 Euston Road
St Pancras
London
NW1 2DB
The British Library's Philatelic Collections
are the world's largest, most diverse and most complete of their kind. They
include a wide variety of items: not only postage stamps, but also revenue
stamps (both adhesive and non-adhesive), postal stationery, postal history
materials, meter stamps, postal orders, paper money, and more besides. About
half are from Great Britain. The rest come from the British Empire, British
Commonwealth and foreign countries. The
Standing Collections are on permanent display to the general
public.
There is a Permanent
Exhibition Area for the Philatelic Collections on the upper ground floor
of the British Library, St Pancras, where members of the public can see some
of the world's rarest and most significant stamps. Other collections are
available to researchers and details may be obtained by visiting the excellent
Philatelic
Collections Overview on the British Library website
The website also
includes an On
line galleries of Philatelic rarities
General information on opening hours etc can be found on the main British
Library website www.bl.uk E-mail: philatelic@bl.uk
Tel: 020 7412 7635
The Royal Philatelic Collection
The Royal Philatelic Collection is not
on general public display, since much of the Collection is fragile. However,
examples are occasionally on public display by kind permission of The Queen.
Selections from the Collection are also
displayed at other exhibitions in the United Kingdom and at major
international stamp shows. In 2010, the collection collaborated with The
British Postal Museum and Archive on an exhibition entitled 'Empire Mail:
George V and the GPO' which was on display at Guildhall Art Gallery as part of
'London 2010: Festival of Stamps'. Recent years have seen displays of material
from the Collection at exhibitions in the UK in London, Newcastle, Glasgow,
Chester, Torquay, Croydon and Harrogate.
Click
here for further details and to view on-line gallery of rarities from the
collection. |
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