FEPA Newsletter – 16 May 2022

Philamovie: A great innovative idea by HELVETIA 2022

In order to promote philately among the younger ages, HELVETIA 2022 organisers launched “Philamovie”, a video competition with a philatelic theme. Participation was open to young people under thirty and the only limits set were 300 MB file size and 1 min video duration.

The videos submitted have already been uploaded on the exhibition website:
https://www.helvetia2022.ch/en/philamovie. Some of them are outstanding!

HELVETIA 2022 World Stamp Exhibition is only a few days away: Wednesday 18 to Sunday 22 in Lugano.

Photo: Charles Epting (top left) and Michael Cortese, Suzanne Rae, Managing Director of the PTS (bottom left), Isobel Klempka, PR and Marketing Consultant for the PTS & the Stampex Show

Michael Cortese and Charles Epting interview philatelists around the world

Michael Cortese Co-owner and Executive Vice President of NobleSpirit and Charles Epting CEO of H.R. Harmer interview philatelists around the world; collectors, dealers, exhibitors, enthusiasts, and researchers.

The “Episodes” or “Conversations with Philatelists” as they prefer to call them are available on YouTube or on different podcast platforms.

You will find everything on their website: https://www.philatelypodcast.com

Background photo: Detail from the front cover of W. Maassen, V. Schouberechts, “Les jalons de la Littérature Philatélique au XIXe siecle – Milestones of the Philatelic Literature of the 19th century”, 2013.

A call for Philatelic Literature exhibits by the AIJP President

Promoting and supporting Philatelic Literature has been one of FEPA’s principal objectives. Wolgang Maassen, President of AIJP, the International Association of Philatelic Journalists, called last week its members to participate with their Literature works at future FIP exhibitions where applications are still possible and the AIJP is greatly involved. We copy his words here so that his message will reach as many (older and prospective) Literature exhibitors as possible:

International World Philatelic Exhibition in Cape Town, 8-12 November 2022

This is the first of its kind on the African continent, with patronage from the FIP and the AIJP. It offers very good conditions, especially for literature exhibitors: Participation costs only $ 35 (approx. 30 euros) per literature exhibit! A reading room is provided so that the publications are also attractively presented. 

Cape Town and its surroundings are impressive. A visit is highly recommended. By the way: the Corona situation there is far more relaxed than it is here at the moment! Maybe you should plan for it!

Registration deadline with the national commissioners (see website, there also the registration forms for literature: www.capetown2022.org): 15 May 2022. As the national commissioners only have to report the registrations to the exhibition by 31 May 2022, registrations are certainly still possible one day later.

IBRA 2023 in Essen/Germany: 25-28 May 2023

Next year, IBRA 2023 will perhaps be the only FIP World Exhibition to be held at Messe Essen with all exhibition classes. Of course with a large literature and reading area, with various German philatelic libraries. In the next “Philatelic Journalist” you can all already read more about this and even see the stand planning already!

The registration period for (literature) exhibitors is currently running. I invite authors, journalists and publishers from all countries to register their literary exhibits with the respective national commissioners. The IREX and the application forms can be found and downloaded at www.ibra2023.de.

Join in! Take part! Present your publication, even more than one, at these world exhibitions! The collectors and interested readers will thank you.

I wish you a good time!
Yours,
Wolfgang Maassen
President of the AIJP

Photo: Senator Carlo Giovanardi interviewed by Retesole
[photo credit: Retesole]

Italian conference: protection of the heritage of postal history

On 28 January 2022, at the Sala Zuccari of Palazzo Giustiniani (residence of the President of the Senate), Rome, an important conference took place among governmental officials and postal historians. It was titled “Public and private allies for the protection of the heritage of postal history”. All the major Italian philatelic associations were present: FSFI, ISPP “Aldo Cecchi”, ANPF as patrons, and AISP, AICAM, ANCAI, ASPoT, CIFO, Gruppo di Modena, Il Postalista, Post Horn, USFI as Supporters. The conference was coordinated by the postal historian Claudio Ernesto Manzati.

For a long time now the Italian public authorities have applied pressure to postal historians, collectors and traders regarding postal history documents. The point is they consider them part of the nation’s legacy and as such they belong in the State’s archives. In fact, the authorities have sometimes taken action to confiscate them.

On the other hand, collectors made clear during the conference that it is they who actually protect and promote the national heritage of postal history by collecting the material, studying and spreading it all over the world by their writings, exhibits etc. Among the speakers, Senator Carlo Giovanardi (FEPA Medal for Exceptional Support to Organized Philately 2019) took the floor in support of the philatelists’ arguments.

The Proceedings of the conference are now in print and will be available at the Federation’s stand at the upcoming Veronafil conference on 20-22 May.

The conference video by Radio Radicale (4 h, 24 min) here.

Interviews by Retesole broadcaster (5 min) here.

The Italian National LATINPHIL 2022 in Cisterna di Latina

During the weekend 6-8 May, LATINPHIL 2022 took place at the Museo Piana delle Orme, in the town Cisterna di Latina near Rome, organised by the Italian National Federation and the Circolo Filatelico Tres Tabernae. The exhibition was divided into two parts: National and Qualification. Accepted exhibits belonged either to Traditional Philately or Postal History, multi-frame or one-frame, further classified under Modern (1900-1945) or Contemporary era (1945-).

Detailed results, pdf files of all the exhibits, and much more on the exhibition website here.

Photo: in front of NOTOS 2021 frames
[photo credit: Ioannis Assimakopoulos]

FIP clarifies regulations for LV and LG exhibits

A couple of days ago, the International Philatelic Federation (FIP) clarified on its website a few points for exhibits that had achieved Large Vermeil or Large Gold medals. This announcement is dated April 2019, however it is very important, as it seems that exhibitors are usually not aware of some crucial details, sometimes to their benefit.

In short:
(a) A Large Vermeil exhibit may have the option to show in 5, 6 or 7 frames for a period of three years after its qualification to 8 frames.
(b) A Large Gold exhibit remains in competition for ten years after receiving its first Large Gold medal. If the exhibit receives three Large Gold medals during the ten-year period, it is promoted to the Championship Class. If not, it remains in competition but only as a new exhibit.

Read the FIP announcement here: https://www.f-i-p.ch/wp-content/uploads/LV-and-LG-clarification.pdf

[central photo credit: © Jochen Tack / Stiftung Zollverein]

Young philatelists to meet at IBRA 2023

Dittmar Wöhlert of the Deutsche Philatelisten-Jugend e.V. has sent us their latest press release:

Within the framework of IBRA 2023 in Essen, the German Philatelic Youth will hold a youth meeting from 26 to 29 May 2023 (Whit Monday). All young stamp enthusiasts from Germany and all over the world are cordially invited to attend.

Participants will have the opportunity to slip into the role of a miner at the UNESCO World Heritage Zollverein during the “Colliery Shift” in the “Join-in Colliery”. In the renovated wagon circuit of the 1/2/8 shaft, the young stamp enthusiasts will experience how the miners used to work at the colliery in the original setting. Thirteen stations invite teamwork, with everyone lending a hand. With all their senses, children and adults alike experience how hard the work used to be and learn that when the team works well together, no task is too difficult.

Another highlight planned is an excursion to Dortmund. And what comes to mind when you think of Dortmund and the Ruhr area? Of course: football! On a guided tour of the German Football Museum, around 1,600 exhibits and a total of 25 hours of film material can be discovered on the interactive and multimedia tour. The 3D cinema, the treasure chamber with the most important trophies, a reporter’s booth and much more will make fan hearts beat faster. The exhibition experience ends with active recreation at the Arena game modules in the museum basement.

At the IBRA party on Saturday evening, we will then party together. In addition, there will be plenty of time to visit the exhibition and the IBRA youth area. Who will win the most lots at the IBRA auction?

Overnight accommodation will be in shared rooms at the youth hostel in Essen-Werden. The cost of accommodation in a shared room with breakfast and dinner is €185 for children and €195 for adults (including €35 for the social programme and transfer). Double and single rooms can be booked for an extra charge on request.

Registrations – also for the social programme only – are possible from now until 31 January 2023. For this purpose, a registration form can be downloaded from the DPhJ homepage at https://www.dphj.de/ibra.

You can read the DPhJ press release in pdf format here.

Photo: Victory Square, Timişoara
[photo credit: Creative Commons Piața Victoriei 2013 by Hospodarz, licensed under CC BY-SA 3.0]

Romania: CANNIS 2022 for the centenary of the Canine Association

On the occasion of the CANNIS 2022 exhibition in Romania, Victor Iordache, acting President of the Philatelic Federation of Romania, and Marius Muntean, President of the Timişoara Philatelic Association, have sent us the details of the three-day event which will take place in Timisoara, during the weekend 6-8 May.

The main celebration is the 100th anniversary of the establishment of the first Canine Association in Romania (the Society of Police Dogs). It will include a 320-frame philatelic exhibition and a Dog Show with more than 600 participants.

Details in the memo received from Romania here.

Belgium: ANTVERPIA 2022 is getting ready for 10-12 June

ANTVERPIA 2022, the National Philatelic Exhibition in Belgium will take place at the Antwerp Expo, Antwerp, between 10-12 June. In addition to the regular competition classes, there will be 8 exhibits in the Championship Class, 5 exhibits in the Court of Honour (all related to the 1920 Antwerp Olympics), and 18 exhibits from Belgian Academy members. Exhibitors from Belgium, the Netherlands, France, and the U.K. will also have the chance to exhibit in a special Aerophilately Salon. In the Olympic Salon the visitors will admire souvenirs from the 1920 Antwerp Olympic Games.

F.I.S.A. (Fédération Internationale des Sociétés Aérophilatéliques), which represents 21 aerophilatelic and 7 astrophilatelic societies in 17 countries, will hold its 50th Congress on 11th June.

Originally announced as Antverpiade 2020, the exhibition was scheduled for August 2020, in order to coincide with the Tokyo Olympics (Olympiade) and commemorate the centenary of the Antwerp Olympics. It was postponed to June 2021 and because of the ongoing pandemic was postponed again to June 2022, when renamed to ANTVERPIA 2022.

Details on the bilingual (Dutch, French) exhibition website: https://antverpia2022.be

The front cover has been designed by Dr. Myrsini Vardopoulou AEP Hon.

Opus XXII is available from Patrick Maselis: info@maselis.be

Opus XXII dedicated to Switzerland

Opus XXII is dedicated to Switzerland. This year’s big book of the European Academy of Philately (AEP) has been published in time for its official presentation, which will take place in Lugano, on the occasion of HELVETIA 2022.

The 226-page A4 size book contains 21 articles, all related to Swiss philately from various authors. In order to get an idea of its contents, we follow the words of the tireless Opus editor, Dr. Guy Coutant: “Some articles focus on historical aspects, while others are the fruit of prolonged, in-depth research, and are devoted to very specific aspects of stamps, philately and postal history of Switzerland and Liechtenstein . A third group of articles analyses postal relations between Switzerland and other parts of the world, such as France, Italy, Japan, China, Belgium, and the United States”.

Post Europ changes 2023 Europa theme in favour of Ukraine

We’ve picked up the story from Linn’s Stamp News, and we copy the official announcement from the PostEurop website:

Following the decision of the Extraordinary PostEurop Board of Directors meeting held on 25 April 2022, the 2023 EUROPA Stamp theme will be “PEACE – the highest value of humanity” as proposed by Ukrposhta in order “to show solidarity with Ukraine and to promote the universal value for all humanity – peace”. Hence, the EUROPA stamp theme “Underwater Fauna & Flora” has been postponed to 2024 (instead of 2023) and the theme “National Archaeological Discoveries” has been postponed to 2025 (instead of 2024).

The 2023 EUROPA Stamps theme “PEACE – the highest value of humanity” will be based on a common design motif to be selected via a design competition.