FEPA News

FEPA NEWS 45 18 Exhibition News Speaking of impressions, the Romanians did a marvellous job, considering their late start and lack of updating of the philatelic community until only a fewmonths before the opening. Not only did they succeed in attracting a considerable number of frames but they also designed an exhibition which was easy to attend, housed in a nice venue which was generally well-lit, without annoying delays or other setbacks. The national commissioners, jurors, and many visitors were accommodated in three hotels at walking distance from the venue. Everybody could enjoy sitting at restaurants and cafes along the north bank of the Dâmbovi ț a River, very close to the exhibition. Even the Museum of Romanian Records, where the hosts offered evening receptions on every single day of the exhibition, was close by. The hosts, whether members of the Organising Committee, employees of the National Library or the Museum of National Records, volunteers, or any other Romanian we met, were genuinely friendly to the visitors. Although he had a double role as Juror and General Commissioner, Francisc Ambru ș was always around, answering all kinds of questions, and led a well-managed team, getting lots of help from Assistant General Commissioner, Romeo Minc�. The Jury President was Eli Weber and the Secretary Bernard Jimenez. The big winners were Joseph Hackmey RDP with “Classic Baden” (Grand Prix International), and Ion Chirescu with “Foreign Posts in the Romanian Territories 1811- 1878” (Grand Prix National). Gerard Louis Van Welie with “The Maritime Mail Connections with the Netherlands East Indies 1788–1877” was also a very close contender for the Grand Prix International. The Awards Dinner took place at the impressive Le Château. At the AIJP (Journalists) annual Congress, Wolfgang Maassen RDP announced that EFIRO 2024 was the first FIP exhibition with digital literature exhibits. He added that AIJP members will have the opportunity to meet again later in the year, in Ulm in October and Monaco in December. His proposal for the 2025 Congress to take place in Bern, during the Bernaba and Multilaterale exhibitions, was unanimously passed. At the second part of the AIJP session, President Maassen made a presentation about the latest FIP Regulations and Guidelines, posing several questions indicating various critical points, which he proposed to be reconsidered. Wolfgang Maassen finally announced that he had decided to step down at the 2025 Congress, following twenty fruitful years in the President’s chair. The AIEP (Experts) meeting was centred on the presentation of the new Yearbook 2024, which includes information about the AIEP members and activities, all the prominent philatelists awarded with the “Hunziker Medal”, the rules for auction companies wishing to include the AIEP “Quality label”, as well as the new Statutes of 2022, following the new AIEP address in Vienna. The event, first with physical presence after the Covid-19 pandemic was followed by a reception kindly offered by the Museum to AIEP members and guests. Twelve two-frame exhibits presented by European Academy members were mounted during a two-hour AEP meeting. A forty-minute PowerPoint presentation by AEP member Oral Avci, entitled “Iraq, a State crafted in stamps”, was the meeting’s highlight. Tobias Huylmans and Jonas Hällström RDP, both Managing Directors of the Global Philatelic Network, staged the presentation of three new books: Edition d’Or vol. 71: Joseph Hackmey, Barbados and Grenada . The two collections were presented in a single-volume, tête– bêche format, the first of the so-calledWhite Line Series, which is dedicated to the author’s outstanding collections. Edition d’Or vol. 72: Eddie Leibu, Romania Outbound Mail Edition Spéciale: Fritz Heimbuchler, The First Stamps of Brazil 1843-1870 I feel obliged also to mention the remarkable Museum of Romanian Records, with thousands upon thousands of trivets and pressing irons, corkscrews and vintage cameras, as well as the 800 large-sized frames where 50,000 copies of items of Romanian philately are on display. I was also stunned by the outstanding memorabilia collection of all the FIP patronaged or recognised exhibitions, a lifetime accomplishment of the tireless Alexandru Bartoc.