FEPA News

FEPA NEWS 45 32 FEPA Exhibiting of rarity. The explanations regarding thr evaluation of importance are warmly welcomed by the jury. Many federations have proposed that to the SREV should be adapted accordingly. But there were also critical voices: Some collectors do not see the guidelines as helpful, but rather as restrictive. In their view the guidelines are seen as too technocratic. The presentation of historical contexts fades into the background. It is also feared that the achievements of a freer exhibit design will be lost again due to these guidelines. In this regard clarifications are expected in the newly adapted SREV, which will again focus more on a historical-postal direction and less on pure data material. As a second important matter we asked about experiences with exhibits in group 2C, which provides an opportunity for exhibitors to present special historical studies, and received almost uniformly the information that there are only very few exhibits from this group. The results of 2C exhibits would vary greatly from exhibition to exhibition. There is an urgent need for training among jurors, as they apparently know too little about 2C. However, difficulties were also seen in classifying and evaluating the historical material in these exhibits correctly. We were also curious about innovations in Postal History. With few exceptions, hardly any innovations were reported from the federations. Innovative approaches in the exhibition sector are interesting, such as in Prague, where new forms of postal history presentation have been achieved through cross-border cooperation. The German “Postal History Live” has a long tradition with its Golden, Silver, and Bronze Posthorns, which has moved from Sindelfingen to Ulm. Despite its age, it still represents one of the more innovative paths of postal history. Digital media have also entered postal history, and many federations organise seminars and even exhibitions exclusively online. Numerous participants show that this is a step in the right direction. My thanks to all delegates of the national federations who have sent us their reports. All feedback will be collected in the Postal History Bureau and will help us to map the future of postal history exhibitions. And finally, a nice example of how postal history can contribute to understanding of the wider historical context. This letter was sent in 1506 by the Holy Roman Emperor Maximilian I to Enns in Lower Austria, using the early Taxis post. The content is unremarkable but organised postal services were just beginning to spread across Europe at this time and would change the history of communications for ever. This marks the start of a revolution.