Week... A month on SébPhilatélie: mid-June to early July 2016

Job and the traditional arrival of heat on Southern France make writing a tiresome activity. But the blog in French has continued, especially summaries of Paris-Philex stamp show of last May.

Friday 17 June: exoticism at Paris-Philex.

20th century history of Spain inspires French collectors, not always those of Spanish descent, and the invited Spanish collectors, while Jean-Michel Garaud proposed a collection on Daguin cancellations in Chile.

Exotism can happen in the philatelic rule: surprisingly, Jean-Claude Ferret studied the postal history and cancellations of Nemours, France until today... while generally such monographies stopped at 1876 and the third definitive stamp series of France.

Thursday 23 June: museum on the side of Paris-Philex.

As I was in Paris for Paris-Philex, I visited the Museum at the Golden Door (Porte dorée) a dozen tramway stops from the stamp show.

The façade of the Palace of the Porte Dorée by Alfred Janniot - 1929-1931 - illustrated an exploited imperial workforce and the imperial importations, with the fantasy of "Liberty" and "Peace" for all in the central allegory (picture under Creative Commons licence cc by-nc-nd 3.0 fr - reminder: Janniot died 1969).

Originally built and decorated in the 1930s for a colonial pride exhibition, the place between Paris and the Vincennes Forest and lakes continues to house an aquarium and is upstairs dedicated to the history of immigration in France... Yes, a difficult topic nowadays.

And through the main exhibits and the Borders special one, the philatelic visitor can find a lot of stamps, both postal and fiscal, postcards, etc.

Friday 24 June: a late London Olympic stamp in Australia.

Australia Post issued a stamp celebrating walker Jarred Walker's gold meal at London 2012 Olympics. Why so late? Because he was awarded it last March when the winner was convinced of doping.

The Jared Tallent "instant stamp" (Australia Post shop).

Saturday 25 June: French history and exotism in Gibbons Stamp Monthly this summer.

Starting with issue dated July 2016, the British magazine started a French summer with an article on the Battle of the Somme through British military mail and an other one on the stamps of French Congo in the 1900s.

The latter marks the publication of the French colonies catalogue of Stanley Gibbons, now that France and its colonies/overseas are separated.

In August it is promised an article on Tromelin Island, one of the tony Scattered Islands of France around Madagascar, named after the captain who saved a few surviving of the slaves abandoned there by a French crew after their ship sunk there.

Tuesday 28 June: The London Philatelist read as a good old movies night.

The June 2016 issue of the Royal Philatelic Society London's publication reminded me of a classic movie night on 1980s French television.

The post box Main Street of Gibraltar created thank to information given by Richard Garcia (Google Maps, text added with free software Paint.NET).

It opens with a documentary by Richard Garcia on historic post boxes on Main Street, Gibraltar, followed by a teaser for Stockholmia 2019, an exhibition for the 150th birthday of the Society.

The first movie then plays: an Australian western with mail robbery by Brian Peace.

At the entr'acte, Richard Wheatley proposed a 1970 cover from Britain to passengers on a ship at its stop in Chile. The five stamps all bear a catalogued variety!!!

After the announced of a Guide to Postal Stationery in Iraq, let's go to British occupied then administrated Mesopotamia for a detective story by Barry Scott: what are those red markings on early 1920s mail coming from there?

Thursday 30 June: 1000 articles in 9½ year.

A long personal memory on one thousand articles on SébPhilatélie.

Sunday 3 July: By Mörck, a butterfly artist from Sweden to China through Greenland.

This Spring, author and editor Jon Nordstrøm published a rough interview book with engraver Martin Mörck, surely the second most prolific after Czesław Słania.

Why is there a Chinese engraved soldier on the cover? Because philately and Mörck are "in" in the People's Republic (Nordstroms editions via Nordfrim).

The book is heavily illustrated with lots of stamps of course and engraved plates, but with the collections of Mörck! From the first stamp of Norway on maritime covers that circulated between Norwegian ports to Greenlandish local artwork.

A very interesting read, even if the interview could have been put in writing shape, where you understand that the growth of philatelic interest in China is more profound that just bubble market.

Tuesday 5 July: Stampex 1963 Annigoni Hong Kong souvenir.

Found after browsing some boxes at Paris-Philex, this souvenir from the famous London stamp show. It's the second one I got presenting how the colors are printing on a Honk Kong Queen Elizabeth II stamp.

The souvenir distributed at the 10th Stampex London.

The collections by effigy of Queen Elizabeth II are numerous: Wilding, Machin,... and Annigoni from the larger than life royal painting by Pietro Annigoni in 1956 that ended on many stamps and banknotes as collected by StampBoards.com members.

Note that The Queen: Art & Image exhibition is still available on the National Portrait Gallery website.

Wednesday 6 July: journalism and La Poste in Brittany.

A very small scandal in the far western region of France: a regional newspaper and a national radio reported the anger of a client of the postal operator. She sent flyers to schools to promote the activities of her theater in Breton association.

But, with the schoolyear end coming quickly, she was asked to translate the flyer because it may be "propaganda"...

If you read a more local newspaper, you discover La Poste's point of view: to have the best postal rate possible, the association was proposed a sending in bulk, more than 400 identical piece of mail towards numerous départements. But to apply, the content should not be illegal or political propaganda.

Much ado about nothing.

Saturday 9 July: open class exibition at Paris-Philex.

At first thought, I don't like to watch thematic, postcard, open class exhibitions... but of course I found some interest in some of those collections at Paris-Philex last May.

The most debated item of the show in Philippe Nadeau's encyclopedic collection on mushrooms: large silver (collection Philippe Nadeau, Paris-Philex, May 2016).

From mould on bread to hair/sking and poo of an elephant (No animal were harmed during the exhibition), the open class collections continued to make many "serious philatelists" grind their teeth when discussing about the little one of the exhibit classes and the most cherished one by the French Federation to catch the attention of new publics.

If the complete collection is read, the whole world is discovered, both on the topic and its philately/postal history. Next to the famous mould on bread, was printed the legend on how the roquefort cheese was accidentally discovered.

Still more useful than some contemporary art I have to watch at the Centre Pompidou, later than Saturday Night of Museum.

Other collectibles used in open class were a vinyle disc, a large Olympic plate, etc.

To be continued...