Happy New Year !
2018 – Year of the Dog
|
January
2018 Vol XI Issue NO. 11
|
Lucky bamboo, a popular houseplant associated in many
countries with good fortune, is featured on a new forever stamp from the United
States Postal Service to be issued on 11th January 2018. The image
of a dog originally created as a cut-paper design is printed in upper left
corner of the stamp.
Dehradun January
2018 Vol XI Issue No 121
Readers
are requested to send reports of philatelic activities in their area for
publication. Short write ups by the readers about their journals, societies,
publications and philatelic requirements can be sent for inclusion in this
bulletin to the editor: j.jyoti9@gmail.com
Note- This bulletin is
only for circulation among a limited group of philatelists without any
commercial purpose. The bulletin will be sent to the readers only on request.
Those who wish to receive it regularly please reply giving the name of your
city / country with the subject SUBSCRIBE
RAINBOW
Dear Reader,
I am pleased to present 1st issue of Rainbow of the
year 2018. Now Rainbow enters into 11th year of publication after
completing 10 years.. I thank all the Readers and Contributors for their love,
support and appreciation they have given to Rainbow in all these years. I hope
to give more interesting articles and news and new regular columns in the
forthcoming issues. My endeavor is to publish articles and news on a variety of
philatelic subjects in the simplest form
so that both philatelists and non philatelists can enjoy it and a message about
the benefits of philately could be sent to people of all age groups. This is
the only aim of this newsletter. I am sure we all together can do it. I often
receive mail from persons who came to know about Rainbow from Google search.
They were not searching any philatelic item but searching some other information
which they got it in Rainbow . Then they actually come to know that philately
is such a wide field full of interesting facts and knowledge not just
collecting small pieces of paper. They unknowingly fall in love with beautiful
stamps. This is a great feeling and a real achievement for me from this
newsletter. In this issue I am giving a special interview of Mr Deepak Gupta of
Kanpur who is promoting this hobby from
Whats app group. Our columnist Mr Naresh Agrawal writes in detail about this
group and discusses with him about various sub groups of Dphila. I always try
to bring in limelight to all those who are selflessly working for the promotion
of philately. This is all for this month. More in next issue.
Wishing you a Very Happy New Year !
Happy Collecting !
Contents
§
From the Desk of Naresh Agrawal
§
Recent Indian Issues
§
In The News
§
Interview
§
Doon Philatelic Diary
§
Beginners’ Section
§
Specialized Section
§
Lighter Side
§
New Issues from Other Countries
§
Philatelic Clubs and Society
§
Blogs & Websites on Philately
§
Current Philatelic Magazines –
Newsletter
It
was my extreme pleasure visiting INPEX 2017 and enjoying the every moment I stayed there.
It was excellent opportunity to meet my
philatelic friends who are very well known in the philatelic community in
India. Spending time on different dealers stalls, hunting for some of the
materials, discussing different aspects of philatelic material with them,
developing relations was one aspect. The other being the exhibits. I enjoyed
watching some of the excellent exhibits in Postal History, Thematic,
Traditional philately. I could gauge my stature too as an exhibitor. Truly it
needs discipline, dedication, research, search, big pocket full of money and
luck to develop a high quality exhibit and an exhibitor of repute.
Well,
the important thing was that I met over hundred philatelists to whom I knew and
have been communicating through digitally mainly using mobile phones and of
course using social media such as face book or whats app. As I am member of
various Dphila groups ,it was extreme pleasure meeting several members of those
groups. Mainly the admins and co-admins Mr. Deepak Gupta and Mr. Jugnu Kaul. Let me first tell you that Dphila
group are the group of philatelists operative on mobile whats app. The first
Dphila group was formed only about 2/3 years back which helped its members to interact, exchange or sell and purchase
philatelic items at very reasonable prices. Them slowly looking in to various interests
and demand of members and to enhance
membership other Dphila groups were also
formed to cater specific type and nature of service and members interaction. To
name a few Dphila World Thematic, Dphila Postal History,
Dphila Pre ind. India, Dphila Auction, Dphila Collections, Dphila Community
Group, Dphila Research & News… I mean specific group name describe the type
and nature of philatelic class and type it serves. As I gather there are as many as 21 nos. of
Dphila groups. I can only say ..Dphila has brought revolution in promotion of
philately in India. The rising prices of philatelic material and procurement difficulties have been
checked to a big extent. Any member can have
material of his choice of his area of interest.
Regular
updates, instant communication and
genuine deals have been the main character
and hall mark of these groups. My hats off to the team of administrators
who are vigil all the time and take immediate strong action as soon as any
malfunctioning or mistake is done by members. They even have control to the
extent that they resolve issues between the members as and when arise. I must say Mr. Deepak and Mr. Jugnu are genuine philatelic promoters and
developers in India. It is only because of their sincererity , dedication, hard
work that as many as over 50 Dphila
members participated in INPEX and won higher awards because Dphila
provided its members what they wanted.
The philatelic Chat board and research board is a platform where healthy
philatelic discussions are held and views exchanged to further refine and enhance
the information to help one to become quality philatelist and an
exhibitor.
Like
about ten years back Mrs. Jeevan Jyoti recognized the importance of digital
communication and introduced “Rainbow Stamp News” a digital stamp bulletin which then
brought revolution in philatelic
journalism, the same way it is Mr. Deepak Gupta, a young smart man from
Kanpur who identified and understood
the importance and true utility of social media and formed and
introduced these groups on whats app. But for his hard work, vision,
dedication the success of these groups was not possible. Dphila international
has its membership mainly from countries other than India. It is also
controlled by his team. During discussion with him, I genuinely failed to
understand that how he managed such huge number of groups apart from his
personal, social and professional life. Such
a hardcore philatelist. He charges nothing for this and is not benefitted financially in any way. According
to him, serving philatelic community is far better than collecting stamps and /
or exhibiting. Pleasure is there where you find it.. Mr. Deepak says that he
finds pleasure in running these groups smoothly
and by seeing that so many philatelists are enjoying the group
activities and are benefitted tremendously. They are getting service at their
door steps. He is happy that Dphila has given him some very good friends. He is
happy to see philately prosper.
Not
writing much, I would say that Dphila has brought new revolution in philately
in India & has helped promotion and development of philately in big way.
Dphila now needs to be recognized and appreciated by all. It has now become a
plat form for exchange views, research oriented discussions & easy sale,
purchase and exchange of material. The only limitation with Dphila is that it
can enroll only up to 256 members in any of its groups. Well, 256 is not a
small number when we talk about active philatelists in India against a
particular class of philately.
Well,
I wish Dphila to prosper and serve philately the way it is doing. My heartiest
thanks to Mr. Deepak Gupta and his team
and hope that their zeal to serve philately will remains forever.
-Naresh
Agrawal Ph. 09425530514
email
: nareshkumar1992@yahoo.co.in
Recent Indian Issue
15
December 2017 : Shri Shirdi Sai Baba –Rs 5.
26
December 2017 : Dr Shambhunath Singh –
Rs 5
28
December 2017 : Dr Shivajirao Ganesh Patwardhan
–Rs 5
29 December 2017 : Dadabhai Naoroji – Rs 5
29 December 2017 – Stepwells – set of 16 stamps :
30 December 2017 : India - Papua New Guinea Joint Issue –Rs25 + Rs
5 + MS
30 December 2017 – Hand Fans -16 x Rs 15 stamps +3 MS +4 Sheetlets
31 December 2017 - Justice Mehr Chand Mahajan - Rs 5
Recent Special Covers
30 November 2017 : INPEX
2017 Save the Wildlife (3D Cover), Mumbai
1 December 2017 : INPEX
2017 World AIDS Day, Mumbai
3 December 2017 : INPEX
2017 Int Day of Persons with disabilities, Mumbai
7 December 2017 : Guruvayoor Guest House Ernakulam Karyogam, Kochi
15 December 2017
: His Holiness Swami Madhavananda , Tavarekere
16 December 2017
: Golden
Jubilee - Indian Institute of Chartered Accountants- Ernakulam Branch
16 December 2017 : Acharya
Pt. Chakradhar Joshi, Dehradun
,
In The News
USPS releases Alzheimer’s semi-postal stamp
The U.S. Postal Service issued a semi-postal stamp to raise
funds for Alzheimer's on Nov. 30,2017.
Last
month, U.S. Postmaster General Megan J. Brennan dedicated a stamp to
fund research to help find a cure for one of the top 10 leading causes of
death—Alzheimer’s.
The
first-day-of-issue dedication ceremony for the U.S. Postal Service’s
(USPS) Alzheimer’s semi-postal
fund raising stamp took place at Johns Hopkins Bayview Medical Center in
Baltimore. The price of the stamp includes the U.S. first-class mail
single-piece postage rate in effect at the time of purchase plus an amount to
fund Alzheimer’s research. By law, revenue from sales of the Alzheimer’s
Semipostal stamp—minus the postage paid and the reimbursement of reasonable
costs incurred by the postal service—will be distributed to the National
Institutes of Health, which is part of the U.S. Department of Health and Human
Services.
“The
Postal Service is proud to issue this stamp today to help raise public
awareness of Alzheimer’s,” said Brennan. “Proceeds from its sale will help
support urgently needed medical research into this incredibly debilitating
disease.”
Joining
Brennan in the ceremony were National Institute of Health Deputy Director of
the National Institute on Aging (NIA) Dr. Marie A. Bernard and Johns
Hopkins Bayview Medical Center President Dr. Richard Bennett. Johns
Hopkins Bayview Medical Center Memory and Alzheimer’s Treatment Center
Director Dr. Constantine Lyketsos served as master of ceremonies.
“We’re
in a new age of Alzheimer’s research with a number of efforts underway,” said
Bernard. “NIA is working to identify new genes that affect Alzheimer’s disease
and their role as risk factors or protective factors, to explore imaging
techniques and ways to detect development of the disease well before symptoms
appear, to develop and test new therapies, and to test and implement new
approaches to providing care and supporting caregivers. The new semi-postal
stamp will both raise awareness of Alzheimer’s research and care, as well as
contribute to the search for effective ways to prevent and treat this
heart-breaking disease.”
STAMP DESIGN
The
artwork is an illustration that first appeared on the 2008
42-cent Alzheimer’s Awareness stamp. It shows an older woman in profile
with a hand on her shoulder, the suggestion of sunlight behind her, and clouds
in front of and below her.
On
the 2008 stamp, she was facing left while the artwork for this stamp shows her
facing right to help differentiate between the two stamps.
Block of six 1956 Melbourne Olympics stamps brings $26,400
A block of six 1956 Melbourne Olympics stamps
realized $26,400 AUD at an October Mossgreen sale
An unused block of six 1956 Melbourne Olympics stamps in their original booklet crossed the auction block for $26,400 AUD (about $25,625 Cdn.) at the Oct. 3 Mossgreen sale of stamps, postal history and picture postcards.
Lot
132 of the 1,080-lot sale was described by auctioneers as a “superb and
spectacular exhibit item” and “one of the most important stamp items from the
reign of Queen Elizabeth II for the entire British Commonwealth.”
“It
is also one of the most important Olympics items from any country, and of
unissued stamps or booklets.”
The stamps included
their original booklet covers (shown above)
The Australian Commonwealth
Specialists Catalogue (ACSC) states the “increase of the basic letter rate to 4d on 1st
October 1956 was done on short notice, and necessitated a change of value. No
sheet stamps had been printed, but a printing was made from the 432-on booklet
stamp plates comprising 27,000,000 stamps. Following the rates change the
proposal for the stamp booklet was scrapped. The Post Office retained some
uncut sheets of the 3½d booklet stamps [and destroyed the balance]. …
The Archival Sales of 1986-1987 [sic: the sales were in 1987 and
1988] are the sole source of the 3½d stamps. In total 40 stamps were sold,
comprising four singles, four booklet panes of six, and a Plate Number 2 block
of 12.”
Recent Stamp Exhibitions
Commissioner for MACAO 2018
Philatelic Exhibition (FIAP)
Mr. Anil Suri has been appointed as Indian National Commissioner
for the MACAO 2018, FIAP Specialized Stamp Exhibition to be held in Macao,
Macau from 21 to 24 September 2018.
Exhibition Classes: Traditional, Postal History, Postal Stationery, Thematic, Youth, One Frame (TR, PH, PS, AE, AS, TH, MA & RE), Literature and Modern Philately only.
Eligibility: The minimum eligibility for participation in a FIAP exhibition for Senior Class & Youth Class (Groups B & C) is Vermeil Medal and for Youth Class (Group A) a Large Silver Medal secured at a National Exhibition.
Exhibition Classes: Traditional, Postal History, Postal Stationery, Thematic, Youth, One Frame (TR, PH, PS, AE, AS, TH, MA & RE), Literature and Modern Philately only.
Eligibility: The minimum eligibility for participation in a FIAP exhibition for Senior Class & Youth Class (Groups B & C) is Vermeil Medal and for Youth Class (Group A) a Large Silver Medal secured at a National Exhibition.
Contact information:
Mr. Anil Suri,
Khushal Villa, E-70, Kalkaji,
NEW DELHI - 110 019.
Phone: (Res.) +91-11-2643 0813 / (Off.) +91-11-2647 4681
(M): +919811176908
Email: anilksuri@email.com
Mr. Anil Suri,
Khushal Villa, E-70, Kalkaji,
NEW DELHI - 110 019.
Phone: (Res.) +91-11-2643 0813 / (Off.) +91-11-2647 4681
(M): +919811176908
Email: anilksuri@email.com
Commissioner for PRAGA 2018
Philatelic Exhibition (FIP)
Mr.
Rajan Jaykar has been appointed as Indian National Commissioner for the PRAGA
2018, FIP Specialized World Stamp Exhibition to be held in Prague, Czech
Republic from 15 to 18 August 2018.
Exhibition Classes: Traditional, Postal History, Modern Philately (Trad. & PH), One Frame (Trad. & PH), Open Philately and Philatelic Literature Classes only.
Eligibility: The minimum eligibility for participation in a FIP exhibition for Senior & Youth Class Groups B & C is Vermeil Medal secured at a National Exhibition and for Youth Class Group A Large Silver Medal.
Exhibition Classes: Traditional, Postal History, Modern Philately (Trad. & PH), One Frame (Trad. & PH), Open Philately and Philatelic Literature Classes only.
Eligibility: The minimum eligibility for participation in a FIP exhibition for Senior & Youth Class Groups B & C is Vermeil Medal secured at a National Exhibition and for Youth Class Group A Large Silver Medal.
Contact information:
Mr. Rajan Jayakar
Flat No. 2, Court View, 126, Maharashi Karve Road,
Churchgate, MUMBAI - 400 020.
Phone: +91-22-22820570 / +91-22-22820572
(M): +9198210 72417
Email: rajanjayakar1948@gmail.com
Mr. Rajan Jayakar
Flat No. 2, Court View, 126, Maharashi Karve Road,
Churchgate, MUMBAI - 400 020.
Phone: +91-22-22820570 / +91-22-22820572
(M): +9198210 72417
Email: rajanjayakar1948@gmail.com
FORTHCOMING
INTERNATIONAL STAMP EXHIBITIONS UNDER FIP/FIAP
2018 May
27-31: Jerusalem, Israel, ISRAEL 2018 World Stamp Championship
2018 Aug
15-18: Prague, Czech Republic, PRAGA 2018 World Stamp Exhibition
2018 Sep
21-24: Macao, MACAO 2018 35th FIAP International Stamp Exhibition
2018 Dec:
THAILAND 2018 World Stamp Exhibition
Promoting the
hobby of Stamp Collecting
A thorough gentleman, soft spoken but very strict disciplinarian and
dedicated philatelist, Mr Gupta has a will to serve philatelic fraternity with
the help of these groups. He has no financial interests in any manner in
running these groups. A huge number of philatelists have been benefitted by
becoming the members of these groups.
In spite of his dam busy business, social and personal schedules, he spares
good time for the sake of promotion of
philatelists. Winner of several Gold Medals at different State Level stamp
shows, a reputed sports person, a fervent nature-lover having enormous affection & empathy for animals,
a compassionate family man and an efficient entrepreneur..Mr Gupta still claims
philately as his first love.
His interview below speaks tons of his personality. He is very open, honest
and elaborative in his views. Undoubtedly his efforts have brought revolution
in the field of philately in India. We hope the readers shall like, appreciate
and love his interview.
Interview with Deepak
Gupta
1.Please
tell something about you to our readers .
I hail from an
entrepreneurial lineage which I inherited from my father who pioneered
pharmaceutical manufacturing in Kanpur in 1958 and the legacy continues even
after nearly six decades. I am a fervent nature-lover with enormous affection
& empathy for animals, a compassionate family man, a golf enthusiast, two
times winner of the city level Billiards title and an efficient entrepreneur,
but still, philately supersedes most of the above mentioned interests,
unquestionably making it my first love. I delved into it in very nascent stage
of life, probably during my pre teens. In the initial phase, it was merely a
casual hobby until I gradually learned about its nuances and discovered the
boundless world of philately, which was never-ending like an ocean. I was so
smitten and enchanted by the fascinating world of philately, that even today,
after being almost a four decade old collector, my zeal to learn about it and
appetite to gather more is sky-high.
2. To start with, please tell us when and how you came in to the clutches of this beautiful world of stamps and how you took it up?
2. To start with, please tell us when and how you came in to the clutches of this beautiful world of stamps and how you took it up?
My first encounter with philately was at the age of 12
years when I got an opportunity to visit the State Exhibition in IMA hall,
Kanpur. This visit left such an intense impact on me that I started
visiting GPO quite frequently on the dates of new issues to keenly scroll
through stalls of each and every dealer because that entire ecosystem
seemed too engaging to my mind. I can certainly call it the inception of
my inclination towards philately.
3. Please tell us about your areas of philatelic interests and any achievements in the field of philately?
3. Please tell us about your areas of philatelic interests and any achievements in the field of philately?
Initially, I started my collection with Great Britain
stamps (7 frames), for which, I got Bronze, then Silver and finally graduated
to Gold medal in various State level exhibitions. Steadily I shifted my
focus to Innovative Stamps of Bhutan (7 frames) & their Commercial usage,
which too earned me a Gold Medal in a State level exhibition. I also
constructed a collection on unusual Stamps of Sierra Leone and their commercial
usage (7 frames), though it hasn’t been compiled / prepared and exhibited yet.
Meanwhile, I continued collecting Classic Postal History worldwide,
in which I have around 300 + pre-stamp covers of India, 300 + QV period covers
of India, massive stock of worldwide classical covers (Belongs to 19th.
Century), which are all an integral part of my philatelic treasure.
4. How do you find collecting stamps now and to be in the field of philately, I mean meeting and interacting stamp lovers and other philatelic activities?
With the new age technological advancements, I certainly
feel that the intricate process of stamp collection has become way more
convenient, smooth, easy and interesting, since the internet (ebay, whatsapp
groups,face book etc) have provided a common platform, where people all across
the globe can showcase their collections. One can not only see the current
market trends but also the rarities which weren’t so easily accessible earlier.
Previously, philatelists who visited dealers had no alternate, but to believe
what they claimed. But now everything can be verified and tallied online,
which has made things immensely transparent. Today, when we bump into each
other during exhibitions, its warm to experience recognition, which
wasn’t the case earlier. I fondly watch all philatelic activities worldwide,
especially, WhatsApp groups, that brought people closer and transformed
the philatelic fraternity into a closely-knit family.
5. You are the pioneer in India who formed whats app groups running successfully. Please tell us how the name Dphila came in to existence and how did you think about forming such groups?
5. You are the pioneer in India who formed whats app groups running successfully. Please tell us how the name Dphila came in to existence and how did you think about forming such groups?
Around two years ago, I joined a WhatsApp group run
from Australia and discovered how innocent philatelists were cheated in the
name of Re.1 auctions. The Admin had created a fraudulent syndicate to
put bogus shill bids on items, which consequently resulted in items being
sold costlier than BIN prices available throughout. I registered my objection
on this dirty and dishonest practice, which lead to my removal from the group,
but the pain and agony of seeing naive philatelists being deceived stayed in my
heart, which, ultimately resulted in formation of my first whatsapp group
called “’Dphila” (where D stands for first letter of my name ‘Deepak Gupta’ and
Phila is the abbreviated form of Philately.
6. There are so many Dphila Groups on whats app now..please tell us about those?
I always insisted
on honest and sincere dealing in my group, which is and will always invariably
be our prime motto. I always keep a vigilant check on the group
activities detach dishonest, fraudulent and corrupt people from the
group whenever needed. It’s a complete no nonsense philately platform. Hence,
I don’t permit any Non-Philatelic Activity in my group. Sheer
professionalism, genuine conduct utmost sincerity, unbiased behavior and
relentless efforts for enhancements in last few years have finally put us on a
pedestal where people across geographies look up to my group and approach me to
add them. But unfortunately, WhatsApp groups have a max capacity of 256
members, hence, I have created numerous groups and categorized them
according to collection interests. Currently ‘Dphila owns several WhatsApp
groups (6000+ members) & facebook groups (approx 33000 members),
cumulatively making it to nearly 40000 members in total. Name are
furnished here under :
1. ‘Dphila India Post Ind. Group
2. ‘Dphila India Post Ind. - 2 Group
3. ‘Dphila Auction Group
4. ‘Dphila FDC Group
5. ‘Dphila Special Cover Group
6. ‘Dphila India Pre Ind. Group
7. ‘Dphila Postal History Group
8. ‘Dphila Gandhi Group
9. ‘Dphila World & Thematics Group
10. ‘Dphila British Commonwealth Group
11. ‘Dphila SAARC Countries Group
12. ‘Dphila Numismatics Group
13. ‘Dphila Community Discussion Board
14. ‘Dphila Community Discussion group
15. ‘Dphila Collection Sale Group
16. ‘Dphila Literature & Collectibles Group
17. ‘Dphila Odd Shaped / Unusual Stamps Group
18. ‘Dphila International Group (Full but only for foreign people)
19. ‘Dphila Greater Group (Full but only for foreign people)
Face Book Groups:
1.‘Aphila : Number of Members - 13715
2.‘Dphila : Number of Members - 7822
3. Classical Postal History Collectors Club: Number of Members - 3730
4. The Philatelic Club of Kanpur : Number of Members - 7441
5. Serious Philately Group: Number of Members - 234
7. How do you manage such huge number of groups. What sought of problems, difficulties and issues you come across and how do you handle those?
I
try to devote and dedicate as much as I can, to the groups. A few co-admins
(Primarily Mr. Jugnu Kaul, Mumbai) too play a significant role, speaking of
which, reminds me to mention, that, its also tremendously important to strike a
balance between co-admins and members, because rifts have been witnessed
between the two on several occasions. Also, resolving and settling
various types of disputes with the members plays a crucial role. It could be
anything varying from supply to payment. Another daunting task is to regulate
the posting of irrelevant / Non philatelic messages (Social Messages etc)
and to keep that front sorted, I am incredibly strict and illiberal. I
teach and edify people about group etiquettes, point out their faults and give
them opportunity to rectify unintentional mistakes, but repeat defaulters are
unfastened from the group without any delay, because I don’t want the group to
go astray from its core focus, which is philately. I educate people on PM about
the process of booking / listing items on the group timeline in order to
maintain it.
8. It needs huge devotion, dedication, hard work, discipline, vigil to run such groups smoothly. What exactly you get out of this tremendous work?
I
experience exuberance and gratification on witnessing group activities. It
amuses me when I see these global philatelic transactions happening on a daily
basis. Also, I feel delighted, that, I have provided philatelists a common
podium to liquidate their excess stock and buy their aspired stuff at
reasonable prices, which previously was almost a fantasy, because dealer offers
are mostly at rock-bottom rates. They barely offer a fraction of the actual
worth of the material, whereas, in case you are seeking something to buy,
quotes are exorbitantly high and inflated, which disheartens philatelists
and could also lead in gradual decline in ardor and enthusiasm.
9.Tell
us, how exactly the philatelists of
various taste and cadre are involved and benefitted by these groups.
I have skillfully pegged members under various categories on the basis of their philatelic interests, collection choice, theme etc. Hence, you will mostly find like-minded collectors in every particular group. This becomes even more significant because we cater to an exceedingly diverse spectrum of people, coming from different geographical locations, cultures and inclinations. This assortment helps the people seek the group of their specific interest even in such an enormous and elephantine pool.
10. The readers would like to know as to how to become members of the group and what at all is required to remain a sincere member.
Process to become a member is simple
and sorted. Just PM me your WhatsApp number and group of interest and on FB
just select any group and click join button. The members who follow the group
rules, maintain decorum, deal honestly and sincerely and dont post any
non-philatelic items are treated gracefully and are considered the most dignified and respected.
11. Finally, while I thank you for what you are doing for philatelic fraternity, please tell us where do you see Dphila standing and what exactly is your aim
11. Finally, while I thank you for what you are doing for philatelic fraternity, please tell us where do you see Dphila standing and what exactly is your aim
‘Dphila is one of the most prestigious, esteemed,
genuine, widespread and reliable philatelic WhatsApp group in India and I want
to maintain its reputation and stature, not only to promote the miraculous
world of philately, but also to make sure that philatelic events of
national standing can be conducted flawlessly .
Interview : Naresh Agrawal
Doon
Philatelic Diary
Sir Ronald Ross
Sir
Ronald Ross was born in Thomson House, Almora on 13 May 1857, just three days
after the outbreak of 1857 Mutiny. His father Sir CG Ross was a Scottish
officer in the British Indian Army while his grandfather Lieutenant Colonel
Hugh Ross also served the Indian Army. He spent his childhood in Almora at the
very same Thomson House where in 1898 during his third visit Swami Vivekananda
stayed. At that time Thomson House belonged to Lala Badri Shah and Capt. Mrs.
& Mr. Sevier, staunch follower of Swami Vivekananda resided there.
At the age of eight Ronald Ross was sent to
England for his education. He developed interest in literature, poetry, music
and mathematics though Medicine was never his first choice. On his father
insistence he joined St.
Bartholomew's Hospital Medical College, London in 1874 and sat the examinations
for the Royal College of Surgeons of England in 1879. In 1881 he joined
the Indian Medical Service and served in Madras, Burma and Andaman Islands. He
developed interest in Bacteriology under Professor EE Klein while pursuing
diploma in public health from the Royal Colleges of Physicians and Surgeons in
England. In 1892 he started working on the spread of malaria disease. Earlier
it was believed that malaria spread from air, thus the name “Mala” “Aria”
meaning bad air.
While working in Secunderebad, Ross
made the discovery that Anopheles mosquito was responsible for the transmission
of malaria parasites in human. The day was 20 August 1897 and is celebrated as
Mosquito day. He wrote a poem the very next day.
This day relenting God
Hath placed within my hand
A wondrous thing; and God
Be praised. At his command,
Seeking his secret deeds
With tears and toiling breath,
I find thy cunning seeds,
A paper titled “On some peculiar
pigmented cells found in two mosquitoes fed on malarial blood” was published in
the British Medical Journal on 18 December 1897. He received the Nobel prize
for Medicine in 1902 for his outstanding work on the transmission of malaria
disease. He became the first British Nobel laureate and the first born outside
Europe. n 1926 he became Director-in-Chief of the Ross Institute and Hospital
for Tropical Diseases, which was established in honor of his works. Ross
died at the hospital of his namesake after a long illness
and asthma attack on 16 September 1932.
-
Letter
to the Editor
Dear Jeevan Jyoti ji,
Heartiest
congratulations to you on your singular achievement of completing ten glorious
years of the uninterrupted publication of Rainbow Stamp News . The
magazine has carved a niche for itself not only in the hearts of philatelists ,
but also in the realm of philatelic journalism by its uniquely attractive,
lucid ,interesting and very readable contents , from month to
month.
Yours is indeed a
mission to crown the hobby a king once again; and the more so in a way that
serves its cause so fittingly at a juncture when Philately has risen from a
hobby to the status of an academic subject . This aspect of your philatelic
journalism is justly reflected in the Large Silver Medal won by Rainbow Stamp
News at the recently concluded Inpex 2017. Congratulations.
It gives me immense
pleasure and satisfaction to be associated with Rainbow Stamp News both as a
regular reader and as an occasional contributor of philatelic matters that
include the maiden Urdu ghazal on Philately that appeared on 12.09.2013 on the
Blog and in the October 2017 issue of the Magazine.
My compliments to you on
your philatelic journey once again ; and best wishes for reaching further
milestones on the path to success.
Deepak Dubey, Bilaspur (C.G.)
Dear Mrs. Jeevan Jyoti,
Heartiest congratulation for the highest Award in Philatelic
Literature Class in Inpex 2017.
On the second consecutive term Rainbow been honoured. This is a
pride moment for Rainbow and its family of the readers.
This is the 10th years of Rainbow successful
journey which has contributed a lot to the Philately, keep it up the spirit and
joy of Philately and sharing to all your reader.
New arrival information of Malaysia, Israel, Nepal, Bhutan, UN
etc we are sending you which I hope you are getting regularly from us.
Best wishes,
Pradip Jain, FRPSL
Dear Jyoti,
Thanks so much for the
December edition of Rainbow Stamps. I really appreciate all the hard work you
do to make it so informative and attractive.
Best wishes always,
Rashmi Luthera,
Editor - After School
Editor - After School
Beginners’ Section
Stephen
Hector Taylor Smith : Pioneer - Rocket Mail
Stephen Hector Taylor-Smith often known as Stephen Smith, was a
pioneering Indian aerospace engineer who developed techniques in delivering
mail by rocket. Unlike Friedrich Schmiedl, whom the Austrian Authorities banned
from further experimenting, Smith was encouraged in his experiments by Indian
Officials; in the ten-year span of his experiments (1934-1944), Smith made some
270 launches, including at least 80 rocket mail flights.
He was born on 14 February at Strawberry Hill, in Shillong,
Assam. Even as a boy, along with other schoolmates Smith attempted to transport
live garden lizards in rockets over the swimming pool of St. Patrick's School,
Asansol. He attended St. Patrick's from 1903 to 1911. Smith was the first
rocket experimenter to successfully transport foodstuff, medicine and livestock
via rockets.
Smith made careers as a customs official, a policeman and a
dentist, he became the Secretary of the Indian Airmail Society, and combined
his work with his interest in rocketry. His first launch was on 30 September
1934, experimenting with 270 more by 4 December 1944. 80 of these contained
mail, and his achievements include the first successful rocket mail sent over a
river and the first rocket to carry a parcel.
On 30 September 1934, he launched his first mail rocket, using a
rocket made locally by the Orient Firework Company of Calcutta, the flight was
a ship-to-shore launch, The rocket carrying 143 covers, left the D.V. Pansy and
exploded mid-air scattering the mail over the sea. 140 covers were recovered
and taken to the Saugor Lighthouse, where the keeper postmarked the mail. This
was followed by: shore-to-ship, night, and miniature newspaper flights.
Smith’s flights in Sikkim, a British Protectorate in the eastern
Himalayas, received official sanction from the local ruler, Here he carried out
20 successful rocket experiments and achieved the first rocket parcel mail, the
Oriental Fireworks Company supplied Smith with 16 rockets between 23 March 1935
and 29 June 1935. Between them, these "Silver Jubilee" flights
carried over a thousand covers.
Smith made history once again, when he used his rockets to carry
a food package across a river to the Quetta region, which had suffered an
earthquake, the package contained: rice, grain, spices, biris (Indian
cigarettes) and 150 rocketgrams.
Stephen Smith also effected the world’s first livestock
transport when on 29 June 1935, a rocket carried a cock and hen together with
189 rocketgrams across the river Damodar. Both animals survived the flight and
were donated to a private zoo in Calcutta. A later effort, successfully
carried; a snake (Miss Creepy), an apple and 106 covers. Smith demonstrated his
experiments during the war years, few items of mail were carried on these
flights, The last series of rockets were gas propelled and the last flight took
place on 4 December 1944.
Stephen breathed his last on 15 February 1951, 11 days after his
60th birthday, and is now immortalised as the Father of Aerophilately in India,
the Department of Posts in India issued a stamp honouring this Anglo-Indian
pioneer of airborne mail during his birth centenary celebrations
Courtesy - Jagannath Mani, Bangalore
Specialized Section
The Hawaiian Missionaries
Col J Dutta & Dr Anjali Dutta
An
Act establishing a postal service was passed by the Hawaiian Assembly as early
as 1846, but nothing was done to implement this until 1850 when a subsequent act
laid down an external postal rate of 10 cents per letter (reduced the following
year to 5c on the introduction of adhesive stamps).
The
post office established in September 1851 wasn’t under government control but
was farmed out to Henry M. Whitney, a printer and stationer of Honolulu who published
a newspaper − The Commercial Advertiser.
First postmaster of Hawaii, Henry Whitney
designed and printed the kingdom’s first stamps on the printing press of the
government newspaper. Whitney was the
son of missionaries
It isn’t
known whether the first stamps were printed there, or at the office of the
government paper, The Polynesian. The
stamps were type-set and printed in September 1851, being placed on sale the
following month.
The
Polynesian of October 4, 1851 mentioned the issue of three denominations of 2c,
5c and 13c. The lowest value prepaid the newspaper rate while the 5c
represented the letter rate. The 13c stamp denoted the payment of three
separate fees – 5c Hawaiian postage, 6c United States postage, and a 2c ship
letter fee for conveying the letter from Hawaii to America. All three stamps were inscribed in upper and
lower case lettering ‘Hawaiian Postage’, though the 13c was re-issued in 1852
with the inscription amended to ‘H.I. & U.S. Postage’.
Because the
majority of the known examples of these stamps were discovered on
correspondence from US missionaries they acquired the nickname of the
‘Missionaries’. These stamps are all major rarities, especially the 2c
denomination for which there was little use, since the inland service for which
it was intended didn’t materialize until eight years later. In any case, most
2c stamps when used on newspaper wrappers would have been torn and discarded
when the wrapper was removed.
The stamps
were printed in blue ink on extremely thin, brittle paper and thus few of the
Missionaries are in perfect condition. They continued in use until 1853 when
they were superseded by intaglio designs printed by Holland of Boston.
The
most celebrated of all the entire letters is the cover addressed to Miss Eliza
A Dawson of New York, bearing the 2c and 5c Hawaiian stamps, but having the US
postage paid by means of a pair of the US 3c Washington stamps. The Hawaiian stamps bear the red Honolulu
postmark while the US pair were cancelled at San Francisco before the letter
made the journey overland to New York. It was in a bundle of correspondence shoved into a factory furnace
around 1870, but packed so tightly that the fire went out (though one side of
the cover bears a scorch mark). The factory was abandoned and only 35 years
later a workman cleaning the factory for reuse discovered the stuffed furnace,
and knew enough about stamps to save the unusual covers. This cover was
acquired by George H. Worthington in 1905 for $6,000. When the Worthington
collection was sold in 1917 to Alfred Caspary, this rarity realized only
$6,100. Harmers disposed of the Caspary collection in 1957 when it made
$25,000. It has changed hands several more times. The Weill brothers bought it for $25,000 in
1957 for Benjamin Dwight Phillips and eleven years later disposed of it from
the Phillips collection for $90,000. In the
1995 Siegel auction it was bought by Geoffrey Brewster for $1.9 million plus 10% buyer's premium and in 2013 it was sold for $2.24 million
to an American collector, making it one of the highest-priced of all philatelic
items.
Dawson cover, only known use of the 2 cent value on
cover, as well as a 5-cent value and two 3 cent US stamps
Only 28 covers
bearing the Missionary stamps are known to exist, but the Dawson cover is the
only one to bear the 2 cent stamp. There is also a piece bearing the 2c and 13c
(first type) side-by-side. From the
surviving fragment of the cover it appears to have been addressed to a Miss A…
and the stamps are tied by the red San Francisco postmark of March 15, 1851. In
the above mentioned 1995 auction this piece was knocked down to the US
National Postal Museum for $99,000. A
baker’s dozen of used 2c stamps are known off paper, including one in the
Tapling Collection at the British Library in London.
13c Hawaiian Missionary strip of three on cover
13c Hawaiian Missionary issue of 1851 on cover
In
1920, 43 additional Missionaries appeared on the philatelic market. They came
from a Charles Shattuck, whose mother had apparently corresponded with a
missionary family in Hawaii. They were acquired by George H Grinnell and then sold to dealer John Klemann for $65,000. But in 1922, these stamps'
authenticity became the subject of a court case, and they were adjudged
forgeries.
They
have been studied on a number of occasions since then, but opinion remains
divided. In 1922, experts testified that the Grinnells had been produced by photogravure
and not by handset moveable type, but in the 1980s Keith Cordrey contended that
they were probably typeset, and the Royal Philatelic Society London agreed. Further analysis showed that the ink and paper
were consistent with 1850s types. Even so, the Royal Philatelic Society
declared the stamps to be counterfeit. A
book detailing their findings was published in 2006 titled The Investigation
of the Grinnell Hawaiian Missionaries by the Expert Committee of the Royal
Philatelic Society London by Patrick Pearson.
In
May 2006, Mystic Stamp Company announced that they had acquired 36 of the
Grinnells from the descendants of George Grinnell, and were selling the group
"as is" for US$1.5 million.
The Grinnell Missionaries
Many
of the surviving Missionaries are repaired, and David Beech has commented that they
probably would not have survived had they not been.
A
very interesting story is linked to the 2-cent stamp. In early 1890’s Gaston Leroux, a well known
Parisian philatelist was found murdered in his flat. The police were unable to find any motive
connected with the crime. Leroux was an
amiable man without any enemies.
Evidently the crime had not been committed for monetary gains as large
sums of money kept in various rooms were untouched. A diamond studded watch and some gold coins
kept in a half open drawer were also not taken.
Detectives
put in charge of the case were initially baffled, but one of them, a keen
philatelist himself, was able to find a lead.
He went through Leroux’s collection and soon discovered that one stamp
was missing. It was the 2-cents Hawiian
missionary stamp of 1851. This stamp is
one of the rarest stamps in the world and only seven copies are known. The detective concluded that it was possible
that the murder was related to the missing stamp.
He
visited a dealer in Paris who might have been able to sell a stamp of this
kind, but without any results. He then
made a list of Leroux’s friends who were interested in collecting stamps. Eventually his suspicious centered on Hector
Giroux, a close friend of Leroux’s and also a keen philatelist. The detective went undercover, posing as a
stamp collector and became closely acquainted with Giroux.
One
day Giroux invited the officer to his flat.
The detective saw this as a good opportunity and steered the
conversation towards the subject of rarities -- especially of the 2-cents Hawaiian
Missionaries. Enthusiastically Giroux
produced an example of the stamp, the very specimen for which the detective had
been searching.
The
following day Giroux was arrested and questioned. He failed to produce any evidence of how he
had acquired the stamp and eventually he was charged with murder and brought to
trial. On the stand, he broke down and
confessed that he had murdered his friend.
The
2-cent stamp was desperately needed by Giroux to complete his set of Hawaiian
Missionaries. When he had offered to buy
it off, Leroux refused to part with it.
Giroux’s desire to possess the stamp made him commit the crime.
This
particular stamp had originally been in the collection of Ferrary and
Burrus. After this adventure, it
continued to change hands and realized $ 41,000 in 1963 at an auction in New York.
On
October 24, 2002 the US Postal Service issued a miniature sheet bearing a strip
of four 37c stamps, each of which reproduces one of the Missionaries including
the two versions of the 13c. The sheet also
depicts the most celebrated of all Missionaries covers, the one addressed to
Miss Eliza A Dawson of New York.
The Dawson cover and four of the stamps are shown
on the 2002 Souvenir Sheet
The Story of Building Bridges
Journey from Bronze to Gold at National Exhibition
The
history of bridge building is closely associated with the history of human
civilization and therefore Bridges are regarded as an index of civilization.
They indicate the progress made by the society during a particular period.
Starting from the simple Stepping Stone Bridges man has now developed highly
skillful and elegantly designed Cable Stayed bridges. In this context, a bridge
is not only a mere civil structure built using sand, stone, steel and cement
but is much more than that. A bridge besides being a civil structure to shorten
distances, speed up transportation and facilitates commerce, is an expression
of man's creative urge - a challenge and an opportunity to create something
useful and beautiful.
It
is due to these reasons almost all countries have tried to maintain and
preserve their historical bridges as their National Heritage and recognized
them by depicting them on their postage stamps, postal stationary, special
postmarks and other related philatelic materials. They are also being pictured
as and when new mighty and skillful bridges are constructed to indicate their
technical achievements. Of late, even the United Nations/UNESCO is taking
serious interest in preservation and protection of some of the historical
bridges by declaring them as World Heritage Bridges and gave them
philatelic recognition on UN postage stamps too.
Why we build a Bridge?
The
primitive man was a wanderer in search of his food and fiber. He wanted to
cross a river/stream/chasm or a canyon for better resources. He needed a bridge
for quick cross-over. Thus primitive man built bridges primarily for making
transportation safe, secure and fast. Subsequently, when he started settling
and living in a community, he needed a permanent bridge for various other
purposes such as; (i) farmer need water to grow his crop, (ii) shepherd need
water for his cattle grazing, (iii) hunter in search of more food, (iv)
woodcutter to have more wood, (v) trader for extension of his business and (vi)
warrior to establish his supremacy.
What is bridge?
What is bridge?
In
its simplest form, a bridge is a passage across an obstacle. In present day
engineering terminology, a BRIDGE is a structure that provides a passage over a
river, a valley, a road or a railway without obstructing the way beneath. The
passage may be for a road, a railway, pedestrians, a canal or a pipeline.
Importance of Bridge
It
is well known that all the early human civilizations were settled along the
river courses only, and therefore, all major cities have also been developed
along the riverbanks. It is believed that bridge is a first civil structure
constructed across the river to develop communication. Thus they form the vital
link and backbone for the development of communication and trade for any
society. History reveals that all great battles have been fought for cities and
their bridges. Even in present day wars, bridges are the first targets for the
effective military attacks.
In
addition to its strategic importance, bridge imparts scenic beauty to the
cities and thereby enhances the environment. They aid in enhancing the social,
cultural as well as economical development of the locality where they stand.
Thus besides bridge building, adjoining landscape development is also taken
into account for its pleasant appearance and design. Therefore, in the present
day design, special attention is devoted to the aesthetics of bridge structure
besides their functional aspects specifically for design of highway bridges in
urban areas. They are also the source of inspiration to the poets and writers.
Historians and artists have never forgotten to figure prominent bridges in
their write-up and paintings.
Basic forms of a Bridge
Bridges
are built according to the structural principle adopted for the design of
super-structure. Accordingly, the basic forms evolved are; arch, slab, beam,
suspension and cable-stayed bridges. They are defined as under:
Components of Bridge
Basically,
a bridge has following components namely;
Bridge - a theme for Development
The theme bridge provides ample opportunities and wide scope for its development due to the availability of huge as well as wide variety of philatelic material. Though this theme is a technical subject besides philatelic material,excellent reference literature is also available for study and reference. Based on this availability, the theme - Bridge can be developed in several different ways depending upon the choice of the philatelist and his knowledge on this theme. However, from the philatelic angle, the theme - Bridge can be developed under two broad sections; (A) Non-technical Classification and (B) Technical Classification.
(A)
Non-technical classification
Under
non-technical classification, this theme can be developed based onhistory time
frame i.e. historical development in bridge building that took place over the
years. This classification is independent of structural types and covers the
story of bridge building that took place during various periods and bridges
constructed by various civilizations. This can be elaborated further as:
(a)
Historical Development in Bridge Building
(i)
The
Beginning
(ii)
Early
Bridges
(iii) Roman
Bridges
(iv) Asian
Bridges
(iv) Medieval
Bridges
(v) The
Renaissance
(vi) TheEighteenth
Century
(vii) Era
of Specialization and
(viii) Modern Bridges.
(B)
Technical Classification
Under
the technical classification, bridges can be classified in many different ways
depending upon their function, type of superstructure, material used for
construction etc. The detailed classification presented here is for information
only. Under this category, bridges can
be classified as (IRC:5 (1998); Victor (2004)):
(a) Function of a Bridge
(i) Aqueduct
(ii) Viaduct
(road or railway over a valley)
(iii) Footbridge
(iv) Road
Bridge
(v) Railway
Bridge
(vi) Road
cum Railway Bridge
(vii) Flyover
(viii) Interchange
(ix) Movable
Bridge
(x) Pontoon
Bridge
(xi) Bridge
over Spillway
(xii) Pipeline
Bridge
(xiii) Bridge
for Emergency needs
(xiv) Aero
Bridge
(xv) Sky
Bridge
(b) Material used for construction of
superstructure
(i) Timber
(ii) Stone
or Masonry
(iii) Iron
(iv) Steel
(v) Reinforced
concrete (R.C.C.)
(vi) Pre-stressed
concrete
(vii) Composite
(viii) Aluminum
(c)
Type of Superstructure
(i) Slab
(ii) Beam
(iii) Truss
(iv) Arch
(v) Cantilever
(vi) Suspension
(vii) Cable Stayed
(d) Inter-span relation
(i) Simple
(ii) Continuous
(iii) Cantilever
(e) Position of the bridge floor relative to
super structure
(i) Deck
(ii) Through
(iii) Half through
(iv) Suspended
(f) Method of connection of different parts of
steel superstructure
(i) Pin-connected
(ii) Riveted
(iii) Bolted
(iv) Welded
(g) Road level relative to high flood level of
Road Bridge
(i) Causeway
(ii) Submersible
bridge
(iii) High level bridge
(h) Method of clearance for navigation
(i) High
level
(ii) Movable
bascule
(iii) Movable swing
(iv) Transporter
(i) Span Length
(i) Culvert
(less than 6 m)
(ii) Minor
bridge (6 to 60 m)
(iii) Major bridge (above 60 m)
(iv) Long
span bridge (when the main span is above 120 m)
(j) Degree of redundancy
(i) Determinate
(ii) In-determinate
(k) Type of service and duration
(i) Temporary
(ii) Permanent
(iii)
Military
(Pontoon, Bailey)
Apart
from the above two major classifications, bridges can also be classified as per
the source of funds used for the construction of a bridge as under:
(C) Source of fund/finance
(i) Self
finance
(ii) Toll
bridge
(iii) Friendship
(iv) International
Co-operation
(v) BOT
(Built, Operate and Transfer)
(vi) Annuity
Except
B(a), B(b) and B(c), all other classifications are purely technical. They are
only for information and have no significant relevance in the development of
this theme.But one can use them judiciously. Generally the material used for
construction and type of bridge goes hand-in-hand. Therefore they can be
clubbed for simplicity of development.
In
addition to above, there are certain topics that are directly and closely
associated with design and construction of bridges which one cannot neglect.
They are;
(i)
Bridge
in Paintings
(ii)
Bridge
as Logo or Symbol
(iii) Post Office in recognition of bridges
(iv) Bridge
Designers and Builders
(v) Bridge
and Personalities
(vi) Institutes
related to Bridge Engineering
(vii) Bridge
Design and Construction
(viii) Aesthetics in Bridge Design
(ix) Bridge
in Landscape
(x) Bridge
Disaster
The
above topics can be correlated with the relevant bridge e.g. for a given bridge
one can display his designer or a builder or being damaged/collapsed and
replaced by new one or a postmark of a post office bearing the name of that
bridge or being incorporated in paintings of renowned artists etc. At present,
extensive philatelic material is available on each of these topics mentioned
here in above. One can easily develop five or eight frame exhibit with details.
The
development of various forms of bridges starting from pre-historic to the
modern Cable-Stayed bridgesis schematically shown in Fig. 1.1 (after Bindra
(2004) and Victor (2004)). The classification mentioned here is broad and
indicative and for purpose of reference only. There is a further
sub-classification under each category.
Natural Arch
|
Natural Stepping Stone
|
Accidentally fallen tree trunk
|
Inter-twinkling Vines
|
||||
Post and Lintel Arch
|
Artificial Stepping Stone
|
Rope Bridge
|
|||||
Purposefully fallen tree trunk
|
|||||||
Corbelled Arch
Type - I
|
Tarr - Steps
|
Bamboo Bridge
|
|||||
Clapper Bridge (wooden log on
Tarr-Steps
|
|||||||
Clapper Bridge
(Stone slab on Tarr-Steps)
|
Iron Chain Suspension Bridge
|
||||||
Corbelled Arch
Type - II
|
|||||||
Timber beam
on
Timber piles
or
Timber Cribs
|
|||||||
Modern Suspension
|
|||||||
True Arch
(Voussoir Arch)
|
Stone Beam Bridge
|
||||||
Stone Cantilever Bridge
|
Cable-stayed Bridge
|
||||||
Steel Arch
|
RCC Arch
|
||||||
Timber Cantilever
|
|||||||
Timber Truss
|
|||||||
Cast Iron Beam Bridge
|
|||||||
Plate Girder Bridge
|
|||||||
Composite Bridge
|
|||||||
RCC Girder Bridge
|
|||||||
Prestressed Concrete Girder Bridge
|
|||||||
Fig. 1.1 - Development of various
forms of Bridges (After Victor (2004))
Historical Development in
Bridge Building
It
is very difficult to establish when and where a man built the first bridge. It
is also not practical to do so due to extensive change in landscape over the
span of several hundred centuries. Even though, attempts were made to dig out
the history. There is a reference of the "Tarr Steps" carrying a
footpath over the River Barle on Exmoor which dates back to pre-Christian times
(Ill. 1.1). The 17 span clapper bridge appears in the novel Lorna Doone as the
"Devil's Bridge". There is a also a reference of "Clapper
Bridge" over the river Dart in England by Samuel Smiles existing for
twenty centuries (Ill. 1.2). It is recorded that it was a three span structure,
each span 4.60 m long and 1.83 m wide. Edgar Wigram has described a stone slab
bridge of uncertain date in his book on Spain.
1.1 – Tarr Steps at Exmoor, Dulverton, GB (PPC) 1.2 – Clapper Bridge at Dartmoor, GB (PPC)
According
to Degrand, the earliest bridge on record is that built on the Nile by Menes –
the first King of Egypt in about 2650 B.C. but no details are known about it.
From the historical records, it has also been traced that there was a bridge
erected by order of Nimrod, third ruler after Noah, across the Euphrates within
the walls of Babylon. It is the oldest known arch bridge called Nimrod Bridge
built in stone, the approximate date of which is about 1800 B.C. At present the
oldest preserved arch bridge is Males Bridge in Turkey which dates back to
approx. 850 B.C. and it is believed that it may have been used by Homer.
By
about 510 B.C., the Greeks were beginning to rise in power. A notable
contribution by them was Xerxes Bridge - a pontoon bridge built during the
reign of Xerxes. As per the historical records, the Greeks made no significant
contributions in bridge building.
The
story of bridge building remains incomplete if the contribution of Chinese
civilization is ignored. This remote and self-contained civilization was not
affected by the western world and therefore they built bridges on their own. It
is believed that Chinese bridge building began in about 2300 B.C. during the
reign of the Emperor Yao. They built beam, cantilever and suspension bridges
with typical designs to suit their needs. The most popular amongst them was
timber cantilever bridges.
In
the history of bridge building, the Romans made a great contribution. They
brought the real engineering in bridge building and through their pragmatic
viewpoint; they built some of monumental bridges of the world, few of them
still exist even after twenty centuries. Being warriors and colonizers, they colonized
entire Europe and the Mediterranean. They immediately learnt that for expansion
and maintenance of their empire, efficient and permanent communication is very
essential and therefore, they gave high priority to build the roads and
bridges. A notable example was Caesar’s bridge over the Rhine, about 540 m in
length and a pile type structure, which is reported to have been built in ten
days. In addition to the pile-type bridge, the Romans developed the
semicircular true masonry arch, which they used extensively in both bridges and
aqueducts. The Trajan Bridge over the Danube near Turnu-Severin in Romania,
built in 104 A.D., was the longest bridge in the Roman Empire, with a total
length of about 1220 m consisting of twenty timber arches.
After
the fall of the Roman Empire in 476 A.D., all technological skills of the
Romans disappeared. Northern Europe fell into the dark ages. The Medieval
period (477-1492), also designated as the Middle Ages or Dark Ages, was marked
by a decline of civilization throughout Europe following the fall of Roman
Empire. In Europe, it was an era of disruption of civil society by the
incursions of new races and through general upheaval. No significant bridge
building activity took place from the sixth to the tenth century. But by 1000
A.D., the authority of the Church was more or less complete in Europe and the
Churchmen actively started to spread their spiritual and practical knowledge.
They revived the bridge building activity along with construction of churches,
monasteries and cathedrals. Significant contribution came from the churchmen
who built two notable bridges namely Pont Saint Esprit and Pont d’ Avignon both
over the river Rhone. Another notable bridge built during the medieval period
was Old London Bridge, the first permanent structure across the Thames, Pont
Valentre at Cahors in France as well as Kalsbrucke at Prague, Czech Republic.
During
the Renaissance (1550-1700), modern science was born bringing radical changes
in bridge building. This period was greatly influenced by new scientific
theories that were invented during this period. These inventions provided
insight in use of construction materials and method of construction. This laid
a foundation stone for more scientific bridge building of the eighteenth century.
The most important invention of the Renaissance was the invention of the truss
as a structural principle. Andrea Palladio (1508- 1580), an Italian architect,
is believed to have first used trusses, although his designs were not the
result of rational analysis. The notable bridges built during this period were;
the Rialto Bridge over the Grand Canal at Venice, Italy; Santa Trinita Bridge,
at Florence, Italy; Bridge of Sighs in Venice, Italy; Pont Notre Dame and Pont
Neuf in Paris, France, to name a few. In short, the Renaissance is regarded as
a period of architectural refinement in bridge design.
The
first half of the eighteenth century was normal and under the process of
transition due to the influence of the Renaissance. The process of scientific
inventions continued and made rapid progress. Several notable masonry arch
bridges were built in Britain and France namely; the Westminster bridge, the
Blackfriars bridge, the Waterloo bridge at Mantes to name a few. But the last
part of the eighteenth century was stormed by the industrial revolution, which
began in Britain and spread into Europe. The successful story of the industrial
revolution began with the construction of the Coalbrookdale Bridge on the
Severn Gorge in East Shropshire where the first Cast Iron Bridge of the world
was constructed in 1779. This bridge opened a new era in bridge building with
iron as prime material.
The
nineteenth century was the century of specialization. The conceptual thinking
and scientific inventions, which began in the seventeenth century, translated
into reality during this century. Each passing year came up with new record
length of span in bridge building due to developments in construction methods
and new technology as well as better understanding of strength of materials.
The invention of railway resulted into large number of railway bridges with
more attention towards mastering in suspension bridge design. This century
gained knowledge from genius engineers and scientists like Finley, Sir Samual
Brown, Thomas Telford, Stephenson brothers, Gustav Eiffel, Isambard Brunel,
Cap. James B. Eads, Jhon Roebling and many more. The noted bridges that came up
were Menai Straits Bridge, Royal Albert Bridge, Eads Bridge at St. Luis,
Niagara Suspension Bridge, and Brooklyn Bridge in New York as well as Forth
Bridge in Scotland.
The
twentieth century can be devoted to modern bridges with concrete as prime
construction material. In this century, the strength of various construction
materials was fully exploited. Many new concept, new technologies, construction
techniques and new types of bridge designs were evolved. The concept of
aesthetics in bridge design was introduced and accepted as a universal norm.
The age old masonryarch was transformedin to a flat elliptical arch using RCC and
steel. Long distance bridges with combination of bridge types also gained
momentum during this century due to rapid strides in communication needs. The
two world wars led into the development of cost-effective Cable stayed bridge
design which is now widely accepted all over the world due to several
advantages it imparts to the design. Pre-stressed concrete facilitated
designing large span slender sections with elegant shapes. Navigational needs
evolved movable bridge designs but towards the end of the century cable stayed
bridge design settled several problems and provided a solution to eliminate
movable bridges. Record lengths of spans were achieved in each category of
bridge design. New materials like Aluminum and alloy metals were tried very
successfully in bridge designs.
The
story of bridge building has a long-standing history as old as human
civilization. Each civilization and each society contributed in
conceptualization of bridge with record span lengths. It’s amazing and heart
stirring. Their philatelic recognition is a tribute to all those who conceived
it, planned it, designed it and turned it in to a reality. Their bridges may or
may not stay long but their stamps will last till the last philatelist
survives.
BRIDGE
as an Exhibit
The
author’s journey began in 1985 with a very simple plan incorporating only types
of bridges. Subsequently, with gain in philatelic knowledge and guidance from
senior philatelist like Shri R. Binani, Late Shri H. C. Mehta, ShriDhananjay
Desai, ShriLallan Singh the author revised his plan and evolved a new plan with
title “Building Bridges – An Index of Human Civilization”. With this revised
plan, the author participated at INDIPEX-2011 and earned “Large Silver”. During
jury critic discussion and subsequent personal discussion by jury with each
participant, the author was advised to change the title with very useful
suggestions by learned juries. Accordingly, new title and new plan and new
exhibit were evolved as per their guidance. The new title suggested was “The Story
of Building Bridges – An Index of Human Civilization”. This title became more
meaningful and gave lots of liberty in developing my revised exhibit. With new
title, new plan and completely reorganized exhibit, the author participated at
INPEX-2013 and earned “LV+SP” for his five frame exhibit.
In
the meanwhile, M rPrathmesh Patel, another senior philatelist who attended
Malmo Summit of Philatelists provided Malmo literature for study. It proved to
be immensely beneficial to the author in conceptualizing thematic philately
coupled with strong philatelic material. Once again, entire exhibit was
reorganized while incorporating philatelic material based on my theme bridges.
The result is “Gold” at INPEX-2017.
The lessons learnt were:
Ø Exhibit Plan is most important and is
the “HEART” of the exhibit. Devote maximum time in evolving a better and
meaningful plan.
Ø Select suitable titles for the
development of your plan with subtitles.
Ø Each title and subtitle must translate
in to a lucid story for building an exhibit.
Ø Each page has materials that
closely related to title on that page i.e. title and material displayed must be
correlated with each other.
Ø Late Dr Satyendra Kumar Agrawal wrote
few very good articles in Rainbow Stamp News regarding philatelic material in
thematic philately. Keep it handy and read them again and again. Also read FIP
guidelines for thematic philately along with American Philatelic Society
guidelines. These are very helpful in building a better exhibit. (My mentor
Lallan Singh advised me to first read FIP guidelines on Thematic Philately ten
times and then prepare your plan) proved very helpful.
Ø Personal interest and deep knowledge
of the theme also helps in achieving confidence and immense personal pleasure.
Always remember, philately is for our own enjoyment and relaxation. But when
competing, one has to adhere to the stipulated rules.
There are no such things as limits to growth,
because there are no limits on the human capacity for intelligence, imagination
and wonder.
-Ronald
Reaga
Postal History of India from the Feudal Era to Independence, 1947
Part
1(Early days to Mughal Era)
This write up on Postal
History of India will be in 12 series. It is a detailed version of the Postal
History outline in the Rainbow stamp news November 2017 issue. The write up will
highlight the broad aspects of the postal history of India without too much
intricacies.
Introduction
In early days, the Medium of
communication was through human speech or written on leaves likes palm leaves.
Paper as a medium for communication is about 200 years old in India.
Before the arrival of East India
Company, people lived in small, self contained communities and the need for
distant communication was not there.
The
needforTransmitting correspondence or distant communication between the places was gradually developed
with the evolution of civilisation through ages. In ancient times the kings,
emperors, rulers, landlords protected their kingdom and its borders through
intelligence services of specially trained police or military agencies and
courier services to convey and obtain information between the capital and far
flung-territories through :
·
Relay of runners andhorsemen(urgent message)
·
Messengers
·
Pigeons.
Meaning Dak and Post
·
The word “Dak” in
Bengali word means “Shout” or “Call” that the post runner or horseman
with his stick and jingling bells or the galloping horseman used to shout from
a distance to warn the men incharge, when nearing a changing place(“choultry in
hindi) for exchange of mails, horses or men.
·
The word “Dak” in hindi means delivery or
arrival of communication through relay
of horses and runners.The word Dakor
Dawkgot associated with letters and became widely used with the emergence of
postal system from 1800 onwards.
·
The English word “Post” was derived from the word,
“Poistus”, meaning fixed or placed. The Spanish word “Correo” and “Portugese
word “Corrieo” stand for the word “Courier Post”, the Latin word “Currere“ i.e.
“Post-Haste” courier service which was connected with the name of the Roman
Post.
History
·
The first recorded history of postal services in
India was in 1206 A.D. when Ziauddin Barni described the horse and foot postal
organization set up by the Pathan ruler, AlauddinKhilji.
·
Highly developed postal services were established
in the reign of Mohammad Bin-Tughlak, King of Delhi from 1325-1361, as
described by the Arab historian Ibn Batuata.
There were two types of couriers. First, were the runners known as ‘El-Davah’. The other were the horsemen, known as
‘El-Wolak’.Each relayed letters from one to another at regular intervals. The
Horsemen travel a longer distance than the footrunner before handing over the
letters over to the next.
·
Henry M. Elliott in his Memoirs of the Races
of the North-Western Provinces mentions about postal system during
SecunderLodhi’s regime, who ruled from 1488-1518, established small posts at
many places within his kingdom.
·
Babur developed the horse carrier system
particularly from Agra to Kabul.
·
Sher Shah Suri built the road from Sonargoan near
Dacca, now in Bangladesh to bank of Indus in Sind for use by his couriers with
1700 stages/resthouses (sarais in hindi). This road is called the Great Trunk
Road today.
·
The emperor Akbar made further improvements to the
means of transport when camels were introduced, in addition to horses.
To be
Contd… Part 2 in the next issue
In Memory of Dr Satyendra Agrawal….
In great philatelic memory of Dr Satyendra Kumar Agrawal, I re-published
some of his best articles last year. He is always with us. His contribution to
Thematic Philately will remain an asset for all stamp lovers.. Rainbow grew
with his articles and has completed 10 years of publication. With this issue
its 11th year starts.. I am introducing a new column of ‘Rose
Philately’ in his memory from this issue. - Editor
Rose Philately
Roses of Luxembourg
The New Postocollants – Roses
5
December 2017
Since
1980 a group of rose lovers established the “Lëtzebuerger Rousefrënn”
(Luxembourg Friends of Roses) to encourage the preservation of older varieties
and the breeding of new ones. In 2014, a second association, the “Patrimoine
Roses pour le Luxembourg” joined forces with them and their commitment to
preserve the valuable cultural heritage of Luxembourg roses going back to the
19th century.
POST
Philately was able to recruit Marianne Majerus, specialised in the depiction of
gardens to illustrate the new postocollants.
Barrie philatelist
researching retailers’ letters from Santa
By Jesse Robitaille
Barrie
philatelist Dave Hanes is researching Canadian letters from Santa Claus for a
forthcoming book slated to be published by the British North America
Philatelic Society (BNAPS).
Hanes is compiling a listing of letters from Santa sent via
iconic Canadian retailers T. Eaton Company (commonly known as Eaton’s) and the
Robert Simpson Company (known as Simpsons since 1972).
“It’s history that a lot of people have seen, but they’ve never
taken any great interest in it,” said Hanes, who has been a member of the Philatelic
Specialists Society of Canada (PSSC)for about a decade. “I’m getting older now, and I’d like to see
this stuff recorded for posterity.”
Eaton’s Toyland, which was the retailer’s fifth-floor
Christmastime toy section, began writing letters from Santa as early as 1909.
The earliest known letter – “so far,” added Hanes with cautious optimism – was
written on Eaton’s letterhead.
“That’s the earliest I’ve been able to find, but I also have two
that came out just after that, on eight-inch-by-13-inch sheets of paper, but
they weren’t dated.”
By 1913, letters were being written on eight-inch-by-10-inch
sheets of paper and sent out in envelopes.
“The envelopes have mostly been destroyed, but some have been
found,” said Hanes.
A decade later, Eaton’s dropped the envelope and began folding
the letters, to which they would affix a pre-cancelled stamp, which offers
insight into the respective letter’s date.
“This practice continued into the 1960s, when Eaton’s stopped
the letters.”
In 1928, the first letter from Santa appeared from Simpson’s
Toyland. In 1930, a second issue by Simpson’s was released, this on a postcard
from Santa. Nothing further has been reported from Simpson’s, Hanes said.
INSPIRED BY LATE DEALER
Hanes’ research into letters from Santa began several years ago,
when late dealer Bill McCann, author of the Standard Catalogue of
Canadian Booklet Stamps, showed him an early letter from Santa complete
with the envelope.
“It was a 1918 letter from Santa, and it was a beautiful thing,
so I more or less kept my eyes open for others,” said Hanes, who added he’s
acquired “a few odds and ends” since then.
Hanes’ collection includes about 15 different letters from
Santa, but he also has scans of other collections, including that of Tony
Shaman, former editor of The Canadian Philatelist.
In 1982, Shaman published Letters from Santa – A Catalogue of Canada
Post Santa H0H 0H0 Stationery, which offered a listing of contemporary
letters from Santa, which are commonly referred to as the “Ho, ho, ho” letters
in reference to the iconic postal code used by Santa to this day.
After referencing Shaman’s book, Hanes contacted the author to
tell him he owned earlier letters from Santa sent in decades past. Hanes even
offered to work with Shaman on compiling a listing of earlier letters; however,
one area of concern for Shaman was dating the various items.
“You don’t know for sure, year by year, but you can go by era,”
explained Hanes. “The various pre-cancelled stamps are the only way the letters
can be dated. By checking the stamp, you can get a rough estimate of when these
letters were used.”
ABOUT 51 LETTERS
RECORDED
Including scans copied by the City of Toronto Archives, Hanes has about 51
letters from Santa recorded so far. Interestingly, only eight French-language
letters have been reported with the majority being from the 1940s and ’50s.
Hanes said the earliest known French letter
(provided by one of Shaman’s scans) was from 1930.
“I’m saying 1930 because it has a Arch
stamp. That’s the earliest that I’ve been able to find, but then again there
could’ve been more.”
“We’re quite short on the French ones, but I’ve gone through to
three of the main clubs in Québec, and the editors of their publications, to
request to publish this,” said Hanes, who added he’s also contacted The Royal Philatelic
Society of Canada and its bimonthly journal The Canadian
Philatelist; the Canadian Philatelic Society of Great Britain; the American Topical
Association;
and the aforementioned BNAPS, which has agreed to publish Hanes’ book.
He also has additional scans of Canadian letters from Jim Balog,
of the U.S.-based Christmas Philatelic Club, which issues a quarterly publication
known as The Yule Log.
Kyrgyz Republic
24 November 2017 : Great Silk Road
The Great Silk Road
is one of the most significant achievements in the history of world
civilization. For many centuries, ramified networks of caravan roads crossed
Europe and Asia from the Mediterranean to China and served in the era of
antiquity and the Middle Ages as an important means of trade ties and dialogue
between the cultures of the West and the East. The longest stretch of the Silk
Road passed through the territory of Central Asia, including Kyrgyzstan. Along
the Silk Road, rich cities, commercial settlements and caravanserais emerged
and flourished. In the territory of Kyrgyzstan, these include: Djul, Suyab,
Novokent, Balasagun, Borskoon, Tash-Rabat, Osh and Uzgen.
The Great Silk Road
was paved in the 2nd century BC. and existed until the 15th century AD.
In September 2013,
the People's Republic of China put forward the concept of the "New Silk
Road" better known as “The Belt and Road Initiative”. This international
strategy, including the projects "Economic Belt of the Silk Road" and
"Sea Silk Road of the XXI Century", involves the creation, by 2030,
of an extensive infrastructure network along the way from the western borders
of China through the countries of Central Asia and Iran to Europe.
On the
sheet borders an ancient Chinese sailing ship, a compass, a loom, a fan, a red
dragon are depicted.
Poland
16 December 2017 : Nine from Wujek Mine
6
December 2017 : Army of Anders - Trail of Hope
Slovenia
10 November 2017 Christmas
Iceland
2 November 2017 : Christmas
Acknowledgement
- Ananthapuri Stamp Bulletin December 2017 edited by Mohanchandran
Nair
- Deccan Philatelist edited by Col Jayanta Dutta
- Judaica Thematic Society (UK) December
2017 Newsletter edited by Gary Goodman
Blogs
& Websites
Philatelic Clubs & Societies
Ananthapuri Philatelic Association, Thiruvanthapuram
Chandigarh Philatelic Club
Deccan Philatelic Society – Pune, Maharashtra
Ludhiana Philatelic Club
Numismatic &
Philatelic Association of Vellore Fort http://numismaticphilavellore.site40.net/index.htm
Philatelic Society of Rajasthan, Jaipur
Rajkot Philatelic Society – Rajkot, Gujarat
Gujarat Philatelic Association - Ahmedabad
The Army Philatelic Society, Pune
RAINBOW
STAMP CLUB
This is a blog of
e-stamp Club www.rainbowstampclub.blogspot.com . The idea of this
blog is to extend philatelic fraternity in all corners of the world. Readers
may write about themselves with their collecting interests and share new ideas
with other philatelists. New Post on
recent issues, news on stamp activities and Contribution by members are
published every day on this blog. Readers may also express their views on any
philatelic matter which will be published under Club News at Rainbow Stamp Cub
Blog. Philatelic Clubs and Societies may also send brief write ups. Readers may
send reports on new issues, special covers, cancellations & philatelic
activities of their area for inclusion in this Blog. - Editor
Current Philatelic Magazines – Newsletters
VADOPHIL, Editor - Prashant
Pandya & Timir Shah and published by
Baroda Philatelic Society, Vadodara. Website -http://www.vadophil.org/
ITS Stamp News - Quarterly
- Editor: Suraj Jaitly Publisher: Indian Thematic Society website - http://itsstampnews.blogspot.com/
Ananthpuri Stamp
Bulletin - Monthly e -stamp bulletin of Anathapuri Philatelic
Association, Thiruvanthapuram
Journal of the Army Philatelic
Society : Editor – Col Jayanta Dutta
India Post – Quarterly Journal of the
India Study Circle publishes original articles submitted by members of ISC.
Deccan Philatelist from Deccan
Philatelic Socity, Pune. edited
by Col Jayanta Dutta
Courtesy - News and Image Resource to this
issue :
Indian Philately Digest , Stamps
of India ; WOPA , Suresh
R.- Bangalore; Sreejesh Krishnan – Trivandrum.,Abhai Mishra, Dehradun, Canadian Stamp
News
Address for communication :
Jeevan Jyoti, c / o Mr. Ajay Srivastav Wildlife Institute
of India, Chandrabani, Dehradun – 248002. India
Last date for receiving write ups – 25th of every month.
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Happy Collecting…………………………………………………………………………………
Rainbow Stamp News is edited and published monthly
by Jeevan Jyoti from Dehradun, ( Uttarakhand ) India for free circulation among
philatelists.
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