Displays from previous meetings

Highlights from the 2008 Program

May 08 meeting report - 'A page or two from my collection'.

For the May meeting, members were invited to bring along and talk to a page or two from their collection. Old hands said the response was as good as anything similar over many years, with some 12 displays.

The wide-ranging displays included several aspects of Germany, Tasmanian early color trials, Registration labels, pictorial post cards, Official perfins, King Island Postal History, Thematics - orchids and Navitivity, airmail covers out of Australia and more.

Here are a few sheets from the Tasmanian Registration Labels, German Field Post and King Island Postal History displays.

Tasmanian Registration labels

Registration label errors

German Field Post Covers

King Island postmarks and Airmails

April - Dr Graham Rowbottom -East Germany, The Official Stamps

The April meeting featured a fascinating display and talk on the Official mail of East Germany (the DDR). Official Mail is all mail to and from DDR Government Departments.

Both mundane and more sinister mail was sent through the system and Graham's talk highlighted some interesting political and social issues as played out in the Official Mail system. This short summary does not do justice to the presentation.

Graham covered issues from pre 1954 to the late 1960s and beyond in 5 sections:

pre 1954 where normal postage was used
the famous 'Theodolite and Wheat design'
ZKD Zentral Courier Dienst or Central Courier Mail
Confidential mail and registered mail including some rare usages
Late 60s to the end of the DDR.

The ZKD or Central Courier Official Mail featured a complex tracking system with coil stamps containing code letters for the various regions. A mail tracking system used by the police and the 84 'Peoples Factories' and the Central Berlin Control System. This system tracked mail transport times and amounts between the various users.

TPS Archives