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Recent web site updates, for April 25, 2010

Issue 29 begins with a detailed look at "Urban Rail Systems and Maps on Stamps" by Society President David Wolfersberger. The article groups these related stamps into four broad categories, one of which is urban rail systems. Given the importance that urban rail systems in the major cities of the world, it is no doubt that many of these systems have been depicted in a number of stamps over the years. Next up, Volker Woesner gives a book review of Toby Lester's "Fourth Part of the World," Free Press, NY 2009, ISBN 1416535314. Mark Honig provides some interesting information about "Rare" Tonga and Niuafo'ou Stamps that were recently listed on the eBay auction site with respect to unique and specialized errors. In the next article, Editor Martin Oakes' goes underground for a look at the topics of continental drift, plate-tectonics, subduction zones and related geologic hypothesis' and theories as depicted on a number of beautiful and detailed stamps. Be sure to check out "Society News" to keep up-to-date with the transitions of new officers for the Society, and other important Society news and New Issue updates for the checklist.

Updates to the new issues blog slowed a bit during the winter months but you will want to check the blog now for a number of interesting new issues.

As always, we want to hear from our members, so please contact us with your comments and suggestions.
-- web admin.

CartoPhilatelic Society Elects New Officers

As described in the January 2010 #28 issue of the NCP, the following Society members have become elected officers of the CartoPhilatelic Society for the term 2010-2013.

Martin Oakes will continue as Editor of The New CartoPhilatelist and David Wolfersberger will continue as Checklist Editor.

Although the next election is several years away, please give some consideration to be nominated for one of the offices. Its a great way to help the Society.

[ Lets give a big round of applause to Al Underberg for his past service and to all of the officers who have agreed to serve your Society for the next few years! --web admin.]

Maps on Stamps Featured in MAGERT April 2010 base line

Society member and past NCP Editor Mr. Dan Nelson received a bit of recognition in the April 2010 edition of the "base line." Published by the American Library Association's (ALA) Maps and Geography Round Table (MAGERT) group, the "base line" newsletter provides current information on cartographic materials, and other publications of interest to map and geography librarians. In an article highlighting new cartographic materials and other items of interest, David Bertuca, Map Librarian at the SUNY Buffalo Libraries Map Collection wrote of Maps on Stamps that "This web site is by someone who collects postage stamps with cartographic themes." While the article refers to the anonymously compiled the web site [ http://danstopicals.com ], members of the Society will immediately recognize the URL as Dan's extensive web site. The article also provides links to this web site, as well as the Canadian 1898 Map Stamp Study Group.

[ Thanks David for the recognition of cartophilately and the Society! --web admin.]

Belgium Sheet Commemorates the Life & Work of Paul Otlet

Belgium Post issued a mini-sheet on January 18, 2010 commemorating the life and work of Paul Otlet. This uniquely designed mini-sheet contains a single € 4.60 stamp, showing Otlet in front of a large globe. In the foreground are a stack of books. To the left on the mini-sheet is an inscription roughly translated "Mundaneum to the Internet" and what seems to be a card-catalog of a library reaching to the ceiling. Near the top of the card-catalog a series of wires or chains appear to be popping out of some of the drawers and being attached at various positions on the globe. Visit the Society's New Issues Blog for a closer examination of the story behind this fascinating new issue.

Belgium 2010-01-18 Paul Otlet and the Mundaneum

CartoPhilatelic Society Meeting Planned for August 2010

After considering the different responses from our members, and taking into account the various options for holding a meeting, we are planning to hold the 4th meeting of the CartoPhilatelic Society during the APS Stamp Show 2010 in Richmond VA, August 12 - 15, 2010. An official notice of this meeting was first placed in the October 2009 issue #27 of the NCP. Be sure to check the APS web site for information about special pricing on hotel accommodations for attendees of the show.

The show is soon approaching and we hope that many of our members will have an opportunity to join us for this meeting. Currently, only a couple of members have said they will be able to attend, so if there is any chance, please consider it. David has said this will be a great show with at least 150 dealers and over 900 exhibit frames. More information will be available on the web site. Contact Society President David Wolfersberger if you are planning to attend.

Submissions Deadline for TNCP #30

Just a quick, but important reminder that our Editor, Martin Oakes, has chosen June 15, 2010 as the deadline for submissions to The New CartoPhilatelist.

The date for publication will be in early July 2010. Those of you interested in submitting an article should contact our Editor, Martin Oakes prior to submission. Martin has said that material and articles for Issue #30 are required and mentioned, "The hardest part about being an editor is having enough good articles of varying length to fill the pages. Please write about your favorite map stamps and tell us why they are important to you."

Imperf Pair of Egypt sc271 Reported on in APS Web Newsletter

Egypt sc271 Imperf Sheet circa 1953 auction catalog photo

Geo-Mexico Reports on Mexico's First Map Stamp

Mexico's First Map Stamp

Fellow collector Tony Burton writes us with some news of a post about Mexico's First Map Stamp on his blog Geo-Mexico. Tony is a geographer, writer and lecturer specializing in Mexico. "It was not until 1915, in the middle of the Mexican Revolution, that a map of the Republic appeared for the first time as the central design on a Mexican postage stamp. In addition to the states, the map shows the main railway lines and also the main shipping routes." Tony also points out an interesting observaton that "the island of Cuba has been brought much closer to the north-eastern tip of the Yucatán Peninsula than it really is."

[ Be sure to check out Tony's another post about The Earlist Landscapes on Mexican postage stamps. Thanks for the info Tony, and hope to see an article about Map stamps of Mexico in a future issue of the NCP. -- web admin. ]

CartoPhilatelic New Issues Blog

Due to other commitments during the Spring, the New Issues Blog has not been updated recently. There are a number of issues pending announcement. Postings will be made starting from the end of April 2010. If you know of any forth-coming new issues that will be of interest to fellow CartoPhilatelists, please send us a link.

The back-log includes a number of fascinating issues that the ever observant Mark Honig has submitted. Thanks also to the other members who have also submitted images. Keep the information coming!

Go to http://blog.cartophilately.org to access the New Issues information. Be sure to sign up for email or RSS notifications when new posts are published.

Members Only New CartoPhilatelist Archive Opened

After some delays, the members only New CartoPhilatelist Journal Archive has been opened. The archive contains links to all of the New CartoPhilatelist Journals which have been published. The PDF files are available behind a password protected web page. The access page (shown on the right) describes how the archive works and how the files can be downloaded. It is also possible to see the contents of each journal and a larger image of the cover, when accessing the archive page. Access information (login & password) for the archive are contained within the October 2009 NCP Journal #27 which will be dispatched to members in the coming weeks. This will be of interest to new members who would like to assemble the full set of of NCP backnumbers. Those members with computer access will now be able to download the NCP backnumbers and save them on their own computer. Members without computer access may still purchase NCP backnumbers for US$ 4 per issue plus postage by contacting our Secretary-Treasurer, Alf Jordan.