The Indianapolis times. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1922-1965, 1934-05-07
r c. o. ROBINSON
Times Hobby Editor

COMMEMORATIVE Stamps OF
~ the World by Prescott Hol-
den Thorp, a philatelic volume
recently published by the Scott
Stamp and Coin Company of New
York, will be a very welcome adj
dition to any stamp collectors Ii
brary. 1t is a capacious book ov-
erflowing with reference material,
invaluable to the collector and also
to the school teacher who uses
stamps as an attractive way to
teach history and geography.
Mr.. Thorp is eminently qualified
for the task of compiling such a
volume as this, since he is a noted
philatelic author and the manag-
ing editor of SCOTS Monthly
Journal for which he conducts the
department for current issue.
This, his latest book is the chron-
icle of world. stamps which con-
forms to the following definition
of commemorative as given in the
"Philatelic Dictionary" by Poole
and Wylie:
Commemorative issues are spe-
cial stamps issued to commemorate
some even of local, national, or
historic Importance. AS a rule
stamps of this class are in use for
only a limited period and fire.
quently they are in concurrent use
with ordinary series"
The book contains more than
1900 illustrations as each variety
is pictured, except of course, the
United States issues. whose repro
duction is forbidden. and detailed
information about the stamps, in
Guiding explanation and inter
probation of the designs, is inter-
sperSed with sprightly comment.
TN the foreword, MI. Thorp
i states that since 1924, when
James H. Lyon compiled a SIM
liar volume under the same title,
no complete and exhaustive trea-
tise on commemorative stamps
has been published. Yet from
1914 until 1884 five times as many
commemorative have been issued
as in all the years before.
In 1920. Kent B. Stiles, assist
ant editor of SCOTS journal,
began to assemble data about the
commemorative designs and since
1926 his commemorative outline
has appeared internationally in the
journal. This left the years be-
tween 1914 and 1920 with practi-
cally no recorded information
about commemorative designs, be-
cause during that time the phila-
telic publications gave attention
only to scientific details.
Commemorative Stamps of the
World" presents this information
relative to 1914-20 designs, as
we'll as the record of all other
commemorative since the first
issue-the Philadelphia Centennial
envelopes of 1876, or the first true
adhesive, issued by Great Britain
in honor Of Queen Victoria's jul
bilee in 1887.
The extreme popularity of the
Mothers day stamp is typical Of
the interest which commemora-
tiveS often arouse IN the general
public. The arreSting central
design catches the eye of even the
most casual observer and often
lures him into stamp collecting.
Naturally, the collector then
wants to know the significance of
the design and why the stamp
was issued. Mr.. Thorp,s book sup
plies this information in con-
densed form by giving the salient
facts.
For example, I had been curious
about an Austrian issue of last
year which is the only stamp pic
turing bars Of music, thus max
ing 1t truly a stamp of mote"
The explanation reads, in part:
The design shows a stage
coach about to start on its Jour