Shift of focus

I was diagnosed with glioblastoma brain cancer in 2022. I have had to curtail come of my collecting activities. I am trying to catch up with that I already have and get things sorted and out away. You may notice differences as I hurry to post to this blog items that I have already. 

Souvenir sheets and miniature sheets

Several items included in this blog are not common stamps taken from larger panes (sheets of 20 or more stamps for example). Often times stamps related to organs are issued in smaller groupings. These go go by a couple of different names (or more), and are imprecisely delineated even by professional collectors and tradespersons. I tend to use the terms "souvenir sheet" and "miniature sheet" or "mini-sheet" rather interchangeably. As this is cropping up more in recent months, I decided to investigate a bit. I was gladdened to learn I am not alone in my uncertainty about the differences, and my tendency to be indiscriminate in my use of the terms. This article attempts to clarify. In the US most stamps are issued in panes of 20, though commemoratives that are featuring multiple visual examples on a specific theme may use fewer stamps in a pane (10, 12, 15, 16, etc). Recent examples might include 12 different works by an artist, or 15 different examples of energy conservation. These might include a top banner that identifies the stamps or the set. Those are all still "panes" in my estimation. The 2018 Art of Magic pane of 3 lenticular stamps is a recent example of a souvenir sheet: small number of stamps in the grouping, decorative selvage. Also the 2016 Classics forever sheet of six Washington-Franklin stamps would be a souvenir sheet of 6, and it includes a somewhat decorative selvage.

Searching the stamps and images

I have been labeling each post with the country that issues each stamp. In some cases I have employed other labels of interest: Bach, Franck, etc. I realized recently that there is another handy label set I can use: the identifiers used by the ATA for the pipe organ stamp topic. The philatelic list produced by the ATA uses a single-digit number to describe what is depicted on the particular stamp:

1. Portatifs (14th and 15th centuries): short keyboards containing 20 to 28 pipes; carried by a shoulder strap and played by depressing keys or levers with one hand while operating bellows with the other.

2. Positifs (14th to 16th centuries): small ones were set on stands; larger ones rested on the floor; performer played with two hands while a helper operated the bellows.

3. Organ cases of identified organs (either on the stamp, or identifiable using other sources)

4. Organ cases of unidentified organs (one simply cannot determine where the instrument is or who built it)

5. Rows of pipes not in organ cases (I include here abstract artistic renderings of organ elements)

6. Organ consoles: often showing a well-known organist at the console

7. Features of organ cases (details of pipes or facade elements)

8. Street organs

So in the future I will use this numbering system as an additional label. It will take some time to go back and catch up earlier posts, but I'll get those done also, eventually.

By clicking on any of the labels in the right column you can get a list of stamps related to that particular label. In the case of country names, you get all the posts for stamps issued by that country.

Pipe Organ Stamps

"Pipe organ" is a recognized topic of the American Topical Association, a resource for stamp collectors. The organization provides for collectors who accumulate stamps according to the image portrayed, not necessarily by country of origin. New topics are continually be added to the list developed by ATA. One of the primary ways this occurs is by an interested collector developing a list of the stamps he or she believes should be included.

The pipe organ check list produced by the American Topical Association was developed in 1995 by Walter Felton. When I got back into collecting, I joined ATA, got a copy of the list and went to work. I was collecting US and other countries in addition to my topics (organs, ballet, musical instruments, fire and rescue apparatus {for my kids}). I eventually met (via letter and email) another collector, Judy Stewart, who shared my interest and together we set about updating the check list and adding to it. We completed that in February 2004. Our revision is the one still in use by the ATA. Since we completed the list, there have been several additions; at some point I suppose we'll try to update again, but my ATA membership has lapsed.

Finding stamps on the pipe organ topic is not easy. It's a fairly small niche and stamp dealers are not always overtly interested in the narrow needs of topical collectors. One has to scour a lots of bins to find what one is after. On the other hand I work with a new issue dealer in Maryland who keeps new issues from around the world. They keep me apprised of new issues in the "music" area in general and organs (and my other topics) also. I have found a couple of European dealers who can help with stamp-related material: first-day covers, and stamps on piece (still on the original envelop). Also a little word of mouth goes along way: I heard of the newest organ set from Great Britain via an organist colleague there who was researching an article for an organ journal. With Mark Jameson's help I scored a copy of the journal his article appeared in and a set of the stamps!

Pipe organs on stamps was the topic of an article in the ATA Journal in 1965, written by A.G.K. Leonard. I had an article published there in the Sept-Oct 2004 issue. I also had a short article published in The Baton, the journal of the Philatelic Music Circle in the Summer 2004 issue. More recently Mark Jameson has published the first of what will likely be a series of articles in the Journal of the Organ Club in Great Britain. An article on British cathedral organs appeared in late 2009, and an article for early 2010 will deal with the multi-year, multi-set series of stamps from Luxembourg.

The list of organ stamps developed in 1995 ran to about 100 items. Additions made by me and Judy Stewart make the total about 120 and I personally have added another few stamps (still need to collaborate with Judy to make these official) that brings the total a little higher.

My Collection

I started collecting stamps as a kid. I held onto my first stamp album for the longest time, but finally let it go when we moved in 2006. I was a pretty indiscriminate collector, and remain so to a degree.

When I got back into collecting in 2001, I tried to focus more on a few areas of interest: organs, music in general, trains and ballet (my wife worked at Richmond Ballet in VA for some years). As the children have gotten older and have developed a keen interest in fire fighting, rescue and police, we have together dabbled in collecting stamps related to that topic.

Topical collecting gets a bum rap sometimes from purists who think one should collect stamps by country or region. I understand and appreciate that opinion, I just don't follow it too closely. I do have a pretty substantial US collection, but nothing near completeness, and with none of the costlier rare varieties that distinguish a really fine collection. I also have stamps from many, many foreign countries, but nothing near completeness there either.

I house the collections on Vario stock pages in el-cheapo binders from the office store. I get stamps from anywhere I can, including my wife's office and my own, and a new issue dealer, County Stamp Center, in Maryland. You can also check out what dealer Alex Birman has on his mind about stamps here. The phrase "Scott #" refers to the cataloguing and stamp numbering system created by Scott Publishing Company and used in their print catalogues. I use a set from 2002. I keep my collections catalogued using Microsoft Excel spreadsheets.

If you have a question, leave it as a comment and I'll answer it likewise.