I have three collections, two of them written up and in albums, the other still ongoing at stockbook stage. I have a historical interest in the World War Two period, and a philatelic interest in the choice, design and propaganda value of any (or all) stamps issued in this period, ranging (for example) from very obvious propaganda, from such as the USSR, to the entirely non-existent (the UK).
Further to this I collect any stamp or set commemorating the events and personalities of WW2, and am interested in why, how and when these are chosen and designed, as well as who or what they depict. This part of my collection is confined mainly to European countries but is branching out to include others.
I also have a basic Third Reich collection which lacks the usual suspects such as the St Elisabeth and Zeppelin overprints and the Ostropa sheet. Again, my interest is sociological and historical rather than purely philatelic - I'm afraid plate flaws, perforation varieties and watermark errors do not concern me as much as what the stamps depict and what that tells us about German society at that time.
Well, that's quite enough to be getting on with, so I'll start exploring!
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re: Guthrum again
Welcome aboard!
We share very similar interests although I'm afraid mine is still a work of art, not quite as organised as yours is. Simply divided into German and USSR.
Kelly
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re: Guthrum again
Welcome, guthrum. Here you find many very knowledgeable philatelists with the same passions as yourself. You'll also find an even larger number of collectors who, while not necessarily sharing your collecting interests, are nonetheless avid followers of your area of study.
BTW, where did you come up with "guthrum"? Has to be a story there!
Bobby
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"The only thing necessary for the triumph of evil is for good men to do nothing. -Edmund Burke"
Welcome, Guthrum! Guthrum — sounds like a good name for a Viking invader!
Your collecting interests and mine are amazingly similar. The Second World War is my primary interest. My first philatelic exhibit — In a Time of Need: Wartime & Postwar Austerity in Great Britain — 1939-1949 — dealt with the impact of the war on Britain's economy. That interest segued into a collection of stamps, covers and collateral items about the Battle of the Atlantic. I also have a collection related to RAF and RCAF Bomber Command, which includes German stamps, postcards and ephemera about German defences. Most recently, I have been working on a collection of Channel Islands occupation stamps and covers. Like you, my primary interests are historical and sociological rather than philatelic.
My own combat experiences in Vietnam are, I suppose, the main reason for my interest in war generally, and I have an extensive collection of material related to the Vietnam War and Vietnamese military history. However, the Second World War played a big part in my family's history. One of my uncles was a radio repairman for three years in the South Pacific, my father worked for Ingersol-Rand, which made air compressors used in many military applications, and my father-in-law quit his job as an administrator at a small college in Nebraska to go to work building Douglas bombers and C-47s in California.
You might find the "Evoking War" section of my web site interesting; three of the four pages in that second deal with aspects of the Second World War, and I'm currently working on a web page about the occupation of the Channel Islands.
Hope you enjoy our company. I'll look forward to your contributions.
I was surprised and delighted to have such an immediate response to my intro message! I've added what I hope is a suitable image - to remind me of a hot August day in 2013 when we took the S-bahn from Berlin Mitte down to Wannsee. We weren't actually there for Max Liebermann's house, but rather for the other villa only a short walk away - the Haus der Wannsee Konferenz. Wannsee is as picturesque as Liebermann's painting suggests, but there was naturally a chill - spiritual, perhaps, rather than physical - as we took in what occurred there in January 1942.
I shall certainly make an effort to interact more with what sound like some interesting people and collections - once I get the hang of this forum!
PS: 'Guthrum'... Wearing one of my other hats, a 1980s society of Anglo-Saxonists which I set up, entitled Guthrum's Army. Journals, conferences, you know the sort of thing... Nearly wrote a book about the Alfredian wars... someone else got there first.
Hi Guthrum,
Welcome to Stamporama.
Fascinating interests. I have been busy with the early Middle Ages as well, Franks and Frisians in relation to the Vikings in my case. Inspired by the discovery of two viking hoards in my home town almost 20 years ago...
I have been to Berlin as well, strange place that still has so many visible reminders of the events of 70-odd years ago. I found the Jewish Museum impressing (and at times haunting) but there are other sites as well: The "Topography of Terror" at the historical site of the Gestapo/SS headquarters in Wilhelmstrasse or the Holocaust monument... One could easily forget that Berlin is also a very nice place to visit.