Monthly Archives: May 2022
Past CAPEX exhibitor returns 44 years later
An 1867 folded letter sheet features what Ontario exhibitor Hazel Elmslie describes as ‘a beautiful example’ of a blue Spanish cartwheel cancellation in a 15-page iteration of her exhibit on that subject. It earned 73 points at Savpex 2021, a virtual national-level exhibition held in South Africa.
In a story for record books of Canadian philately, exhibitor Hazel Elmslie will make history this June, when her Spanish postal history exhibit comes to Toronto as part of CAPEX 22. A long-time resident of London, Ont., Elmslie immigrated to Canada from the United Kingdom in 1956 and began collecting stamps four years later. A simple gift from her mother – some British stamps – eventually blossomed into a full-on collection, which later grew thanks to her grandmother and her Spanish aunt, who often sent her other material from that country. With her interests piqued and qualification earned just months before the show, she competed at CAPEX 78 with an exhibit entitled “Spain: Markings and Issues of Isabel II.” “I was in stamp collector heaven – so many wonderful exhibits and such a range of interests,” Elmslie said of attending CAPEX 78, which was Canada’s second international stamp show. “I spent some hours with a younger collector, whose interest was plate flaws in the Canadian ‘Pence’ issues. He spent a lot of time with a magnifying glass going over those exhibits. I realized I was not in the monetary league of many of these collectors but could still show my stuff and it would be appreciated. This is my greatest pleasure in exhibiting: making a good display of your stuff and others enjoying it.” Continue reading →