The Museum of Philately is seeking advanced collections for display on its digital platform that’s freely available through web browsers and smartphone apps.
The virtual museum brings to life “important philatelic collections, their collectors and world rarities,” according to curators with the Swiss-based David Feldman auction firm that developed the concept. It’s billed as “an exciting opportunity for collectors to display their exhibits for the philatelic community to enjoy, including present and future generations of philatelists.”
“As a collector, I noticed that many wonderful collections are never displayed, and even some exhibitors only rarely show their material,” said Marcus Orsi, the chief philatelist at David Feldman and lead co-ordinator with the Museum of Philately. “The museum really opens the doors to these collectors, allowing a wider philatelic audience to enjoy the collections and increase the awareness of the hobby.”
As they continue to develop the concept over the next few months, museum organizers will once again present their digital display at Virtual Stampex, the second online-only show hosted by the U.K.-based Philatelic Traders’ Society (PTS) since the COVID-19 pandemic began.
“Look out for our clinics, classes, exhibiting support, how to start collecting guides and more,” added Orsi.
The March 25-27 show – including not only the Museum of Philately but a bourse, exhibition, seminars and social events – is free for anyone to attend.
The PTS held its first Virtual Stampex last October. Ottawa dealer Chris Green, the only Canadian dealer to take a booth at the inaugural virtual show, called it “the future of philately” (“Virtual Stampex the future of philately,” CSN Vol. 45 #15).
“I found it to be a great platform to connect with collectors and was incredibly pleased with the traffic it generated to my website and social media,” Green told CSN in late October.
This March, in addition to Green, both CSN and CAPEX 22 – the world’s first World One-Frame Stamp Championship – will also add to the Canadian presence on the Virtual Stampex bourse.
Ottawa’s Chris Green was the sole Canadian dealer to take a booth at the first Virtual Stampex held this October. Organizers recently announced the next Stampex show, slated for March, will also be held online.
THE MUSEUM
For collectors, the Museum of Philately offers “a unique way to showcase a collection in its entirety and to update pages instantly so the entire assembly is presented as the collector conceived it at any time.”
The museum’s curators review and select key collections before highlighting them online – and only “important collections” are ultimately displayed.
“These standout exhibits might have won at least a FIP (Fédération Internationale de Philatélie) gold medal or, in case of not having ever been exhibited, include unique material, or recognized rarities,” according to the curators.
Like Virtual Stampex, anyone can visit the digital Museum of Philately for free.
“It is a wonderful space to see these amazing collections and learn about top-flight philatelists and their exhibits,” added the curators. “Each collection has a description, collector’s biography, and high-resolution images presented in exhibition format on individual pages, which are all written up, and can be ‘enlarged’ and ‘zoomed’ into for more detailed analysis.”
SUBMITTING A COLLECTION
Submitting a collection for consideration and inclusion with the museum is free; however, applicants must confirm at least one of the following questions:
- Have you ever exhibited?
- Do you have outstanding rarities within your collection?
- Has your collection been awarded at least an FIP gold medal?
To submit a collection for consideration, visit museumofphilately.com and upload images of sample pages with information about the collection.
To view the collections currently displayed, visit museumofphilately.com/collections.
No Canadian collections are currently displayed.