August 2018 - Sneak Peek

gota, Colombia. His talk, titled “SCADTA, The Pioneer Years,
1920-1922,” described the history of SCADTA (Sociedad Colombo
Alemana de Transportes Aéreos) airmail partnership
between Germany and Colombia from the first survey flight
on September 12, 1920.
Following a break for lunch, Murray Abramson reopened
the symposium with his talk titled “Development of U.S. Air
Mail to European, African and Asian Destinations,” which
delved into the origins of U.S. foreign airmail service with the
first documented evidence for a service between the U.S. and
Great Britain being in January 1922. The symposium closed
with David Crotty discussing World War II airmail routes
during his talk, “Air Cargo Transportation in the South Atlantic
and Across Africa during World War II.” This year’s
Spellman Postal History Symposium was a fitting commemoration
of the 100th anniversary of U.S. airmail for all those
in attendance and an event well worth attending in the future
for any postal historian.
and organization of materials are a true testament to the
extraordinary work of volunteers like Jeff and others. Many
of the philatelic libraries who actively participate with the
APRL in populating the online union catalog are managed
and staffed entirely by volunteers.
Pipex
The following weekend in May was the Pipex show in
Portland, Oregon. The show is one the most identifiable on
the west coast and a must for any collector in the great Northwest.
Longtime show chairman Tony Wawrukiewicz and the
Pipex committee always run a first-class event with more
than 35 dealer booths and more than 200 exhibit frames. The
show was highlighted by the display of the Inverted Jenny
(which also made an appearance at the Spellman Museum
the weekend prior). The renowned stamp brought collectors
and non-collectors to the show with equal parts interest and
fascination.
Spellman Museum Library
After the symposium I was treated to a visit of the library
at the Spellman Museum (www.spellmanmuseum.org/library.html)
by volunteer librarian Jeff Brigham. Jeff showed
me around the collection highlighted by its still very useful
and very comprehensive card catalog. Although the Spellman
library actively participates in and adds records to the David
Straight Memorial Philatelic Union Catalog online, the card
catalog is still a very valuable resource when locating material
in the library. The Spellman library collection and its access
On-the-Road Course: British Machins
On the day before the Pipex show I was asked to attend
the On-the-Road Course being offered by the APS Education
Department at the show hotel. The all-day seminar titled “Understanding
the British Machin Series: Collecting and Exhibiting”
was taught by award-winning exhibitor Steve McGill
and renowned collector Larry Rosenblum. The course was an
extraordinary and highly detailed class for both the beginner
and the experienced collector/exhibitor. Both Steve and
Larry provided a wealth of information regarding the history,
AUGUST 2018 / AMERICAN PHILATELIST 783