The following article appears in WE Expressions, the journal of Women Exhibitors, Q2 2022, Volume 16, Issue 2.

Thinking Theme

A Regular Column that Explores Thematic Exhibiting

By Michele M. Bresso, PhD

Talking with Thematic Exhibitor Wendy Buckle

After 30 years of collecting and exhibiting thematically, Wendy Buckle holds experience and knowledge in thematic exhibiting that can teach us all a thing or two about the endeavor. In this column, we’ll learn her three exhibiting rules plus three tips for how to approach thematic exhibiting.

An active member of the British Thematic Association, Wendy used her engagement in her local club to springboard her exhibiting to the international level. Along the way, she’s garnered several awards for her exhibiting prowess including a Large Vermeil.

Thematic exhibitor Wendy Buckle

Exhibiting started simply enough for Wendy as a way to share her various topical collections: written communication, cave paintings, computers, typography, history of writing, writing materials, libraries, and history of printing and book production.

“I loved putting these together, writing them up and giving talks about them,“ Wendy admitted. “Then I thought, why don’t I approach these topics more seriously?”

She exhibited Paper Past and Present at Verona in 2019 (see the exhibit here: http://expo.fsfi.it/ectp2019/exhibits/39BuckleRjlqNFhl.pdf), which has since been revised. The exhibit emerged from her collection as a way to tell the story of a material many of us take for granted. The exhibit starts with early writing tools in use before paper existed. Next, she introduces paper—handmade, machine made and beyond. Her painstaking and successful work in thematic exhibiting has generated a set of rules any of us can follow to achieve success in our own efforts.

Rule #1 – Know your subject

“If you’re going to exhibit seriously, you must master your subject thematically,” explained Wendy.

She acknowledged that she’d never made paper herself, although having retired after a career in university libraries, she held a great appreciation for the stuff. Knowing the subject thoroughly requires a great deal of effort.

“You must read and read and read,” she said.

Rule #2 – Find pieces that inspire you

Sometimes the discovery of unusual thematic pieces will forge directions in your exhibit you hadn’t considered. Wendy had purchased a block of four Great Britain definitive stamps of 1953. That block stirred her to think about her exhibit’s story in a whole new direction.

Front and back of a block of Great Britain definitive stamps of 1953. The stamps are printed at a place on the roll of paper where a seam at the end of the paper roll overlapped the edge of the new roll. This condition offered a strong illustration of part of the papermaking process.

“On the back of the block, you could see that the paper on which the stamps were printed was overlapped and glued together. I thought, ‘That’s interesting, but what can I do with that block?’ I realized a roll of paper had a finite length. My exhibit could explain how a roll of paper is made by illustrating with that block. Or I could talk about why paper tears because of the direction of its fibers. It has an inherent weakness.”

Rule #3 – Keep going.

Exhibiting is a process, not a task, Wendy explained. Once she saw it as an ongoing activity, she realized she had freedom to let her exhibit grow organically. The process doesn’t end when the stamp show does. Feedback from judges is the starting point for the next phase of that process.

“You may get a bad mark, but judges will be encouraging, and their comments will help you,” she said. “Nobody ever gets the mark they wanted, but you learn so much from the experience.”

Whether you’re a newcomer to thematic exhibiting or a veteran exhibitor, Wendy’s tips for the activity offer insight for us all. First, she said, get to know experienced exhibitors and find a mentor. Connect with people who will give you honest feedback when you’re putting your exhibit together. Of course, you’ll get feedback from what Wendy calls “charming friends” who will tell you how wonderful everything is. They want to support you, and that’s great. Be sure to get additional feedback from knowledgeable exhibitors who won’t pull any punches. After you hear honest feedback and criticism, Wendy said, “you can put that fear aside and start enjoying exhibiting more.”

Wendy’s second piece of advice is about adopting an exhibitor mindset. 

“Don’t be cast down if you don’t do well the first time you exhibit. It’s very, very rare for anyone to do well the first time. The work you put into putting it together is a learning experience. The judges are there to help you get better.”

The third tip is to take advantage of the exhibit event to gain as much knowledge as possible. Learning opportunities are around every corner.

“Be sure to go to the critique session at the end of the exhibition. If you’re not sure about something, ask the judges. They’ll be happy to explain it. Spend time looking at other exhibits, too. See which exhibits got good marks and which ones didn’t.”

Wendy’s final tip is about building knowledge in your theme. Go beyond books, she said. Visit historic sites and museums that feature displays on your theme or topic. Wendy has even joined the British Association of Paper Historians.

“Look for organizations that have nothing to do with philately,” Wendy suggested, “and see what you can learn from them.”

Wendy’s most important exhibiting rule is pretty simple.

Just do it.

In our next column, we’ll take a look at material from last quarter’s Thinking Theme Challenge and discuss what it means to build a theme around key pieces. In the meantime, send questions or comments to:

ThinkingTheme4WE@gmail.com .