Let me start with a reminder that nominations for 2023 APS volunteer awards are due December 15. This includes the Luff Awards for distinguished contributions to Research, the hobby and the Society; the Kehr Award for enduring contributions to help guarantee the future of the hobby, the Charles Peterson Award for furthering philatelic knowledge through literature, and the Nicholas Carter Volunteer Recognition Awards which are offered at the national and local level as well as to an outstanding young adult and outstanding young philatelist.
Aerophilately 2022, held from November 4 to 6 at the American Philatelic Center in Bellefonte, Pennsylvania, celebrated the 100th year of the American Air Mail Society (AAMS). The show included 39 exhibits totaling 212 frames.
Cheryl Ganz qualified to compete in next year’s World Series of Philately Champion of Champions by winning the H.R. Harmer Grand Award for her exhibit, “Zeppelins and the United States.” The Schuyler J. Rumsey (multi-frame) Reserve Grand Award was received by A.D. Jones, another past president of the AAMS, for his exhibit, “Establishing the United States Transcontinental Air Mail Service, May 15, 1918-June 30, 1924.” Patrick A. Walters took home the Robert A. Siegel Auctions Single Frame Grand Award for “New Jersey Pioneer Airmail.” Attendees voted James Graue’s “Zeppelin South America Flights 1932-1937” the Cheryl Ganz Most Popular Award.
Olivia Gilmer (left) and Charles Epting join Michael and Kaylee Cortese for a social hour during Aerophilately 2022.
Foster Miller works on a project among the exhibits at Aerophilately 2022.
The 84th annual BALPEX and 50th at the Delta Baltimore Hunt Valley Inn was held September 2-4 and included the annual meeting of the Civil War Philatelic Society and regional meetings of the American Topical Association and German Philatelic Society Chapter 16.
Leonard Hartmann received the multi-frame grand award for his exhibit, “The Lithographed Stamps of the Confederate States of America.” The multi-frame reserve grand went to Louis Caprario, for “Pre-Prohibition United States Beer Stamps 1866-1919.” Richard Taschenberg received the single frame grand for “The 30¢ Nesbitt Envelopes of 1865 – Unrecognized Rarity.”
SEAPEX 2022 was held September 9-11 in Tukwila (suburban Seattle), Washington and featured a United Nations first day ceremony for six Great Spa towns of Europe stamps. George Struble received the grand award for “SCADTA Mail to and from Switzerland.” Jean Wang’s “Blood: A Modern Medicine” received the multi-frame reserve grand. Robert Benninghoff took home the single frame grand for “The Creation of the Border Between Two Irelands.” First-time exhibitor Kristen Shafer won the People’s Choice Award for “The Philatelic History of the Archipelago of Tui.”
Sponsored by the Milwaukee Philatelic Society, MILCOPEX was held September 16-18 at a new location in Brookfield, Wisconsin. Four of this year’s show seminars, as well as eight from previous years, are available for viewing on the milcopex.org website. In addition to 20 dealers, three societies and the USPS, the show included silent auctions on both Friday and Saturday.
Hal Vogel received the multi-frame grand for “American Heroic Age Polar Expeditions.” Jerry Miller’s “Imperial Germany’s Crown & Eagle Series” of 1889 received the multi-frame reserve grand. “Italian Lake Mail on Lago Maggiore” by Bill DiPaolo won the single frame grand and Robert Mather’s “The Donkey” won the show’s most popular award.
INDYPEX was held October 7-9 in Noblesville (suburban Indianapolis), Indiana and hosted the Indiana Postal History Society and the Anthony Wayne Stamp Society. Bill Maddocks took home both the multi-frame grand and reserve grand. “The Principality of Serbia – Creation of the Post and Development of the Postal Routes 1830-1882” received the multi-frame grand and “The Kingdom of Serbia 1882-1921 – The Postal System Under the Reign of Four Kings” received the multi-frame reserve grand. The single frame grand went to Richard Drews for “The US 10 Cent Issues of 1861-68 in International Mail.”
The 78th Annual Stamp Exhibition of Southern California, better known as SESCAL, was held October 28-30 at a new location in Glendale, and celebrated the 150th anniversary of the establishment of Yellowstone National Park with three special show pictorial cancels.
The event included meetings of the Armenian Philatelic Association, the International Society for Japanese Philately (ISJP), the Mexico-Elmhurst Philatelic Society International (MEPSI), and the Plate Number Coil Collectors Club (PNC3).
Matthew Kewriga took home the grand for “Danish West Indies Foreign Mail to UPU.” Art Bunce received the George Bennett Memorial (multi-frame) Reserve Grand for “Canada, The Quebec Tercentenary Issue of 1908.” “Persia, 1876, The First Portrait Issue of Nasser-edin Shah Qajar” earned the single frame grand for Behruz Nassre-Esfahani. The exhibition was virtual and all the exhibits may still be viewed on their website at sescal.org.
SESCAL also included a literature exhibition. T. Nocetini and E.F. Calcagno’s “Plating of the First Issue of the Grand Ducal Stamps of Tuscany” won the literature grand. “Jenkins Express – A New Listing,” by Patricia A. (Trish) Kauffman received the literature reserve grand.
Congratulations to the Gay & Lesbian History on Stamps (GLHS) organization for reaching age 40. An APS affiliate since 1991, GLHS was founded in New York City in 1982 by Paul Hennefeld, and Brian Lanter. Hennefeld also authored the “Gay & Lesbian History on Stamps Club Handbook: Achilles to Zeus” currently in its third edition. GLHS publishes a quarterly e-Journal. Current year’s journals are only available to members, but past issues since 1982 are available for viewing at www.glhsonline.org which also includes membership information.