One of our past presidents, Jim Nisbet introduced the evening’s event, in which we had a very interesting and extremely dynamic and enjoyable talk, given by Katrin Raynor-Evans, with her lecture entitled: Exploring Astronomy and Space Through Philately – An Introduction.
- Katrin gave us a very well delivered and fascinating talk and we were treated to not just an introduction to the study of and collection of postage stamps (philately), but to a whole historical journey of astronomy and space seen through stamps.
- We were shown the first produced astronomy stamp and then the spread of astronomy themed stamps around the World and here in the UK, all with their associated histories and interesting facts.
- Katrin also gave us collecting tips on how to source and curate a collection, delving into detail with different astronomy and space themes with fascinating examples and history about why the stamps were produced.
The talk was delivered in a very professional manner and full of enthusiasm. The slides are beautifully illustrated with hundreds of images of stamps and Katrin gave us a great insight to old and new astronomy history through her stamps… and in her own words, we learnt that: “Stamp collecting is so much more than a hobby, it’s a lifestyle, a community.”
This was a terrific talk and very highly recommended!
…And, like me, keep your eyes open to look out for and find the very rare possibility to buy a piece of the ‘Apollo 15 scandal!’ (As Katrin said: “one may come up in a local charity shop or auction.”)
Katrin Raynor-Evans is a Fellow of the Royal Astronomical Society and Royal Geographical Society. She is a member of the European Astronomical Society and Astro Space Stamp Society. She writes articles and interviews for popular astronomy magazines including the BBC Sky at Night, Stanley Gibbons, and the American Philatelic Society. She is co-authoring her first book and recently asteroid 446500 Katrinraynor was named after her.
Will Joy