OPUS 16
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Summary :
OPUS is AEP's flagship publication. This 2016 edition is devoted to the Transatlantic Relations Europe-America with 22 articles., summaries of which can be seen below.
1) Early news from the New World
Lorenzo Carra
The author has deserved the first pages of this OPUS with some really exceptional and extraordinary letters for their date, for the writers, for the history of America and of the World. And he invites us to see and peruse them in the State Archive of his hometown: Mantua, Italian capital of Culture for 2016.
2) My Atlantic crossings through the written word
Alberto Bolaffi
The author gives us a real history class on transatlantic communications. Drawing from his own “Archivio della filografia e della comunicazione”, he presents us splendid documents, witnesses of the will of men to communicate beyond the ocean. He divided his presentation into three parts: the transatlantic communications by sea, by air, and by the most extraordinary ways.
3) Guerre d'indépendance américaine : la guerre des convois
Jacques Renollaud
The author examines a letter sent by an officer in the French navy, while he was a prisoner in England, to his father in Brittany. This letter bears witness to the “Convoy War” between England and France, which took place after the latter sided with the rebels in the American War of Independence.
4) From Rio de Janeiro to Venice via Lisbon, 1775-1782
Adriano Cattani
The author presents his study of mail sent by the Venetian merchant Nicolò Corner, who traded with South America through businessmen in Lisbon. He shows us three fine letters from this correspondence, which date back to the period between 1775 - 1782.
5) The crossing of the Atlantic: single, double and triple crossing of a letter in the 19th century
Luís Frazão
The author shows us a few letters that met with various problems when they crossed the Atlantic. The first example survived a shipwreck, while the second crossed the Atlantic twice, the third made the crossing three times and the fourth arrived in Brazil, despite being addressed to Senegal.
6) Belgian colonisation in Santo Tomás de Guatemala 1841-1858
Patrick Maselis, James Mazepa & Vincent Schouberechts
The author shows us some splendid and very rare examples linked to the postal history surrounding Belgium’s unsuccessful attempt to colonise Santo Tomás, Guatemala in the mid-19th century. Each letter forms the subject of a highly detailed study of the associated postal rates and routes.
7) Mail between Cuba and Great Britain under the United States - UK Convention of 1848
Yamil H. Khouri, Jr.
The author provides us with a detailed study of the consequences of the 1848 Postal Convention between the USA and Great Britain for postal rates and for the routes used for mail between Cuba and Great Britain. This analysis is enhanced by thirteen rare and beautiful letters.
8) Routes and rates of letters from France to the United States before the UPU
Chris Hitchen
The author studies, in an extremely detailed way, the routes used for mail between France and the USA, until the UPU was created. He also looks at the rates charged during this period, which were based on many different conventions between the two countries. Twenty-three selected letters are described and analysed, which form the backbone of this unrivalled study in terms of detail.
9) Maritime mail of Spanish colonies in America
Jesús Sitjà-Prats
The author provides us with a detailed analysis of the postal history of the Spanish colonies in America - from its origins to the end of the colonial period. In chronological order, he describes the routes, rates and postmarks used for mail, and the entire study is illustrated by a wide variety of fine letters.
10) The "Vito Viti correspondence" that crossed the Atlantic
Emilio Simonazzi & Angelo Piermattei
The author describes a set of letters that represent a real treasure trove when it comes to the postal history of Modena and Tuscany. This correspondence was exchanged between 1853 - 1876 by members of the Viti family, who were marble traders, between Italy and the USA. These letters were almost destroyed and include splendid stamps from Modena and Tuscany.
11) USA -Naval base in Spezia Bay - 1860
Paolo Vaccari
The author provides us with an extremely scarce, and maybe unique (?) letter, sent in 1860 from Philadelphia to an officer of the American naval base of Spezia, in Liguria.
12) Relations du Mexique vers l'Espagne par la voie des paquebots français de 1871 à 1876
Francis Carcenac
The author provides us with an extremely detailed analysis of mixed stamps found on letters sent from Mexico to Spain between 1871 - 1876. He uses four splendid examples to explain the chronological development of the stamps that were required, according to the applicable regulations.
13) Letters from the territory of the German Reichspost to the USA during the Eagle Shields period 1872-1875
Hansmichael Krug
The author provides us with a very detailed analysis of German mail, which was posted to the USA with German “Eagle Shield” type stamps between 1872 - 1875. He describes the different routes used for this mail and explains how it is possible to accurately chart the route that it followed, based on dates and the different postmarks. Many fine letters serve as examples and illustrate this careful study with great clarity.
14) Insufficently franked transatlantic covers from Germany to the USA 1872-1875
Hansmichael Krug
The author provides us with a real academic study, by analysing in great detail examples of insufficient postage on mail sent between Germany and the USA between 1872 - 1875. The different types of postmark are described and accompanied by splendid examples.
15) D'un continent à l'autre
Arnaud de La Mettrie
The author tells us, with verve and humour, about the great transatlantic voyages of the 19th century. In addition, he presents and analyses three fine postal items that bear witness to a bygone era, in which luxury and misery co-existed on the same ship.
16) Le Maroc et l'Amérique 1886-1906
Maurice Hadida
The author takes us through a detailed analysis of transatlantic mail sent between Morocco and America from 1886-1906, with fine examples that show how the Spanish, English and French post offices were involved. He concludes his article with two letters, which demonstrate the importance of the local postal service in Fez-Mequinez.
17) Polish-American Postal Relations 1918-1921
Julian Auleytner
The author looks back at the postal history of his country, Poland, during the period following the First World War. He studies postal links between the USA and Poland between 1918 - 1921, and shows us many examples of this type of mail. All these pieces are rare and some of them are unique. The author provides us with a detailed study of each piece, by analysing the stamps, cancellations, postmarks and dates.
18) Across the Atlantic Ocean by air: the 1919 "Challenge"
Jean-Claude Vasseur
The author analyses in great detail, from the historical and philatelic point of view, the first attempts at crossing the Atlantic ocean by aeroplane from America to Europe, which took place in 1919. Each attempt is described, hour by hour, and richly illustrated with splendid examples of the letters carried on these flights.
19) The Third shall be the First: Byrd's 1927 Transatlantic Flight
Hal Vogel
The author describes, down to the smallest detail, the preparation and flight of the America, which was piloted by Byrd and his crew at the end of June 1927. This flight marked the beginning of air mail between the USA and Europe. The author shows us a wide range of documents and letters concerning this flight, which was historic in terms of both aviation and philately.
20) Courrier belge transporté par le Graf Zeppelin vers l'Amérique du Sud
Robert Lisabeth
The author shows us several fine pieces sent by Zeppelin from Belgium to South America. He explains the postage rate used and concludes his article with two letters boasting a mixture Belgian and Luxembourg stamps.
21) Belgian transatlantic Airmails in the thirties
Mark Bottu
The author describes the different methods of transport used for mail between Belgium and America during the inter-war period, while emphasising the increased speed, with which mail was transported. He illustrates his entire article with fine examples of letters sent from Belgium to America in the 1930s, according to the method of transport and when they were posted.
22) Parcours extraordinaire et incroyable, suite à la guerre 1940--1945, d'une petite boite de diamants envoyée de Belgique
Jacques Stes
The author describes the journey of a box of diamonds, which was sent from Antwerp to New York in 1940, but only arrived, after the Second World War, in the autumn of 1945. It still contained the uncut diamonds, which were worth $20,000! Well done to the Belgian Post Office!
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