OPUS 22
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Summary :
OPUS is AEP's flagship publication. This 2022 edition is devoted to Switzerland with 21 articles, summaries of which can be seen below.
1) Axel de Reuterskiöld & Paul Mirabaud, two eminent philtelists from Lausanne
Jean Voruz
The author has written a biography of Axel de Reuterskiöld and Paul Mirabaud, two great Lausanne-based stamp collectors who made a major contribution to Swiss philately. He shares various documents that provide us with evidence of the activities and publications of these two pioneers.
2) Héli Chatelain, le “Kamba dya Ngola” (L’ami de l’Angola)
Luis Frazão, RDP
The Swiss linguist and missionary Héli Chatelain spent a number of years fighting slavery in Angola. The author shares and analyses several letters and cards, which Héli Chatelain sent to Switzerland, mainly to his mother and his sister Alida.
3) Envois par exprès avec supplément pour longue distance de distribution
Pierre Jaquenoud, André Dubail, Claude-Henri Schaller & Hervé de Weck
In Switzerland, there was an additional charge for express delivery of mail outside the normal zone, approximately 500 m from the post office. The author shows us several letters sent by express delivery and explains the postage, which takes this rule into account. Starting from one of these letters, the author adds to his article the story of Le Largin, where the borders of Switzerland, France and Alsace meet. This small territory had, by its location, a very particular fate during the two world wars.
4) La conférence de la Paix en Orient, Lausanne, 1922-1923
Arnold Ottonin
The Italo-Turkish war, the two Balkan wars, and then the First World War led to the dismantling of the Ottoman Empire, which was provisionally concluded with the Treaty of Sèvres, which the Turks signed on August 10, 1920. They never ratified it. Turkey, under the leadership of Mustapha Kemal, emerged victorious from the Greco-Turkish War or War of Independence. After a period of ten years of constant warfare and repeated border changes, the Eastern Peace Conference in Lausanne, from November 1922 to July 1923, founded the new Republic of Turkey.
5) La Suisse, des origines à 1648
Guy Coutant
The author traces the history of Switzerland from its origins until the end of the Thirty Years’ War in 1648. All the important events during the birth and evolution of the Swiss Confederation are illustrated by means of postage stamps issued by Switzerland in the 20th century.
6) Les cachets nains, dits « Zwergstempel » et leurs dates d’utilisation
Roberto Lopez
The author presents an extremely specialised study on small postmarks (Zwergstempel) used in Switzerland. These are small double-ring postmarks with a bridge and date, but without mention of the year. He describes their characteristics, their distribution by postal district, their dates of use, their use on postage-due stamps, and shows some special uses of these postmarks. He created a website which includes a very developed database on these markings.
7) La Suisse, un pays de montagnes et de lacs
Fabien Barnier
The author presents a study of the “large format” Swiss postage stamps, issued between 1914 and 1931. For the relevant seven stamps, he explains the chronology of their use. He first elaborates on the use of these non-overprinted postage stamps, then on their use, after having been overprinted for the League of Nations and the International Labor Office.
8) Swiss return-to-sender labels used in Liechtenstein
Douglas N. Muir, RDP
The author studies the various labels used from 1887 to indicate that a letter could not be delivered to the addressee. There were several reasons: recipient unknown, no longer at this address or deceased, letter refused or unclaimed. He studies the use of these labels first in the Austrian period, then those used by the Swiss post, and finally those used by the postal services of Liechtenstein. Everything is illustrated with many, very beautiful examples.
9) Enquête sur les Helvetia Debout / An investigation into Standing Helvetia
Pascal Schneider
In his bilingual article, the author makes a very extensive study of the plating of Helvetia Debout stamps. His very advanced analysis of the printing of these famous Swiss stamps answers many questions, including the so-called “burrs” in the lower part of some stamps.
10) Helvetta...
Pierre Guinand
Here the author introduces a very thorough study on the HELVETTA plate defect. He raises several questions concerning, among other things, the differences in the rating of this defect in the catalogues and the reappearance of the defect after having been corrected. A very advanced study of the chronology of the printing plates answers many of these questions.
11) Les empreintes de machines à affranchir (EMA) privées de Suisse
Bernard Lachat
The author presents an overview of all the postage meters used from 1922 until the present day in Switzerland, with incredible precision and in superlative detail. Each type of machine is described in both historical and technical terms. The author also provides an example of each type, which makes it easier for us to grasp the complexity of this intricate subject.
12) Transatlantic mail between the USA and Switzerland 1829-1875
James Van der Linden, RDP
The author demonstrates an encyclopedic knowledge of postal conventions, regulations and tariffs around the world during the 19th century. He provides us with the equivalent of a course on postal history of transatlantic mail between the United States and Switzerland, focusing on the period from 1829 to 1875. His article is illustrated with a wide range of letters, some of which are extremely rare. One cannot help but feel awe for the author who has managed to untangle the complexities of the many postmarks and stamps applied to these letters.
13) Transatlantic mail to Switzerland according to the US-Bremen postal convention of 1847, using the North German ports of Bremen and Hamburg
Paul Wijnants
The author conducted extensive and complex research, with reference to books, newspapers and archives, before writing this article, which takes a closer and more detailed look at the history of postal relations between Switzerland and the United States from 1847 to 1875. During this period, the German ports of Bremen and Hamburg served as transit points between the two countries. The article is illustrated with copies of old documents and with a large number of letters, in which the author analyses the route that was used, as well as the different rates applied.
14) Transatlantic Mail between Switzerland and the U.S.A. VIA OSTENDE
Robert Lisabeth
The author analyses the postmarks and the frankings found on four nice letters, while highlighting the consequences of the postal treaties of 1867 and 1870 for postal traffic between Switzerland and the United States via Ostend.
15) 1859-1866. When the letters to or from Mantua and its environs had to go “Via Switzerland”
Lorenzo Carra
Once again, the author presents us with an article in keeping with the main theme of this OPUS. As usual, he focuses on the postal relations between a foreign country (Switzerland) and Italy, in this case the part of Italy where he was born and lives, Mantua and its environs. He uses significant documents to illustrate one of the many postal aspects of the Italian Risorgimento, which he has studied in detail. He continues to share his meticulous and fascinating research within this field.
16) Du duché de Modène à la Suisse, 1852-1860
Emilio Simonazzi
The Duchy of Modena issued its first stamps in 1852. The author studies their use in Switzerland between 1852 and 1860. During this period, less than a hundred letters were sent from the duchy to various Swiss localities. The author shows us about fifteen of these letters, and explains the postage rates in detail.
17) Tuscany 1851 / 1862, letter mail to and from Switzerland
Vittorio Morani
For reasons of space, the author, limiting himself to the indicated period, presents a summary, richly illustrated with beautiful letters, of the postal relations between Tuscany and Switzerland that can be found in his recent publication and in his awardwinning collection. A more detailed study will be published later on.
18) Correspondances transfrontalières à l’intérieur de la montagne jurassienne
Laurent Bonnefoy
Following the chronology from 1800, the author describes the evolution of postal relations between France and Switzerland in the border region of Jura. He supports this study using very beautiful letters, for which he explains the postage, punctuated by the agreements signed between France and the Swiss cantons, and later with Switzerland itself.
19) Enveloppe-lettre de Suisse, expédiée en mai 1918 vers un militaire belge, avec une réexpédition exceptionnelle
Charles Bruart
The author analyses a letter sent in 1918 from Bern to a Belgian soldier, and returned by registered mail by the Belgian military authorities to its sender.
20) Early mails from Switzerland to Japan
Takashi Yoshida
After a brief history of 19th century Japan, the author shares and describes various letters sent from Switzerland to Japan between 1860 and 1875. At this time, Japan was just emerging from a long period of complete isolation, which came to end in 1867, when the emperor personally took over power.
21) Casse-tête chinois / Chinese puzzle
Jean Voruz
The author analyses the postage on a consignment note for a parcel sent from Lucerne to China in 1905. The great complexity of systems used to send parcels overseas explains why this was such a difficult undertaking.
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