A Letter from Hitler (1931)
[This is a fascinating article written by William C. White, an American who was trying to obtain an interview with Adolf Hitler prior to his rise to power in 1933. It makes for interesting reading, given what we now know ...
Sunday, May 3rd, 2009
A Visit to the New Zealand Government Printing Bureau (1913)
[I discovered this interesting article by H. Smyth, Editor of the Australian Stamp Journal and originally published in the English philatelic journal, The Postage Stamp, 4 April, 1914.] During my stay in Wellington in November I was accorded the privilege of ...
Monday, April 28th, 2008
Australia’s First Seaplane Carrier, H.M.A.S. “Albatross”
This cover is unusual in that it appears to be printed to celebrate the christening and launching of the HMAS Albatross on 23 February 1928, but the cover was not posted until 10 years later from SYDNEY/ 4 15 A ...
Monday, January 19th, 2009
Chinese Empire and Japan Map (Gall and Inglis 1871)
If you enjoyed this article, you might also like...Austrian Empire Map (Gall and Inglis 1871)Switzerland Map (Gall and Inglis 1871)Spain and Portugal Map (Gall and Inglis 1871)
Saturday, November 7th, 2009
Darwin the Destroyer (1926)
[In order to celebrate the bicentenary of Charles Darwin, a number of countries are issuing commemorative stamps, including those issued by the United Kingdom. Whilst the Philatelic Database will not be issuing its own stamps we have ransacked our archives ...
Friday, March 6th, 2009
German East Africa (1913)
[The following is an excerpt from Nelson’s Encyclopaedia, 1913.] German East Africa, bounded on the east by the Indian Ocean, stretches from 1º to nearly 12º south, and from 29º 30' to 40º 15' east. Its sea coast is 620 m. ...
Thursday, July 24th, 2008
German Togo (Togo-land) (1886-1922) An Historical Survey
The Anglo-German boundary of 1890, had done much to separate many of the tribes of West Africa. The Mamprussi and Dagomba in the east, and Wa and the Gonjas in the west and southwest, were among principal areas that had been ...
Wednesday, April 9th, 2008
Kaiser Wilhelm II to the German People 1914 (Video)
Kaiser Wilhelm II talks to the German people, at outbreak of World War I If you enjoyed this article, you might also like...Nicholas II Declares War on Germany 1914 (Video)Stamps and Postal Service of German New Guinea (1910)German Annexation of ...
Monday, August 17th, 2009
King Edward VII Mourning Cover & A.R. Fowler (1847-1911)
This somewhat ordinary mourning cover reveals a story of considerable importance to the entire British Empire, particularly the State of Tasmania. The 1d Mount Wellington pictorial (with a 'T' perfin) is postmarked with a roller Hobart cancel dated 18.5.10 7-0 ...
Thursday, January 14th, 2010
King George V 1911 visit to India (Video)
King George V in India. If you enjoyed this article, you might also like...Palestine, Egypt and India 1920s (Video)King Edward VII Mourning Cover & A.R. Fowler (1847-1911)King George & Queen Elizabeth, Canadian Tour 1939/5/22
Saturday, August 1st, 2009
King Oscar II of Sweden and Norway, and His Family (1899)
[Here is a behind-the-scenes look at the royal family of Sweden in 1899, originally published in The Ludgate Magazine (1899). All Scandinavian collectors will be familiar with King Oscar portrait on the stamp of Sweden and this article should be ...
Sunday, June 22nd, 2008
Mussolini and the Vatican: Is Peace at Hand between Church and State in Italy? (1928)
[This article by Hiram Motherwell, was originally published in the American publication, Harper’s Monthly Magazine in July, 1928. It provides fascinating source material for both scholars and postal historians alike at a tumultuous period in Italian history…] If you enjoyed this ...
Thursday, February 12th, 2009
New Zealand: The Wellington Post Office (1973)
This article, originally published in the "New Zealand Stamp Collector" (June 1973), gives an interesting history of the former Wellington Post Office, as it was about to be pulled down. If you enjoyed this article, you might also like...New Zealand PostAustralia: ...
Tuesday, December 1st, 2009
Nicholas II Declares War on Germany 1914 (Video)
Nicholas II speaks from the balcony of the Winter Palace to a huge crowd in Palace Square. If you enjoyed this article, you might also like...Tsar Nicholas II Coronation 1896 (Video)Tsar Nicholas II and the Romanov family (Video)Kaiser Wilhelm II to ...
Friday, August 21st, 2009
Norwegian Shipping (1937)
Here is a fascinating article concerning Norwegian Shipping between the two world wars. Originally published in Shipping Wonders of the World in 1937, it will be of much interest to shipping enthusiasts and Scandinavian postal historians. If you enjoyed this article, ...
Wednesday, November 19th, 2008
Palestine, Egypt and India 1920s (Video)
Home movie tour of Palestine, Egypt and India in the 1920's. Footage from this subject is available for licensing from www.globalimageworks.com If you enjoyed this article, you might also like...Peking – The Imperial City 1930 (Video)King George V 1911 visit ...
Parcel Post Agreement Between the U.S. and the Gold Coast Colony
This article was originally published by the United States Government Printing Office in 1929. It contains no images but we have published it believing it to be of great interest to postal historians of West Africa, who may be interested ...
Monday, December 14th, 2009
Paris Opera, Palais Garnier (circa 1893)
If you enjoyed this article, you might also like...Automatic Postal Devices in Paris (1910)
Wednesday, July 16th, 2008
Peking – The Imperial City 1930 (Video)
A tour of the Chinese city of Peking (Beijing) in the 1930s. Footage from this film is available for licensing from www.globalimageworks.com If you enjoyed this article, you might also like...Palestine, Egypt and India 1920s (Video)Peking Map (1875)Colonialism in 10 ...
Sunday, August 9th, 2009
Philippine Islands (1913)
The following is an excerpt from Nelson’s Encyclopaedia (undated but thought to be circa 1913). A group, over 3,000 in number (only 350 of which are inhabited), in the E. Indian Archipelago, extending from 4°40' to 21°10' N. lat. and 116°40' ...
Sunday, October 12th, 2008
Portugal and Colonies: A Brief History (1861-1910)
“Historia” Here is a very brief history of Portugal and Colonies from 1861 until 1910, useful to stamp collectors and postal historians alike. If you enjoyed this article, you might also like...Portugal: King Manoel the Unfortunate (1910)Stamps of Portugal: The “King of ...
Thursday, June 12th, 2008
Post-Offices on Wheels (1929)
This article, by Cecil J. Allen, M. Inst. T., was originally published in Collins’ Railway Annual in 1929. It is most informative and should be of great interest to Travelling Post Offices and railway enthusiasts. The photographs are splendid, as ...
Thursday, January 15th, 2009
Prague: the “Golden City” of Bohemia (1924)
This article, with its superb illustrations, was originally published in a six volume set entitled Countries of the World, published by The Waverley Book Company Ltd of London (1924). PDb will endeavour to publish more of these articles. There is ...
Friday, October 24th, 2008
Railway Systems of the World (1957)
The following article was first published in the Oxford Junior Encyclopaedia (1957) and is a sound introduction to the various different railway system around the world at the time. If you enjoyed this article, you might also like...Trans-Siberia Express Railway Map ...
Thursday, January 15th, 2009
Ships on Postcards: S.S. COLUMBUS
If you enjoyed this article, you might also like...R.M.S. HomericPostcard: White Star Liner “Suevic”The S.S. Normandie Arrives (1935)
Tuesday, June 24th, 2008
Somaliland (1913)
[Extracted from Nelson’s Encyclopaedia, 1913] A part of East Africa jutting into the Indian Ocean. From Cape Guardafui the coast extends westward for 600 m. to the Strait of Bab-el-I Mandeb, and south and south-west for about 1,000 m. to the ...
Wednesday, July 16th, 2008
Soviet Communications (1965)
[This chapter entitled "Soviet Communications" in The Children's Picture Atlas in Colour (published in 1965) contains much of interest for postal historians and especially airmail enthusiasts. The Air Routes charts and Railways maps should prove to be particularly useful.] Above: The ...
Spain and Portugal Map (Gall and Inglis 1871)
If you enjoyed this article, you might also like...Switzerland Map (Gall and Inglis 1871)Austrian Empire Map (Gall and Inglis 1871)Chinese Empire and Japan Map (Gall and Inglis 1871)
Thursday, August 20th, 2009
Switzerland Map (Gall and Inglis 1871)
This map forms part of a recently acquired collection for the PDb archive. They were published in 1871 by Gall and Inglis of Edinburgh. If you enjoyed this article, you might also like...Spain and Portugal Map (Gall and Inglis 1871)Austrian Empire ...
Thursday, October 1st, 2009
The Funeral of Queen Victoria 1901 (Video)
A more sombre but still interesting though very short silent film. It's more interesting I think for the fact that King and Kaiser are united in grief, but not for that much longer after that. If you enjoyed this article, ...
Tuesday, August 25th, 2009
The Principality of Bulgaria and its Stamps
[Published by kind permission of the Editor of Stamp News Australasia.] On 1st January 2007 Bulgaria became a member of the European Union. The road to full membership has been far from easy. The country's economy could have been in a ...
Saturday, March 7th, 2009
The Stamps of China (1908)
[This excellent article was written by the noted philatelist Edward J. Nankivell and first published in The Postage Stamp, February 1908.] The Chinese Empire comprises what is termed China Proper, and the Dependencies of Manchuria, Mongolia, Eastern Turkestan, and Tibet. China Proper ...
Saturday, May 17th, 2008
The Stamps of Syria (1927)
[The following article was first published in Stanley Gibbons Monthly Journal, September 1927.] The postage stamps of Syria offer a wide and interesting field of study to the general collector as well as to the most minute and exacting of philatelic ...
Thursday, May 29th, 2008
The United States Navy: An Illustrated History (1937)
[Originally published in Shipping Wonders of the World in 1937] The two most striking features of the modern United States Navy are the strength and power of the battleships and the number of destroyers and submarines. If you enjoyed this article, you ...
Monday, September 29th, 2008
Thule ‘Local Posts’
Published by kind permission of the artist. If you enjoyed this article, you might also like...The Art of Mei Lan-FangHog MoneyThe Baseball Myth
Thursday, September 4th, 2008
Tsar Boris III (the Unifier) funeral – 28 August 1943 (Video)
Boris III the Unifier, Tsar of Bulgaria ( 30 January 1894 28 August 1943 ), originally Boris Klemens Robert Maria Pius Ludwig Stanislaus Xaver (Boris Clement Robert Mary Pius Louis Stanislaus Xavier), son of Ferdinand I, came to the throne ...
Wednesday, August 5th, 2009
Tsar Nicholas II Coronation 1896 (Video)
Scenes from the coronation of Russia's last Tsar Nicholas II in May 1896; this is one of the oldest filmed moving images in existence, and one of the first examples of a significant news event being filmed to be shown ...
Wednesday, July 8th, 2009
Venezuela: Chequered Story of a Latin Republic (1923)
Republished from Peoples of All Nations by Educational Book Company (1923). THE Venezuelan coast was discovered by Columbus on August 1, 1498, and explored in the following year by Alonso de Ojeda, who gave the country the name of "Little Venice," ...
Venezuela: The “Little Venice” of the Caribbean (1923)
[Originally published in Peoples of All Nations, by Educational Book Company, London 1923] If you enjoyed this article, you might also like...Venezuela: Chequered Story of a Latin Republic (1923)Venezuela Map (1920)The Stamps of Venezuela: Escuelas 1871-79 (1925)
Friday, September 12th, 2008
Who’s Who on the Stamps of Costa Rica: Eusebio Figueroa Oreamuno Issue (1903)
Born on May 18, 1827 in the city of Cartago, Costa Rica, Eusebio Figueroa Oreamuno lost his parents during his youth. He was left without funds and went to the city of Grenada, Nicaragua where he completed his education under ...
Saturday, September 26th, 2009
Who’s Who on the Stamps of Costa Rica: Jesús Jiménez Issue (1901)
This article is the beginning of a series looking at important people featured on world stamps. Jesús Jiménez was born in the city of Santiago, Costa Rica, on June 18, 1823. He received his preliminary education in Cartago and was later ...
Wednesday, September 9th, 2009
Who’s Who on the Stamps of Costa Rica: Juan Rafael Mora Issue (1901)
Juan Rafael Mora was born in San José, Costa Rica on February 8, 1814. His primary education in that locality ended with his fifteenth year when his father provided him with employment. At twenty-one, on the death of his father, ...
Tuesday, October 6th, 2009
Woodrow Wilson Speaking, 1913 & 1916 (Video)
Footage from the National Archives of Congress, Wilson's inauguration on March 4, 1913, a speech probably from 1916 and Wilson's youngest daughter Eleanor. If you enjoyed this article, you might also like...Belleville Post Office, Illinois, USA (1913)Palestine, Egypt and India ...
Thursday, August 13th, 2009
Yuraku: The First Philatelic Journal of Japan (1914)
[This article first appeared in an English journal The Postage Stamp at the beginning of the First World War (5 September 1914). It should be of interest to all those interested in Japanese philately.] “A Japanese member of the Junior Philatelic ...
Saturday, March 8th, 2008
Zeppelin Flight To Palestine
There is a certain romance about Zeppelins. The famous pop band Led Zeppelin took its name from the airship. Z 127 Graf Zeppelin was a large rigid airship (or dirigible). It was named after the German pioneer of airships, Ferdinand von ...
Wednesday, December 26th, 2007
