27 January 2022
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The results of the latest All About Stamps competition have been decided, and the winner of the prestigious trophy, and a Penny Black stamp courtesy of Andrew Vaughan Philatelics, is Colin Clark for his entry ‘Surfing the Victorian Web’.
The latest competition challenged collectors to come up with a one-page display using their stamps or postal history items, on a subject of their choice.
The many entries covered a wide range of topics including Latvian stamps printed on maps, National Savings stamps, and Leipzig issues.
Top three stamp displays
However, the final three entries were:
- ‘Arabian Nights’ by Jackie McLean
- ‘The world’s first Naphthadag Automatic Sorting Machine’ by Stephen Betteridge
- Winner: ‘Surfing the Victorian Web’ by Colin Clark
Colin said: ‘After the work involved in creating my one-page display and the encouragement from my local Atlanta Stamp Collector’s Club, to be the winner is an honour. The Penny Black will be a beautiful and exciting addition to my Victorian collection.’
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Colin’s entry tells the story of an 1842 cover sent to Victorian publisher Edward Moxon in London.
The one-page display included explanations of the marking on the cover, as well as details of Moxon’s publishing career, revealing that he published poetry by William Wordsworth and Alfred Lord Tennyson, both of whom became close friends with the letter recipient.
Colin explained: ‘As a collector of GB Victorian postal history, focused on the North East of England region, I was studying one of my covers from Tynemouth, and then suddenly thought that it would make a luxurious story. Literature is also a passion of mine, so that linkage to the cover, through the addressee, meant that my inspiration was complete.’
Editor Matt Hill said:
‘This is the fourth one-page competition we have run now, and I’m always amazed by the number and quality of the displays. This time we had collectors from across the world sending in entries, and whilst we can only have one winner, it is wonderful to be able to showcase many of the entries on the website.'
Winner's advice
Pay attention to every detail, and consider using every possible available area on your page, Colin advises fellow collectors.
To create a powerful one-page display, the detailed content, quality of images, storytelling, and visual appeal is a challenging balance. Getting the balance right may mean going through many different draft versions, so don’t give up until you are satisfied.
Think of how the viewer will see your page. One-page displays are the haiku of exhibiting, a special discipline and in some ways are just as challenging as a more expansive exhibit.
The winner receives 1d Black, Plate 2, DF. A very fine used four-margin example, worth around £300, courtesy of Andrew Vaughan Philatelics, and the coveted All About Stamps Trophy.
Andrew Vaughan Philatelics offer a comprehensive stock of mint and used British stamps in all grades (specialising in fine quality) from 1840-1970. Find out more at the website: www.stampsgb.co.uk