31 July 2020
|
Former President of the Royal Philatelic Society London, Patrick Maselis presents a sase study on The Democratic Republic of Congo (The former Belgian Congo).
How to view
You can view the presentation in full, page by page, in the video below. Just click on the pause button on the video to stop the slideshow at any point, giving you time to examine the page in detail.
Content continues after advertisements
Introduction
- BEFORE 1880: No postal system in The Congo
- NATIVE PEOPLE had no written languages (no mail)
- Only a handful of Europeans went to The Congo or wrote letters to/from The Congo
- OFFICIALS AND RESIDENTS
- TRADERS (e.g. IVORY AND SLAVE TRADERS)
- EXPLORERS (e.g. LIVINGSTONE AND STANLEY)
- MISSIONARIES
- MILITARY (MAINLY ANTI-SLAVERY PATROLS)
- EUROPEANS BADLY NEEDED MAIL, because mail was the only way of communication
- Everyone had to design his own mail system “DO IT YOURSELF”
- MATERIAL IS EXTREMELY RARE: only 60 letters known from The Congo before 1880
The Royal Philatelic Society London is an official festival partner. Find out more about the esteemed organisation at the website: www.rpsl.org.uk
Add stamps to your collection today… visit the festival marketplace
