The Fitzgerald Collection is an extensive
philatelic
Philately (; ) is the study of postage stamps and postal history. It also refers to the collection and appreciation of stamps and other philatelic products. Philately involves more than just stamp collecting or the study of postage; it is possi ...
collection of
air mail stamps
Aerophilately is the branch of philately that specializes in the study of airmail. Philatelists have observed the development of mail transport by air from its beginning, and all aspects of airmail service have been extensively studied and docum ...
donated to the
British Library
The British Library is the national library of the United Kingdom and is one of the largest libraries in the world. It is estimated to contain between 170 and 200 million items from many countries. As a legal deposit library, the British ...
and announced in 1951.
In 1953 a further donation of funds was provided by Mrs Augustine Fitzgerald to preserve and catalogue the collection. In 2006 the ''Fitzgerald Airmail Fund'' was reported at £68,000.
Description
At the time of donation, ''
The Times
''The Times'' is a British daily national newspaper based in London. It began in 1785 under the title ''The Daily Universal Register'', adopting its current name on 1 January 1788. ''The Times'' and its sister paper ''The Sunday Times'' (fou ...
'' described the collection as the finest of its kind. As well as the extensive collection of stamps for early postal flights up until the 1930s, the collection includes related artefacts such as souvenirs of
postal balloons as per the siege of Paris in 1870 and documents such as the air pilot's licence issued to Sir
John Alcock.
[ It is particularly well represented in the material of France, Germany, Italy, Newfoundland and United States.]
See also
* British Library Philatelic Collections
The British Library Philatelic Collections is the national philatelic collection of the United Kingdom with over 8 million items from around the world. It was established in 1891 as part of the British Museum Library, later to become the B ...
References
British Library Philatelic Collections
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