IPHLA - 2012

From Nov. 2–4, 2012, Mainz – the city of the Man of the Millennium Johannes Gutenberg – will host an International Philatelic Literature Exhibition (IPHLA). It continues the reputed name of the well-known IPHLA, which under this label took place for the first time in Frankfurt-on-Main in 1989. Exactly 150 years before 2012, the first German stamp album and the first philatelic catalogue were published in the city of Leipzig. These two print media of German philately opened an era that made stamp collecting a popular movement.

Just like the two preceding literature exhibitions of 1989 in Frankfurt and 2007 in Leipzig, IPHLA 2012 Mainz will be an international meeting. This becomes evident by the two patrons FEPA and AIJP who strongly support this literature exhibition by their competence and international relations.

IPHLA 2012 Mainz will be held in the generous and pleasant location of the remarkable city hall. The Gutenberg-Museum of the city of Mainz will be incorporated in the event as well.

News of the week...

98 Years Old Bottle Mail : History of mail re-discovered

Normally with invent of new technological systems, sending message or mail takes literally no time. But in the initial years of sending messages, lots of innovative methods were used which included bottle mail too.Recently, a Scottish fisherman Andrew Leaper, found a bottle containing a message or bottle mail in Shetland sea while he was skipping his fishing boat. This drift bottle contained a post card which promised a reward of six pence to the finder - was released in June 1914 by Captain CH Brown of the Glasgow School of Navigation. Which was found after 98 years in safe condition.

It was in a batch of 1,890 scientific research bottles which were specially designed to sink to help map the currents of the seas around Scotland when they were returned. Only 315 of them have so far been found. Mr Leaper, 43, who found the bottle east of Shetland, explained: "As we hauled in the nets I spotted the bottle neck sticking out and I quickly grabbed it before it fell back in the sea. He further added that that was very exciting to find the bottle and he couldn't wait to open it.
The story of scientific drift bottles is a fascinating one and harks back to an area when in the beginning those were used to understand the complexities of the seas.
It is amazing that nearly 98 years on bottles are still being found and returned to the Marine Laboratory in such fantastic condition.

- Naresh Agarwal

Stamp and Coin Fair in Kolkata from 5 - 7 October