Magnify: Articles from newsletter of the Royal Philatelic Society of Rhodesia – later Zimbabwe

Magnify: Articles from newsletter of the Royal Philatelic Society of Rhodesia – later Zimbabwe

Formed in 1910, the Philatelic Society of Rhodesia was a Founder Member of the Philatelic Society of South Africa. On the 12th November, 1962 it was granted the title of ‘Royal’ by Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II and became the Royal Philatelic Society of Rhodesia.

The society newsletter, Magnify, came into being in 1970 as a monthly newsletter. It later became bi-montly and then quarterly.

Geoff Brakspear has recently copied a number of articles that may be of interest to RSC members:

 

 

 

The Gold Mines of Southern Rhodesia to 1924 – D A Mitchell and G W Begg

The Gold Mines of Southern Rhodesia to 1924

D A Mitchell and G W Begg

This well researched book of 304 pages provides an in depth study of the gold mines in Southern Rhodesia. Early chapters cover mining history, mining law and mining documents. Then follows a listing of 125 mines each with its history, postal history, output of the mine and its location shown by both a map and geographical co-ordinates (an example of the map for Shamrock Mine is shown in the September 2019 Journal).

The manuscript of the book is dated 1996 when reproduction techniques were not as advanced as they are today, thus the quality of the black and white illustrations of covers and documents is not up to modern standards. The sections on mining documents and postal history are perhaps better covered elsewhere but the strength of the book lies in the history and geography of each mine. All mines are covered even if they had no post office and even towns which had a mine but “mine” was not in the post office name.”

Details

  • Price:
    • Digital Copy (PDF) – £12.50 (Member), £15 (Non Member)
    • Reprint to Order – £20 +P&H (Member), £24+P&H (Non Member)

Order form below.

Southern Rhodesia – King George V Philately – Otto Peetoom

Southern Rhodesia – King George V Philately

Otto Peetoom

Researched and written by Otto Peetoom, Southern Rhodesia King George V Philately. A4 size and in full colour. The book covers the following topics:

  • Early History, The lead up to Self Government, Continued use of the BSAC Admirals
  • The 1924 – 35 Stamp issues in depth, including Archival Material and Varieties.
  • Booklets
  • Perfins, Sample Stamps, Revenues, Postal Stationery, Post Offices (opened & closed) Postal Rates
  • Early Aviation, TPO’s, Postal History

Details

  • Release Date: Pre-Order
  • Pages: 208
  • Price: £30 + P&H

Kariba – Legacy of a Vision – Jonathan Waters

Kariba – Legacy of a Vision

Jonathan Waters

Kariba Dam was ‘Africa’s Greatest Mass of Masonry Since the Pharaohs Built the Pyramids’, the Sunday Mail thundered on completion of the wall in 1959. In this picture-rich book, the construction of what remains the world’s biggest man-made lake is retold by those involved in the project.

Strong on social history, Kariba – Legacy of a Vision by Jonathan Waters contains the stories of over 100 people who drove the development of industries around the lake in the six decades since its completion.

Details

  • Release Date: 1 June 2020
  • Pages: 320
  • Publisher: New Zanji
  • Price: USD$40 + P&H

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Aerogrammes of British Central Africa

Aerogrammes of British Central Africa

This listing will deal with the special printed forms used in the three countries of British Central Africa as a means of providing an inexpensive air mail service using a custom designed air letter form. It is not confined to postal stationery (that is stationery produced bearing an imprinted valid postage stamp and sold by or on behalf of a postal authority) but will include air letter sheets and aerogrammes issued without an imprinted stamp, provided there is evidence of the use of that form of air letter sheet or aerogrammes in one or more of the countries.

As and when new information is received the relevant chapters will be updated and republished. Please note that this could involve the renumbering of the items within a chapter. Be sure to always use the latest update, which will be dated.

If you would like to contribute any information, please Contact Us.

Many thanks,
Adrian de Bourbon
November 2019

Chapters

Contributors

  • Hugh Amoore
  • Sean Burke
  • Geoff Brakspear
  • Tony Banks
  • James Gavin
  • Keith Harrop
  • Barry Horne
  • Narendrha Morar
  • Dave Trathen
  • Otto Peetoom
  • Allan Rendle
  • Stuart Ross
  • Mark Thomas

Zimbabwe Post Offices and Postmarks, the First Decades – Derrick Byrom

Zimbabwe Post Offices and Postmarks, the First Decades

Derrick Byrom

 

(Detailed listing, status of offices, name changes, spelling changes, opening and closing of offices, full information – maps – notes, profusely illustrated with new Zimbabwe postmarks, 48 pages A4, squareback and limp cover.)

Derrick Byrom of Harare was the pioneering student of modern Zimbabwe postal history. This publication bears witness to his endeavours in meticulously recording the changes of names and of spelling of place-names and the opening and closing of postal offices during Zimbabwe’s first two decades.

In 1982 he became the exchange packet superintendent of the Mashonaland Philatelic Society, and served collectors in this capacity until his untimely passing in 2000. He won every trophy awarded by the society, and in 1986 was elected to honorary membership. Derrick Alan Byrom was born in Salisbury, Rhodesia, as it then was, on 12 June 1938. After passing the Cambridge School Certificate at Prince Edward High School in 1955, he joined the then Native Affairs Department as a clerk and worked in rural areas for seven years, later moving to other government departments. He retired as Chief Executive Officer of the Zimbabwe Department of Home Affairs in 1981, having served 25 years as civil servant.

A highlight in Derrick’s philatelic career was the 30th anniversary celebration in 1998 in Harare of the Rhodesia Study Circle, of which he was made a Fellow in that year. Meanwhile he in 1997 showed “Seldom seen post offices of Zimbabwe” at the South African national philatelic exhibition, Cape Town. His exhibit “Post Offices of Rhodesia and Zimbabwe 1924-1999” in which he traced various changes, achieved a large silver award at the South African national philatelic exhibition Jopex in Johannesburg, 1999. He died in Harare on 8 November 2000, the 60th anniversary day of the founding of the Mashonaland Philatelic Society.

Derrick Byrom collected the range of postal and philatelic material from Zimbabwe independence on 18 April 1980 onwards, including the postmarks, rubber handstamps, registration labels, official post cards, examples of postal slogan cancellations and special event postmarks, first day covers featuring new stamp issues, RAPT charity seals (Rehabilitation and Prevention of Tuberculosis), and notices of postal rate changes, name changes, opening and closing of postal offices – just about everything. In 2004, Mrs Barbara Byrom presented the complete collection, already known as the Byrom legacy, to the Philatelic Federation of South Africa.

Safely kept by the Federation’s Heritage Committee, but unable to do justice to the further classification and suitable handling of the material, the Federation, in 2018, handed the Byrom material to the relevant interest group, the Rhodesia Study Circle, which is a specialist society affiliated to the Federation. On behalf of the Rhodesia Study Circle Patrick, Flanagan RDPSA, made a variety of the postal marks available for illustration in this listing.

This book will be published by the Philatelic Federation of South Africa. (Subscribers will be included in the book.)

Special rates for advanced subscribers (before 31 January, 2020):

  • South Africa R170
  • Zimbabwe R200 (registered),
  • UK and other International £18 (by registered airmail).

If would like to obtain the special rates, please Contact Us.

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