The subject of an Index to Philatelic Literature has been before the
philatelic public for some years now. It periodically crops up from
time to time as a subject of discussion in the magazines, but with the
exception of one or two fragmentary publications through these magazines,
it has never taken a practically useful and handy form. That it is
necessary, the writer has found from his own experience, and he began to
compile a short Index for his private use in his philatelic researches.
That a full and comprehensive Index of all the matter contained in all
the past and current literature on the subject was an impossibility
was very evident, so he set to work and noted all the leading or
useful articles bearing directly on Philately and on the stamps of the
various countries which have appeared in the leading and most reliable
publications from the earliest philatelic times to the end of the year
1904. In so far, of course, as he was able to have access to such
publications.
This, he thinks, forms a basis for the building up of the only
practicable form of Philatelic Index which we are likely to produce
within the reach of the average philatelist or philatelic literature
reader. In compiling this Index, the indexes supplied with the different
volumes have been ignored, every article having been read through and
indexed direct.
The following are the Magazines which have been indexed in this work with
the reasons for including them.
_Stamp Collector’s Review_:—Owing to its being the first
publication given wholly to stamps, and owing to this interest
attached, practically everything treated of within its pages
has been indexed.
_Stamp Collector’s Magazine_:—Considering its date, and the
small amount of general information to be had on the subject
at the time, this is to be considered a marvellously advanced
work. The men who contributed to its pages were the pioneers of
our science.
_Philatelist_:—The same applies to this work, and in addition,
its treatises on Forgeries, with actual specimens gummed in to
illustrate the articles, are quite a feature in themselves.
_Philatelic Record_:—With this work is begun the first of
the magazines which have weathered the storm of time, and
still continue to put out good work up to the present day. It
contains some of the best monographs on special countries that
have been written, and there is a lot indexed from its pages
which is invaluable.
_Stanley Gibbons’ Monthly Journal_:—With the exception of the
_London Philatelist_, this is the foremost of our philatelic
papers. Its articles are sound and of undoubted merit, whilst
its occasional plates are of a high class. The compiler is only
sorry that he was unable to include the _Weekly Journal_ issued
by this firm, but as it only began to run after he had got
pretty well on with his work, and as this Index only takes up
to the end of 1904, it was impossible.
_Philatelic Journal of Great Britain_:—Contains some
exceptionally good articles in the older volumes. The _Review
of Reviews_ is a notable feature which gives a lot of
philatelic information unobtainable by any but one who takes in
all the magazines, British and Foreign.
_London Philatelist_:—Like the _Monthly Journal_, this magazine
does not need any reason assigned to its inclusion. Its matter
and its plates alike are of the highest order.
_Fiscal Philatelist_:—This is one of the earliest magazines,
if not _the_ earliest, dealing solely with Fiscals, and will
be found of great service to the followers of this fascinating
branch of Philately.
_Stamp Collector’s Fortnightly_:—There are some good articles
on European varieties in the earlier issues, and with exception
of a short break, it has had a fairly long run, and numerous
notes can be gleaned from its pages well worthy of indexing.
_English Specialist’s Journal_:—This work stands by itself as a
useful collection of detailed information from various sources
on the minute specialisation of our own British stamps.
_The (Junior) Stamp Collector_:—The latter years of this
journal are full of interesting articles, well worth perusing.
This magazine was started as _The Junior Stamp Collector_,
and continued as such till the end of Vol. III., when it was
changed to _The Stamp Collector_, but as the volumes are
numbered consecutively, they are both indexed under _Stamp
Collector_.
_Stamp Collector’s Guardian_:—This work is purely for juniors,
and is after the style of the _Junior Stamp Collector_. It had
a short life, and is included to show the efforts which have
been made to cater for the younger generation of collectors.
_Young Stamp Collector_:—The same applies to this as to the
preceding work.
_Morley’s Philatelic Journal_:—Contains some very fine
contributions on general philatelic subjects by good writers,
but is mainly given over to Fiscal Philately in all its
branches, to which it forms a unique reference.
The above list of fourteen separate magazines, comprising a matter of
119 volumes, represents a good deal of arduous work, in the execution of
which the writer has taken a great deal of pleasure and gained a great
deal of profitable information. This work has been materially assisted
by the kindness of others who have lent him magazines of which he does
not possess a copy, or supplied him with missing parts to complete those
he had incomplete. With regard to this he has specially to thank Mr. E.
D. Bacon to whom he is indebted for the loan of the _Stamp Collector’s
Review_, a very scarce magazine; also Mr. Appleby and Mr. Marsh for the
loan of various parts and volumes during his work. While knowing that
this Index is necessarily a very sketchy one, the writer hopes that it
may prove to be a temporary help to those philatelists who have found
the hopelessness of wading through number after number, and volume after
volume, in search of information on their pet speciality; also, that it
may be a foundation for a more complete and lasting Index to Philatelic
Literature.