Book Reviews
For publishing release notes of books sold through the auspices of BNAPS, click HERE;
For reviews of BNA-related books published by BNAPS or elsewhere, read below.
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A Canadian Postal History 1897-1911. The Maple Leaf, Numeral, and King Edward Era, by George B. Arfken and William S. Pawluk, published by the British North America Philatelic Society. 8.5 x 11 inches, 314 pages. Available from the BNAPS Book Department, c/o Ian Kimmerley Stamps, 115 Sparks St., Ottawa, ON K1P 5B6, Canada and http://www.iankimmerley.com . Colour edition $160 and black-and-white edition $49.95 (40% discount for BNAPS members, plus postage and any sales tax). The Arfken series of postal histories (including the Duckworth and Duckworth Large Queen book) now fully spans the period from the Pence Issue up to the Admiral Issue. The books in this series are essential reference material for all Canadian postal historians and for collectors of the stamps issued by Canada between 1851 and 1911. This volume differs from those published by the Greene Foundation in several ways. First, it is in a larger format. Second, it is available in either colour or black-and-white versions. Third, George Arfken has a new coauthor. The black-and-white version is much more affordable than any of the Greene publications; thus it is available to many more collectors. It is similar to the Greene books in style. The issue and use of the definitive stamps of the period (1897 to 1911) are described, with suitable excerpts from government publications to explain the rates and routes of covers and cards. The three commemorative issues of this period appear on some covers, but the emphasis-as it should be-is on the definitive adhesives: the Maple Leaves, the Numerals, and the Edwards. The basis of this book is Bill Pawluk's award-winning collection of postal history. Bill built his collection around the operation and development of the postal system of the time, including a detailed study with examples of the Post Office's rules and regulations. It was an eventful era that included the Boer War, the introduction of the Imperial Penny Post, the development of the picture post card, the start of the special delivery, postage due, and insurance services, decentralization of the Dead Letter Office, and many important postage rate changes. Above all, Canadian covers to many foreign destinations are available in this period, and many are shown here. The book is organized as seven chapters plus 18 appendices. Chapter 1 is a very useful introduction. Chapter 2 describes the basics of domestic mail delivery. Chapter 3 discusses domestically used letter cards and post cards. Chapter 4 is devoted to all of the other classes of domestic mail. Chapters 5 through 7 present Canadian mail to foreign countries: mail to the United States and Mexico, mail to the British Empire, and mail to the rest of the world. Each chapter has a table of contents and there is an index for the entire text. Perhaps the greatest strength of the book is the bank of almost 400 illustrations. Most illustrations are from Bill's collection but there are contributions from 18 other collectors and 4 dealers. This is a full monograph, not a book in the BNAPS exhibit series. With its many illustrations, one could also consider it a coffee-table book, but almost all of the covers shown have extra features that require examination, not just a quick glance. As expected, the text is well organized and well and accurately written. Here are a few minor points. There are a few covers that I would not have chosen as examples, but they each fit their topic; the vast majority of illustrations are suitable and spectacular. As with any general text, there are condensations and thus minor omissions. For example, in Table 25 (Mail Routes to Overseas Destinations), the routes to East Asia include mails via Vancouver and San Francisco but not via either Tacoma or Seattle (about a fifth of the Canadian mail was carried on these latter routes). The colour rendition is much better than that of the BNAPS's publication of the Wilkinson BC collection. The choice of the sans serif typeface for captions is fine, but its use in the text for quotations from government documents is distracting. The cover is sturdy but it would have been nice if the binding spiral was sealed at the ends. This volume will be the seminal reference about this postal era for many years. It is an excellent effort, and as I said previously, it is an essential item for all of our libraries.
Letters From the Far West. Topics in Alberta philatelic history in recognition of the province's centennial 1905-2005, co-edited by Edmund Harris and Hugh Delaney, published by the BNAPS Calgary Regional Group and Goodbook Communications Group, Calgary. Spiral bound, 272 pages, 8.5" x 11". Available from "Hugh Delaney in Trust," 105 Pump Hill Landing SW, Calgary AB T2V 5C4, Can$35 plus shipping and handling (for western Canada $7.50; for eastern Canada $11.00; for the U.S. $14.50). The Calgary Regional Group of BNAPS has published, as a group project, an anthology based on philatelic events of the Province of Alberta. Two dozen Albertans have contributed material to this book. The book is organized into six sections: Philately in Alberta, Images of Alberta, Alberta Postal History (early times and modern times), Aviation, and Places and People. Postal history takes up the largest amount of space. Because this was a group project, seemingly based on each collector's interests, the range of topics is wide and the depth and treatment of their coverage varies. There are novel topics covered (such as the history of BNAPS in Alberta , the Fur Wars in Southern Alberta, and Alberta POs along the CPR mainline) as well as applications to Alberta of perfins, precancels, special order envelopes, and registration handstamps. The seven articles about aviation and air mail in Alberta point out possibilities for developing some interesting exhibits. In total, the work is a useful look at a province's philatelic history and could give other provinces some good ideas for their celebrations. The book has many suitable black-and-white illustrations, with an eight-page section repeating some of the most attractive covers and cards in colour. The layout is open (sufficient white space) and the text is easy to read. The group should be commended for their effort.
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