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Recently we had a Daily Question on the first stamp show that the Vatican Post Office participated in. The question was based on a Vatican Notes article by Joseph Lo Preiato from 1977 which stated that San Marino '77 was the first stamp show that the Vatican Post Office participated in. (see article link below) VPS member Bill Casey sent an email with a link to a 1954 article from The Catholic News Archive describing Cardinal Spellman officially dedicating and opening a Vatican-Marian Year Philatelic Exhibition at the National Philatelic Museum in Philadelphia. (see article link below). Digging into things, the 1954 article describes that the exhibit was in “cooperation with the Vatican City Postal Administration and the National Philatelic Museum, Broad and Diamond sts., Philadelphia “. Since reading this article I have been on a hunt to determine if there are any covers or postmarks related to this exhibit. I have been weighing the words "participation" and "cooperation" and wondering if the Daily Question answer should be changed. I have asked several other VPS members about this and there is a vague possibility of a cover having been produced for the 1954 exhibit. However, nobody has one in their collection. Searching on the word "EXHIBIT", I did find a few articles related to the 1954 exhibit in the VPS Vatican Notes library which are referenced below. So, the basic question stands unanswered. Does anyone really know if a cover was produced for the 1954 exhibit? Is such a cover lurking in your collection? If you have any information about this subject please let me know -- Marvin Lanahan, email mlanahan404@comcast.net. Article Links • Joseph Lo Preiato,A First... By The Vatican Post Office Vatican Notes Volume 26, Issue 3, 1977, Page 11 • Cardinal Spellman Opens Vatican Stamp Exhibit At Philatelic MuseumThe Catholic Standard and Times, Volume 59, Number 52, September 24, 1954 • Anonymous, Vatican Marian Year Exhibition To Be Greatest In Museum's Vatican Notes Volume: 02 Year: 1954 Issue: 2 Page: 1 • Anonymous, Vatican International Stamp Exhibition Opens In National Philatelic Museum - September 22, 1954 Vatican Notes Volume: 01 Year: 1954 Issue: 12 Page: 2-3 • Catherine Hughes, Vatican - Marian Year Exhibit Vatican Notes Volume: 02 Year: 1954 Issue: 3 Page: 19-20 |
