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In long-ago times when immense wealth was controlled by a few powerful families, great philatelic collections were built by a few individuals who were able to assemble the world's rarest stamps into magnificent philatelic collections. The spectacular collections of Philippe von Ferrary, Henry Duveen, George Worthington, Arthur Hind, William Crocker, Colonel Edward Green and many other notables were described and recorded in auction catalogs of the era. The catalogs are historical documents of enormous interest that shows the accomplishments of these great collectors. The vague documents of holdings from these sales can barely convey the rich color of the stamps, the quality of material contained therein or the philatelic elegance of the owners. Nor can it alone measure the elements of tireless search that went into amassing the creation.

The great collectors were philatelic Brahmins and an untitled nobility in an elite circle that dominated the market in rare stamps. The legends that surrounded these sometimes colourful and often eccentric men and their wondrous collections were recorded by historians of the era. Written on the yellowing pages of obscure philatelic journals , theur deeds and intrigues somehow ring of the commandment in Shelley's Qzymandias, "Look on my works, ye Mighty, and despair!"

Like modern day Arab oil sheiks, the founders of these great collections were extravagantly wealthy, and tossed out huge sums of money for purchases of their stamp treasures with only passing thought to their financial excesses. The ownership of the few surviving copies of the world's greatest stamps became of supreme importance. They sought out their rare stamps from dealers, or else grimly bid at auction in competition with equally ambitious and acquisitive collectors. These philatelic battles were often fought in an atmosphere of Machiavellian intrigue as both dealers and collectors competed jealously for the great gems of philately. The acquisition of a noteworthy item at a modest price was exceptional, and a sum far in excess of a reasonable cost for the stamp was often paid simply to fill a blank spot on the album page.

The great collectors were often secretive individuals. They sought anonymity and cloistered their philatelic wares from inquiring eyes except for a narrow circle of close friends. Their penchant for anonymity seemed born of a real concern over exploitation, and fears of theft. For others, the pleasure derived from competitive exhibition was sufficient inducement to pry open the leaves of their albums for display at an international exhibition automatically came to insure their fame as major philatelic personalities.

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This page was last updated on 10/06/2006

This website was created on 19th June 2005

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