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Introduction.

When I started to collect cave-stamps in 1977 I certainly was not the first one. Many collectors had already spent much time on research and lists. Later I learned many cavers/collectors had exchanged data already, so a lot of work was done twice.

It's interesting to see who, how and when it started. Probably many names will be forgotten, since I did not find them in my documentation. If anybody has additional data about the period before 1965 I will be very glad to be informed.

Speleophilately virtually started on a sound basis with the article by V. Aellen and P. Strinati “Les Grottes Figurees sur les Timbres-Poste" in Rassegne Speleologica Italiana (XII, Nr. 2, Coma 1960). This was very strict - showing only pure cave pictures but with a very well- considered text. 16 Stamps were described!

There might exist earlier articles concerning cave-paintings, but these were mainly of prehistoric or palaeontological interest, not speleological.

Certainly cave stamps we re collected before 1960, but it probably did not raise much interest since there we re so few of this topic.

Same early collectors whose names are found in caving magazines and journals: W.R. Halliday, E. Hamilton-Smith, W. Russell Jr., Brother Nicolas Sullivan, dr. Treibs, K. Cramer, A. Ross Eckler, the Mansfields, but there must be many more. It would be interesting to know when they started their collections. I have seen a picture of an item in Bill Halliday's collection carrying his name - dated as far back as 1934!

In, 1964 W.F. Jones publishes an article in the Eldon Pothole Club Journal, "Philately and Caving", mainly based on stamps in a British Commonwealth collection.

The same year Ronald C. Crane wrote an article in Geo- Philatelist "Caves and Stamps".

In Australia Ross Ellis publishes his first article in 1968, and together with E.Hamilton-Smith he publishes at regular times. Their lists are for years the 'standard', and via these publications a small group starts exchanging information. Their first list appears in 1972, and in 1983 the sixth part was published.

After 1970 more and more articles appear about cave-stamps, but of ten as an introduction to "speleophilately", and always the most popular stamps used as illustrations. Many other articles are of ten not more then a rewrite of data given by the issuing postal agency.

Two articles ( in my opinion) however stick with head and shoulders above them: “Bats” - by V. Aellen (Musées de Genève, nr. 2,09, Oct. '80) and “Muhammed's Caves” by Richard Breisch.

The bat article gives all the names and info which you will never find in catalogues, and without the Muhammed article you will never recognize the mentioned stamps as cave related.

In Germany Johan van Soeren starts in 1975 a topical publication, “Geologie”, which deals with geology, mineralogy but also speleology.

With typical German thoroughness this group also starts a service for new stamps and cancellations. A lot of collectors are maybe only interested in stamps, but in Europe cancellations are also very popular. Via their journal many cancellations, especially older ones, are mentioned.

Van Soeren himself publishes numerous articles about cave-stamps end postal items, and his own collection is up to European exhibition standards which require not just stamps, but also cancellations, postal stationary, FDCIS, registered mail and so on. And of course text!

In Italy another exhibition collection goes around, that from Mrs. A. Potenza, called “Madre Terra" (= Mother Earth). Her collection contains same interesting items dated way before 1900! She also publishes a lot.

Based on the Ellis/Hamilton-Smith lists Jim end Vera Cullen came in 1979 with the first speleo-stamp- catalogue - the "Catalog of Spelean Stamps". Although it is sometimes hard to draw a line at what belongs to our topic, this catalogue lists same thousand stamps. However, due to personal problems, Jim Gullen never went on to update his catalogue which really could have become a standard reference work.

In Germany Johan van Soeren is working on another catalogue, but due to the tremendous amount of work for his group this will take same years before it is finished.

One of the best ways to advertise speleophilately is without doubt exhibitions at caving-congresses.

From publications we read about dr. Treibs showing stamps on the 5th U.I.S. Congress (1969, Stuttgart, Germany), and during the 8th U.I.S. Congress (1981, Bowling Green, U.S.A.) Jacque's Chabert showed a virtual complete cave-stamp collection.

At the same congress, during a lunch initiated by J. Chabert end J.P. van der Pas, one of the first meetings specially devoted to speleophilately was held, same 15 people attending (from 6 countries - Europe, Australia, U.S.A.).

In the Journal of Spelean History (1978) we reed: "In the U.S.A. it was probably the beautiful collection of Wayne Russell: which was displayed at several NSS conventions that inspired , many cavers to take up the hobby. Not only does he have a nice: large collection, but the art work end the descriptions of the stamps add to one' s interest.”

Recently Wayne Russell wrote he is working 'on a computer list of all the stamps he knows about, but somewhere else he writes he is suffering “terminal procrastination", so…. ?

Considering the membership list of the Speleo Stamp Collector most speleophilatelists are living in the U.S.A., followed by Germany. The high amount of Dutch members probably depends more on the publicity given in the Netherlands then on the activity of all these people. It is strange that countries as France end Belgium have so few collectors.

Another source of information is the membership list of the already mentioned journal "Geologie". This list, which totals a 400 odd collectors, names all the topics these geological collectors favor. Same 80 collect speleology, but many of them consider caves only as a part of their mineral-collection, end are not interested in caving as a sport or study at all. As it looks now many of the collectors are not the youngest ones, does this mean maybe they slowly shift their interest from active caving to documentary speleology?

If this is true we will see a steady growing group of collectors, with the advantage of having many friends to discuss our hobby, but with the disadvantage for those who join later that the earlier cave-stamps will get scarcer end more expensive.



The future of speleophilately?

Since more end more collectors start to have a virtually complete cave-stamp collection the interest to display these probably will dimish. Once you have seen these stamps the surprise effect is gone.

To go on (as in philately in general) the next step will be to specialize, e.g. on cancellations end other stationary.

Covers as produced for congresses are in great demand end organizers will do this more end more when they discover money can be raised this way.

Postal agencies are issuing more end more 'pictures' on stamps since topical collecting is growing fast.

Protected animals are also very popular on stamps, which means more bat-stamps might be expected.

And maybe same still not fully recognized areas as volcano- speleology end glacial-speleology will be covered by stamps.


Bibliography:

Rassegna Speleologica Italiana '60 Vol. 12 no. 2 (V. Aellen & P. Strinati).

Eldon Pothole Journal '64 6(1) (W.F. Jones).

The journal of Spelean History. Vol. 11, no 4, Oct-Dec '78. This journal contains several articles which we re collected since the '50's(!). Not all are traceable for date of origine (J. Speece,

W.R. Halliday, Br. N. Sullivan, A.R. Eckler, R. Breisch).

Madre Terra, Notizario Tematico no 44, Dec '78. (Mrs A. Potenza).

Subterra, no 77, Dec '78. (G. de Block/ W. Treibs).

Catalog of Spelean Stamps - Jim & Vera Cullen, 1979.

Musées de Genève, nr. 209, Oct. '80 (V. Aellen).

Der Schlaz, Feb. '81, nr. 33 (F. Lindenmayr / J. Chabert).

NSS News, July '81 (W. Russell jr.).

The Journal of the Sydney Speleological Soc.: '72,12(2), '73, 12( '75,12(10), '76, ~(7), '80, ~(1), '83, ~(2). ~R.Ellis, E. Hamilton-Smith et al).

“Geologie", nr.1 (1975) nr. 33 (1984) (J.C. van Soeren et al).

Speleo Stamp Collector - nr.1 ('81) nr. 15 (1984) , (J.P. van der Pas et al).



These are certainly not all publications about cave-stamps! It is a small selection by the author and only mentioned since these give names and facts about speleophilately.