AVIATION POSTCARD CLUB INTERNATIONAL

NEWSLETTER NO. 41

DECEMBER 2002

HOME AND ABROAD

Editorial impressions by Doug Bastin

This edition once again is indebted to our International members for contributions with pieces by both Leonardo Pinzauti and Christian Gerbich, on the tale of an Italian DC-3 and Hamburg Airport respectively. Additionally, the centre fold article on the cards issued by Flight Magazine builds on some research by Canadian member, Geoff Dryden. Some of these cards are now getting scarcer and raise the old question of  “how long does it take for a card issued primarily for collectors to become sought after”. On the evidence of these the answer is about 30 years and even then a sought after subject plus image quality is probably an essential. In the next edition we will follow up this theme with a look at the prolific UK publisher of the 30s and 40s, real Photographs Ltd of Liverpool and Southport. Although both of these covered all aviation subjects they will be used to add to the military and other content not being covered by articles. Other publishers of high quality photographic cards were to be found in the Netherlands both pre-war and post-war and the shot of the prototype 707 with Mount Ranier is both a slightly seasonal image, (well, its got some snow on it) and a link to the subject of Worth a Second Glance on frequently used Boeing backgrounds from the Seattle area.

The Flight series included a number of slightly retrospective cards, 60s to 50s, featuring Heathrow and which are listed and shown in the Catalogue, which has just made it to a publishing date of  November. As the majority of cards, and certainly the rarer ones are Black & White this section of the catalogue, will, like the September newsletter be printed direct from digital images. The UK postcard magazine commented favorably on the better picture quality so it seems we may finally have cracked our “weakest link”