Harry Sutherland Lectures: A Brief History
As part of our 50th anniversary year one of our dedicated volunteers, Michel Houde, put together this brief history of the Harry Sutherland Philatelic Lectures hosted by the Vincent Graves Greene Philatelic Research Foundation and the Philatelic Specialists Society of Canada.
To enhance the philatelic experience in Canada, the Vincent Graves Greene Philatelic Research Foundation and the Philatelic Specialists Society of Canada launched the Sutherland Lectures in 2006. This program seeks to bring world-class philatelists and their extraordinary collections to Canadian audiences, allowing collectors to hear from these experts and view exhibits on themes that are rarely available in Canada.
Many of the lectures were held at The Badminton and Racquet Club of Toronto. The club was formed in 1905. The building where the lectures were held opened in 1924. It tragically burned down on 14 February 2017.
Since then, in 2017 and 2019 the Sutherland Lectures were held at the Rosedale Golf Club. After that the lectures were suspended because of the pandemic. Resumption is scheduled for 2025.
Lecture Timeline
1st Lecture - Wednesday 5 April 2006
Patricia Stillwell Walker - THE POSTAL HISTORY OF IRELAND
2nd Lecture – Monday 16 April 2007
Charles Shreve - THE WILLIAM H. GROSS COLLECTION United States Classics, 1847 to 1869, and their 1875 Re-issues Large Gold medal and Grand Prix National at WASHINGTON 2006
3rd Lecture – Tuesday 2 October 2008
Cheryl R. Ganz Chief Curator of Philately, Smithsonian National Postal Museum - COME TAKE A RIDE ON THE HINDENBURG
4th Lecture – Friday 30 October 2009
Damian Läge - THE MAKING OF: AUSTRALASIAN BIRDLIFE
5th Lecture – Friday 16 November 2012
David R. Beech MBE - THE TAPLING COLLECTION AND THE FITZGERALD COLLECTION
6th Lecture – Friday 8 November 2013
Timothy R. Bartshe - WHY THE ORANGE FREE STATE - A HISTORY OF A COLLECTION
7th Lecture – Wednesday 24 June 2015
John H. Barwis FRPSL - PHILADELPHIA’S BRITISH MAILS
8th Lecture – Thursday 22 September 2017
Birthe King FRPSL and Chris King FRPSL - IS POSTAL HISTORY, HISTORY?
9th Lecture – Friday 11 October 2019
Prof. Henrik Mouritsen - THREE VIEWS OF DANISH PHILATELY, 1875-1907
1st Lecture - Wednesday the 5th of April 2006 at the Greene Foundation
Patricia Stillwell Walker - THE POSTAL HISTORY OF IRELAND
Visitors signed the Guest Book as a record of those who attended the first lecture.
Patricia Stillwell Walker served as the immediate Past President of the United States Philatelic Classics Society and was named a "distinguished philatelist" in 2005. This honor is given to individuals for their outstanding contributions to US philately, including published research, award-winning exhibitions, and active involvement in promoting philatelic events, as well as ongoing administrative roles in organizations that support philately.
On May 8, 2006, she was awarded the Alfred F. Lichtenstein Memorial Award by the Collectors' Club of New York for her exceptional philatelic achievements. At that time, Pat Walker was a member of the Eire Philatelic Society (having served two terms as President) and the Irish Philatelic Circle. She was a life member of the American Philatelic Society (where she served two terms on the Board of Vice Presidents), the American Association of Philatelic Exhibitors (as Director and Treasurer), the American Philatelic Congress, the Maryland Postal History Society, the Collectors' Club of New York, the BALPEX Show Committee, and several other organizations. Additionally, she was a Fellow of the Royal Philatelic Society London.
Pat Walker was an accredited national judge since 1985 and an international judge in youth philately (1990) and postal history (1993). She was set to be part of the Jury for Washington 2006. Her main exhibits included Ireland Postal History (which won the Grand Prix National in London 2000 and Large Gold and Special Prize in Spain 2004) and Baltimore Postal History (which received several national Grand Awards and Large Gold in Bangkok 2003). Pat Walker was a mathematician, graduating magna cum laude from Vassar and working for IBM for 30 years.
This special commemorative cover was presented to attendees at the inaugural Harry Sutherland Philatelic Lecture, featuring Patricia Stilwell Walker's insightful talk on The Postal History of Ireland. The event was graciously hosted by the Greene Foundation and the Philatelic Specialists Society of Canada on April 5, 2006.
The cover's illustration is a reproduction of photographs taken by David Trussler, featured in the January 2006 issue of the British Philatelic Bulletin. It is reprinted here with the permission of John Holman, FRPSL, the Editor of the British Philatelic & Postmark Bulletins at Royal Mail, UK. The artistic design and preparation of this cover were managed by Peter Butler and Harvey Shuter from Toronto.
Click through the above slideshow to see images from the event.
Image 1: Susan Butler and Margaret Schulzke
Image 2: Jack Ince, Rodney Paige, Owen White, and Elizabeth White
Image 3: Peter Butler, Ted Nixon, and Patricia Stillwell Walker
Image 4: Patricia Stillwell Walker and Michael Madesker
Image 5: Patricia Stillwell Walker with loon
Image 6: Patricia Stillwell Walker, Michael Madesker, and Ralph Trimble
Image 7: Patricia Stillwell Walker and Charles Verge
2nd Lecture – Monday 16th of April 2007 at the Badminton & Raquet Club of Toronto
Charles Shreve - THE WILLIAM H. GROSS COLLECTION
Charles F. Shreve FRPSL from Shreves Philatelic Galleries in Texas was the guest speaker. He has collected stamps for his entire life. Before starting Shreves Philatelic Galleries Inc. in 1994, Charles worked at several philatelic auction houses.
Image courtesy of Canadian Stamp News.
William Hunt Gross was an American investor and fund manager known for co-founding a global investment firm. In November 2005, he gained fame by forming a complete collection of all 19th-century U.S. postage stamps. He made news by trading a block of Jenny Inverts for the rare Z-grill U.S. stamp with David Sundman.
Charles presented the William Gross Collection, which received a Large Gold and Grand Prix National award in Washington in 2006. The collection was arranged in eight frames. Although the Z-grill was absent, a rare Pony Express letter was on display. The letter's delivery was delayed for two years due to the rider's death. The horse was found two years later, still carrying the mailbags. Charles proudly remarked, "I get to buy and handle all the stamps I could never afford, thanks to someone else's money."
A reception was held after the lecture.
[Canadian Stamp news, May 15, 2007]
3rd Lecture – Tuesday 2 October 2008 at the Badminton & Raquet Club of Toronto
Cheryl R. Ganz Chief Curator of Philately, Smithsonian National Postal Museum - COME TAKE A RIDE ON THE HINDENBURG
The third Harry Sutherland Philatelic Lecture occurred on Thursday, October 2nd, 2008, at 7:00 p.m. at the Badminton & Racquet Club of Toronto.
The Guest Speaker was Cheryl R. Ganz the Chief Curator of Philately at the Smithsonian National Postal Museum.
She showed the guests around the Hindenburg with the help of diagrams and period photos. The journey from Europe to North America took just a few days. Even though there was a risk of fire from using hydrogen instead of helium, there was a special smoking room designed for safety. Passengers had access to shared spaces like lounges, dining areas, and reading rooms, and there was even a piano room.
The US Navy ZRS4 Akron first flew over Washington DC on 2 November 1931. At lower right is Union Station and to its left is the post office (now the Smithsonian National Postal Museum). Photo: Library of Congress.
The Hindenburg also transported mail and was known for having the largest flying post office. Passengers could buy stamps, postcards, and other mailing supplies. Items posted onboard were cancelled everyday. Out of the 17,000 pieces of mail on the ill-fated flight, the ones that survived the fire are highly valued by collectors, including a cover owned by Ganz.
After the lecture, guests enjoyed dessert and coffee during a reception.
4th Lecture – Friday 30th October 2009 at the Badminton & Raquet Club of Toronto
Damian Läge - THE MAKING OF: AUSTRALASIAN BIRDLIFE
Professor Dr. Damian Läge, RDP, Switzerland
is most recognized for his significant thematic exhibits that have brought him acclaim.
Dr. Läge joined the Fédération Internationale de Philatélie (FIP) Commission for Thematic Philately in 1999 and served as chairman from 2004 to 2012. He played a key role in organizing the Federation of European Philatelic Associations (FEPA) European Championship for Thematic Philately and has been the jury president at numerous events. He frequently gives lectures on Thematic Philately.
He was awarded the Lee Medal from the Royal Philatelic Society London for the best paper in 2004 and won the Best Presentation Award from the Collectors Club of New York in 2009. His book, Thematic Development: The Personal Design of a Thematic Exhibit (1996), is considered a guide to the 4th Generation of Thematic Exhibiting and is still a useful resource for creating award-winning thematic exhibits.
Dr. Läge has received many prestigious awards, including one for his “Australasian Birdlife” exhibit, which was the first Thematic exhibit to score 97 points at an FIP exhibition in China in 1999.
It was also the first Thematic exhibit to be nominated for a FIP Grand Prix International in Belgica in 2001, and the first to be a candidate for a FIP Grand Prix d’Honneur in Washington in 2006 and Bucharest in 2016. Additionally, it became the first Thematic exhibit to win the World Stamp Championship in Budapest in 2022.
https://stamps.org/news/c/news/cat/aps-news/post/the-roll-of-distinguished-philatelists
5th Lecture – Friday 16 November 2012 at the Badminton & Raquet Club of Toronto
David R. Beech MBE - THE TAPLING COLLECTION AND THE FITZGERALD COLLECTION
David Richard Beech MBE was the curator of the British Library Philatelic Collections from 1983 to 2013. He is a fellow and past president of the Royal Philatelic Society London (RPSL). In 2013, David received the Smithsonian Philatelic Achievement Award for outstanding lifetime accomplishments in the field of philately.
He became a curator at the British Library in 1983 where one of his first tasks was to build up a philatelic reference library. He became head of the Philatelic Collection in 1991.
He was RPSL president from 2003 to 2005. In 2012, David was awarded the Member of the British Empire (MBE) medal for services to philately.
Beech was a joint founder in 1996 of the International Philatelic Libraries Association during the Capex’96 stamp exhibition in Toronto.
David’s lecture was attended by about 50 guests. He presented images of rare items from British North America found in the Tapling Collection, along with unique pieces from the Fitzgerald Collection that focused on early airmails in Newfoundland.
6th Lecture – Friday 8 November 2013 at the Badminton & Racquet Club of Toronto
Timothy R. Bartshe - WHY THE ORANGE FREE STATE - A HISTORY OF A COLLECTION
Tim Bartshe joined the Philatelic Specialist Society of Canada (PSSC) in 2010.
In 2019, he was honored with the John N. Luff Award for his significant contributions to philately. Tim Bartshe writes the “Stamp Show Administration” column in The Philatelic Exhibitor. He has been influential in the judging community, actively recruiting and mentoring judges. Bartshe has judged at many national shows, including most World Series of Philately events and the Canadian National Stamp Show. He became an accredited judge in 1998 and served as jury chair in 2002. Since 2008, he has also been a literature and FIAF judge.
As an international expert on Boer Republics, he has won seven grand awards and has participated in various exhibiting categories like Traditional and Postal History. He has received multiple international awards, including a Large Gold at London 2010. In 2002, he was awarded the Manfred Weinstein Memorial Medallion for his contributions to South African philately.
7th Lecture – Wednesday 24 June 2015 at the Badminton & Raquet Club of Toronto
John H. Barwis FRPSL - PHILADELPHIA’S BRITISH MAILS
Dr. John H. Barwis FRPSL was the President of the Institute for Analytical Philately Inc., a non-profit organization solving philately's problems through science. He spoke on the postal history of Philadelphia's British Mails, focusing on how the volume and movement of these mails reflected on the socio-economic and demographic changes in the United States in the 18th and 19th Centuries. In addition to his lecture, he displayed his award-winning eight-frame exhibit on the subject.
Dr. Barwis is a Fellow of the Royal Philatelic Society London. He is an accomplished exhibitor, winning the 2011 Champion of Champions competition with his Victoria Half-Lengths. His book on the same subject has received top honours in both Australia and New Zealand Literature competitions. He is an accredited national philatelic judge.
Dr. Barwis served in many senior positions in the philatelic world and was the President of the United States Classics Society. He also served on the American Philatelic Society's Finance Committee.
Dr. Barwis was the recipient of the Luff Award in 2018 for Distinguished Philatelic Research.
He retired in 2003 after 25 years with the Royal Dutch/Shell Group.
8th Lecture – Thursday 22 September 2017 at the Rosedale Golf Club
Birthe King FRPSL and Chris King FRPSL - IS POSTAL HISTORY, HISTORY?
Birthe King, Michael Madesker and Chris King with a portrait of Vincent Graves Greene in the background.
Chris King RDP, FRPSL and Birthe King FRPSL are both seasoned international exhibitors. Chris has served as the past president of the Royal Philatelic Society London and was an Elector of The Roll of Distinguished Philatelists. Birthe has chaired the RPSL’s Membership and Representatives Committee.
During a lecture titled "Is Postal History, History?", Chris explored the role of additional materials like photographs, documents, and medals in postal history exhibits. He argued that while international rules permit these artifacts, they should be used sparingly. He noted that some judges disagree with his stance. He referenced the rule for Postal History Class 2C, which says in part ‘exhibits would include material developed by commerce and society for use in the postal system and may include non-philatelic material where relevant to the subject of the exhibit. The non-philatelic material should be incorporated into the exhibit in a balanced and appropriate manner in such a way that it does not overwhelm the philatelic material.’
In his exhibit on the postal history of Schleswig Holstein, he included non-philatelic materials.
On the afternoon of Saturday, September 23, the RPSL hosted a regional meeting for North American Fellows, Members, and those interested in the RPSL at the Greene Foundation. The Canadian representatives introduced were Ingo Nessel (Eastern Canada), Peter Newroth (Western Canada), and Charles Verge (Representative at large).
Birthe King gave a talk about showing exhibits in the Open or Display Class. She shared examples from her Open Class exhibit focused on Denmark and WWII, which she showed in frames. The Open Class allows for a larger amount of non-philatelic elements, up to 50%, compared to the Postal History Class. These non-philatelic elements play a key role in the exhibit and help tell its story.
At the end of the meeting, the PSSC revealed images of the Canadian signatories of the Roll of Distinguished Philatelists. At the time seven Canadians were honored by signing the Roll: Frederick Jarrett in 1935, James Alexander Calder in 1947, Gerald E Welburn in 1951, Vincent Graves Greene in 1963, Harry Sutherland in 1991, Kenneth Rowe in 1995, and Michael Madesker in 2000. All, except Gerald Welburn, were members of the PSSC. Since then, Charles Verge signed the Roll in 2020.
The PSSC hired an artist, Ms. Monica Bodirsky from Ontario College of Art & Design University to create the images that captured the essence for the members' recognition. The outcome is a series of images displayed at the VGG. Michael Madesker, the only living member of this group at the time, was present for the unveiling.
Michael Madesker RDP standing in front of his image at the Greene Foundation.
9th Lecture – Friday 11 October 2019 at the Rosedale Golf Club
Prof. Henrik Mouritsen - THREE VIEWS OF DANISH PHILATELY, 1875-1907
To celebrate Stamp Collecting Month in October 2019, the Greene Foundation organized a week filled with lectures and seminars.
From October 11 to 20, 2019, the Greene Foundation teamed up with the Fédération Internationale de Philatélie (FIP), Royal Philatelic Society London (RPSL), and Philatelic Specialists Society of Canada (PSSC) to host a series of philatelic events that showcased a diverse international flavour.
There were souvenir covers for each event franked with Picture Postage.
On Friday, October 11, the weeklong celebration began with the Harry Sutherland Philatelic Lecture, presented by Professor Henrik Mouritsen from Oldenburg, Germany.
In his presentation titled “Three Views of Danish Philately, 1875-1907,” Professor Mouritsen shared insights about his award-winning 19th-century Danish exhibits. He categorized them into three classes: traditional, postal history, and postal stationery. His aim was to highlight how exhibitors can utilize the same materials in diverse ways for each class.
Mouritsen, a philatelic judge, began his career in Canada as a post-doctoral student at Queen’s University in Kingston, Ontario. He wrote the six-volume work titled Danish Postal History 1875-1907, published in 2019. This comprehensive study covers the shift to the Universal Postal Union (UPU) and the rates and rules for all kinds of Danish mail prior to the UPU treaty taking effect on 1 October 1907.
At Carl-von-Ossietzky University in Oldenburg, Mouritsen held the position of deputy director at the Institute of Biology and Environmental Sciences, where he studied navigation in birds and other animals.
ROYAL PHILATELIC SOCIETY LONDON Regional Meeting:
In celebration of the 150th Anniversary of the Royal Philatelic Society London, its Canadian Branch hosted a meeting on Saturday 12 October. Twenty-five fellows, members and guests attended a lecture by Iva Mouritsen entitled “A Royal Ménage à Trois and its Historical Consequences.”
Ms. Mouritsen described her journey to winning international Large Gold for this innovative Open Philately exhibit on a crucial period of Danish history.
— Michel Houde