Library Resource Types
Photo credit: Aidan Matney
The Harry Sutherland Philatelic Library at the Greene Foundation is a treasure trove of philatelic and postal history resources, but can be overwhelming for new researchers. Sure, you probably know what to do with our books but we’ve also got auction catalogues, journals, and all sorts of archival material! In this article we will break down the different types of physical resources in our repository and how you might use them in your research.
Need additional help figuring out where to get started? Email us! library@greenefoundation.ca
Auction Catalogues
Auction catalogues are the best resource for tracing the provenance, or origin and history of ownership and sale, of a stamp or cover. Auction catalogues contain descriptions of the items or lots for sale, often with glossy pictures of the items as well. Many of the Canadian auction catalogues in our collection also contain a copy of the “prices realized” list, which details the final sale price of the lots. Auction catalogues can tell you a lot about an item’s price or perceived value over time, and are ideal for studying sales trends. Named sales or special auctions can give background information on printers, designers, printing processes, renowned collectors, or postal history. We have thousands of auction catalogues available for your perusal!
Books
The heart of our library: the books. We hold roughly 10,000 books covering a world of topics. The majority of our collection pertains to British North American and Canadian philately. We hold books that cover worldwide philately and thematic topics as well, as we aim for our library to be of use to collectors of all kinds. We hold more scholarly books such as those we publish, but we also hold copies of philatelic exhibits, small-run and self-published works, and definitive works on international subjects.
Canada Post Documents
For anyone interested in Canadian postal history, our collection of Canada Post documents is a font of invaluable knowledge. We have a nearly complete run of Postmaster General’s Reports and Postal Guides, which provide great historical overviews of Canada Post’s policies and procedures. We also have Canada Post postal information booklets, postal almanacs, and much, much more. These research materials can provide insight into the movement of mail domestically and internationally, Canadian postal rates and routes, and Canadian postage stamp production.
Catalogues
The Scott Standard Catalogue of Postage Stamps is the definitive world-wide catalogue for philatelic research. While the Scott Catalogue set is where many philatelists begin their research, there are many other catalogues about specific geographic or interest areas that might be of use to you. We have catalogues from Unitrade, Yvert & Tellier, Stanley Gibbons, Michel, and many more.
Journals
Our library contains a wide variety of journals and periodicals spanning nearly two centuries. These periodicals include magazines, newspapers, scholarly and semi-scholarly journals, bulletins, and philatelic club newsletters. These journals can be incredibly useful when looking into what research has already been completed on a particular stamp or postal history topic. Some of these journals also have indices, which makes it easier to search through back issues. It can be fascinating to flip through journals from one hundred years ago to see just what philatelists were interested in days gone by.
Vertical Files
Most of our archival holdings fall under the category of “vertical files.” Our vertical files contain news clippings, posters, advertising brochures, and other ephemera about nearly every stamp issued by Canada or in British North America. We also hold biographical files about well-known Canadian collectors and dealers, as well as postal history files.
— Natalie Mitchell
Library Manager, Greene Foundation