BTA Zoom Presentations 2022
Here are all the Association's Zoom Presentations for 2022 (for 2023 click here)
14 December: Wendy Buckle Pictures in Miniature: the art of illuminated manuscripts
European medieval manuscripts are an important source for our knowledge of the history of European art, and they provide a vivid picture of life in that period. This presentation will look at how manuscripts were produced and how some famous manuscripts have illustrated the Christmas story.
16 November: Jon Matthias Philatelic Passports
Sold as souvenirs for stamp exhibitions, philatelic passports provide an interesting window into the way stamps are promoted and marketed to collectors. This presentation looks at some passport pages from various exhibitions over a 40 year period, complete with stamps, special cancellations, and some other surprises!
9 August: Mike Blackman Aspects of Umbrellas
Umbrellas can seem rather mundane and tend only to get our attention when they annoy us by blowing inside out when we most need them – on a wet and windy day. However, both umbrellas and parasols in fact have a long and interesting history and culture which will be explored in this presentation using philatelic material, ephemera, postcards, poster stamps and more.
13 July: Keith Burton Viaducts
A potpourri of viaducts, their histories and the ways that they have developed or fallen into disuse; shown through postcards, photographs, maps and a few words. The presentation starts with a small viaduct in Lancashire and then moves around the country and abroad.
30 June: Member's Meeting
4 members of the BTA present on a selection of topics.
Peter Wood - An introduction to Guinness for the philatelist
Mark Humfrey – Arctic and Antarctic Orchids
Gary Cook – The Eiffel Tower
Les Ashton-Smith – Justus Liebig
19 May: Jean Alexander Waterfalls on postal stationery postcards
Collectors often think of postal stationery as a postcard with a head on the top right hand corner. The aim of this talk is to encourage more thematic collectors to look for postal stationery. Cards are included where waterfalls are in the background of the picture but the actual adverts include cars, beer, pharmaceuticals, computers, banks, newspapers and other subjects.
19 April: Daphne McMillain Airgraphs
Following a short introduction explaining how the airgraph system worked, the talk will show illustrated airgraphs to, but mainly from, many of the theatres of war from 1941 onwards. Whether you collect thematic material or are constructing an open class exhibit, airgraphs are a good source of material. As well as a wide range of printed items there are many hand-drawn ones, often showing the British squaddie's irreverent sense of humour as well as his artistic talent.
18 January: Les Ashton-Smith Auguste Piccard
Auguste Piccard was a Swiss physicist, inventor and explorer known for his record-breaking balloon flights in the 1930’s, with which he studied the Earth's upper atmosphere. Piccard was also known for his invention of the first bathyscaphe, with which he made a number of dives to explore the ocean's depths. This presentation explores his life and accomplishments and examines the family legacy he and his brother created.
