Exhibition Symbol

An exhibition is an organized display of works of art, science, and industry for the purpose of stimulating public interest and illustrating the progress and accomplishments of a wide variety of productive activities. People are attracted to this type of display primarily because of the exhibition’s educational and entertainment value. Exhibitions of all types, including philatelic exhibitions, exercise an influence that is immediate, continuous, and far-reaching.

With the issue of the first postage stamp in 1840, the hobby of collecting stamps started. Although for the first two years, the hobby was confined mostly to schoolboys, but by 1863, it made inroads into the hearts of serious-minded people. With the expansion of the hobby, it took no time for clubs and societies to be organized. The need for exploring individual collections by stamp collectors was also strongly felt. Thus started Philatelic Exhibitions.

The first International Exhibition was, however, held on the occasion of the 50th anniversary of the first postage stamp in London in 1890. Other international exhibitions practically were held in Paris, The Hague, Amsterdam, and Vienna in subsequent years, followed by exhibitions practically every year. More than two to three international exhibitions are now being held every year in one part of the globe or the other.

India organized its first international exhibition in 1954 on the occasion of the celebration of the Centenary of India’s first postage stamp. Since then, a number of exhibitions were held by various organizations in the country. A National Philatelic Exhibition was, however, held in 1970 on a large scale under the auspices of the Indian Posts & Telegraphs Department.

The success of the National Philatelic Exhibition prompted the P&T Department to undertake the task of sponsoring the India International Philatelic Exhibition (INDIPEX-73), to be held in New Delhi during the period from 14th to 23rd November 1973. The exhibition has been planned in the “Hall of Nations,” a unique building of a space frame structure free from intervening columns and will provide an ideal site affording an area of 7000 sq. mtrs. The competitive section will display about 2000 specially designed frames, and great care has been taken for their arrangements and grouping.

The P&T Department feels it a great privilege to bring out a series of four special postage stamps to mark this historic philatelic event. One of the stamps in this series with the symbol of the exhibition is being brought out on 8th January 1973 as an advance publicity of the exhibition. The other three stamps will be issued on the day of the inauguration of the exhibition. The Department feels that this stamp will generate interest among philatelists and collectors throughout the world to make the exhibition a success with their cooperation.