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Index CartoPhilatelica Second Edition (September 2026)
October 2026 – Release of Index CartoPhilatelica Second Edition
Brian Marshall, the Index CartoPhilatelica Editor has been hard at work preparing the second edition of this important cartophilatelic resource.
Like the first edition, the second edition of Index CartoPhilatelica is also arranged in two parts. The first part is a subject index. The second part, the author index, is arranged alphabetically by the name of the author, and under each name the entries are arranged chronologically. Over the years more than 280 individuals have made written contributions to the Society’s journals.
A new feature of the second edition is the addition of subject index active cross-reference links for all “see” and “see also” entries. Move the mouse over those lines and you will see the link become active. Press the link and you should “jump” to the respective page that contains the subject heading.
The second edition of Index CartoPhilatelica contains indexed content from all of the the issues of the Carto-Philatelist (1955-03 through 1995-12) and issues of The New CartoPhilatelist (2003-03 through 2025-10 [No. 91]).
This second edition of Index CartoPhilatelica is dedicated to the memory of David Wolfersberger, who edited our journal from January 2021 until 2025. David maintained a very high and meticulous standard throughout the term of his editorship.
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| Example Index Page |
Overview
Index CartoPhilatelica is an exciting new resource from the CartoPhilatelic Society.
Compiled by fellow cartophilatelist and Index CartoPhilatelica Editor Brian Marshall, of New Zealand, this multi-year project set out to develop a comprehensive subject and personal reference index to the Carto-Philatelist and The New CartoPhilatelist journals.
The second edition of Index CartoPhilatelic was released on October 1, 2026 on this webpage. Public distribution of the digital version will be through this webpage.
The first issue of The Carto-Philatelist appeared in March 1955. The introduction to this new journal described it as the “official bulletin of the Map Study Unit of the American Topical Association”. Publication continued until December 1995, when the Society went into abeyance. The Society became active again at the beginning of 2003, with a new set of officers at the helm. A revitalized journal, The New CartoPhilatelist, has been published since March 2003.
The second edition of Index CartoPhilatelica contains indexed content from all of the the issues of the Carto-Philatelist (1955-03 through 1995-12) and issues of The New CartoPhilatelist (2003-03 through 2025-10 [No. 91]).
The layout of Index CartoPhilatelica is produced as a Letter size document. Both parts one and two are grouped into a single PDF document available for download at the link above.
Rationale for the creation of an index
Within the pages of these two journals is a huge amount of cartophilatelic information, as well as interesting information about the members of our Society. Some of this material can be tracked down using the very useful cumulative tables of contents, previously compiled by Volker Woesner, and now Stuart Hamilton, and are available through the Cumulative Tables of Contents webpage. These tables of contents provide a broad-based approach to the contents of the journal, and are important for tracking down articles on particular topics.
A feature of both of the Society’s journals is the wealth of information locked away in regular columns that have appeared for most of the time the journals have been published. The first was “All Over the Map” compiled for many years by Evelyn Nelson. In her column in volume 5, issue #6, 1959, for example, there is information about Greece’s Red Cross issue, a map cancel from Ecuador honoring the Organization of American States, a souvenir sheet from Syria commemorating the Sixth Damascus Fair showing a world map , the American designer of a Turks and Caicos issue, the issuing of an overprinted stamp by Guatemala reiterating its claim to British Honduras, plus awards won by various members at philatelic exhibitions. So many bits of information in a single column!
Much of the material included in Evelyn’s column is information that today we would exchange via email. It is material that is not captured by a cumulative table of contents. The New CartoPhilatelist has a regular “Maps on Stamps New Issues” column. Again, the details of new stamps are not captured in a cumulative table of contents, but they are in this new index.
In the journals there is also information about members of the Society. Sometimes there is detailed information, other times there is a single sentence noting that a member has successfully exhibited a cartophilatelic display, or, sadly, that they have passed away. All references to people are indexed, regardless of the length of the entry about them.
Structure and layout
Like the first edition, the second edition of Index CartoPhilatelica is also arranged in two parts. The first is a subject index. Articles can receive more than one subject heading. Lighthouses on map stamps for example, are indexed under the heading LIGHTHOUSES, but will also be indexed under the name of the country issuing a stamp with a lighthouse on it. Some subjects lend themselves to multiple possible headings. “Forgeries”, and “fake stamps”, are both potential subject headings, but are brought together under the heading BOGUS STAMPS, with “see” cross-references from the two other alternatives.
A new feature of this second edition is the addition of subject index active cross-reference links for all “see” and “see also” entries. Move the mouse over those lines and you will see the link become active. Press the link and you should “jump” to the respective page that contains the subject heading.
Earlier editions
An announcement for the first edition of Index CartoPhilatelica appeared in the January (No. 72) edition of The New CartoPhilatelist. The first edition of Index CartoPhilatelica contains indexed content from all the issues of the Carto-Philatelist (1955-03 through 1995-12) and issues of The New CartoPhilatelist (2003-03 through 2020-07 [No. 70]).
You can still download edition 1 of Index CartoPhilatelica Index CartoPhilatelica First Edition (January 2021) if needed, however the second edition contains all content and more through TNCP issue No. 91.
Feedback and Updates
While great care has been taken in compiling, editing, and proof-reading the layout of the index editorial issues are bound to exist. To help with efforts in making the listings better, please use the Society’s “Contact Us” page to submit corrections or suggestions. Brian will continue to update the content of the index on a periodic basis. It is planned that updates will be made available here.
“The professional dedication and perseverance of Brian in this sole, multi-year endeavor has resulted in one of the most comprehensive and well structured indexes in topical philately. Index CartoPhilatelica is an open resource that will soon become an indispensable tool for research projects by both members of the CartoPhilatelic Society as well as philatelists outside of the group. On behalf of the members of the CPS, I commend Brain on completing this task and hope that he will continue to update and expand this project as new issues of the Society’s New CaroPhilatelist Journal are published. Thank you Brian!” – Mark Honig, CPS President
