Passports – Yes, the World is Flat

Passports – Yes, the World is Flat...
by Tom Topol - Deutsche Zusammenfassung von Heinz-Ulrich Kammeier
…at least if you look
at all the different
country stamps in
your own passport
but there is much
more
to
explore
when it comes to
PASSPORT
COLLECTING.
Nowadays you can
collect
everything
e.g. stamps, maps,
newspapers, invoices. In the ephemera
world there is a corner for everything –
even for old obsolete
passports. This article may give you a
first impression on
WHY, WHAT to collect and WHERE to
find your passports.
There are of course
many different answers to the big 3
W’s but I will tell you
mine…
PASSPORT
COLLECTING
is
nothing new and I
know collectors starting 30 years ago. But
I would say this topic
is getting more popular today even you
rarely find articles in
the established websites or magazines.
Some famous man
said once “If you
don’t find what you
looking for – create it
– be it”. Well, that
was exactly why I
started to establish
the website www.passport-collector.com. It’s a share point for collectors of passports and other related travel
documents. There is a weekly newsletter and you will be updated by regular postings of news, reports, pictures
and collectors experience. Any collector contribution is very welcome and will keep the site vivid.
WHY do I collect passports?
For me an old passport is a piece of art beside it shows the (travel) history of its bearer. Imagine, who was travelling 70-80 years ago to countries like China, Japan and India? Only business man or wealthy people did, as
travelling was much more complex as it is today. For private people it was pure luxury to travel. Now go even
more back in time – 100, 150 or 200 years. Who was travelling then? Look at the passport above who once belongs to a member of the first German National Assembly 1848 in Frankfurt (example I). Do you see all the
handwriting and stamps? At this time you did not find pictures on passports. Isn’t that art compared to our RFIDPassport (Biometric passport) from today? At those days each passport was unique. Today passports are
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standardized and you can’t even smile anymore on
your passport picture as this is against the standard. I
do have documents in my collection I only bought because of the unusual or artful passport picture. See
example II. Impossible today!
WHAT to collect?
Well, the topic is broad but I would recommend to limit
your desire (and money) and focus your passion e.g.
on a country, a period or smaller (but more difficult) on
a grand duchy, specific stamps or visa…others collecting diplomatic passports only (very difficult). I do collect
“German documents”. My oldest passport was handwritten by a duchess in 1646.
WHERE to find old passports?
Maybe the most difficult one of the three questions as
the public still thinks there is something illegal behind
to collect passports. Please open your own passport
right now and you will find a statement similar like this
in almost all documents “This passport is property of
the issuing country”…and you are “only” its bearer.
To say it clear “THERE IS NOTHING ILLEGAL” (As
long it’s an old, obsolete one and for collecting purpose
only) and remember here we talk about current modern
passports.
The real old ones don’t have normally such a statement.
As source to start or increase your collection I have to
mention eBay even they have strict rules on offering
government documents. Please check your local eBay site for more information. But I made some great findings
there. Secondly visit your local flea or antique markets. Also there you might be lucky. Finally you can visit occasionally auction houses. Sign up for their newsletters to get the latest information. To buy at an auction house
isn’t necessarily expensive. Try it and you will be surprised sometimes.
Well, I hope you enjoyed my article here and the short introduction in PASSPORT COLLECTING. Don’t hesitate
to contact me for any further questions at www.passport-collector.com. The ONLY website for passportcollectors.
Deutsche Zusammenfassung
In diesem Artikel beleuchtet Tom Topol ein „Randgebiet” des Autographensammelns, nämlich das Sammeln
historischer Pässe.
Wie beim Sammeln von Handschriften kann man sich auch hier spezialisieren: bestimmte Länder oder Epochen, Diplomatenpässe usw. Eine Streitfrage der heutigen Zeit ist die nach den Eigentumsverhältnissen. Eigentlich ist es der ausgebende Staat; der Inhaber ist lediglich der „Besitzer“. Wer nun ältere Pässe sammelt, hat
mit dieser Rechtslage jedoch keinerlei Probleme.
Abgebildet ist unter anderem ein Reisepass für einen Abgeordneten der Nationalversammlung der Paulskirche
in Frankfurt (1848/49), die ja mehrere Ländergrenzen überqueren mussten, wenn sie etwa von Oldenburg
(Oldb.), Bautzen, Greifswald oder Wiener Neustadt in die Freie Reichsstadt Frankfurt am Main reisten.
Eine gute Möglichkeit recht preiswert an historische handgeschriebene Pässe zu gelangen, ist ebay.
Kurzmeldung
Gefragter Bundespräsident (BILD AM SONNTAG, 26.02.2012)
Bei einer Lesung kurz vor seiner Wahl zum Bundespräsidenten wollten 300 der 400 Anwesenden einen Namenszug Gaucks haben – noch war er original zu haben.
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