Number 307 April 2025

CONTENTS

– A France at Peace and a France ripe for development” Some perspectives on the Second Empire through Postal History Part 1: European diplomacy and the importance of railway (Roger Niven)
– Forbin Forgeries of the Merson Values for French Colonies (Miles Cerny)
– Albert Désiré Barre, 6 May 1818 - 29 December 1878 (Tony Howgrave-Graham FRPSL)
– Usage of the Série Sites et Monuments/Série touristique d’usage courant (1938 - 1941) - Part 2 (Edwin Voerman)
– Granet and Regents (Marden Blackledge) 
– Publicité Dubonnet (David E Huckett)
– Precursors of the French postal card - The French balloon cards - Part 5b: Balloon cards sent abroad (Frans Jorissen)           
– Marianne de Muller  Part 7b: the 25 franc issue (YT 1011C) Booklets of 8, Postal Stationery and Postal Usage (Mick Bister)                   
– There’s No Business Like Show Business – Connections on French Stamps - Part 9 (David Parmley)
Shorter Items - including Questions and Answers
•  A Postcard from the Early Exploration Period of the Upper Volta Region of French West Africa in 1886 (Peter RA Kelly)
•  Ashley’s Letterbox (Mick Bister) 
•  The Story behind a Letter from Batavia to Reunion in 1867 (Peter RAKelly)
•  Western Australia – Paris: REFUSED mail (Malcolm Brown)
•  Somali Coast Antics (Mick Bister)  
•  Zoom Meeting Report 11 February 2025  
Regular Features
Bookshelf (Reviewed by Michael Round)
•  Yvert & Tellier ‘Timbres de France’ Catalogue 2025 (Reviewed by Richard Broadhurst)
•  Yvert & Tellier ‘Colonies Françaises et Bureaux Français à l’Étranger’ Catalogue 2025 (Reviewed by  
    Miles Cerny)                  
Books Noted (Maurice Tyler)
Society Notes
Report of the Northern Meeting Group
List of Recently Published Articles (Maurice Tyler)
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