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Dr. Prabodh Gupta collection of Indian stamp ephemera
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Held at: University of Pennsylvania: Kislak Center for Special Collections, Rare Books and Manuscripts [Contact Us]3420 Walnut Street, Philadelphia, PA 19104-6206
This is a finding aid. It is a description of archival material held at the University of Pennsylvania: Kislak Center for Special Collections, Rare Books and Manuscripts. Unless otherwise noted, the materials described below are physically available in their reading room, and not digitally available through the web.
Overview and metadata sections
Dr. Prabodh Gupta is a specialist in pathology at the Hospital of the University of Pennsylvania. He is also an emeritus professor of pathology and laboratory medicine. He graduated from University of Delhi in 1955, the Medical College of Punjab University in 1960, and the All India Institute of Medical Sciences in 1965.
Paper post was introduced to India in 1852 and contained British monarchs on the stamps until 1947 when India gained independence from England. After Indian independence, postage stamps became a means of highlighting the country's achievements, showing developments, and displaying cultural heritage.
The Dr. Prabodh Gupta collection of Indian stamp ephemera contains first day covers, stamp brochures, and stamps on envelopes and postcards. This collection dates from 1953 to 1975.
First day covers are envelopes or postcards that mark the first day a stamp's issue is authorized for use. The envelopes or postcards include the actual stamp, a logo which is sometimes, but usually not, the same as the stamp, the date, and a postmark from New Delhi. The information with the logo is always in English and the stamps are frequently in English and Hindi. On a few occasions, there is more than one copy of the envelope if multiple stamps for a single commemoration were issued. This series contains seventy-four first day covers from 1956 to 1970. The stamps commemorate people, places, events and developments. Some of the items of note in the collection are the first day covers of Kasturba Gandhi, Abraham Lincoln, the Indian Mount Everest Expedition of 1965, and the XIX Olympic Games.
Stamp brochures are booklets containing commemorative stamps as well as technical information about the stamp and its historical context and significance. Each stamp that is described in a brochure in this series is also represented with a first day cover. Like the first day covers, these stamp brochures cover a range of topics. They date from 1964 to 1968.
The final series contains stamps on envelopes and postcards dating from 1953 to 1975. These items appear to have been collected for the stamps, and not for the content contained on or in the envelopes. Included is a personal letter from a son to his father in 1954, a few blank post cards from 1954, and several empty envelopes, one of which is addressed to Dr. Gupta (1975) and contains fifteen unique stamps.
Gift of Dr. Prabodh Gupta, 2015.
Organization
Subject
Place
- Publisher
- University of Pennsylvania: Kislak Center for Special Collections, Rare Books and Manuscripts
- Finding Aid Author
- Kelin Baldridge
- Finding Aid Date
- 11/16/2015
- Use Restrictions
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Copyright restrictions may exist. For most library holdings, the Trustees of the University of Pennsylvania do not hold copyright. It is the responsibility of the requester to seek permission from the holder of the copyright to reproduce material from the Kislak Center for Special Collections, Rare Books and Manuscripts.
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Copyright restrictions may exist. For most library holdings, the Trustees of the University of Pennsylvania do not hold copyright. It is the responsibility of the requester to seek permission from the holder of the copyright to reproduce material from the Kislak Center for Special Collections, Rare Books and Manuscripts.