Roll of Distinguished Philatelists

The Roll of Distinguished Philatelists (RDP) is a philatelic award of international scale, created by the Philatelic Congress of Great Britain in 1921. The Roll consists of three pieces of parchment to which the signatories add their names.

King George V was the first signatory to the Roll.

Selection of the signatories

Those who have assisted the development of philately through their research, expertise or giving their time can be candidates to sign the Roll if they are sponsored by one of the existing signatories. The following four years, the candidate is examined once a year with the other current ones by a Board of election.[1]:33

The ceremony of signature of the Roll happens at the annual Philatelic Congress of Great Britain.[1]:37–38 Under the Congress' rules, the signatories can talk and vote during the Congress.[2]

Forty-two philatelists were honoured posthumously on the first page of the Roll as "Fathers of Philately".[3]:9–27

Four other names were added in the 1950s at the bottom of the first page. In 1951, Edward R. Woodward (died 1931) and J. Stanley Telfer (died 1938) were honoured by the Board of election because they were two important philatelists and member of the Board. In 1956, because the Board was sure they would have been called to sign the Roll if they would have lived longer, United States citizen Clarence W. Hennan and A. Tort Nicolau of Spain were added too.[3]:26–27

History of the Roll

On 30 October 1919, Percy C. Bishop, a member of the London Stamp Club, proposed the institution of an "Philatelic Order of Merit" to honour philatelic writers. This order would be given more importance than existing philatelic prizes and would have an international importance. In late 1919, F. H. Vallencey, President of the Club, presented the idea to the readers of his Stamp Collecting paper. In March 1920, a jury of five[4] published a list of twenty-five names who the jury selected from the ninety-one names sent by the readers and British associations.[5]

However, to gain official recognition, the London Stamp Club let the associative members of the 1920 Philatelic Congress of Great Britain in Newcastle upon Tyne decide the future of Bishop's idea. A sub-committee was constituted to find a new name and write rules of the award.[6]

At the 1921 Congress in Harrogate, the "Roll of Distinguished Philatelists" was created without any discussion.[7] The subcommittee has already got the signature of King and philatelist George V on the printed parchment, the twenty-four of the selected by the first jury and fifteen other philatelists were already invited to sign the Roll on the last day of the Congress.[8]

Starting in 1922, the selection of the signatories was annual except between the Congresses of 1940 and 1946 because of World War II.[9]

The "fathers of philately"

The names of forty-two deceased philatelists are printed on the Roll page that was signed between 1921 and 1935. They were placed in the ribbons that ornate the two columns on each side of the page. They were included as "fathers of philately".[3]

Mount Brown
Philipp von Ferrary
James Lindsay, 26th Earl of Crawford
Thomas Keay Tapling

List of signatories

1921

Among the forty first signatories are twenty-four out of the twenty-five proposed by the initial jury[4] in 1920:[17]

Edward Denny Bacon
Edward B. Evans
William Russell Lane-Joynt

Chosen by the 1920 jury, the British A. B. Creeke was forgotten by the Philatelic Congress' subcommittee in 1921.[8]

The subcommittee added fifteen philatelists in 1921[8] with a larger majority of Britons than in the 1920 jury's selection.[24]

Frederick John Melville
Charles Stewart Wilson

Finally, before the day of the first signing ceremony on 6 May 1921, King George V was the first to sign the upper part of the Roll ("George R.I.").[25] He was invited to do so because, when Duke of York, he was President of the Royal Philatelic Society London from 1896 to 1910, and was still a collector and philatelist with the help of the late John Alexander Tilleard and Edward Denny Bacon.

1920s

1930s

1940s

1950s

1960s

1970s

1980s

1990s

2000s

2010s
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See also

References
  1. Arthur Ronald Butler, The Roll of Distinguished Philatelists, The British Philatelic Federation Limited, 1990
  2. Arthur Ronald Butler, "The Beginning", chapter one of The Roll of Distinguished Philatelists, The British Philatelic Federation Limited, 1990, page 7.
  3. Arthur Ronald Butler, "The Roll and the 'Fathers of Philately'", chapter 2 of The Roll of Distinguished Philatelists, The British Philatelic Federation Limited, 1990
  4. The members of the jury were Percy C. Bishop, Derek Ingram, Fred J. Melville, G. L. Tinker and F. Hugh Vallencey ; in Arthur Ronald Butler, The Roll of Distinguished Philatelists, 1990, pages 3-4.
  5. Arthur Ronald Butler, "The Beginning", chapter 1 of The Roll of Distinguished Philatelists, The British Philatelic Federation Limited, 1990, pages 1—5.
  6. Arthur Ronald Butler, "The Beginning", chapter 1 of The Roll of Distinguished Philatelists, The British Philatelic Federation Limited, 1990, pages 5—6.
  7. "Not only was the Roll presented as a fait accompli", wrote Arthur Ronald Butler, in « The Beginning », chapter 1 of The Roll of Distinguished Philatelists, The British Philatelic Federation Limited, 1990, page 6.
  8. Arthur Ronald Butler, "The Beginning", chapter 1 of The Roll of Distinguished Philatelists, The British Philatelic Federation Limited, 1990, pages 6—7.
  9. Arthur Ronald Butler, The Roll of Distinguished Philatelists, The British Philatelic Federation Limited, 1990, page 89.
  10. Background notes on The Roll of Distinguished Philatelists September 2011, Roll of Distinguished Philatelists Trust, London, 2011. Archived here.
  11. "Death of Sir W.B. Avery, Bart." in The London Philatelist, Vol. XVII, No. 203, November 1908, pp. 256-7.
  12. Note biographique dans l'index « Who was Who? » (« qui fut qui ? ») sur le site du British Philatelic Trust, page consultée le 17 août 2007.
  13. "Death of the Rev. J.A. Dunbar-Dunbar" in The London Philatelist, Vol. XV, No. 169, January 1906, pp. 11-12.
  14. As printed in Arthur Ronald Butler, "The Roll and the 'Fathers of Philately'", chapter 2 of The Roll of Distinguished Philatelists, The British Philatelic Federation Limited, 1990, page 14.
  15. "The Late Mr. Douglas Garth." in The London Philatelist, Vol. IX, No. 97, January 1900, pp. 2-3.
  16. Biographic note on the Hall of Fame of the American Philatelic Society, 1931 ; page retrieved 15 April 2009.
  17. Arthur Ronald Butler, "The Beginning", chapter 1 of The Roll of Distinguished Philatelists, 1990, pages 4-5.
  18. Biographies of the 1921 signatories in Arthur Ronald Butler, The Roll of Distinguished Philatelists, 1990, pages 46-64.
  19. André Hurtré, "L'Académie de philatélie a 80 ans - son histoire - ses membres", Documents philatéliques #197, Académie de philatélie, 3rd trimester 2008, pages 5–44.
  20. Biography on the American Philatelic Society Hall of Fame website, years 1970–1974.
  21. Biographical note, Who was Who?, British Philatelic Trust website ; retrieved 17 August 2007.
  22. Biography on the American Philatelic Society Hall of Fame website, years 2005–2009.
  23. A philatelic society in Japan.
  24. "The Committee obviously has fewer qualms in proclaiming the wothiness of home-grown philatelists than had the London Stamp Club Jury", wrote Arthur Ronald Butler, in "The Beginning", chapter 1 of The Roll of Distinguished Philatelists, 1990, page 7.
  25. "R.I.", in latin: Rex Imperator, meaning King (in the United Kingdom and colonies) and Emperor (of India).
  26. Gibbons Stamp Monthly, August 1930, p. 209. Stanley Phillips (editor of Gibbons Stamp Monthly) wrote as follows: "As the veteran philatelic auctioneer, now, alas! in poor health, moved to the table to sign the Roll, after an impressive oration by Captain H R Oldfield, I must confess that my eyes were wet, and I do not think I was alone in being thus affected. In honouring Mr Hadlow, the Congress, showed its appreciation of a personality of sterling merit and a lifetime of unselfish service to Philately."
  27. "The Late F. J. Peplow." in The London Philatelist, Vol. XLIV, No. 526, October 1935, pp. 217-218.
  28. Who Was Who in British Philately Association of British Philatelic Societies 2010. Retrieved 16 August 2011.
  29. "Dr. J.H. Harvey Pirie" in The London Philatelist, Vol. 74, No. 876, December 1965, p. 223.
  30. Gibbons Stamp Monthly, June 1950, p. 118
  31. Gibbons Stamp Monthly, May 1952, p. 97
  32. Gibbons Stamp Monthly, June 1953, p. 115
  33. Stone, Harlan F. (March 1993). "Roll of Distinguished Philatelists Includes Eight from Switzerland" (PDF). Tell. American Helvetia Philatelic Society. XIX (2): 17. ISSN 1042-2072. Retrieved 2012-05-24.
  34. Who Was Who in British Philately, Association of British Philatelic Societies, 2012. Retrieved 25 December 2012. Archived here.
  35. "Deaths of Two Honorary Fellows" in The London Philatelist, Vol. 101, July–August 1992, No. 1195–96, p. 198.
  36. "A. Ronald (Ron) Butler RDP Hon FRPSL 1916–2003." in The London Philatelist, Vol. 113, No. 1312, January–February 2004, p. 2.
  37. "Sigurd (Sigge) Ringström, RDP, FRPSL, An Appreciation" by Tomas Bjaringer The London Philatelist, Vol. 101, No. 1199, November 1992, p. 342.
  38. "Newsdesk: Harold Fisher - An Appreciation" by Eric Allen in Gibbons Stamp Monthly, September 1986, p. 10.
  39. The London Philatelist, No 1232, p. 2, Jan/Feb 1996
  40. "Here & There: RDP 1984" in Gibbons Stamp Monthly, May 1984, p. 41.
  41. VOLLMEIERRDP Profile Page. A.I.E.P. 2013. Retrieved 1 February 2013. Archived here.
  42. "The Roll of Distinguished Philatelists", The London Philatelist, Vol. 105, No. 1235 (May 1996), pp. 103-104.
  43. "Winter, Proud, Startup Invited to Sign Roll of Distinguished Philatelists", press release announcing the signatories for 2008, reproduced on the Virtual Stamp Club, 30 April 2008.
  44. Index card on the Académie de philatélie website, updated 2 March 2009 ; retrieved 15 April 2009.
  45. Biography on the Australian Philatelic Federation website, 2006 ; retrieved 15 April 2009.
  46. "Barbara R. Mueller One of Four Invited to Sign Roll of Distinguished Philatelists in July", press release announcing the signatories for 2009, reproduced on the Virtual Stamp Club, 15 April 2009 ; retrieved 15 April 2009.
  47. NEW RDPs TO SIGN ROLL IN LEAMINGTON SPA. The Roll of Distinguished Philatelists Honorary Secretary to the Board of Election 29 March 2010.
  48. "2011 RDP Ceremony" in Gibbons Stamp Monthly, Vol. 42, No. 3, August 2011, pp.52-53.
  49. "New signatories to the Roll of Distinguished Philatelists" by Jane Moubray in The London Philatelist, Vol. 123, No. 1414, April 2014, pp. 130-131.
  50. "New Signatories to the Roll of Distinguished Philatelist", Chris King, The London Philatelist, Vol. 124, No. 1424, April 2015, pp. 114-115.
  51. "The Roll of Distinguished Philatelists", The London Philatelist, Vol. 125, No. 1434, April 2016, pp. 150-151.
  52. "Roll of Distinguished Philatelists", Jon Aitchison, The London Philatelist, Vol. 126, No. 1445 (May 2017), pp. 194-195.
  53. "New RDPs Elected 2018", http://www.abps.org.uk/News/articles/rdp2018.
  54. "New Signatories to the Roll of Distinguished Philatelists", The London Philatelist, Vol. 128, No. 1465 (May 2019), pp. 198-199.
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