Frame 1: Prephilately of Dalmatia
A short display of postal history from the Kingdom of Dalmatia from the end of the Napoleonic occupation to the introduction of adhesive postage stamps in 1850.
Frames 2-3: 1st Issue 1850 - 1858
A display of the 1st issue, depicting the stamps and their usage on covers, including combinations of stamps to achieve the correct rates. These stamps (and many subsequent issues) were printed in 8x8 panes of sixty stamps plus four "St Andrew's Crosses" in the bottom row of each pane.
Frames 4-5: 2nd Issue 1858 - 1860
This issue was made necessary by the Currency Reform of 1858. Two printings exist, Type II having better definition and some differences of detail. As black postmarks on black stamps were unclear, a new 3kr definitive was issued in green as a replacement.
Frames 6-7: 3rd - 5th Issues 1860 - 1868
A display of the 3rd, 4th, & 5th issues, depicting the stamps and their usage on covers, including combinations of stamps to achieve the correct rates.
Frames 8-9: 6th Issue 1868 - 1883
Typical franking rates before and after the UPU Treaty of 1875 between Empire destinations, to Overseas destinations and to and from the Levant are shown, mostly on cover.
Frames 10-11: Stationery postcards
Austria was the first country to issue a Postal Stationery Card, in 1869; it has an imprinted 2 Kr stamp, Emperor Francis Joseph's head. The colour of the stamp varies from light yellow to very deep orange, and the frame varies in size from 108-112mm long by 71-75.5mm wide. Frame 11 shows Postal Stationery Picture Cards from 1958-1968. These have imprinted stamps of various values; the picture is of Scenery, Sports, or Buildings and the text also varies.
Frame 12: 1st Republic Charity issues
The First Republic produced a succession of overprinted, special or surcharged issues, often sold at an enhanced price, or with a short period of validity. These were intended to raise much-needed funds for charitable purposes, but the foreign currency produced by sales abroad would have been useful too.
Frames 13-14: Inflation
Post-WWI Austrian inflation between 1/9/1918 & 1/12/1926 is conventionally divided into 15 Periods.
Frames 15-16: Anschluss - Transition to German postal rates
On 4 April 1938 German rates were introduced for letters and postcards. However, until 31 July all ancillary fees, such as registration, express and airmail, were at Austrian rates. Mixed franking was allowed, with 3Gr = 2Rpf.
Frames 17-18: Levant
The display shows the Austrian Post Offices in the Levant and their expansion which was largely due to the Austrian Lloyd Shipping Company, set up in 1836.
Frames 19-20: Bosnia
The 1906 "landscapes" issue is one of the most artistic produced in Austria. The display shows the stamps, and the amazing variety of perforations which were applied to them; also proofs and colour trials.
Frame 21: Postablagen
"Postablagen" are rural letter collecting boxes set up in the late 19th century. The system is still in operation, progressively integrated and modified over the decades. The various types of cancels are shown.
Frames 22-23: Ötztal Postal History
Although the Ötztal in the Tirol is the longest side valley of the River Inn, it has few Post Offices. This display details the Ötztal's Postal History over more than 150 years.
Frames 24-25: Vienna combined town and registration marks
The development of the combined town and registration marks of Vienna from the pre-stamp era through the CDS types of the 1850s to the introduction of the yellow-&-black U.P.U. registration labels.
Frame 26: Triest cancellations
This frame exemplifies the development of cancellation types in Austria from single circle with year date and dispatch indication through double circle with year dates and a counter letter by showing Triest Postmarks from 1883 to 1908.
Frames 27-28: Innsbruck Winter Olympics
The City of Innsbruck hosted the Winter Olympic Games in 1964 and again in 1976. This display shows examples of the special stamps and cancellations used in connection with the Games.
Frames 29-30: Revenues
Austria was the first country in the world to issue adhesive documentary stamps, in 1854. The display shows these and some of the other Austrian revenues issued in the following 150 years.
Frames 31-32: Airmails
Part 1 describes the military air service which led to the first civil international air service between Wien and Kiev in 1918 (Part 2). Part 3 shows examples from the Budapest-Wien-Krakau-Lemberg branch line.
Frame 33: Exotic airmails 1900 to 1950
Pioneer Balloon and Zeppelin flights, Glider, the Siege of Przemysl, Do-X, Rocket Mail, and items from the first scheduled airmail service form the core of this display.
Frame 34: The Austrian Telephone Service
The development of the Austrian Telephone Service from 1885 is described. Reference is made to dedicated stationery, technical developments, and special telephone cancellations used by letter collecting agencies.
Frames 35-36: Pneumatic mail
The display concentrates on the various types of postal stationery specially produced for use on the pneumatic system in Vienna: letter sheets; letter cards; envelopes; and postcards both one-way and reply-paid.
Frame 37: Stamped Telegraph Receipts
Alone in Europe, Austria in 1870 introduced a system of official receipts for telegrams and telegraphs with imprinted tax or postage stamps, issued in the main languages of the Empire.
Frame 40: The Danube Steam Navigation Company
The Company, set up in 1829 to carry passengers and freight between the Levant and Austrian ports, provided letter post services up to 1880 and handled passenger mails thereafter.
Frame 41: The Austro - Americana Shipping Line
Founded 1903 in Trieste, the Austro-Americana Line operated between North and South America. Covers mailed on board ships of this Line are rarely seen, and the items shown here represent the largest collection of these items.
Frames 42-43: Naval mail - the Adriatic Fleet; the Danube Flotilla
A selection of mail from sailors serving with the main Adriatic Fleet and the small Danube River Flotilla of the Imperial and Royal Austrian Navy in WWI.
Frame 44 Naval mail: The Bug & Vistula Flotillas
This display presents a range of service handstamps applied to mail sent by the personnel of the Vistula-Bug and Styr Flotillas to justify the free-franking privilege.
Frames 45-46: The SMS Kaiserin Elizabeth
Mail sent from the Far East, during the peace and crisis times in 1914. After the Kaiserin Elizabeth was scuttled at Tsingtao, the sailors were detained in P.O.W. camps in Japan and China; mail from these is also shown.
Frames 47-48: WWI medical units
The "Austrian" Army was in fact dual Austrian & Hungarian, following the 1867 Ausgleich, plus separate territorial units. The Medical Corps consisted of Medical Officers and Technical NCOs recruited from the Army; stretcher-bearers etc came from Army units. The Red Cross and other charitable organisations also made a major contribution. The display incorporates a wide variety of unique & scarce medical unit cachets; it begins on the battlefield and progresses through field and specialist hospitals to the homeland.
Frames 49-50: WWI civil censorship
The Austrians had control of 283 censor offices during this period. The display shows some of the types and usage of the censor marks.
Frames 51-52: French Censorship of Austrian Civil Mail 1945-53
After WWII, under the Yalta agreement Austria was divided up into three zones plus the City of Vienna which was controlled by all the Allies. France requested to be included, and at the London Agreement of July 1945 the Americans relinquished the Provinces of Vorarlberg and the Tirol to them. French censorship commenced on 9 July 1945 and ended on 18 August 1953 for foreign mail to Japan and Germany; domestic censorship finished on 7 October 1946 and general foreign mail on 15 November 1947. There were two principal censorship facilities, Bregenz for Vorarlberg and for the Tirol Innsbruck (which had three sub offices for a few months). A variety of censor marks were used in various colours with a wide selection of resealing pre-printed labels and tapes some of which had a very short period of use.
