7 2⁵/₃₂ 1¹¹/₃₂ ¹⁷/₃₂ c ¹⁷/₃₂ 1¹¹/₃₂ 2⁵/₃₂
8 2⁹/₁₆ 1³/₄ ¹⁵/₁₆ ¹/₈ . ¹/₈ ¹⁵/₁₆ 1³/₄ 2⁹/₁₆
9 2²³/₃₂ 1³¹/₃₂ 1⁷/₃₂ ¹⁵/₃₂ c ¹⁵/₃₂ 1⁷/₃₂ 1³¹/₃₂ 2²³/₃₂
¹/₂" 4 1¹/₄ ¹/₄ . ¹/₄ 1¹/₄
5 1¹/₂ ⁵/₈ c ⁵/₈ 1¹/₂
6 1¹⁵/₁₆ 1¹/₁₆ ³/₁₆ . ³/₁₆ 1¹/₁₆ 1¹⁵/₁₆
7 2³/₈ 1¹/₂ ⁵/₈ c ⁵/₈ 1¹/₂ 2³/₈
8 2³/₈ 1⁵/₈ ⁷/₈ ¹/₈ . ¹/₈ ⁷/₈ 1⁵/₈ 2³/₈
9 2³/₄ 2 1¹/₄ ¹/₂ c ¹/₂ 1¹/₄ 2 2³/₄
10 2²⁷/₃₂ 2⁵/₃₂ 1¹⁵/₃₂ ²⁵/₃₂ ³/₃₂ . ³/₃₂ ²⁵/₃₂ 1¹⁵/₃₂ 2⁵/₃₂ 2²⁷/₃₂
With a gauge and scale as above suggested, it is extremely easy to
quickly mark out a page with pencilled dots, so soon as it is decided
how many stamps are to go in each row--_experto crede_.
Of course, allowance must be made if the stamps of a set are of uneven
size, but there is no difficulty if a little patience be exercised.
I have arranged many pages of stamps by the aid of a home-made scale
on this and similar plans, and have experienced no trouble in allowing
for the occasional inclusion of pairs and short strips--a little
mental calculation, and a side movement of the gauge to the extent of
the width of one stamp will compensate for, say, a pair instead of a
single; and so on.
The specialist can rarely have the advantage of a prepared printed
album, as his possessions include pairs, blocks, marginal pieces,
original covers, and evidential items of a variety of shapes. He works
therefore on albums that have blank pages, generally enclosed within
a form of semi-binding which allows the interchanging of the leaves.
Spring-back covers are now much used, though there are excellent peg
and clutch attachments in the British-made albums of the specialist
class. The leaves are either quite plain or with a faint _quadrillé_
ground which is an aid to symmetrical arrangement.
The early stamp collectors used to elaborate their albums with gay
colourings; some, following the early artistry of Mr. Booty in the
preface to his "Aids to Stamp Collectors" (1862), mounted their stamps
on squares of coloured paper, and emblazoned the country's arms and
painted its flags upon the pages of their albums. The stamps, being of
small size, suffered in the contrast with these gaudy trappings, and
in the latter-day philately such contrivances are left to the _nouveau
riche_, who will embellish each of his pages with his name, titles,
address, coat of arms, and would add his portrait were album-pages not
made so ridiculously small for such big men. To-day all extravagant
flourishes and gay trimmings are a vulgarity; simple elegance and nice
judgment in the arrangement make for beauty in our albums.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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