Special Regulations for the Evaluation of Topical Exhibits at New Zealand National Exhibitions
Note: The Topical class is not a recognized FIP class. A medal won for a Topical exhibit judged under the following national regulations does not qualify for entry in an FIP exhibition.
1 |
IntroductionThe aim of this class is to give collectors an opportunity to exhibit a variety of philatelic items that illustrate a specific topic or subject. |
2 |
Principles of exhibit compositionThe subject of a topical exhibit can be almost anything, from on birds, trains, bridges and famous people on stamps, to events such as Olympics or World Cup or the history of organisations such as the Red Cross. A topical exhibit is organised in a logical way using a classification that helps the reader understand the topic. |
3 |
Criteria for evaluating and judging exhibits |
Treatment (including Title, Plan and Development) 35 Knowledge, Personal Study and Research 30 Philatelic knowledge 15 Subject knowledge 15 Condition and rarity 30 Condition 10 Rarity 20 Presentation 5 Total 100 |
|
4 |
Treatment |
4.1 | Treatment is the way the topic is structured and developed throughout the pages of the exhibit. Instead of a story, the treatment of a topical exhibit is usually based on a classification or categorisation that helps the reader understand the topic. Some examples of classifications are:
|
4.2 | Title and Plan The title page of the exhibit should show: the purpose, the scope, the plan and structure to guide the viewer through the exhibit. It should include the key literature and references for the topic. It should say how rare or important items are identified, for example, by using a border of different thickness or different coloured matting. There needs to be a consistency between the title and the plan (classification). The plan should show coverage of the major aspects necessary to develop the topic. The sequence of the chapters and their subdivisions should be logical. |
4.3 | Development The exhibitor should be able to show a balanced exhibit in the pages available. The exhibit pages and the material must reflect the topic stated in the title and should be developed in accordance with the plan. The text should be clear and concise. The classification, as outlined in the plan, should be developed on the exhibit pages. The main divisions and subdivisions should be balanced in relation to their importance, significance or relevance to the exhibit’s subject. The material selected and the philatelic and topical write up are part of treatment. A variety of different philatelic elements should be shown. Usage showing the correct use of philatelic material by way of commercial material should be included. The topic needs to be shown on each item throughout the exhibit. |
5 |
Knowledge, personal study and research |
5.1 | Philatelic Knowledge Philatelic knowledge is demonstrated by the items chosen and their descriptions. A broad representation of the topic with a wide range of material from all facets of philately is expected. Items that are not obvious to the judge, should be explained close to the item (rates, errors, types, etc). Philatelic knowledge is demonstrated by:
|
5.2 | Topical Knowledge The exhibitor should demonstrate a good knowledge of the topic with a balance of information on each page. The text is secondary and should not overpower philatelic material on each page. Subject Knowledge including Personal Study and Research is demonstrated by:
|
6 |
Condition |
All items should be in the best possible condition.
|
|
7 |
Rarity |
Rarity is related to the relative scarcity and difficulty of acquisition of the material shown. Rarity is not the value as items can be inexpensive but difficult to obtain. Items that, despite being very rare, have little or no sufficient relationship to the topic, will be ignored by the judges. The rarity of the exhibit is evaluated on:
|
|
8 |
Presentation |
The presentation and the text should be simple and well balanced. The arrangement of the items and the text on exhibition pages should clearly communicate the topic and highlight the philatelic material in an attractive way. The presentation of the exhibit is evaluated on:
The text can be handwritten, typewritten or computer printed. Brightly coloured inks and coloured album pages should be avoided. Mounting of long covers at an angle should be avoided. |