Wednesday, 21 March 2018

Potz Tausend! Post 1000, Berlin 1971


Upon my Soul! or 'Potz Tausend' in German, here's a souvenir flyer - with a sweet play on words - for the POST 1000 exhibit at the 1971 Internationale Funkausstellung (AKA the Berlin Radio Show). The trade show has been running since 1924, and is now considered one of Europe's biggest tech shows, attracting around quarter of a million visitors.

The West Berlin post office ('Deutsche Bundespost Berlin'), often issued commemorative stamps to mark the annual event - until the 'German Federal Mail of Berlin' was formally discontinued in 1990.

This is a lovely postcard-sized  item complete with classic period blobby lettering accompanied by a super bronze, orange and blue palette. Nicely designed too, with the fold-out cover, and neat frame for the postage stamp and illustrated cancellation.





And let's take a swift look at some Sixties stamps and commemorative covers for the show. To begin with, the 1961 event, with its charming logo showing the Berlin Bear holding up a record in one hand, and the control knob of a TV set in the other!

Followed by the 1963 Funkausstellung Berlin, and then the 1967 one...