Dunedin Exhibition 1925
- Neil McGregor
- Feb 2
- 2 min read
A new collection has been loaded onto the site. Below an introduction and a link here to the new pages https://www.nzstampcollection.com/dunedin-exhibition
Logan Park, Dunedin
Dunedin had hosted two exhibitions previously; a New Zealand exhibition in 1865 and a New Zealand and South Seas Exhibition in 1889. Dunedin's second New Zealand and South Seas International Exhibition was hosted in 1925 was a much larger affair, designed to promote trade and to attract people and business to settle in Otago. This time, the exhibition was based on reclaimed land at Logan Park, created by draining Lake Logan. The expansive exhibition footprint, extending over some 16 acres (6.5 hectares) comprised seven pavilions, including one dedicated to New Zealand manufacturing and one to motor cars. Others included an art gallery, amusement area, restaurant, tearooms, and a fernery with waterfall and streams. The pavilions surrounded a domed Festival hall, with walkways and reflective pools and a quarter mile scenic railway. As a mark of modern progress, the exhibition proved a showcase for electrical power, with its buildings lit up and shining out across the City at night. Exhibitors came from Australia, Canada, Fiji and the United Kingdom. During the almost six months that the exhibition ran, more than 3 million people visited the show (more than double the population of the country), making it the most popular in New Zealand history.
The Stamps
The Exhibition took place at Logan Park, Dunedin, from November 17, 1925, to May 1, 1926. Three commemorative stamps were issued exclusively for sale at the Exhibition Post Office, though they could be used on mail posted at other post offices.
The stamp design was created by Mr. H. Linley Richardson. It was decided that the stamps would be printed using a method that eliminated the need for cutting a die. Instead, the same design would be printed in two blended colors, aligning with the requirements of the Postal Union. The stamps were relief-printed from line-etched zinc plates on toned paper, prepared using lithographic plates.
The design featured the Grand Court with the Dome of the Festival Hall as its central element. While the concept was well thought out, the execution was considered poor.
Printing Process and Plate Modifications
After completing the 1d plate, lithographic reproductions of the inscription "½d" were cut, gummed over the original "1d" in the bottom corners of 60 prints, and then etched into a new ½d plate.
Once the ½d plate was finished, the "½d" overlays were removed and replaced with "4d" overlays for the creation of the third plate.
The black prints were produced using lithography, while the plates were created using a photo-etching process. As a result, every stamp within the different sheets exhibits unique variations and recurring flaws.
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