New philatelic acquisitions, Brussels World's Fair (1958)

Two new philatelic items arrived in the mail yesterday. Both are related to Expo 58, also known as the 1958 Brussels World’s Fair, which was held April 17-October 19, 1958, during the International Geophysical Year. The ambience of techno-optimism and internationalism of this Expo was consistent with the scientific endeavors of the IGY. Since I have already collected much of the low-hanging fruit of IGY-related philatelic items, and I want to keep collecting, I am now broadening my scope somewhat to include items such as these related to the themes of the IGY.

Shown below (these and future images of stamps and memorabilia will be scans of items I own, unless otherwise stated) are the two first day covers, with cachets. I'm not going to assume everyone here is a philatelist, or a geophysicist for that matter, so I will try to define or provide links for terms as we go. A cover is an entire envelope with the stamp in place. A first-day cover (FDC) is an envelopes postmarked on the date of issuance for a a particular stamp, usually from one designated post office. A cachet is a special design on a cover, made by companies or sometimes individuals. 

The first cover bears a U.S. stamp, with a Scott catalog number of 1104.

Note that this cover was addressed and mailed. The cachet appeals to me because it has a clean deign, is colorful, and combines an image of the Expo's signature Atomium, a crystalline form, along with a map of the globe, suggesting the universality of the scientific endeavor.

The stamps on the second cover took me a few minutes to find in my Scott catalog. They are listed in the Scott as Belgium C16, C18, and C20, with respective themes of the World Meteorological Organization (weather was a topic for the IGY), the General Agreement of Tariffs and Trade, and the Atomic Energy Agency. The prefix C in the Scott catalogs refers to air post stamps.  The cachet shows the Atomium and a stylized globe. Interestingly, these Belgian stamps were only postally valid when mailed from the United Nations pavilion at the Expo. You'll find some details of the stamps here. This envelope opens from the side.

In 2012 I visited the site of Expo 1958, and could still be impressed by the spirit the Atomium invoked, as well as by the views from the top.