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READERS GUIDE TO LA POSTA

1969 TO 1996

 

Volumes 1 to 27

Whole numbers l to 162

 

COMPILED BY

Daniel Y. Meschter

Whole Numbers    Volume and year issued
1 to 6 V. 1, nos. 1 to 6 1969
7 to 12 V. 2, nos. 1 to 6 1970
12 to 18 V. 3, nos. 1 to 6 1971
19 to 21 V. 4, nos. 1 to 3 1972
22 to 24 V. 4, nos. 4 to 6 1973
25 to 27 V. 5, nos. 1 to 3 1973
28 to 30 V. 5, nos. 4 to 6 1974
31 to 32 V. 6, nos. 1 to 2 1974
33 to 36 V. 6, nos. 3 to 6 1975
37 to 42 V. 7, nos. 1 to 6 1976
43 to 48 V. 8, nos. 1 to 6 1977

49 to 54

V. 9, nos. 1 to 6

1978
55 to 60 V. 10, nos. 1 to 6 1979
61 to 66 V. 11, nos. 1 to 6 1980
67 to 72 V. 12, nos. 1 to 6 1981
73 to 78 V. 13, nos. 1 to 6 1982
79 to 84 V. 14, nos. 1 to 6 1983
85 to 90 V. 15, nos. 1 to 6 1984
91 to 96 V. 16, nos. 1 to 6 1985
97 to 102 V. 17, nos. 1 to 6 1986
103 to 108 V. 18, nos. 1 to 6 1987
109 to 114 V. 19, nos. 1 to 6 1988
115 to 120 V. 20, nos. 1 to 6 1989
121 to 126 V. 21, nos. 1 to 6 1990
127 to 132 V. 22, nos. 1 to 6 1991
133 to 138 V. 23, nos. 1 to 6 1992
139 to 144 V. 24, nos. 1 to 6 1993
145 to 150 V. 25, nos. 1 to 6 1994

151 to 156

V. 26, nos. 1 to 6

1995

157 to 162

V. 27, nos. 1 to 6

1996

163 to 168

V. 28, nos. 1 to 6

1997

 

FOREWARD

 

The first 162 numbers of La Posta, comprising 27 volumes over 28 years, contain more than 1,100 articles and 48 installments of a supplement dedicated to railroad postal history called "The Second Section" in whole numbers 80 to 132.

Volumes 1 through 8 were indexed by James and Heather Gretchen Mitchell by map, subject or place name, and author according to volume and issue number and inclusive pages. Aside from its obsolescence, their indexing scheme now is impractical due to sheer volume and their use of volume/issue/page numbers awkward and space consuming.

Since the titles of articles usually give the best indication of their subject material content, my first approach to a "Readers Guide" was to compile a cumulative table of contents with individual titles augmented by words or phrases in brackets where they were deemed not adequately descriptive. This table of contents does not include editors’ or publisher’s comments, readers’ letters, book reviews, post office centennials, and the like - as interesting and valuable as they often are - with a few exceptions where such collateral material was deemed to have lasting interest.

The indexing scheme used here is modeled after the telephone directory in which the white pages are represented by the cumulative table of contents and the yellow pages by a classified directory with its own subindex according to subject.

The common denominator throughout is the whole number of the issue containing an item/page number where it starts whether one or ten pages long. For example, the article in whole number 110 from page 13 to 15 is reported as 110/13. The whole number is found on the masthead of each issue of La Posta beginning with Volume 3, no. 1 = whole number 13. Whole numbers 1 through 6 are the same as numbers 1 to 6 in Volume 1; whole numbers 7 through 12 are extrapolated for numbers 1 to 6 in Volume 2.

The "I - Cumulative Table of Contents" is arranged by whole number/page in numerical sequence. The "II - Index of Authors" is arranged alphabetically with each author’s name followed by the whole number/page of the article or articles by that author or authors. Co- or collaborative authorships are listed separately, but in the few cases where a third author appears, each name in listed independently.

The "III - Classified Directory" indexes each article under one or more subject headings. The classification of most is fairly obvious, but there are a few so specialized or with such non-descriptive titles that their classification required subjective judgement. The "Classified Directory" is followed by an "Index" that lists major classification headings.

Maps are not indexed individually except in the few cases where they stand alone. Maps are abundant throughout La Posta and can be expected to accompany any article that logically calls for them. The same can be said of illustrations of covers and postmarks that are found frequently in individual articles, but are not so essential to the subject to justify classifying the article under "covers" or "postmarks."

"The Second Section" is a special case. Much of the material in it does not easily fit the usually accepted concepts of postal history, although it may be important to students of railroad postal history. Further, much that can be recognized as postal history does not readily lend itself to the indexing scheme adopted for this guide. Accordingly, "The Second Section" is listed by title in the cumulative table of contents and credited to its editors, Charles Towle and Robert G. Munshower, Jr., in the index of authors; but articles contained in it are listed with their authors, where shown, in a separate "IV - The Second Section Cumulative Table of Contents." In five or six cases, however, articles in "The Second Section" that might better have appeared in the regular pages of La Posta are also classified in the directory although not listed in the "I - Cumulative Table of Contents." Articles on railroad postal history not in "The Second Section" are listed and indexed the same as any other article.

 

Daniel Y. Meschter


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