The New Brofos Catalogue of Railway & Steamship Carrier Stamps of Norway by Frederick A. Brofos and Alexander M. Brofos. 8½ by 11 inches, spiral bound, plastic covers, 184 pages, Warner NH 2003.

            This welcome catalog is an extensively revised, expanded, and updated version of the original one published in 1964. Unfortunately it is privately published by the author and his son in an extremely limited number of copies. Scandinavian Collectors Club members can see the catalog at the SCC Library in Denver CO.

            This catalog focuses on stamps used largely on parcels and carried by various modes of transportation. Although this is not a widely popular field, the authors have assembled information not easily found and thus have provided an important reference tool for collectors.

            The first chapter deals with streetcar parcel services of Kristiania, Oslo, Trondhjem, Drammen, and Bergen. The importance of this book is reflected in the color illustrations of the stamps including perforation varieties, large multiples, and occasionally picture post cards depicting streetcars and other conveyances.

            The second chapter examines the parcel carriers of suburban railways such as the Holmenkoll, Lilleaker, Baerum and other railroads. Used copies of these stamps are seen with a variety of pen, crayon, and handstamp markings. Private railroads are discussed next such as Urskog-Hølands, Tønsberg-Erdsfos, Lier, and many others. Again, the wonderful color illustrations include various issues with examples of perforations, colors, values, and multiples.

            Steamship parcel services and those of government railroads; auto, bus and truck parcel stamps (government, municipal, and private services); the tricycle parcel service; a discussion of postmarks on Norwegian railroad stamps; and a brief mention of railroad meter stamps round out the book.

            The real value of this catalog is the record of these unusual stamps in color and the background on the services that spawned them. The authors suggest that the next step, to be taken on by others, is to assign prices to these items. Collectors shall be indebted to Fred Brofos and his son for many years for this fascinating contribution to the hobby.

Alan Warren