Dieter Bortfeldt
Graphic designer and philatelist (1940–2014)
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Dieter Bortfeldt FRPSL (20 March 1940[1] – 21 January 2014[2]) was a graphic designer and award-winning philatelist who was a specialist in the philately of Colombia. He designed the "Famous Colombians" and "Tourism" postage stamps of Colombia issued in 1993.[3]
Education
Bortfeldt studied at the Offenbacher Werkkunst-Schule in Germany from 1958 to 1961, specialising in graphic design. He then worked as a graphic designer.[4]
Collecting
Bortfeldt's personal philatelic interests were Colombian Postal History and Papel Sellado (Revenue stamped paper) and he received fifteen gold medals for his displays along with other awards.[1] His display of Official Mail and correspondence with exemption rate frankings received a gold medal at Chicago and was published in book form by COLOMPHIL in 2006.[5]
Expertisation
Bortfeldt was an Association International Des Experts En Philatelie (A.I.E.P.) expert on Colombian philately and a recognised expertiser in the area who issued his own certificates.[6] He was President of the Fakes and Forgeries Commission of the Federación Interamericana de Filatelia[1] and was a regular contributor to Fakes Forgeries Experts.
Organised philately and writing
Bortfedt was Fellow of the Royal Philatelic Society, London, and their Overseas Special Representative for Colombia.[7] He was the co-founder and editor of COLOMPHIL, the journal of the Colombian Philatelic Research Society, and a writer for many other philatelic journals. He claimed to have written over 2,000[1] pages of philatelic works and was instrumental in the production of Alan Anyon's Handbook of Colombian Revenue Stamps, published in 2009.[8]
Personal life
Bortfeldt was a British citizen who lived and worked in Germany, London and Barcelona before moving to Bogotá, Colombia, in 1988. He died on 21 January 2014.
Selected publications
- Royal cypher labels 1701–1922: the Dieter Bortfeldt collection. Bogota: Dieter Bortfeldt, 2003.
- Private mail carriers of Colombia. Colombian Philatelic Research Society, 2006. ISBN 978-958-33-9208-5 (Editor with Carlos Valenzuela & Alfredo Frohlich)
- Notes on Colombian classic stamps. Colombian Philatelic Research Society, 2006.
- Colombia correspondencia oficial Franquicias: Official Mail and correspondence with exemption rate frankings. Colombian Philatelic Research Society, 2006.
- Colombian postal history catalogue. Colombian Philatelic Research Society. Three volumes.