The Aerogram Paper
The temporary exhibition The Aerogram Paper is included in the educative project The Awakening of the Museum to New Audiences, co-financed by FEDER, with the aim of bringing diversified audiences to the Museum.
This exhibition shows the aerogram as a writing support during World War I, emphasizing, simultaneously, its importance as tool of solidarity and humanity in the war scenario.
Exhibition
The Aerogram Paper
The exhibition opened on November 26, 2005 with a seminar presented by: the researchers Dr. Luís Moreira de Barreto and Dr. Eduardo Moreira Barreiros, speaking about The History of Military Service; the Colonial War Museum Scientific Manager, Dr. José Manuel Lages, speaking about the theme Colonial War: Paper Types in Different Ways of Communication; and, last but not least, the Paper Museum Directress, Dr. Maria José Santos, who presenting a speech about the theme Aerograms: Watermarks and Writing Paper, contributed to the reflection on the history of paper in Portugal, tracing the watermarks in the military aerograms.
Opening session of the seminar
The Aerogram Paper in the context of the Colonial War.
The opening and closing sessions were performed, respectively, by the President of Santa Maria da Feira Municipality and by the Education, Culture, Sports and Youth Alderman.
The seminar The Aerogram Paper in the Context of the Colonial War had the presence of many colonial war veterans, coming from different regions in the country, the representation of several National Associations of Former Combatants, the President of the Association of Military Disabled and the President of the League of Combatants Central Direction, General Chito Rodrigues.
Seminar
The Aerogram Paper in the Context of the Colonial War.
The exhibition The Aerogram Paper contextualizes the aerograms in the colonial war scenario and shows the beauty of these papers watermarks which, folded, held love promises, anguishes and dreams and, so often, ghosts and fears.
The watermarks are precious pieces of information, not only for the reference to the production factories, but also to the respective printing offices, therefore this study also contributes to the history of paper and watermarks in Portugal in the 20th century.
Many of these aerograms were contributed by colonial war veterans or by their relatives, like it happened with the deposit of three hundred aerograms belonging to a private collection, property of Dr. Marcelo Marques, from Paços de Brandão.
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| Military aerogram, blue paper, 40g, ORBIS Watermark. | Nonmilitary aerogram with the lithography “the coffee harvest”, 40g. |
After the study and gathering of the watermarks, the paper factories that produced blue and yellow 40g aerogram paper between 1961 and 1974 were identified. Among them are: Prado Paper Company’ s Paper Factory of Lousã, founded in 1714; Azenha Paper Factory of Sandim, Vila Nova de Gaia, founded in 1962; and Paper Factory of Abelheira, Tojal, Loures, founded in 1841 in the area where the old paper mill of S. Vicente de Fora friars, dated from 1755, was located.
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| Military aerogram, blue paper, 40g, PRADO BOND watermark. | Military aerogram, yellow paper, 40g, EXTRA AZENHA / PORTUGAL watermark. |
With the end of the colonial war, a period that deeply affected the Portuguese people during 13 long years was over.
The feeling of nostalgia was expressed in pale sheets of paper. Fear, anguishes and love promises were intimately held.
These life stories, told over and over again, are still reminisced.
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