The evolution of the new stamps of King George V and especially the issues of 1911-1913, before World War I were the main theme of this Philatelic exhibition. The exhibition described in detail the Art and Craft revival pioneered by William Morris and the Art Nouveau movement, that set the stage for these stamp issues.

Postage stamp design, as one would expect reflects the artistic climate and the printing methods of the period which saw their birth. The truth of this statement is particularly demonstrable as regards the first stamps issued in the Reign of King George V, himself an enthusiastic Philatelist.

The applied arts in Britain towards the end of the 19th century and in the early years of this century had undergone two dynamic changes and it was the accumulative effect of these cultural movements which became apparent when, on the death of King Edward VII on 6th May 1910, consideration was given to the stamps of the new reign.