Reference List

BAVARIA FICTION GMBH (STUTTGART, GER)
Assistance for a passport prop for the TV crime series SOKO Stuttgart
USA TODAY (TYSONS CORNER, USA)
Assistance of the fact-check team on the current NEXT GEN US passport
WES ANDERSON MOVIE
Assistance for several older passport types from different countries for Anderson’s latest film
NEW YORK TIMES (NEW YORK, USA)
Their photo editor requested permission to utilize some of my photographs, yet they are unwilling to compensate for them! Is this quality journalism?
TRTWORLD (LONDON, UK)
Request for a live TV interview on the passport index
IDENTITYWEEK (LONDON, UK)
Video interview on passport history and article on the future of the passport
VERIDOS (MUNICH, DE)
Passport history presentation – international online-event
NEAL SEIDMANN (BALTIMORE, USA)
Film producer of -The Youngest Partisan-the story of Romi Cohen. Support on two passports for the movie
BBC (LONDON, U.K.)
Request for support for the series ‘The Secret Genius of Modern Life – Passports’ 
UNITED STATES PASSPORT LAW
I am delighted to have my book, “Let Pass Or Die,” as well as some of my other articles referenced in the upcoming, updated book by the esteemed lawyer and author Stephen Krueger, titled “Krueger on United States Passport Law.”
US PASSPORT HISTORY
Article series for Keesing Technologies
INTERNATIONAL AFRICAN AMERICAN MUSEUM (CHARLESTON, USA)
Another passport of my collection went into a museum
BAB MASR (CAIRO, EG)
Interview on the auction of President Sadat’s passport
ERAN RIKLIS, DIRECTOR-WRITER-PRODUCER (TEL-AVIV, IL)
Support with an Iranian passport for a movie prop for his upcoming film
DUTCH EMBASSY (TOKYO, JP)
Support request on documents for a Sugihara exhibition
JAPANESE NATIONAL PUBLIC BROADCASTER (TOKYO, JP)
contacted me on a (passport) story on Fritz Bauer
ELDIARIO (ONLINE NEWSPAPER, MADRID, ES)
Is referring to my global passport fees article
U.S. DEPARTMENT OF STATE (WASHINGTON D.C., USA)
Assistance with a specific US passport issued by an outstanding consul
SMITHSONIAN MAGAZINE
Belgium’s New Passport Spotlights Classic Comic Characters
THE GUARDIAN
Tintin’s world adventure: comic strip hero joins the Smurfs on a new Belgian passport
ROBB REPORT (the leading voice in the global luxury market)
From Antarctica to Akhzivland, These Are the Most Coveted Passport Stamps In the World
FRENCH HISTOIRE TV
Request for passport pictures
CNN
Interview – The shadowy world of camouflage passports
FILMMAKER DOUGLAS DARLINGTON (DIGITALOCEAN)
Assistance on a specific passport for the film “Two Regimes: A Mother’s Memoir of the Holodomor & the Holocaust.”
INTERVIEW WITH DESERET NEWS
Passports,” said Tom Topol, an expert on passport history, “give us a view into several aspects of humankind.”
VENEZUELAN WEBSITES REFER TO MY GLOBAL PASSPORT FEES ARTICLE
Articles from Analitica.com, Aporrea.org, and El-Carabobeno.com
SORTING MACHINES OF GLOBALIZATION: THE REDEFINITION OF BORDER
Article for Keesing Technologies
FRENCH L’HISTOIRE-MAGAZINE
The famous history magazine is referring to my website in this article
MEMORIAL DE LA SHOAH – MUSEUM (PARIS, FR)
Assistance on Schutz-Passes (Protection passes during the Holocaust)
FENIX EMIGRANT MUSEUM (ROTTERDAM, NL)
Acquired a NANSEN passport from my collection for their museum’s exhibition
MACARTHUR MEMORIAL (NORFOLK, VA, USA)
Collaboration on General MacArthur’s passport
X-FILME CREATIVE POOL
Another great collaboration. Two historical passports for season 4 of BABYLON BERLIN (Netflix).
JULIAN BRANSTON, BOOK AUTHOR (LONDON, U.K.)
Research assistance on historical passports and travel routes
TAL CUAL – NEWSPAPER VENEZUELA
Published my article on global passport fees
THE EXPERTISE CENTER FOR IDENTITY FRAUD AND DOCUMENTS (ECID) OF THE ROYAL NETHERLANDS MARECHAUSSEE
Many thanks for featuring me in your monthly internal newsletter. The ECID newsletter mainly contains confidential information and is there for members of governmental/law enforcement agencies.
KIAUTSCHOU LIBRARY (QINGDAO, C.N.)
Assistance with text and pictures on a German Empire passport issued in Tsingtao for an exhibition
BERLINER KURIER
DDR-Geschichte: Sammler zahlen viel Geld für alte Reisepässe
PETER POLACK, BOOK AUTHOR
Assistance for passport pictures for his upcoming Encyclopedia of Soviet Spymasters
VACHERON CONSTANTIN (GENEVA, CH)
Vacheron Constantin is the oldest watch manufacturer globally and publisher of COLLECTOR’S ISLAND, an annual/limited art book portraying only ten carefully selected collectors each year worldwide. I was one of them of 80 in total over eight years.
CANADIAN MUSEUM OF HUMAN RIGHTS (WINNIPEG, CA)
The museum got three important documents from me.
A Nansen passport and two German passports of Jews with the infamous J-stamp
NEW YORK TIMES
Assistance with a passport photo
BBC ONE ‘THE ONE SHOW’
Assistance for television contribution to the British passport history
HISTORY OF THE EU AND ITS LAISSEZ-PASSER
Article for Keesing Technologies
NATIONAL ARCHIVES AND RECORDS ADMINISTRATION (UNITED STATES GOVERNMENT)
Assistance for a research project on consular passports issued during WWII in Europe
CONDE NAST TRAVELER (NEW YORK, USA)
How the U.S. Passport Evolved From Status Symbol to Essential Travel Document
BRITISH BOOK AUTHOR ANDREW NORMAN (DORSET, U.K.)
Research assistance for his history book on rescuing Jews in Vienna
PASSPORT FORMATS AND STANDARDIZATION
Article for Keesing Technologies
BAVARIAN STATE LIBRARY (MUNICH, DE)
Assistance with a passport photo for a book project about Bavarian literature
EUROPEAN JOURNAL OF INTERNATIONAL LAW (one of the world’s leading international law journals)
A critical assessment of the Government of Israel’s memorandum to the ICC – Part I refers to my article on the All-Palestine Government
DAILY EXPRESS (UK)
BRITONS CAN GET ONE OF THE FIRST BLUE PASSPORTS
WORTHPOINT (ATLANTA, USA)
Article on fantasy passport collection for the Knights of Malta
CELEBRITIES WHO LOOK ILLEGALLY GOOD IN THEIR PASSPORT PHOTOS
Elle Magazine, Australia
CURRENT AND VALID PASSPORTS ON EBAY
Article for Keesing Technologies
MILESTONES IN 100 YEARS OF THE PASSPORT PHOTO
Article for the final Keesing KJDI
THE KING’S & QUEEN’S MESSENGER PASSPORT
Article for the Keesing Annual Report Identity Management
THE SHAKESPEARE BIRTHPLACE TRUST (STRATFORD-UPON-AVON, U.K.)
Assistance in identifying a 1610-issued document as safe conduct for Sir Thomas Puckering. One of the earliest British passports in existence.
U.S. DEPARTMENT OF STATE (WASHINGTON D.C., USA)
Award from the U.S. Department of State for assistance to their Consular History Exhibition
ZAHRA MACKAOUI, BRITISH LEBANESE JOURNALIST & DOCUMENTARY MAKER (LONDON, U.K.)
Assistance for a UNHCR Nansen project
THE EPHEMERA SOCIETY (LONDON, U.K.)
Collecting old passports
EXCHANGE MOVIE CANADA INC. (OTTAWA, CA)
Assistance on a passport for the current production, “The Exchange.”
ROSE THEATRE KINGSTON (LONDON, U.K.)
Assistance on a passport for the show: Muriel Gardiner, “Code Name Mary.”
MEDIACORP (SINGAPORE, SIN)
Assistance for the national broadcaster for the kid’s game show “Museum Mysteries – The Mystery Of The Passport.”
X FILME CREATIVE POOL GmbH (BERLIN, DE) references
Assistance on a passport for NETFLIX SERIESBABYLON BERLIN, SE3
TALPA GERMANY FICTION FILM PRODUCTION (BERLIN, DE)
Assistance with a passport for a film production
THE EVOLUTION OF THE FEDERAL GERMAN PASSPORT
Article for Regula Forensic Science Systems
A HISTORY OF PASSPORTS AND THEIR DESIGN
Article for the Kessing KJDI 56
DACHAU CONCENTRATION CAMP MEMORIAL SITE
Assistance with passport pictures for an exhibition
THE HISTORY OF MULTI-PASSENGER PASSPORTS
Article for Keesing Annual Report
KEESING TECHNOLOGIES (AMSTERDAM, NL)
Columnist for “Journal of Documents & Identity”
SKY NEWS (LONDON, U.K.)
Request for a studio interview on the post-Brexit blue passport
LBC DAILY DEBRIEF (LONDON, U.K.)
Request for a radio interview on the post-Brexit blue passport
ANTIQUE TRADER MAGAZINE (IOLA, USA)
Take a tour of historical passport collecting
EPHEMERA SOCIETY OF AMERICA references
Member article (page 27/28) on the history of passports
ELLEN FREUND, PROPERTY MASTER, LOS ANGELES, USA
Ellen was involved in leading productions like MAD MAN, VANILLA SKY, or NIGHT AT THE MUSEUM and needed a historical passport for the film OPERATION FINALE (MGM)
BBC ESSEX RADIO (ESSEX, UK)
Radio interview with Dave Monk on British passport history & post-Brexit passport
SECUNET (BERLIN, DE)
Article for one of Germany’s leading providers of superior I.T. security (cryptography (SINA), e-government, business security, and automotive security)
BUSINESS INSIDER (LONDON, U.K.)
Someone found ‘Wonder Woman Gal Gadot’s old passport…
UFAFICION (POTSDAM, DE)
German award-winning film and television Company and a unique leader in the German film and television market Assistance with a German Diplomatic passport for an upcoming production
BUSINESS INSIDER (LONDON, U.K.)
This is the oldest (British) passport in existence
ANTHONY CORMIER, JOURNALIST (PULITZER PRIZE WINNER)
Consulting on passports
ALJAZEERA ENGLISH (DOHA, QA)
Consulting on passport issues for the documentary “North Korea: The death of King-Jong-Nam.”
BUSINESS MAGAZIN (BUCHAREST, R.O.)
De la Uniunea Sovietică la Germania de Est: o impresionantă colecţie de paşapoarte emise de ţări care nu mai există (From the Soviet Union to East Germany: an impressive collection of passports issued by countries that no longer exist)
FOX STUDIOS AUSTRALIA (SYDNEY, A.U.)
Assistance with a passport prop

DAILYMAIL.COM (LONDON, U.K.)
From Stalin’s Soviet Union to East Germany & British Palestine: The extraordinary historical passports to countries that no longer exist
SAfm – SOUTH AFRICAN RADIO (JOHANNESBURG, S.A.)
Radio Interview – The Lifestyle Show with Michelle Constant – Passport History & Collecting
LA OPINION (LOS ANGELES, USA) references
Las fascinantes historias detrás de los pasaportes antiguos y modernos
(The fascinating stories behind ancient and modern passports)
BBC MUNDO (MIAMI, USA)
Las fascinantes historias detrás de los pasaportes antiguos y modernos
(The fascinating stories behind classical and contemporary passports)
THE WEATHER CHANNEL (ATLANTA, USA)
The Rare Documents of Tom Topol, the Passport Collector
PUBLIC RADIO INTERNATIONAL (MINNEAPOLIS, USA)
Radio Interview – Every passport tells a story
PROTAGON MAGAZINE (ATHENS, GR)
Εξι εκπληκτικά διαβατήρια από χώρες που δεν υπάρχουν πια
(Six stunning passports from countries that no longer exist)
ATLAS OBSCURA (LOS ANGELES, USA)
Six Stories of Stunning Passports From Countries That No Longer Exist
PASSPORTINFO.COM (FLORIDA, USA)
“Is it legal to sell an old passport?”
CONDE NAST TRAVELER (NEW YORK, USA)
“A Look Inside Carrie Fisher’s Passport,” including an interview with me.
REFINERY MAGAZIN (NEW YORK, USA)
“Carrie Fisher’s Vintage Passport,” including an interview with me.
NINE.COM.AU (A.U.) references
Carrie Fisher’s well-loved 1983 passport goes up for auction
GOODRUM HOUSE – Buckhead Heritage Society – (ATLANTA, USA)
Assistance on “encrypting” Goodrum’s passport content.
ZEPPELIN.ORG (I.T.)
“Want To Know How a North Korean Passport Looks Like.”
The Italian magazine for international politics also published the article.
CONDE NAST TRAVELER (NEW YORK, USA)
“This Is What a North Korean Passport Looks Like.”
Katherine Lagrave just rewrote/redacted the original article from Business Insider U.K. However, I am pleased to see it.
BUSINESS INSIDER (LONDON, U.K.)
“Here’s what it’s like inside a North Korean passport — one of the world’s rarest travel documents.”
With 40 Mio page views a month, U.K.’s TOP publisher hosted my article on the DPRK passport.
INYAN MAGAZINE (NEW YORK, USA)
A weekly Jewish magazine that covers a range of relevant Jewish topics that inform and inspire its readers. Six-page article on the history of passports, including an interview with me.
FINE BOOKS & COLLECTIONS MAGAZINE (CHAPEL HILL, USA)
Article “Collectible Passports” in the Summer issue of this leading magazine references
RUSHEN HERITAGE TRUST (RUSHEN, ISLE OF MAN)
Assistance on WWII Women’s Internment in the Isle of Man in Port Erin and Port St Mary
YAOTSU TOWN HALL OFFICE (YAOTSU, J.P.)
Assistance to the UNESCO Memory of the World Project for the Chiune Sugihara Memorial Museum
INFOSECURA – SECURITYPRINTERS.ORG (BRUXELLES, BE)
Article for the security printing industry worldwide, published four times a year by Intergraf.
CORTINA PRODUCTIONS (MCLEAN, USA)
Assistance with old passport stamps for the RICHARD NIXON PRESIDENTIAL LIBRARY & MUSEUM
BBC DAILY POLITICS ON BBC 2 (LONDON, UK) references

Invitation for an on-air interview on passport history about the new British passport design
THE NEW PASSPORT-POOR
Passports may soon disappear, but their replacement will be far more invasive.
SICPA (LAUSANNE, CH)
Assistance to research on the history of “Admission stamps” in passports
HUFFINGTON POST (K.R.)
picked up my article on the North Korean passport history
SECURITYDOCUMENTWORLD (READING, U.K.)
Global news from the Security Document Industry.
Expert article > Passports now and then
SIRENA FILM (PRAGUE, CZ)
Film production – consulting the art department on documents used during the “Kindertransport” (WWII)
VIDEOTRON (MONTREAL, CA)
Cable T.V. company – consulting their prop master on travel documents
UFAFICION (POTSDAM, DE)
German award-winning film and television Company and a unique leader in the German film and television market Assistance with several passports for an upcoming production for German TV ZDF
SALZBURG FESTIVAL / SALZBURGER FESTSPIELE (SALZBURG, AT)
Assistance for the property master with several passports for Shakespeare’s “Comedy of Errors.”
SKYNEWS.CH (ZURICH, CH)
Article about Swiss aviation pioneer Ernst Nyffenegger & his passport
GIZMODO.COM (NEW YORK, USA)
Article / Interview on passport security
THE GUARDIAN (LONDON, U.K.)
Assistance with a passport gallery
LAW ENFORCEMENT – POLICE (LENDAVA, SL)
Assistance on a diplomatic passport Congo
DIPLOMATIC COURIER ALUMNI (History of the Diplomatic Courier Service, USA)
Assistance with passport history
CALCALYST (Israel’s most significant business daily newspaper and website)
Interview on current passport design & passport history
APIS (BANSKA BYSTRICA, SK) references
Testing mobile document checking device C230 UVC
KEESING TECHNOLOGIES (AMSTERDAM, NL)
Article about passport collecting & passport history
HOLOCAUST MEMORIAL CENTER (MI, USA)
Consultation on Holocaust documents
THE EPHEMERA SOCIETY (LONDON, U.K.)
Article in THE EPHEMERIST about vintage passport collecting & passport history
NATIONAL MUSEUM OF SCOTLAND
(EDINBURGH, U.K.)
Assistance in acquiring a significant historical Scottish passport
FOYLES WAR – popular British TV series (LONDON, U.K.)
Assistance the Graphic Designer in recreating a past passport
THE GOODMAN THEATRE (CHICAGO, USA)
Assistance with an Iraqi passport
ORANGE TREE THEATRE (RICHMOND, U.K.)
Assistance with British passports
BBC (LONDON, U.K.) 
Research on historical passports references
HOLOCAUST FOUNDATION (OSAKA, J.P.)
Assistance in the acquisition of specific Holocaust material – passport related
KAUFMAN ASTORIA STUDIOS – Legendary movie studio (NEW YORK, USA)
Assistance of the property master in recreating a historical passport
UNIVERSITY OF WESTERN SYDNEY LIBRARY (SIDNEY, A.U.)
Evaluation of the University’s passport collection
PAUL FRASER COLLECTIBLES (USA) references
“…offers a wealth of intriguing resources on the subject.”
GERMAN VIEW MAGAZINE (HAMBURG, DE)
article and interview with me
POST – ITALIAN ONLINE MAGAZINE
article about my website
GERMAN MAGAZINE “Autographs Collector”
Article about passport collecting, online and in their monthly magazine
HOLOCAUST FOUNDATION (CONNECTICUT, USA)
Assistance in acquiring specific Holocaust material – passport related
HOLOCAUST FOUNDATION (ILLINOIS, USA)
Assistance in obtaining explicit Holocaust material – passport related
EPHEMERA SOCIETY OF AMERICA
Article about a US 1814 passport
INTERNATIONAL PASSPORT COLLECTORS MEETING (BERLIN, DE)
Event organizer, participants from Germany, France, Singapore, Switzerland, Romania, Belgium, UK

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FAQ Passport History
Passport collection, passport renewal, old passports for sale, vintage passport, emergency passport renewal, same day passport, passport application, pasaporte passeport паспорт 护照 パスポート جواز سفر पासपोर्ट

1. What are the earliest known examples of passports, and how have they evolved?

The word "passport" came up only in the mid 15th Century. Before that, such documents were safe conducts, recommendations or protection letters. On a practical aspect, the earliest passport I have seen was from the mid 16th Century. Read more...

2. Are there any notable historical figures or personalities whose passports are highly sought after by collectors?

Every collector is doing well to define his collection focus, and yes, there are collectors looking for Celebrity passports and travel documents of historical figures like Winston Churchill, Brothers Grimm, Johann Wolfgang von Goethe. Read more...

3. How did passport designs and security features change throughout different periods in history, and what impact did these changes have on forgery prevention?

"Passports" before the 18th Century had a pure functional character. Security features were, in the best case, a watermark and a wax seal. Forgery, back then, was not an issue like it is nowadays. Only from the 1980s on, security features became a thing. A state-of-the-art passport nowadays has dozens of security features - visible and invisible. Some are known only by the security document printer itself. Read more...

4. What are some of the rarest and most valuable historical passports that have ever been sold or auctioned?

Lou Gehrig, Victor Tsoi, Marilyn Monroe, James Joyce, and Albert Einstein when it comes to the most expensive ones. Read more...

5. How do diplomatic passports differ from regular passports, and what makes them significant to collectors?

Such documents were often held by officials in high ranks, like ambassadors, consuls or special envoys. Furthermore, these travel documents are often frequently traveled. Hence, they hold a tapestry of stamps or visas. Partly from unusual places.

6. Can you provide insights into the stories behind specific historical passports that offer unique insights into past travel and migration trends?

A passport tells the story of its bearer and these stories can be everything - surprising, sad, vivid. Isabella Bird and her travels (1831-1904) or Mary Kingsley, a fearless Lady explorer.

7. What role did passports play during significant historical events, such as wartime travel restrictions or international treaties?

During war, a passport could have been a matter of life or death. Especially, when we are looking into WWII and the Holocaust. And yes, during that time, passports and similar documents were often forged to escape and save lives. Example...

8. How has the emergence of digital passports and biometric identification impacted the world of passport collecting?

Current modern passports having now often a sparkling, flashy design. This has mainly two reasons. 1. Improved security and 2. Displaying a countries' heritage, icons, and important figures or achievements. I can fully understand that those modern documents are wanted, especially by younger collectors.

9. Are there any specialized collections of passports, such as those from a specific country, era, or distinguished individuals?

Yes, the University of Western Sidney Library has e.g. a passport collection of the former prime minister Hon Edward Gough Whitlam and his wife Margaret. They are all diplomatic passports and I had the pleasure to apprise them. I hold e.g. a collection of almost all types of the German Empire passports (only 2 types are still missing). Also, my East German passport collection is quite extensive with pretty rare passport types.

10. Where can passport collectors find reliable resources and reputable sellers to expand their collection and learn more about passport history?

A good start is eBay, Delcampe, flea markets, garage or estate sales. The more significant travel documents you probably find at the classic auction houses. Sometimes I also offer documents from my archive/collection. See offers... As you are already here, you surely found a great source on the topic 😉

Other great sources are: Scottish Passports, The Nansen passport, The secret lives of diplomatic couriers

11. Is vintage passport collecting legal? What are the regulations and considerations collectors should know when acquiring historical passports?

First, it's important to stress that each country has its own laws when it comes to passports. Collecting old vintage passports for historical or educational reasons is safe and legal, or at least tolerated. More details on the legal aspects are here...

Does this article spark your curiosity about passport collecting and the history of passports? With this valuable information, you have a good basis to start your own passport collection.

Question? Contact me...