Bjorn Sohrne

Bjorn Sohrne started to collect postal history of the Qajar period while working for the Swedish Trade Office in Teheran in 1978. While there he had the opportunity to meet and learn from Dr Dadkhah, Edward Joseph, Mr F Farabakhsh,  Mr Hoppe of Sweden, Mr Nabawi, D Armacost, Mr. Merkel and other collectors and all the dealers in the bazaar before returning to Sweden due to the Revolution.

Soon he got to know also other famous collectors and dealers like Farzin Mossavar-Rahmani, Samad Khorshid, Babak, Hassan Shaida, Shahrokh, Bernard Lewis, Charifian, Hartman, the famous postal historian, Zonnefeld, Sadri, Mr Nassehi.

After year 2000 he gradually got to know the generation of Persian collectors and representatives of today such as Behruz Nassre, Iraj Eftekhar, Farabakhsh Jr, Nezam, Peyhan, Mohammed, Mr Muhammed Reza Shahroody Zadeh and other dignitaries of the philatelic department of the Holy shrine in Meched, Mano Amarloui, the author of the censor marks of the Qajar period, the president of the IPSC Nigel Gooch and many others.

Bjorn can truly state he has met almost all the big horses of Persian philately and states that without all these friendly and helpful knowledgeable philatelic friends and the fruitful discussions he could never have put together his collections in a systematic manner of which he is very grateful.

Bjorn is an honorary member of Iran Philatelic Society as well as a Fellow of the RPSL.

He has also published a number of articles in various philatelic publications. He is a co-author of the digital "Illustrated Postmarks of Iran, 1876 - 1925 together with Farzin Mossavar-Rahmani.

Collecting areas of the Qajar period are:

  • The Geopolitical situation of Persia Postal History that includes four different areas;
    • Persia Postal History
    • Russia & Persia postal relations,
    • India & Persia
    • Ottoman & Persia
  • Postal Stationery
  • Picture Postcards
  • Airmail 

Exhibits of these areas (except the Ottoman...) have received FIP Gold and LG and the Persia Postal History exhibit has reached the Champion class.

In addition Bjorn collects Yemen Postal History. Reached FIP LV.

Bjorn has also served as a judge in Sweden. Bjorn has worked and lived in about 12 countries in Asia, ME, Africa, Brazil and USA altogether for about 10 years. He speaks a few major languages and gets along in some more.

Bjorn is member of the following philatelic societies:

  • Swedish Philatelic Federation + three local stamp societies
  • The Royal Philatelic Society London, UK
  • Iran Philatelic Study Circle, UK
  • Collectors Club, New York
  • Académie Européenne de Philatélie
  • The Society of Postal Historians, UK
  • ROSSICA, USA for Russian philately
  • British Society for Russian Philately
  • The India Study Circle, UK
  • The Association for International Philatelic Journalists
  • Ottoman & Near East Philately, USA
  • Oriental Philatelic Association of London.
  • The Ethiopian Philatelic Society, USA
  • The Ceylon Study Circle of Great Britain
  • Emirates Philatelic Association, Dubai