During its first fifty years the society included most of the important Anglo-Indian philatelists and had a particularly strong publications record with two award-winning books.
[2] The first meeting took place at 6 Middleton Row, Calcutta on 6 March 1897 where Charles Stewart-Wilson was appointed the first President and Lady Collen, Professor O.V.
The first Treasurer was Wilmot Corfield and the Secretary Mr. P. Aylwyn Selfe of the Bank of Bengal.
[4] In March 1957 an exhibition was held in Bombay to commemorate the Diamond Jubilee of the society and in 1997 the Society celebrated its centenary with a display in Bombay titled Centipex '97 at which a red Scinde Dawk and other rarities of Indian philately were exhibited.
The first seven books produced by the society each received volume numbers, although they did not form part of any coherent work.