THE LIGHTHOUSE
The Newsletter of the Eastbourne & South Downs Philatelic Society
http://www.esdps.co.uk
Editor: John Wright, 12 Milchester House, Staveley Road, Meads, Eastbourne, BN20 7JX.
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No. 43 February 2015
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THE BOOK OF SHOPS
The illustration below, and the verses on page 2, are taken from The Book of Shops, published by Grant Richards. The illustration is by Francis Donkin Bedford and the verses by Edward Verrall Lucas (also known as "Evoe" of Punch). The Book of shops was first published in 1899.
ASPS STAMP AND POSTCARD DAY, Sat 28th MARCH 2015, BURGESS HILL GIRLS' SCHOOL
A number of collectors in the County have expressed disappointment that the October Conventions, for logistical reasons, no longer include a speaker. This event is an attempt to rectify this with not one, but two high-quality speakers. Chris Harman RDP, FRPSL will talk for about 45 minutes on The Chalon Heads, starting at 10:15 am, and, starting at 1:30 pm for a similar time, John Wilton will talk on Donald McGill postcards. Ten dealers will be present, but will not be selling while either of the speakers is in action.
The school is close to Burgess Hill station, there is a bus and a large car park. Refreshments will be available. The event opens at 10:00 am and lasts until 4:00 pm and entry is free although there will be a Raffle (the Tombola King is being given a day off). The venture is a new one for A. S. P. S., and future such events will, doubtless, depend on the success or otherwise of this. Hope to see you there - it should be a good day.
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TIME CAPSULE TREASURE TROVE
(From the November 2014 Newsletter of the British Postal Museum & Archive, by Chris Taft, Head of Collections, BPMA)
In 1921, the staff of the Dundee Head Post Office put together a time capsule in remembrance of their fallen comrades. This was sealed into a wooden casket, with instructions that it was "to be opened on 4th August 2014 by the Postmaster in the presence of the Lord Provost". It was discovered in 2012, but, due to the age and condition of the sealed lead container housed within the casket, the capsule had to be opened under controlled conditions prior to the ceremony to ensure the safe removal of the contents without damage. The contents themselves were left untouched until the full ceremony could take place.
On the stipulated date, in the presence of the Lord Provost of Dundee, senior representatives from Royal
Mail, Post Office Limited, and others, the capsule was opened. A specially written poem was read by the Head Boy of Dundee High School, and a minute's silence observed in remembrance of all who gave their lives. The contents were laid out in display cases, giving those in attendance a first look into the lives of the people of their city 100 years ago.
Included in the capsule were many photographs: profiling the people of Dundee, from local dignitaries to soldiers and postmen; many scenes of Dundee; special visits (including by Princess Mary in 1920 and Winston Churchill in 1921); and a number of documents (such as newspaper cuttings and letters from soldiers). There were also some sealed envelopes including a letter from the 1921 Lord Provost to his 2014 successor; a letter from the 1921 Postmaster to his counterpart of 2014; and an essay on the League of Nations to the youngest member of the 2014 Education Authority.
While major historical events are documented by historians through published books, academic texts and television programmes, there is nothing quite as moving as hearing the voices of those that lived through a certain period. The time capsule and its contents have been placed in the trust of the McManus: Dundee's Art Gallery & Museum.
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CONGRATULATIONS!
Firstly, to Brian Stalker, who (as all who attend our weekly meetings, or read The Lighthouse will know), is a most enthusiastic collector of most things Canadian and most particularly of anything connected with Canadian Railways. Brian was recently elected as President of the Canadian Philatelic Society of Great Britain for season 2014 - 2015, a position he previously filled in 1990 -1991. Brian is a Fellow of the CPSGB, being elected in 2000, and "his" convention will be held in Carlisle. Members fortunate enough last January to see Brian's presentation Carlisle, Railway City will be aware that he revisits familiar territory for his Convention.
Secondly, to Michael Farrant who was awarded a Gold Medal at Stampex for his 128-page exhibit German East Africa 1914 -1917. He then took this, necessarily reduced to 7 frames of 12 pages (now the norm in Germany) to Sindelfingen for their International Post History exhibition and was awarded a 3rd place bronze "post horn" plaque, these being much coveted on the Continent.
The Lighthouse Is always pleased to record what members have done or are doing, but the Editor must be told! He does now, just about, have email if this helps.
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JOHN TENNIEL'S ALICE
A letter in The Daily Telegraph of 20th January 2015, from Alice Jaspars of Aberdeen, captioned "Alice, wondering" reads as follows:-
SIR - As an Alice I find it curiouser and curiouser that Royal Mail decided not to use John Tenniel's illustrations from the original 1865 edition of Alice in Wonderland on the stamps issued to celebrate the
150th anniversary of publication.
His work is synonymous with Alice and all that she encapsulates, unlike the images which have been
chosen.
REVIEW Photographs by Martyn Fish
6th November A, B, C were the letters, and David Hague opened with Israel -Art, Aviation, Balfour, Birds, Civic Arms, Coins,..., followed by Graham Little with Aden (KG VI - QE II), Bohemia & Moravia, Cyprus (village cancellations), and then Christine Brinkley who showed Bible and Booklet Covers. Then Gillian Keef had Canadian Cancellations on Small Queens, Mike Wyatt showed Airmails from GB Airlines, also German State Brunswick, and Channel Is., with Bill France closing the first half with Airmail stamps (including Balloons).
Richard Robbins kicked off the second half with Belgian Advertising labels; John Griffin (good to see John showing more often - jmw) with Birds (Norfolk Is. to Papua New Guinea), and then Sarah Griffin who took us from Azerbaijan to Bahamas. Jennie Little showed the work of mountaineer conservationist Colin Monteith on Antarctic postcards and also Arctic; Ron Carter had Australian States, Battleships, and Comic Cards; and then Tim Griffiths presented toy vehicles with stamps on their sides as sold by Aland Post Offices. Nigel Steer was next with Olympics from Athens, Berlin, and Atlanta, also Airmails and Amundsen Antarctica; and Richard Tarrant rounded off the evening (13 members showing) with Czechoslovakia 1961-64. Thank you all.
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13th November John Wright displayed material under the heading Canadian Miscellany, describing himself as a specialist (one country) collector of Canada rather than an expert. He said that anything postal earlier than 1780 was particularly scarce. His own earliest item was a 1783 cover from Montreal to Quebec, which was shown along with other covers having Montreal straight line postmarks of 1785 and 1790. Also seen was a CHIPPAWA handstamp that had wrongly been made as CHIPPAIVA, together with an example that had been corrected manually.
Until 1844, Canadian postage had been determined by the number of sheets and the distance to be conveyed, at which time postage became calculated on weight and distance. That changed to weight only when the first Canadian postage stamps were issued in 1851, the stamps initially imperforate but becoming perforated from late 1858. John demonstrated how postage rates changed when decimal currency was introduced on 1st July 1859, with differentiation between postage that had been prepaid and that which had not (collect). The "Large Queen" stamps were issued in 1868, the year after Confederation when Canada East, Canada West, New Brunswick and Nova Scotia united as the Dominion of Canada, at which time postage costs were reduced. The "Small Queens" began to appear in 1870, as did postcards. In 1875 prepaid postage through the use of postage stamps became mandatory, with collect no longer allowed. "Double deficiency" was charged for underpaid postage and John displayed covers illustrating how this worked in practice.
John displayed postcards produced for the United Kingdom, and those issued a little later for UPU use. The whole display was graced with many examples of advertising postal history, especially those for tea and coffee products. Stamps specifically for registered letters were issued from late 1875, often quite badly perforated. Diamond Jubilee stamps appeared in 1897, followed in 1899 by the Maple Leaf definitives and their successors with Numerals. John concluded the first half of his display with a board of fancy cancels, the cancels on the stamps painstakingly completed onto small pieces.
The second half began with much postal history, particularly advertising items for beverages, hotels and sport, together with a number of Wilson (paper-makers) patriotic covers and cards. Three bogus paquebot cancels followed, along with the Quebec Tercentenary set. The display dealt comprehensively with the King George V Admiral stamps, including coils (both normal and those in sheet form), booklet panes, War Tax and the use of lathework. There were also more advertising covers. The surcharged Admiral stamps were seen,
also the Dominion and Scroll issue, and postcards of aluminium and birch bark. The final board included the Arch & Maple Leaf issue including coils (and the "Cockeyed King" variety) and booklet panes. The Medallion issue was also shown including coil leaders.
John concluded with three pages of oddments, covers that had successfully passed through the post unpenalised in spite of oddities such as Canadian stamps being supplemented with those of GB or even with coins sellotaped to the cover. It was a privilege to have seen a display of such material, while the quality of the narrative certainly gave members severe cause to doubt John's initial assertion that he was not an expert! Thanks, John.
Richard Tarrant
20th November Union of South Africa was the title for Roy Ferguson, a former President of ASPS. After the Boer War, two states were English speaking, two Afrikaans (with the ultimate result of dual stamps, one in English, the other in Afrikaans) and the first issue, with joint languages, was the only one with Rosettes watermark (later Springbok head). The first definitive issue, 1913 - '24, included booklets and coils, and we saw a complete Specimen set. 1925 saw the first airmail set, and the '26 definitives were "SOUTH AFRICA / SUIDAFRIKA" se-tenant with horizontal pairs far more desirable than vertical because of the way printed albums are made - designs lasted until 1950 with small variations, such as one word "SUIDAFRIKA" and, later, "SUID-AFRIKA". Rotogravure printings may be distinguished from Typographed and Recess by minor variations. The '26 triangulars are in sheets with single language inscription. '33 saw the Voortrekker issue, and we saw a set of special covers, and the '35 Silver Jubilee set of 4 had some startling varieties. With the 1936 Johannesburg International Philatelic Exhibition (JIPEX) booklets, complete panes of 6 can be built up from the different arrangements of adverts in the margins -10
panes of the ½d and 21 of the 1d. State postage stamps, which had been valid for use since Union, were finally invalidated on 1st January 1938, and were shown on a "last day" cover.
The printer Hunter Penrose was requested by the South African Government to produce a wide range of trial printings on a Goebel A-G machine located in Darmstadt, Germany for the Van Riebeeck Ship Stamps. These trials, known as Darmstadt Trials, were secret and consisted of dummy stamps printed by 4 cylinders with a separate head-plate and frame-plate. Different watermarks, papers, inks and gums on each plate were investigated by Penrose and examples of each were included in the display. The Coronation of King George VI produced some changes of watermark direction and several interesting constant major varieties. Several of the low value definitives were re-drawn in smaller sizes with the "tick" flaw shown on the ½d value. Other major varieties such as the "ladder" and "molehill" flaws on the 6d value were displayed.
The war-time "military" issue, together with the subsequent "bantams", was shown with constant
varieties. Covers with war-time slogans were also included in this part of the display. The final issue of the definitives, printed in screened rotogravure, was shown with varieties, and a comprehensive display of all the Postage Due printings (with major varieties) concluded the evening. Very many thanks, Roy, for this excellent show.
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27th November Failed again! For the fourth time in very recent years it has proved impossible to run an advertised competition due to lack of entries. This time, for the Thematic Shield, was the worst, with not a single entry (the other three occasions did manage to produce one for each). Do the members of this Society want competitions? Sadly it looks as if the answer is "No" (with the exception of the new 1-sheet which has, in its very short life so far, received an excellent response). Fortunately, there was a second part to the evening, Favourite Definitives, opened by Bill France on 6 frames with 1953-72 Malta, 1953-82 Cyprus, and 1952-84 India - not all definitives, but computer written up to an extremely high standard.
Sarah Griffin was first on for the second half, with Ruanda Urundi; San Marino from early days (easier to find the later mint rather than used) including 14 covers/cards, PD and officials; and Sarawak. Graham Little followed with Cyprus 1924 specimens, '34, '85; '48 Bahamas; '38-'45 Bahrain opts on India; '43 Jersey; '49 India; and Cyreniaca, Kedah, Perlis, North Borneo, St Helena, Morocco Agencies and Seychelles; and he was followed by David Manthorpe who showed Danish cards to '92 with additional Christmas seals. Then Bernie Harris had a censored 1918 Belgian Congo cover (5 weeks to go from Matadi to Geneva); Bill France returned with '78 Mauritius, '70 Cyprus, Aden, Cayman, Bahamas, Dominica, Falklands, Tristan and SW Africa; and Jennie Little closed the evening with '68 BIOT; '60 Norfolk Island; '84 Tokelau; S Shetland, S Georgia and Graham Land '44 opts on Falklands; '54, '61 and '65 Tristan and 12 pages of full sheets of Tristan (luckily just the right size to fit on an album page!). Thank you all.