The development of Victorian postal stationery

COLIN BAKER

1. The Birth of Postal Stationery used more frequently at that time than at any Philatelists generally accept that the term postal other period. Today the telephone with its fax stationery refers to any item which is printed machine, freepost, the business reply service and with a stamp, including a value, to show that it is the alternative postal arrangements for bulk valid for postal purposes. It covers the whole mailing have pushed postal stationery into the range of stamped material from to background. However, the history of its birth airlctters and postcards to registered . It also and development in the 19th century is a includes such items as certificates of posting and fascinating story. telegraph forms, although this series of articles Never to be forgotten by GB collectors is the will only deal with matter which was intended date 6 May 1840, the day when the Penny Black, should go through the post. the world’s first adhesive , became Postal stationery was not only produced by valid for postage. Perhaps not so readily the Post Office, but was also manufactured and appreciated is that this date also signalled the stamped at Somerset House, a story which it is official start of postal stationery, when stamped intended will be the subject of a later article. For envelopes and lettersheets in both Id and 2d this scries however, only PO issues will be values were also available for use. discussed. Postal stationery was devised and developed A typical advertising lettersheet consisting of many during the when it was probably private adverts. These sheets were sold at 9d per dozen.

12 British Philatelic Bulletin — Vol. 32, September 1994 •/ *

■I . WS7ME OWE

Britain’s Largest Stamp Mulready’s poetic design for the first issue of postal It is often said that favoured postal stationery, quickly rejected by the public even before it stationery rather than stamps for the became validf or postage. prepayment of mail and certainly at the The Uniform was brought into beginning of May 1840 there were huge being in a great hurry and it was not until late in numbers of envelopes and lettersheets available 1839 that a prominent Irish artist, William for sale to the public throughout the British Mulrcady, RA, was asked to design the new Isles, whereas the printing of the Penny Black stamped stationery. Mulready’s design showed and Twopence Blue stamps had only just begun, Britannia sending winged messengers to all their availability and distribution being very corners of the empire, below which were scenes erratic at first. of the letters they conveyed being eagerly read.

British Philatelic Bulletin — Vol. 32, September 1994 Only minor changes were made to Mulready’s Id and 2d stamps with their neat design and design before it was approved early in 1840. clean lines. Mulready’s final drawing was given to John The PO considered that the whole of Thompson to engrave onto a brass plate from Mulready’s design was the stamp and it must which the printing formes would be produced. rank as one of the world’s largest, covering as it When this had reached a satisfactory state, the did the whole of the front. Even the value, other markings and side tablets for the PO had to issue special instructions to staff lettersheets were added and the huge printing indicating where to strike it, favouring that order was set in motion. Britannia should receive the cancelling mark. Despite the message that Mulready had tried Because of the size of the design the PO was to convey through his poetic design, it was far concerned that if the stamp were cancelled in too ornate and fussy for the 19th century public. any position other than on Britannia the From 2 May 1840, the day after the stationery cancellation could be covered with a label and was first put on sale, the national press ridiculed the item reused. the design to such an extent that many people refused to use the new envelopes and Many lettersheets were printed on the inside with a lettersheets, preferring instead the more simple vareity of advertisements.

THE MILTON PRESS PKiixnisu lstabli i □, CHANDOS STREET, STRAND. AND SLOANE SQUARE, CHELSEA.

n o

s [The Principal would ^P">> *‘AZ,r ln wlir' ",nl *' *" "" ,',rnt^r indirect, wiM any other office.} r e p D

E a ft handob treet trand and Sloane Sqvare. Chblrba. o

s 9, C S . S . 36, a

e r n r l o f a

t

r w u i s o a i y n s

t g t e

a

u y h o

t y

u o e r o e

s a c

a , n

p u e i n h t t i a

l l i . l . i f

y

e w y H o n e e u o h

p w d r r

o e m i o

t c n i a

o n d f t e y

y r c

s h c o t

n a s r n r u n e e o

c c p y t

n a o j t i t h n

e t m f i . u w y l f

l e y o o l

t l t t s o r e p s

a e r u n p i

f t d f e i a i e k n e c a r g f t

g on ,

o l f l f i

o w b y

o e h r > b . u a

o y t , y a

n . f

i

h t o c . n n h r u c o o e w u

w , m g a y h e l

r

e g t e h h n , t i

e

a d l

l n r d a o d a

c

y e c w , r

a y h a

o a h u u

t o

u y t h h

o t a y e i

d y d l

e l b m i r e t c i t

g t t e i d h r a n t

a h w h

a ,

a t v e v l u e e p

n

i l

b a c o e i n e n d i

n

r i n p b -

u s f be t t o

n _

e m

y y

a p P

f i r r

u t u h d o ___ e e y y

n

w l c i a e o . y

. n i

l a u t c n

u p P

e B

14 British Philatelic Bulletin — Vol. 32, September 1994 The Printed Advertisements Despite their lack of popularity, the lettersheets No. I.—Jv.xe 17, 1840. HALLETT’S received a new lease of life less than two weeks The plan of this work is to sell the Envelopes at 8d. per lobes.—1 after they were first released. It is not known dozen to Advertisers, and to the Publie at lOd. Every SON, beg Advertiser shall be at liberty to draw (if he pleases) after Gconstantly on i who thought of the idea first, but many of the the rate of one dozen stamps for every line of his advertise­ of the above t ment, by which the circulation will be, in a greut measure, and in great Id lettersheets and some of the 2d values were in their own hands. Nevertheless, the Proprietors will sell These globes li to the public the whole, should the advertiser not require many distingu printed with advertisements on their reverse them. It is hardly necessary to say, from the great reduc­ honoured with tion in price, they are immediately bought up by the —Manufactory, sides. These advertisements fall into two groups, public, and the edition l>eing 5000, added to its novelty, may be obtaine those promoting firms such as insurance and otters a medium for publicity hitherto unprecedented; globes, in good and means will be used for each advertiser lo *»*e that that manufacturing companies who printed and used number is reallv printed. INDOW 3 Window the lettershects themselves and those containing rats, C Hase and Comfort in Shaving of the most el a collection of small adverts, the income from ESSRS. B. and 8. COWVAN have now completed their house in Loud invaluable QUADRILATERAL CHINESE RAZOR A splendid st< which enabled the publisher to sell the MSHARPENER, the U»e of wlilcli renders the operation noefw est designs furnished in a shaving no longer painful to the most teuder skin. By a High Holborn lettersheets at less than face value (often very sjmple process the Keenest edge may be speedily given between 8d or lOd a dozen) but still making a to the bluntest razor or pen knife. To be had wholesale, of Upholsterers at the Proprietors, B. und S. Cowvan, No. 1(54, Fenchurch- SPLENDID profit for himself strect; and retail, of all respectable perfumers, Ac., in the prices in • , price 5s. (Jd , 7s. ttd., and Hs. 6

s e n d on the reverse of the Mulready stationery, some h ol i n h c

O THE LADIEt«! — The following Articles for the u

i i t

a e k h

s r

Toilette have elicited General Commendation, and ure s , r f being fairly common, while only one or two r w y n

e

T e

confidently submitted to the Patronage of the Public as r e P p m q p t

d possessing u decided Excellence in their effects und ap- p o .

copies of others may exist today. In the majority x v a n s r e f r n a r pc trance.

s f u

s c ,

W o of cases it was the Id lettersheets which were PROUT’S INDIAN RUBBER STICKING i e l e

n

s b h PLASTER, which does not wash off. Embracing the o t M s t i i u

e t

e l used in this way, although some 2d lettersheets s

advantages of being waterproof and flexible, whilst the supe­ p e f a t d

l r s v r e i i

riority of its manufacture must render it a general favourite e u t t u e h c

and occasionally one or two envelopes were also r t g c

over the old und exploded Court Plaster, which it bills fair n r

a i e e f u

c r

entirely to supersede. From its peculiar flexibility it sticks d o o

d

printed in a similar fashion. All of these e d n C o firm and close on joints and otl.e.- places where the Original , i t n t n

a o

a f L Plaster would be useless. The present valuable article may i r y t

w additional printings make a fascinating study in l o , b c t E be placed on the hands and face without renewal for several o y e e

n l t n t e y e days; it is characterized by extreme tenacity of adhesion, B

u o their own right and give us a glimpse into the t c u ” r e d

which prevents the liability of its being warlied qff. i q A

p L e r e f

I s a WITHERS’S SICILIAN BLOOM, of Youth ami Beauty, r L e

history of that period. However this reprieve o o f v O h

h

or linpalpuble Vegetable Powder, for Improving the com­ t

s t e

a t s R and substantial price reduction failed to regain plexion, is recommended to the Ladies with the utmost

— a n d l A t e e W e a c

‘-‘4* gree of confluence, as the most exquisite production in S s r v e n

S g i E j popularity for the Mulready stationery and in o universe for beautifying the skin, without the possibility a l g A b

i o r N o e

g the slightest injury; it is a peculiarly elegant pre- r O e m

h o

the end huge stocks were destroyed, so great was d t A r

moii ? < from the beautiful Aznlue (a Shrub indigenous to i the task that the Post Office had to construct a Typical private advertisements in general advertising special machine for the purpose. lettersheets. Fear of Forgery expensive watermarked paper. However modern The Victorians were extremely concerned that research has shown these threads not to be silk their envelopes and lettershects would be but to be coloured yarn, although the name “silk forged. During the initial design stage early in thread paper” is unlikely to change now. 1840 it was originally intended that watermarked paper would be used for printing The Future both the envelopes and lettershects, but when The rejection by the public of the Mulrcady prices were sought from various paper design may have slowed down the initial manufacturers in February of that year, the acceptance of postal stationery but it did not lowest quotation was submitted by John prevent its future development in all aspects of Dickinson, not for paper with a watermark but the postal service, nor did it discourage the later for one with silk threads laid in the paper itself. extensive use of all types of prestamped material. Dickinson had invented the process and The remaining articles in this scries will show owned the patent for making silk thread paper. that the continuing development and extensive It was manufactured in a continuous sheet on use of Victorian postal stationery was probably machines kept secure behind locked doors, as important to the development of the postal guarded night and day and worked by carefully service in this country, with the benefits that it selected and trusted operators. Silk thread paper brought to the ordinary citizen, as was the had proved itself for a number of years earlier introduction of the Uniform Penny Post previously, having been used for government in 1840. bonds and legal papers, and with this kind of To be continued. pedigree it was accepted in lieu of the more © Colin Baker 1994.

British Philatelic Bulletin — Vol. 32, September 1994 15