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i:_==:_ IRWIN/:~IM AN~ -=i______..: Serving American Philately Since 1926 :..: --:-'- .. --.:_- 2 WEST 46th STREET £ NEW YORK 36, N.Y. ~ Telephone: JUdson 2-2393 Suite 708 I ·~mlllllClllllllllllllClllllllllllllClllllllllllllCllllll&;lllllClllllllllllllClllllllllllll[lllllllllllllrlllllllllllllClllllllllllllClllllllllllllClllllllllllllrrn1m11111!t ~ The American Air Mail Society A Non-Profit Corporation Incorporated 1944 Organized 1923 Under the Laws of Ohio Official Publication of the PRESIDENT AMERICAN Am MAIL SOCIETY Dr. James J. Matejka, Jr. LaSalle Hotel Chicago, Illinois VOL. 33 No. 2 ISSUE No. 378 SECRETARY Ruth T. Smith 102 Arbor Road Contents ...... for November, 1961 Riverton, New Jersey TREASURER Dick Merrill Quiis Jets to Pilot a Desk 26 John J. Smith The New York Convention ...... 28 102 Arbor Road Riverton, New Jersey Convention Banquet Attracts Phila- teUsts ...... 30 VICE-PRESIDENTS Who Was 'I1here ...... 32 Joseph L. Eisendrath Samuel S. Goldsticker, Jr. Aerogrammes ...... 33 Herman Kleinert Lester S. Manning Key to the Pictures ...... 34 Foreign Pioneer Airpost Flights, EDITOR - Other Publications 1909-14 ········································ ············ 39 L. B: Gatchell Centenary of ihe Stamp Catal:ogue ..... 54 ATTORNEY South Africa Aero grammes ...... 56 George D. Kingdom U. S. Tally iat Curiosa, '61 ...... 57 DffiECTOR OF Tips by Julius ...... 60 FOREIGN RELATIONS A Year of Air Mail ...... 62 Dr. Max Kronstein Official Section ...... · 64 AUCTION MANAGER APJ Ads ...... 1Inside Back Cover Samuel s. Goldsticker, Jr. DffiECTORS Alton J. Blank EDITOR Herbert Brandner Joseph L. Eisendrath Paul Bugg Robert E. Haring 350 No. Deere Park Drive, Highland Park, Ill. Dr. Max Kronstein ASSISTANT EDITORS George L. Lee Robert W. Murch Narcisse Pelletier Ernest A. Kehr L. B. Gatchell Horace D. Westbrooks DEPARTMENT AND ASSOCIATE EDITORS MEMBERSHIP DUES R. Lee Black, N. Pelletier, Florence I,.. Kleinert, Dr. Max Kronstein, Richard L. Singley, William $4.00 Per Year R. Ware, Julius Weiss, James Wotherspoon, John Dues include subscription to Watson, William T. Wynn, Frank Blumenthal, THE AIRPOST JOURNAL. Ap­ Samuel S. Goldsticker, Jr., J. S. Langabeer. plicants must furnish two ref­ Published monthly at Albion, Erie Co., Pa., U.S.A. erences, philatelic preferred. At Entered as second-class matter at the Post Office least one must reside in Appli­ at Albion, Pa., Februarv 10, 1932, under cant's home town. Applicants tne Act of March 3, 1879. under 21 years must be guar­ anteed by Parent or Guardian. The AIRPOST JOURNAL is not conducted for Membership may be terminated profit. The Editor, and all others, serve without by the Society in accordance compensation. Receipts from advertising, sub­ with its By-Laws. scriptions and contributions are applied to the betterment of the magazine and the promotion Correspondence concerning sub­ of aero-pl>Jlately. scriptions, back numbers and The Editor and Officers of The American Air bound volumes, address changes Mail Society assume no responsibility for the and other matters and all re­ accuracy of statements made by contributors. mittances should be sent to the Every effort is made to insure correctness of Treasurer. All general com­ all articles. munications and advertising Subscription Rates: $4.00 per year, 35c per copy. should be sent to the Editor. Advertising Rate Card available from the Editor NOVEMBER, 1961 PAGE 25 Dick Merrill Quits Jets ~o Pilot a Desk • A U.P.I. dispatch of Oct. 3rd says Richman and Merrill feared that Rich­ lhat Capt. H. T. (Dick) Merrill, who man's single engine plane might go down used to fly mail runs in goggles and a at sea and stuffed all available airspace bathing suit, stepped out of his jet cock­ in the wings and fuselage with 30,000 pit for the last time, ending a flying ping pong balls to keep the plane afloat. career that made him a living legend of On the return trip Richman became pan­ commercial aviation. icky and 500 gallons of gasoline was "I won't like it as well behind a desk, dumped in the sea ,of Newfoundland. but there comes a time when we all Although Merrill said he could have have to quit and I might as well accept flown to Atlanta, the plane landed in a it now," said Merrill, 66, an Eastern Air bog on the coast of Newfoundland. Lines pilot for 33 years. Merrill says commercial jets have com­ Merrill, the first man to fly round­ pleted the change from "seat-of-your­ trip across the Atlantic, has been riding pants" flying to piloting by instruments. Eastern's DC-8 jets as check pilot since 'But I can still pass the same physical May, 1960, when the federal aviation tests I passed 30 years ago, and my pilot agency's over-60 regulation moved him ratings are just as good," he said. from behind the controls. Merrill wouldn't say he was out of the Merrill ended his flying career al­ air for good. "If anyone needs a pilot together to become an Eastern desk­ to ferry a plane to Africa or China," he riding executive. said, 'Tm available." When the New York - Miami flight Our cover of this issue shows Merrill landed, Merrill was greeted by a host of in his bathing suit, ready to fly the mail. officials including Capt. Eddie Ricken­ He bailed out on several occasions, and backer, Eastern board chairman, himself his name is shown as pilot on several a famous pilot. listings of crash covers. Merrill learned to fly 48 years ago, when he was 18, in a rickety. recon­ Dick Merrill Retires structed Jenny. He wound up piloting the swiftest commercial jets of the day. By Ernest A. Kehr At one time or another in between, he Capt. Henry T. "Dick" Merrill, one of was personal pilot to Queen Elizabeth the greatest of all airlines pilots and and Dwight D. Eisenhower and to count­ aviation pioneers, formally retired on less celebrities, some of whom wouldn't Oct. 3, by acting as check pilot on a fly unless Merrill was at the controls. His New York-to-Miami flight in a DC-8. wife is Toby Wing, former movie star. The 67-year-old veteran of the airways In World War I, Merrill was a navy began his career in a fragile "Jenny," flying instructor, and after the war he and since then has flown just about ev­ turned to barnstorming. He joined Pit­ ery type of aircraft that was developed. cairn Airlines {later Eastern) in 1928 Although he is most famous as a com­ and flew the mail from New York to At­ mercial pilot, having been with Eastern lanta before Pitcairn turned to hauling Air Lines since it was formed in 1928, passengers. he also is associated with a number of It was in those days, Merrill used to important record flights on which covers fly the old open cockpit planes in bath­ were carried. ing suit, shoes, and goggles during the Of these, the most familiar is the summer. He carried pets with him­ famous "Coronation" flight which he anything from squirrels and groundhogs made on May 8, 1937, with Harry Rich­ to a lion cub or orangutang. man, night-club operator, from New He made his first rol:lnd trip over the York to London, then back again, leav­ Atlantic in 1936 with a night club ing England on May 13. It was the first singer, Harry Richman. round-trip flight across the Atlantic. PAGE 26 THE AIRPOST JOURNAL The pair had attempted a flight on That Red Coat of Bob Murch Sept. 2, 1936, but their plane, "Lady Peace," was forced down in Wales by a The symbol of air mail is fire red. The fuel shortage. Post Office Department issues all air mail stamps these days fire red-a unique mo­ Dick's astuteness and skill in the air tif that was inaugurated at our Conven­ was legendary. Any number of celebrities tion Iast August in Arlington, Virginia would fly only when they knew he'd be with the cooperation of Frank Bruns and at the controls. He was fearless and al­ the Post Office Department. My wife lowed himself the thrills of riding a urged me to wear my fire red coat to Ar­ storm when he was soloing. When he lington, Virginia so I could feel part of carried passengers, however, he was a the background with the fire red stamps. stickler in the execution of every safety The coat itself had been a present on regulation. At one time, for example, he Father's Day; I became a father shortly was flying a charter for a presidential thereafter and the coat has a dual mean­ candidate who, himself was a veteran ing to me, as my job in the past few flier. At take-off the future president years has been to try and sell air mail, said he preferred riding without his seat aerophilately, and the fellowship of air mail collecting. belt fastened. As recently as two weeks ago, the pre­ Dick went directly to the celebrity and sident of the American Air Mail Society watched him fasten it before he took off. was honored with an invitation to come Though official regulations preclude to the White House to preview a stamp Dick from further passenger flying, it with President Kennedy, Postmaster Gen­ eral Day and various other dignitaries. was disclosed ·that he would continue in It was scheduled for high noon on Au­ a consulting capacity to hike the operat­ gust 31 and I answered the summons ing efficiency of Eastern. from the White House . The thought occurred to me if I went in with my normal blue serge shiny suit, I would look like any or the other Secret The Largest Service men standing around and with And Most Comprehensive Stock the thought that maybe the American Of Air Mail Society might get a little recog­ nition, I decided to wear my red jacket Aerogrammes to meet President Kennedy. The coat and your president were es­ In The World corted through one of the main gates, and led up into the hallowed precincts of -0- the White House. Several of our mem­ A NEW ISSUE SERVICE bers and friends were there for the oc­ SECOND TO NONE casion. I thought that I was properly dressed. As I sat down, much to my Ask For Details Today consternation, there were twelve empty chairs next to me. The Marine Band -o­ came in with their red coats and sat down right next to the president of your Up-To-Date Check List Society. They wore brilliant scarlet Free On Request jackets. I looked like I was carrying their music. I wandered into the grill -o­ and the American Air Mail Society was WALTER R. GUTHRIE destined to obscurity at the White House party. It was one miserable hour. I P. 0. BOX 390 think I am going to get rid of the coat! TUSCON, ARIZONA (from Ex-President Murch's remarks at the annual Society banquet. ) NOVEMBER, 1961 PAGE 27 The New York Convention

It seems that when your editor starts • longed to the society for 35 years, were this annual convention report he's usu- voted into life membership. The five ally on a plane homeward bound. This men thus honored were W. R. Ware, time is no exception, except this is our _Tohn G. Kunz, John S. Davis, R. E. R. first ride on a Caravelle jet. New York Dalwick, and Albert N. Brown, whose to Chicago, in two hours and ten min- membership numbers are 151, 153, 155, utes scheduled time! (Unbelievable-but 181, and 197 respectively. Current mem­ to insert a note the actual time was one berships are in the 4800s. Francis Card­ hour forty-five minutes.) inal Spellman and Basil L. Rowe were The best part of convention going is voted honorary life memberships for meeting old friends, and making new their contributions to aerophilately. The ones. This time was no exception. We Cardinal is widely known for his phila­ treasure those pleasant moments. telic activities. Basil is one of the pion- Into Idlewild, chasing the hurricane eer F.A.M. pilots, himself a collector of Donna, and over to the Lexington, Fri- long standing and an occasional con­ day night found us enjoying slnp talk tributor to this magazine. w;th early arrivals. George Kingdom, of In the line of new business, Harold Conneaut, Ohio, was on hand for only a Frankel, backed by a considerable num­ few hours, as he had an important case her of proxies, made a motion to update in Washington the next day, which pre- the society constitution. The discussion vented his returning to the convention. that followed was lengthy, heated, and Needless to say, we didn't get to bed very lively. The last changes in the very early that night. constitution were made in 1949 and 1951 The business session was the first af- -and Frankel felt that a considerable fair of the convention. It was preceded going over was needed. Almost without by registration and the opening of the exception everyone present felt that it official post office convention station. To should be up-dated. President Murch our surprise and delight, special cancella- referred the matter to a special commit­ tions for the three days of our conven- tee for review and recon:\mendation, this tion were provided. Authorization from committee to report back before the next Washington came through at the last convention. One of the first acts of new minute. You postmark collectors would President Matejka was to confirm do well to get a set of these three can- Murch's selection with one substitution. cellations. Secretary Ruth Smith has And on that note the convention adjourn­ them for sale, along with the 5th anni- ed to a late lunch. versary helicopter cover. The package About 20 members after lunch board­ is $1.00. See the ad elsewhere in the ed an air-conditioned bus bound for Journal. Idlewild Airport. The air conditioning At the business sessions, the various offset the 92 degree heat! This was a reports were made - memberships off a most interesting trip. We visited various bit from last year - Finances pretty new air line terminals, went into the good, said Treasurer John Smith. Your beautiful new Pan-American Airways editor complained that he was always in building, where we saw an interesting need of good articles for the Journal. exhibit of historical material, embellish­ Much help was offered; let's see if it ed with many early flight covers. We materializes. Herman Kleinert reported visited the American Airlines hangars, good activity in the sales department. and went through a 707 Astrojet being He, too, needs help with material and serviced. From there we visited the in­ more customers. Florence Kleinert re- ternational arrival building, eleven city ported on the chapters and made a blocks in length, and saw passengers go­ plea to interest juniors and younger peo- ing through customs inspection. Then pie in the hobby. up to the 11-story control tower, where Under a program adopted two or we saw several planes take off and arrive, three years ago, members who had be- while listening to the dispatchers giving PAGE 28 THE AIRPOST< JOURNAL them instructions. We saw aeroplanes from airlines all over the world. The airmail facility ( A.M.F.) postoffice was given a thorough inspection by the 'tour­ ists'- and all the marvels of modern mail ·handling were revealed to many who knew about them only vaguely. Finally to the American Airlines tenninal--with its busy traffic. Here we had a trip to the flight kitchens to see how meals are prepared and packed. Our genial tour guide, Andy Caspers, then present­ ed us with souvenirs from American, and back we went to the Lexington. The Jamboree, a traditional Society affair, was well attended, and John Fox did a hilarious job of auctioning off do­ nated aerophilatelic material, even sell­ ing the same lots several times. Proceeds, which we believed neared $300, were to be used to pay convention expenses not recovered from fees . We believe there was a balance left over, which goes into the Publication fund. A strolling musi­ cian, and a handy bar were in great evi­ dence. About .60 to 70 people attended. Saturday, the 50th anniversary of Ov­ ington' s first official air mail flight at This is a select group of people on the Garden City, was a beautiful, although air mail committee of the A.R.A. who hot day. The bus again took us to the recognize outstanding contributions to Garden City Hotel, where 50 people carrying air mail. It was quite an l~onor, gathered with local officials to commem­ recognizing the many years of Bart s de­ orate the day. Robert Murch with his votion to the hobby-and cooperation inimicable emceeing, did a splendid job. with the airlines and Post Office Depart­ Guests , who spoke briefly, included C. ment. George Kingdom was to have Ellsworth Tobias, Mayor of Garden been similarly honored, but he wasn't City, Peter C. Doyle, Jr., President, there. Later that evening at th e annual Chamber of Commerce, Abbott L. Dib­ banquet, a "proxv" presentation was blee, Postmaster, Fred Pelham of the made for him. W ell deserved, we say! New York Helicopter Airways, Franklin A rush to the bus after the luncheon­ R. Bruns, Jr., Director, Division of Phil­ and over to Roosevelt Field, 5 minutes ately, U. S. Post Office Department, and away. We pulled up just as the New Albert Caspers, American Airlines. Mr. York Helicopters Airways' big 16-pas­ Dibblee told how the mail had piled up senger helicopter was on the ground. for the special helicopter anniversary Two large green sacks of mail, estimated flight. One elder citizen, he said, had variously at 15,000 to 30,000 pieces of brought in a card mailed on Oct. 1, 1911, mail, all received the special cachet. Af­ at Garden City. Its message was simply ter picture taking (our illustration shows "I love you. Billy." The gentleman Postmaster Dibblee passing the sack up identified himself as Billy, said he had to the pilot ) the plane taxied to a cor­ been married early in October, 1911 and ner, turned around, hovered for more had brought in a card for the helicopter pictures, and then took off to LaGuar­ flight in 1961-of course with the same dia Field, where all mail was backstamp­ message. Sentiment has its place! ed and sent OT1ward. Then back to New Andy Caspers, wearing his unique York through the tunnel under the Hud­ "Order of the Vest" surprised Bart Gat­ son and back to the Lexington to pre­ chell with his induction into the order. pare for the banquet. NOVEMBER, 1961 PAGE 29 Convention Banquet Attracts Prominent Philatelists And Distinguished ·Guests

The 38th annual convention banquet • stalled, a chore the toastmaster perform­ of the American Air Mail Society at the ed by presenting Jim with the badge of Hotel Lexington, Saturday evening, Sep­ office, a pair of shiny stamp tongs, fol­ tember 23, 1961, attracted many leading lowed up with a binder full of blank personalities as well as official guests album pages symbolic of his next two from the United Nations and the United years in office when he will be too busy States Post Office Department. to even put airmail stamps into his al­ Following a 6:30 - 7:30 p.m. reception bum. It is a well-known fact that all the banquet group was called to order stamp politician manage to build up by President Bob Murch, acting toast­ some fabulous shoebox collections of un­ master in place of the Society's tradition­ mounted stamps and covers that are al­ al workhorse at the rostrum, one George most unrecognizable after several years D. Kingdom who had been detained by of stockpiling and dead storage. legal jurisprudence in the Nation's capi­ Dr. Matejka presented his 14-point tal. The invocation and a brief message program to bolster aerophilately and the devoted to the friendship of philately AAMS for the new two years ahead-a was given by George W. Angers, found­ task in which all present wished him er and past president. well. In between fruitcup and the frozen In addition to tih e guest of honor, the rum ice cream cake many of the visiting United Nations was represented at a philatelic personalities and their wives ringside table by the affable Abe Ster­ were introduced, starting off with Harry man and his wife who were on hand to Lindquist, dean of American philatelic be with guest speaker, the Chief of the publishers, David Lidman, President of UN Postal Administration, th e Honor­ the American Philatelic Congress, George able D. T. Clements, soldier and diplo­ T. Turner and Pipe from the Smithson­ mat, now coping with stamp collectors ian, Herb Rosen, local entrepreneur of the world over. Manhattan stamp shows, Pete Keller, With th e conclusion of the Clements' executive secretary of the ASDA, Harold talk, Mr. L. B. Gatch ~ ll , past-president Frankel, president of the Metropolitan was recognized to award AAMS Special Air Mail Cover Club, Mr. and Mrs. Awards of Merit to five members whose Georges Medawar of Nicolas Sanabria, work for the Society is well known. So Inc., Robert Lyon, Stuart Malkin, the honored were Lester Manning, cartog- avid UN Collector and raconteur, Harry "Jet" Gordon, and a score more airmail­ ers from metropolitan New Yok City. Special guests of tihe Society included Mr. and Mrs. James F. Kelleher, special assistant to the Postmaster-General, who proved to be quite at home at the speaker's platform, amusing and inform­ ing those collectors present with a few thoughts on the Post Office Department and its diverse operations. Jim Kelleher was introduced by Franklin Bruns, Jr. , who had just represented the Depart­ ment at the Garden City observance of the 1911-1961 aerial mail route inaugur­ ation. As the candelabra burned low Presi­ dent-elect James J. Matejka, Jr. was call­ Sam Goldsiicker receives award ed front and center to be formally in- from Bari Gatchell P AGE 30 THE AIRPOST JOURNAL rapher of the AAMS catalogs, Sam Gold­ ures foreign sets which have honored the sticker, Jr., loyal worker, Dr. Max Kron­ United States. There also are listings for stein, avid aerophilatelic writer for the all U.S. possessions, Confederate States, Airpost Journal, William R. Ware, 30 Canada, Newfoundland, and Canada's years a writer for the APJ, and Florence other provinces of British Columbia, Kleinert, ever faithful in AAMS duties. New Brunswick, Nova Scotia, and Prince In accordance with Society tradition Edward Island. a leading spirit and devoted member was singled out for the coveted Walter J. Price changes in U.S. issues are num­ Conrath Memorial Award-the award be­ erous, mostly up. The market for air­ ing presented by George Angers to the mails and commemoratives continues capable editor of the APJ, Joseph L. Ei­ reasonably strong. This is especially true sendrath. of airmail issues up to 1933 . Most of the price changes, however, are relatively The most closely kept secret was last moderate. on the agenda when Grace Conrath pre­ sented retiring president Bob Murch The continuing demand for airmails is with the second Conrath Memorial illustrated by the unused 1930 Zeppelin Award of the evening. Then he received set ( #Cl3-15) which shows an advance a handsome sterling ~ilver engraved tray from $152.00 to $170.00, and the unused presented by the past presidents in ap­ 1918 6c orange (#Cl) which has climb­ preciation for 24 months at the helm of ed from $3.95 to $4.50. the AAMS. On this note the banquet ad­ journed until the faithful followers of Plate blocks, including airmails, show the hobby meet again. many upward changes, especially in is­ sues prior to 1934. The 1918 6c airmail The New First 1962 Ha•rris (#Cl) was raised from $35.00 to $49.75. U.S. and B.N.A. Catalog Covering U.S. Stamps, U.S. Possessions, and British North America Rir Post Stamps The First 1962 edition of this catalog Are Frequently Offered contains 160 pages and nearly 2,000 il­ lustrations. It features a special "Ameri­ In Our General Sales cana" section, United Nations issues complete, and the valuable U.S. Stamp Identifier. Published by the catalog de­ For example, an attractive Air Post partment of H. E. Harris & Co., Boston Collection will be included in our 17, Mass., it is priced at 35c post-free to auction of any point in the U. S. and Canada. NOVEMBER 13-16 This edition contains hundreds of up­ Request the Catalogue to-the-minute price changes. We :Eeel that it is one of the most accurate baro­ meters of the current market, and is And when you -·-come to sell, write much sought after. for our booklet, "Modern Methods of The catalog features virtually all U.S. Philatelic Selling", explaining clearly issues-postage, airmail, special delivery, all the advantages of selling through revenue, envelope, telegraph, post card, and others. United Nations issues and H. R. HARMER, INC U.S. revenue stamp designs are copiously The Caspary Auctioneers illustrated. 6 West 48th St., New York 36, N.Y. The special "Americana" section feat- NOVEMBER, 1961 PAGE 31 Who Was There . . . By Joe Eisendratb, who was :there The nicest part of convention-going is • Walter Feeney, Irvington, N. J., a per­ to renew old friendships and to acquire old friend, his nice wife, from Detroit. new ones. The New York convention was petual conventioneer, was very busy no exception. We're sure we have over­ mailing covers with the special cancels. looked some people in the listing that Handsome Bill Alley commuted from follows-and to them we say we're very Dobbs Ferry (he's the mayor there, I'm sorry. It wasn't just possible to keep up told). The three Kleinerts, Florence, with everybody. Herman and Bruce, Fullerton, Pa., (and Many old timers, of course, were on that boy Bruce is growing tall!) were en­ board. Our dear friend, George Angers, joying their trip. Paul Bugg from Balti­ was there, but this time he left Margaret more was as handsome as ever, and we home at Springfield, Mass. The Smiths­ can say the same thing for Dr. Southgate J ohn and Ruth-from Riverton, N. J., Leigh, who arrived late and shortly had were our mealtime companions, as were to return to Norfolk, Va. We met Leon­ Robert Murch, St. Louis, and Grace Con­ ard Smith, and Mrs. Smith, from River rath, Erie, Pa. One new friend was Stu­ Edge, N. J.-our new publicity director. art Malkin, a local boy who, with Sam Jim Matejka, our new president, and Ma­ Goldsticker, Bloomfield, N. J., got us rie, the new first lady, took 15 hours of out of bed early one morning to hold a straight driving to make it from Chicago. bull session. Stu's travelogue on the bus (We made it in an hour and 40 minutes was something out of this world. A good by plane). Other than ourself, they were guy, says we. the only members from the Chicagoland We enjoyed meeting captivating Jo area, except Don Lussky from Aurora, Turner, better half of our pipe-smoking who was there, we think, only on Satur­ friend, George, of Washington. No won­ day. der George always smiles! It was good Foreign color was brought in in the to see George Lee on deck, in spite of person of genial Narc Pelletier from Tor­ his recent tragedy. He's a fabulous per­ onto. An additional international flavor son. came from D. T. Clements and his wife It was also our pleasure to greet Ad­ and the Abe Stermans, from the United miral Jesse Johnson, whom we had seen Nations Postal Administration. at Chicago at the A.P.S. convention 3 Local people were in abundance. We weeks before. Pat Herst also attended greeted Harry Levine and Milt Ehrlich, both conventions, as did Dave Lidman Louise and Mike Hoffman, genial Harry and his wife, and Harry Lindquist. Mrs. Gordon, erudite John Myer, Mr. and L. appeared at the banquet. Mrs. Herb Rosen, Dr. Arthur Pesin, Mike George Kingdom, Conneaut, Ohio, ap­ Codd, Lou Fischbach. We were espe­ peared but briefly as he had to be at cially pleased to meet Judy Frankel, wife the nation's capital on Saturday. His old of Harold. Harold really kept the con­ side-kick, Bart Gatchell, was on hand. vention on its toes! Roland Kohl and Bart's very slim wife, Connie, joined us Mrs. Kohl appeared for the banquet. on Saturday. Charles Monroe, Charles Pincus and Jer­ The brass of the Post Office Depart­ ri Chivoe were there, too .. ment included Jim Kelleher and his Among the dealers, we enjoyed chat­ charming wife, Mary, and Frank Bruns, ting with Sam Bayer and his wife, Bob all from Washington. We enjoyed talk­ Lyons, the Georges Medawars, Bob ing with Mr. Kelleher about mid-west Schoendorf and A. Swoboda. Mr. and advertising, in which we had a common Mrs. Peter Keller of the ASDA were at interest. the banquet. Old standbys included John Henry Airline people we were able to meet Ogden (we like that name), up from St. included G. J. Godbout, and his wife, Matthews, Ky., and our architect-artist our old friend, Bill Pluchel, and his wife, friend, Lee Manning, who brought our Andy Kaspar, who did such a swell job PAGE 32 THE AIRPOST JOURNAL leading us around Idlewild, and Fred CEYLON Pelham of N. Y. Helicopter Airlines. New 30c aerogramme reported but not R. K. Keiser came on from Reading, seen. Pa., and John Moloney made it from SIERRA LEONE Brookline, Mass. 3d. Local aerogramme reported but Our old friend and frequent Chicago not seen. visitor, Art Schmidt, of Plainfield, N. J., BRITISH POSTAL AGENCIES, was able to avoid a business trip to be QATAR with us. Always good to 5ee him. We An announcement from the G.P.0. in were delighted to speak a few moments London reads as follows: "It is proposed with our prolific writer, Dr. Max Kron­ to issue an air letter form bearing a sur­ stein, but were extremely disappointed face printed 30 naye paise stamp, but that he wasn't at the banquet to receive its date of issue is not yet known. his well-deserved award. Carl Ripley BASUTOLAND came from Dover, N. J., but was with us The 5c overprint. This is the scarcest on Friday only. of all the recent aerogrammes of South And to end it up-William K. Hughes, Africa and Protectorates. The Postmast­ a local boy, attended his first conven­ er reports that not more than 500 copies tion-and said he enjoyed it. Guess that were overprinted. goes for everybody else, too. 5c definitive. Same design as last. Watermarked "O". BECHUANALAND #5 Aerogrammes. The 5c overprint. An error of color has been noted. Brown instead of Ma­ REPUBLIC OF SOUTH AFRICA genta. A further overprinting of the "Greet­ ing" aerogramme has appeared. Both CEYLON #8 "5c" and "REPUBLIC OF" and "RE­ Four copies have been discovered with PUBLIEK VAN", overprinted on or the complete aerogramme, including the above the stamp design. So far, three imprinted stamp, printed FRONT and different overprints have been located. BACK. This writer was fortunate In the first two types the overprint is ap­ enough to have been able to secure all four. plied in one operation. In the third type, the overprint is applied in two opera­ NIGERIA #9 tions, and in two different kinds of ink. 3d. green imprinted stamp, picturing "Oyo Carver". Green lettering. Inscrib­ 21hc Maroon definitive, picturing state ed· at bottom: 'For Use Within Nigeria building and bunch of grapes. 21 x 27 Only". mm. NIGERIA #10 MALAYA 6d. red imprinted stamp, picturing The 25c aerogramme has now appear­ "Benin Mask". Blue lettering. Blue, un­ ed in English and Romanized Malay. watermarked paper. The inscription at top left, reads as fol­ REPUBLIC OF SOUTH AFRICA lows in six lines: MEL UDARAIBY AIR 21hc definitive reported but not seen. MAIL/PAR AVION/SURAT UDARA/ 5c blue definitive, picturing native AIR LETTER/AEROGRAMME. In­ tree and blossom. Stamp design 2lmm. structions on reverse appear in two lan­ x 27mm., with simulated perfs. guages: Romanized Malay in four lines; A new printing of the above has been English in three lines. While the 30c made, with the imprinted stamp com­ value has not yet appeared, I am in­ pletely redrawn. formed that this value will soon be SWAZIELAND printed. #19. A double impression of the 5c NETHERLANDS overprint has been reported by a London 30c Blue, on Aqua paper. As previous, Auction House. Will be offered in one but with heavy guide lines on reverse to of their sales this fall. facilitate folding of aerogramme. -Walter R. Guthrie NOVEMBER, 1961 PAGE 33 l(ey to the Pictures . Beginning on page 35, continuing K. Pete Keller of the ASDA and Jim through page 38, will be found photo­ Kelleher at Society Jamboree. graphs taken at the New York Conven­ L. Group at American Airlines shops tion. Each picture is marked and the after inspecting 707 Superjet at Idle­ following descriptions identify the indi­ wild. vidual photos. M. Same bunch, different angle. A. General view of the business meet­ N. Pilot of anniversary helicopter ing. a weighty subject was being dis­ poses for pictures with special mail cussed, it would seem from the solemn sacks. faces of George Angers, George Lee and 0. Members. aloft at Idlewild con­ Bart Gatchell. trol tower. B. Albert Caspers presents Bart Gat­ chell with his citation for the Order of the Vest. NEW ZEALAND HOLDS C. Convention Post Office, center, NATIONAL .EXHIBITION showing back, is Narc Pelletier, John Our good friend an associate editor, Smith and Sam Goldsticker facing cam­ James S. Langabeer, sends us the story era. of the recent New Zealand National Ex­ D. Frank Bruns and Postmaster Dib­ hibition held at Christchurch in Septem­ blee pictured at Garden City luncheon. ber. Jim and his wife flew down there E. Brass at Garden City includes Mr. from Auckland in a New Zealand Air Dibblee, Bob Murch, Mayor C. E. To­ Lines Viscount. bias, and Jim Matejka. He tells us publicity was good, and F. Kleinert family in foreground at the show was well attended. The New anniversary luncheon. Admiral Johnson Zealand Air Mail Society held a meeting in center, At his left is John Henry Og­ at the same time, and was addressed in den. a crowded hall by our associate editor. G. Bob Murch and Harold Frankel He won a gold medal and the Special before business meeting. Annotation Award, and had a grand H . Murch and Jim Matejka. time. Photo credit for our illustration of I. George Angers chats with John some of the exhibits goes to Douglas Smith. Walker, editor of "Air Mails of New J. James Kelleher at the mike. Zealand.

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PAGE 38 THE AIRPOST JOURNAL Foreign Pioneer Airpost Flights 1909-19.14 B. The Air Stationery for the Pioneer Airpost of the World (1909-1914) VIII. The Stationery Issues of the FIRST U.K. AERIAL POST between London and Windsor - September 1911 By Dr. Max Kronstein

The airpost flights between London• and Windsor in September, 1911 • were organized as a part of the celebration of the Coronation of King George the Fifth and are therefore often referred to as the British Coronation Aerial Post. This airmail event was organized by the same Captain Walter G. Wyndham, who had taken part in the organization of the first aerial post of Allahabad, India, in February, 1911. In contacting the British Postmaster General, Herbert L. Samuels, to obtain his consent, it was learned that the British Post Office had no authority to charge more than l/2d for an inland postcard and ld for an inland letter, without any provision for any kind of a special kind of service. · r In order to make the airpost experiment possible and to cover the necessary costs of air transportation, it was necessary to issue special air stationery and to r limit the aerial post to the transportation of such special stationery. · The cost of a card was set at 6:\6d, including the lhd for the postal redispatch, r and the cosi: of a cover was 111 sh including the attached ld stamp for the postal I redispatch of .the latter. Before describing these stationery issues in more detail, this is the story of the aerial postal service itself, as is found in the files of the contemporary London newspaper, The Times. According to riews reports of Sept. 6, 1911, the service was scheduled to start on Saturday, the 9th, and was to continue as a scheduled daily service for a liniited period of time. For the first day a flight from the Hendon airport of London was scheduled to land at ·Windsor Castle at a selected spot on the Royal Golf Links. Arrangements had been made between the Postmaster General and D. Lewis Poole and Captain Wyndham as "carriers". The landing spot was selected jointly with Mr. Gates, as manager for Mr. Grahame White, who ihad entered into a contract for the conveyance of the aerial mail, and with the three airmen who were to fly the mail: E. F. Driver, C. H. Creswell and C. Hubert. After the Saturday flight later landings were to be made in Windsor Great Park at the Cavalry Exercising 01-ou~d near Queen Anne's Gate, where a shed was to be erected. The local Windsor ar­ rangements provided that the first plane was to arrive at 4 P.M. with the Mayor of Windsor, the Windsor Postmaster and others to be present. Then the mail was· to to be taken to the Windsor Post Office to be dealt with there in the ordinary way. For the following Saturday, September 16 a return mail flight from Windsor to London was announced. The same day the public was informed the London mail would be collected and be delivered to the airplanes in Hendon. Special mail boxes were to be set up as Public Aerial Postal Boxes and were to be emptied by the "Aerial Post Collecting Van" as follows: At Arding and Hobbs S.W., at 11:15 a.m., Harrods, Brompton Road SW at 11:35 a.m., at John Barker and Co., Highstreet, Kensington at 11:47 a.m., at Whiteleys, Westboume Grove W. at 11:58 a.m., at Selfridge and Co., Ox­ ford Street W. at 12: 13 p.m., at Barnes and Co., Finchley road at 12: 18 p.m., at Roper and Co., Highroad Kilburn at 12:28 p.m., at Benetfinks, 107 Cheapside, E.C. at 12:45 p.m., Gamage and Co., Holbom at 12:55 p.m., at Burton and Co., Aldwych, NOVEMBER, 1961 PAGE 39 W.C. at 1:05 p.m., at the Army and Na\I)' Stores, Victoria Street, S.W. at 1:17 p.m., at Hyans and Co., 134 Oxford Street, W. at 1:31 p.m., at D. H. Evans and Co., 290 Oxford Street, W. at 1:38 p.m., and finally at the stands of the Hendon Aero&ome. At the airfield the postman, soldiers and sailors in uniform were to be admitted free. All other visitors to the aerodrome who paid a fee of more than 6 d were to receive an aerial postcard souvenir with their ticket. The first trip was scheduled for 3:30 p.m. on September 9. The events of this inaugural day are reported in the Times of September 11. The "Royal Air Mail" under sanction of the Postmaster General began its service when Gustav Hamel completed a difficult flight with his mailbag in a dangerous wind. There was a large assembly of people on the field and the stamped postcards, priced at 61h d were readily bought up. The postoffice motor van brought 13 mail bags to the field. The flight began later than scheduled. It was 4:30 when one of the French monoplanes made a trial flight. The machine swayed considerably in the stiff breeze. Nevertheless Hamel's monoplane was rolled out 15 minutes later. The pilot received a waybill and time sheets as an authorized bearer of His Majesty's mail. With cheers for the King, for the success of the undertaking, and for Mr. Hamel, he began his start. All hats were removed as the band played the National Anthem. The aerial mail made a circuit of the aerodrome, passing over the heads of the cheering spectators, and departed in a strong following wind. His offi­ cial departure time was 4:58 p.m. At 5:15 Charles Hubert started in a Farman bi.plane, but the wind was so strong that he was not able to ihold the plane steady. In Windsor the post courier was expected at the East Terrace of Windsor Castle by the Mayor of Windsor, the Surveyor of the General Post Office and the Postmaster of Windsor. The plane arrived at 5:13 p.m. and landed near Queen Victoria's tomb. Imme­ diately a telegram was sent to the King: "The Honorary Organizing Committee of the Aerial Post presents their loyal duty to tihe King and have the, honor to inform his Majesty that the first dispatch of mail left Hendon at 4:58 and arrived at Wind­ sor Castle at 5:13 p.m.". The answer came from "Balmoral Castle, 7:58 p.m. Sec­ retary, Coronation Aerial Post, Windsor: The King thanks you for informing him of the first dispatch of mail from Hendon and arrival at Windsor Castle, Signed, Stamfordham". At 6:05 p.m. Hamel started the return flight with a bag of dispatches from Windsor. The mail, including letters to the King at Balmoral, which he had brought from London had been sent to Peddington. Hamel landed at Hendon at 6:32 as the band played "See the Conquering Hero Comes." He delivered the Windsor bag to a representative of the General Post Office. But since no flown cards and covers from Windsor on that trip are known, it can be assumed that this bag contained postal documents, such as the waybills, the delivery papers of the mail flight from London to Windsor and similar documents, which in this manner were returned to the London Head Office for the aerial post. The second mail delivery flights were made on the 11th (Times, Sept. 12). Charles Hubert started with his Farman biplane, carrying eight mail bags, each weighing 261h lbs (a total of 20,000 cards and letters). His plane, soon after the start, plunged to the ground and crumbled. The pilot was saved, but both his legs were broken and his condition was soon found to be very serious. At 6:20 a.m. Creswell flew a Bleriot monoplane and two bags of mail, followed at 6:25 by Driver in a Farman machine carrying 4 bags. Creswell had forgotten to carry his official waybills, but Driver took it along and gave it to him at Windsor. After the 19 PAGE 40 THE AIRPOST JOURNAL miles flight Creswell arrived at 7 a.m., l\nd Driver five minutes later. Driver soon started back, but got lost and landed at Nazeing, Essex, with a motor defect. He did not arrive at Hendon before 6: 12 p.m. Creswell was delayed at Windsor with a defective magneto. He returned at 6:45 p.m. In the meantime Hamel left Hen­ don at 6:15 with two bags of mail and arrived at Windsor at 6:15 with 3000 speata­ tors on the field. He delivered the mail, picked up petrol and let to return at 7 :05 But on the return flight he ran into fog and was forced to land amid fog and dark­ ness at Colubrook. He returned to Hendon the next morning. The Poshnaster General expressed in a congratulatory t elegram to the committee "his earnest hope and desire that flights will not be undertaken when the weather conditions are such as to involve risk to the airmen". On September 12 Creswell carried 2 bags from Hendon, but made an emergency landing at Chalvey. A postal bicycler collected the mail and delivered the bags to the Windsor Post Office. Driver made 2 fl ights that day, one with 4 and 3 bags respectively. Hamel made 3 starts, but vvas successful only once, bringing 2 bags of mail to Windsor. The next day - September 13 - eleven bags of mail were waiting at the Hendon field, but gusty winds and rain prevented the flights. On Sept. 14 the weather im­ proved in the late afternoon, so that in spite of a 20 m.p.h. wind, Hamel and Cres­ well were both able to carry nvo bags of mail each in 15 minute flights to Windsor. Creswell was able to return on a 35 minute flight, but Hamel was forced to descend again that evening at 'Vindsor. On September 15 the weather was again so bad that flying was impossible and Hamel could not complete the return flight that day. This was the day of the last mail collection for the Aerial Post from Hendon. Three additional bags were collected, leaving 11 bags still to be flown. By that time 24 bags ·had already been delivered by air, Driver carrying 11 bags on 3 journeys, Hamel 7 in 4 trips and Creswell 6 in three flights. A delivery FROM Windsor was scheduled for the next day. On Sept. 16 the weather did not allow any flights before 5 p.m. when Creswell made the trip to Windsor wibh 2 bags. 3000 to 4000 spectators were on the Re­ viewing Ground at Windsor, hoping to see the start of the official return mail. But NOVEMBER, 1961 PAGE 41 because of the bad weather, Creswell had to postpone the flight until Sept. 17. In the meantime Hamel also had arrived at Windsor to participate in the return mail flights. At 5:15 Grswell took up with a special mail bag containing a letter to the King and Queen. At 5:29 Hamel made his flight, with one more bag. Each pilot was given by the Deputy Mayor of Windsor a souvenir silver matchbox with an engraved view of Windsor Castle. On September 18th Hamel made two round trips within 90 minutes carrying eaoh time two mail bags from Hendon, and bringing all the remaining mail from Windsor; but this left five bags at Hendon, since Creswell had not been able to carry out his flight, being forced to land again in the heavy wind. On Sept. 19 Hamel carried 2 bags, making two flights; but still three remained at Hendon. They were still there on Sept. 25. Hamel felt that better care should be taken with pilot C. Hubert, who had broken both legs on one of the mail flights; Hamel refused to carry the remaining mail until at least 500 Pounds Sterling were paid by the Organizing Committee of the Coronation Aerial Post to Hubert because of his acci­ dent, "by which I am informed he has been crippled, probably for life". The Com­ mittee claimed that the contract between Mr. Lewis Poole and Mr. Grahame W'hite provided full indemnity against all liabilities and that surplus must go to charity and not to an individual. Hamel, with the other pilots, stated that they would carry the remaining three bags free of charge, when a 500 pound check was paid to Hu­ bert. With the permission of the Postmaster General the committee agreed to pay at least that amount and on September 25 Hamel carried two bags for Windsor. He was forced to an emergency landing at Langley, 4lh miles from Windsor where a motorcar picked up the two bags and delivered them to the Windsor Postoffice. Hamel returned later to Hendon and finally made the last postal flight with the remaining one bag late on the afternoon of Sept. 26. At 6:15 p.m. when he rnturned to Hendon the Coronation service came to an end. The Committee expressed the belief that the long delay had been caused by the instructions to operate safely and by the fact that at least 100,000 cards and covers had to be flown in the small Bleriot planes which were not built to carry any loads with the pilot. During this period the Times reported on Sept. 20 that French and English postal authorities were negotiating with a French airman, Marx Pourpe, for a two­ week experimental aerial post between Calais and Dover. ( Pourpe had made a successful flight from Boulogne to Dover, on Aug. 27 and a return flight from Folkes­ tone to Boulogne on August 28). This service never took place. So far, in this story of the Coronation aerial post, we have followed the con­ temporary London reports. There are many unanswered questions, about the actnal quantities of mail and about the various types of cancellations and of the postal stationery, cards and covers used on these dispatches. Our illustration shows one such card from London to Windsor with the special postal cancellation "First United Kingdom Aerial Post - London, Sp.9.1911" with the imprint on the reverse side giving instructions for mailing. The many remaining details are to be found in a wonderful monograph on the "Coronation Aerial Post 1911" by our member Francis J. Field and by N. C. Baldwin. (The Aero Field Handbook No. 3). It is not possible to give all these details in this report but the collectors will easily find' them in the handbook. However, here are a few main facts which should be mentioned: The Field handbook has used the known weights of the mailbags to calculate the actual approximate quantities of the flown mails. The tables indicate a differ­ ence between the "privileged" mail of the first flight in each direction and the "pub- P AGE 42 THE AIRPOS'.D JOURNAL lie" mail. The difference is that the general public was not in a position to dlispak{h mail of the privileged kind and this mail can be recognized by the fact that its sta­ tionery was slightly different from the public mail. Both cards were about the same size, but the "privileged" card was made from stouter paper, printed in violet. The cover, also printed in violet, was larger for the privileged mail, since it was 178 mm x 115 mm instead of the 146 mm x 89 mm of the public mail cover. These facts apply to both the prints for the London - Windsor flights and for Windsor - Londo:n. The handbook indicates for the privileged mail London - Windsor 525 covers and 525 cards and for the privileged Windsor - London 445 covers and 662 cards. For the total public mail flown during the whole series of flights between London and Wind­ sor, there were 25,435 covers and 87,345 cards. The public mail from Windsor to London totals 853 covers and 9772 cards. The stationery for the public mail can be described as follows: LONDON - WINDSOR: Cards printed in red-brown or dark-brown or olive green covers printed in scarlet, purple-brown, bright green, deep green, deep brown or red-brown WINDSOR - LONDON: Cards in olive-green Covers in olive green On the bottom of the design at the left side of the address side the text of the London - Windsor stationery reads "For Conveyance by AEROPLANE from LON­ DON to WINDSOR", and for the return flights it reads "For Conveyance by aero­ plane from Windsor to London". All mail flown from London had the postal can­ cellation "First United Kingdom - Aerial Post - (date) London" with the dates of September 9, 11, 12, 13, 14 and 15. Sept. 10 was a Sunday and no mail was sorted that day). All mail from Windsor has the same cancellation, but with the city name "Windsor" and dated September 16. (even some "privileged" item is known with the date of Sept. 17.) The imprint on the reverse side of the London card is illustrated here. The Windsor card differs as far as. it gives the following places "where to purchase and where to post": "Windsor Chronicle" 17 High Street, Windsor". The other infor­ mation is the same as on the London card. The Field handbook also lists various backstamps. These have the date of the actual flight, where the item has been carried, as the postal cancellation is the date of posting of the item. We find covers postmarked on September 13 and back­ stamped on September 19, or postmarked on Sept. 15 and backstamped on Sept. 25. On the reverse side of the postcard was a "space for the written or printed matter". Cards are known with advertising imprints. The Field handbook gives a listing of these various advertisers. The field of this special stationery has widely been specialized and explored and has developed into a very interesting field indeed. In September 1961, the 50th Anniversary of these aerial post flights was com­ memorated in England with a helicopter with specially printed mail traversing the same route. (from Stamp Collecting, London Sept. 8, 1961 issue.) -See Also Page 64 NOVEMBER, 1961 PAGE 43 r .._ ,· '' ~ _ ( • ,· • • 1 ·~ ' ,,_ •, 'r ' , THE DEPARTMENT STORE OF PHILATELY May We Delp You? Action in Auctions

Regardless of whether you are buying or For more than a quarter of a century we selling, you will likely find The Depart­ have held monthly Mail Auction Sales ment Store of Philately able and willing whereby fine and unusual philatelic ma­ terial is sold by mail to collectors and to help you. dealers in all parts of the world. If you Your inquiries coupled with your A.A.M.S. receive our catalogs, he sure to send your ! hid sheet in the current auction. If you ~1 membership number will be welcomed. t do not receive these catalogs monthly, ask 1 A large and varied stock of stamps, seals J and covers will be found as close to you as for the current one! your mailbox. A complete line of albums, These auctions contain almost anything catalogs and supplements is maintained in philatelic, ranging from rarities to entire the Elbe, Scott, Minkus and White Ace collections and accumulations. Every sale line. You may send your orders for features a special section on COVERS, usually running into several hundred sep­ prompt attention: all orders of $2.00 or arate lots. This may he a grand oppor­ more sent Postfree anywhere in The U.S.A. tunity for you, whether you are buying or Interesting covers are always available on selling! approval. As you know, you can't buy covers from a price list! You '11 find un­ There is always plenty of action in a Long usual and even unique covers in Long's Sale! All bidding is done via mail and if stock, available to you on approval on you're interested, we will he glad to hear request. Write today! from you!

Life Member: 22 ~ORTDD 2~lD> S'lfo9 AAMS APS IELMIER lllo ILO~G IHIA\RRHSBlUR

PAGE 44 THE AIRPOST JOURNAL NOVEMBER, 1961 PAGE 45 SALE OF ... ''NUMBER ONE" AIRMAIL UOVERS AT QUOTED PRICES By Collectors• Items, Inc. P. 0. Box311 Ridgefield Park, N. J.

In May 1917 the first adhesive airmail stamp was designed and put in use by l.taly. Since then many countries have issued special air1T11Lil stamps. Some countries - notably Great Britain - have chosen to do with­ out them, while others - particularly those with a high degree of illiter­ acy which obviates letterwriting of any kind • have been printing them with great frequency, not by necessity, but mainly for the purpose of ex­ tracting easy dollars from gullible collectors with the promotional help and the propaganda drums of special agencies. The airmail collector with a sense of values can easily avoid these pseudo-philatelic pr·oducts of the \high ·pressure mer­ chants by getting off their new-issue-treadmill and find real plea -ure and al 0 ·0 permanent value in collecting just the first airmail stamp or first airmail set of all countries, either in mint condition or ·preferably on cover. These covers with their ca­ chets, dates and postmarks are telling a vivid and interesting story of airmail history-something the 1finest mint copy can never do. Furthermore there is much logic in such a collection in­ a ~much as it has a historic beginning and a conclusive end of purpose. After 45 years of airmail there exist ·only a limited num­ ber of hard to get rarities of the first issue. The majority of "Number Ones" and first sets are still available at reasonable prices, but covers are getting scarcer and scarcer and are con­ stantly increasing in value. Ten years from today you will say to yourself: "What a dope I was not to buy these bargains!"

CONDITIONS OF SALE 1. There is no "bidding" in this sale. You know what you are getting at the price quoted. 2. Every item is guaranteed genuine and as described. Price reflects condi­ tion. 3. Payment with order. 4. Returns---for any reason whatsoever-must be made immediately to ob­ tain full refund. No arguments and no questions asked. 5. AU sales become final thirty days after receipt of purchased items. 6. All offers are subject to prior sale and represent single items, not quan­ tities. Early orders are therefore essential. 7. Sorry, no dealer discounts. COLLECTORS' ITEMS, INC. A.A.S. SALE (A. Swoboda, Pres.) November, 1961 Box 3ll Ridgefield Park, New Jersey, U.S.A. Please send me from this advertised sale the following items for which I am enclosing my remittance, plus postage, in the amount of $ ...... I have read the terms of the sale and agree to same.

NAME ...... ADDRESS ......

POSTAGE: A charge of 35c will be made for postage and insurance d'or each mailing within the United States. Outside foe U.S.A. actual postage for registered mail will apply. ------No. Price No. Price No. Price I ,J,I I I I I'

1 I I I (Caialogues referred lo are Scott 1961 and' Sanabria 1959-60) AFGHANISTAN 1. C 1 + others on reg. cover to Austria, stamps on back ...... $ 1.715 2. C 1-2-3 + others on reg. fl. cover, Kabul to London ...... 6.75 3. San. C 1 a-3 imperf. with sheet margins on reg, fl. cover Kabul to N.Y. (San. off cover 75.00) ...... 49.50 4. the same set, but on three fl. reg. bkst. covers to N. Y...... 41.50 5. C 1 & C 2 on large size commercial cover to Austria ...... 2.00 6. San. 1 a to 3 a, imperf. pairs with sheet m'.lrgin, extremely fine copies, o.g., (Cat. 75.00) ...... 39.00 7. San. 1 b to 3 b, imperf. vertically, 3 mint pairs, n.h. (Cat. 120.00) ...... 45 CO ARGENTINE 8. C 1 single & Bl. of four + others on flown cover to Montevideo 3-7-1928, backstamped 3-8-1928 ...... 3.85 9. C 1 (3), C 2 + others on fl. reg. cover to Montevideo ...... 3.45 10. C 1, C 2(2) + others on fl. reg. cover to Montevideo ...... 3.45• 11. Cl, C4, C5, ClO, C7 + others on 4 fl. reg. m"lximum cards including two first flights to Paraguay ...... 6.35 12. Cl, C2, C3, C4, C5, ClO + others on 4 fl. reg. maximum cards ...... 6 85 13. Cl, C4, C5, ClO +16 other stamps on .. fl. reg. m0tx. cards ...... 6.85 AUSTRALIA 14. C 1 + others, f. fl. Perth - Adelaide, 6-4-29 thence to Toronto, v .f. on reg. cover ...... 1.10 15. C 1 + others on legal size cover 1st England - Australia official Airmail, Imperial Airways 1931, (folded) ...... 75 AUSTRIA 16. C 1-2-3 on grey paper, on fl. cover Krakow to Vienna ...... 4.50 17. same on fl. cover Lemberg to Vienna ...... 4.50 18. C 1, 2c, 3 (Kr. 2.50 perf. 111/2 x 12V2) fl. cover Krakow - Vienna ...... 14.50 BELGIUM 19. C to C 4 on flown Antwerp to Paris 13-VIII-1930 ...... 3.50 20. Five various f. fl. covers, all with special cachets & C 1 + others, v.f...... 10.QO 21. San. 501-2-3-4-5 Five special flight cards v .f...... 15.00 22. Gordon Bennett Balloon Race June 20, 1937, flown in Balloon "Belgica", with all cachets ...... : ...... 5.75 BOLIVIA 23. San. No. 1, August 5, 1925, f. fl. Cochabamba - Sucre, 59 exist ...... 60.00 24. San. No. -, to be listed in new catalogue. First return flight August 7, 1925, Sucre to Cochabamba, franked with two pairs, bearing besides regular can- cellation a special overprint "Correo Aereo, Cochabamba 7.VIII.1925." V. rare ...... 55.00 25. San. No. 3 Aug. 14.25, f. fl. Cochabamba to La Paz, 134 covers exist, stamp v.f., cover folded. A rare item ...... 45.00 26. same stamp and cover v.f ...... 50.00 BRAZIL 27. C 1 (pair) & C 5 (pair) + others on flown cover Rio to Sao Paulo, special cancellation C.G.A. 4-7-28 ...... 2.75 28. San. C 1 - C 7, Condor Issue, F. Fl. Brazil - Bolivia, 8-28-30 ...... 3.25 29. San. C 1 - C 8, Condor Issue, F. Fl. Natal - Rio, legal size cover ...... 9.75 BULGARIA 30. C 1 - C 4 + others, reg. fl. cover Sofia to Budapest ...... 4.75 31. San. 1 a. Inverted surcharge on C 1. A magnificent block of four on a flown cover from Rousse to Sofia, 11-11-27, fully documented. A great rarity and probably unique as a block of four on cover ...... 575.00 32. C 15-18, 31-36, 41-53, 54 (pair), 56-57 CBl on six v.f. flown registered covers 6.85 CANADA 33. If you are specializing in Canada airmails, we have hundreds of covers and rare sets; just ask for our special price list. For the regular Number One collector we offer a choice of v .f. covers with beautiful cachets, each ...... 25 CANAL ZONE 34. C 1 Tyype I (San. 2) 3 on f. fl. F.A.M. 9 to Chile, 7-16-29 ...... 2.50 35. same, a pair on F. Fl. F.A.M. 9 to Peru, 5.17,.29 ...... 2.50 PAGE 48 THE AIRPOST JOURNAL CAPE VERDE 36. C 1 - C 9 on legal size, reg., fl. envelop to N.Y...... 4.00 ' CHILE 37. San. No. 1 + others on fl. bkstd. cover Santiago to Chuquicamata via Val- paraiso, v.f...... 15.00 38. same on fl. reg. bkst. cover to Paris, v.f...... 15.00 CHINA 39. C 1 - C 5 + others on legal size envelop, reg. & bkst...... 15.50 COSTA RICA 40. C 1 (2), 2 (8), C 5 (2) on fl. reg. cover to Austria. All stamps affixed to re- verse of envelop ...... 10.85 CURACAO 41. C 1 First Day (July 6, 1929) cover, fl. Willemstad to Panama, bkstpd,, rare on cover ...... 19.50 CUBA 42. C l, C 2, C 3, C 31 on four flown covers ...... 2.50 CZECHO-SLOVAKIA 43. C 1 - C 3 (San. No. 4, 5, 6) on flown cover to Paris April 28, 1921. Imper:!;. stamps were withdrawn 4-30-21 ...... 47.50 DENMARK 44. C 1 and C 3 on cover to England, not bkstpd...... 3.65 45. C 1 - C 3 on fl. cover from Aalborg to Lugano via Munich ...... 5.00 46. C 1 - C 5 on reg. fl. cover to Zagreb, cover has a fold ...... 14.25 DOMINICAN REPUBLIC 47. San. No. 1, F. Fl. Cuba - Haiti -Santa Domingo, Puerto Rico, 2-20-28, Plane "Santa Maria" signed by B. L. Rowe, Pilot of the plane ...... 6.75 48. C 1 (San. No. 2) on flown cover ...... 3.85 49. C l, C 2, C 6, C 8, C 12, San. 9, 28, on five fl. covers ...... 8.00 EGYPT 50. C 1 Block of four mint, n. h...... 13.00 51. C 1 + other stamp on fl. cover to Baghdad ...... 4.95 52. same on cover Cairo to Chicago, not bkstpd. Red stripes used with cancella- tion indicating "airmail" ...... 5.50 ESTONIA 53. C 1 + others on fl. cover to Helsingfors. Stamps are cancelled March 12, 1920, one day before official use ...... 9.75 54. C 1 + others on reg. airmail cover Rakvere 5-14-20 to Leipzig 6-1-20. Some airmail ! ...... 5 .85 55. C 1 (4) + Bl, B2 & 35 on reg. letter to Munich 7-15-20 with censor marks 7.75 56. C 2, C 3, C 4, 5, 6 + Scott No. 36 (2) on fl. reg. cover 29-11-23 to Chiasso Via Helsinki, v .f. and rare, on cover ...... 32 .. 00 57. C 9 - 13 + Scott 71 & 77 on reg. bkstpd. cover Voru 21-10-24 to Weimar 24-10-24 ...... 3.00 FAR EASTERN REPUBLIC 58. San. 501, 507, 509, 510 four v.f. mint copies, v. rare, all signed by Hevbert Bloch, cat. 1959-60 $400.00 ...... 195.00 FINLAND 59. C 1 Zeppelin flight 9-24-30 to Germany, postal card ...... 15.50 60. same on commercial postal card to Berlin ...... 15.50 61. same in a pair on cover to Tubingen, cover has some spots and was folded 22.50 62. C 1 well centered, mint copy, n.h ...... :...... 12.50 FRANCE 63. C 1 & C 2 + others on reg. fl. cover to Braunschweig 7-28-27 ...... 16.00 64. C 1 & C 2 on official reg, fl. cover, 6-26-1927, day of issue ...... 18.00 65. C 1 & C 2 on fl. reg. cover Lyon to Berlin in 1937 ...... 15.00 FRENCH GUIANA 66. C 1 - C B on fl. reg. censored, bkstpd cover to N. Y. 8-17-44 ...... 6.71i FRENCH MOROCCO 67 Cl - C 16 on three covers ...... 10.75 GERMANY Ask for our price list of Pioneer and special flights. 68. C 1 - C 14 on lettersheet, cancelled 3-5-23 ...... 3.00 NOVEMBER, 1961 PAGE 49 GREECE 69. C 1 & C 2 + others on first fl. Syros to Galata, 6-4-1930 ...... 1.5~ GUADELOUPE 70. C 1, c 2, C 3, C 10-12 on 3 v.f. reg., fl. covers to N.Y...... 11.75 HONDURAS 71, C 1 a v.f. unused copy (no gum) signed Herbert Bloch ...... 29.50 72. San. 501. Semi-official tied on cardboard tag by company cancellation, has become very rare ...... 3.50 HUNGARY 73. C 1 a Inverted surcharge, mint, n.h., Signed Gilbert, v.f...... 21.00 74. C 1 - C 5 on three flown covers, v.f...... 6.50 75. C 1 (3) & C 2 + others on cover to Kiev, not bkstpd ...... 5.00 76. C 1 & C 2 + others on cover to Krakow ...... 4.50 77. C 1 & C 2 on fl. reg. cover to Vienna, blue cancell. 7-5-18 ...... 5.50 78. C 1 + others on fl. cover to Vienna, 7-11-18 ...... 3.50 ICELAND 79. C 1 + Scott 171,217 - 8,228 on censored cover. Reykjavik 26-VII-41 to Pitts- burgh ...... 3.50 80. C 1 (2), C 2 on fl. reg. cover to Bisbee, Arizona ...... 3.85 81. C 3 Block of four + Scott 158 on airmail cover to N.Y...... 7.00 82. San. No. 4 + Scott 0 53-62 on large size envelop, which has been folded v.f. 20.00 IRAQ 83. C 1 - C 8 in two Souvenir sheets, perf. and imperf., on two flown back- stamped covers, album page size, v.f. and very attractive ...... 6.00 ITALY 84. San. No. 1 on official card Turin - Rome, 5-20-1917. 200,000 stamps were is- sued but for some unknown reason they have become very scarce ...... 4.50 85. same on cover, Rom - Turin ...... 4.50 86. San. No. 2 on fl. bkstpd. cover Rome - Naples - Palermo 28-6-17 4.50 87. North Atlantic Cruise postal card, franked with ordinary Italian stamps, Reykjavik July 5, 1933. Comparatively few were carried on Iceland dispatch. On reverse photo of Balbo and four of his officers ...... 30.00 88. C 27. A very fine, well centered copy, a.g ...... 39.00 89. C 27 A. the seven stars variety. Friedl Cert. 7663 ...... 175.00 90. San. 502. A v.f. mint copy and also on cover to Rome ...... 12.50 91. San 503. A v.f. mint copy n.h ...... - ...... ,...... 2.50 92. same in block of four with corner sheet margin ...... 12.00 JORDAN 93. C 1 - C 15 on three fl. covers ...... 5.75 JUGOSLAVIA 94. C 1 - C 6 on regist. fl. cover Zagreb to N.Y...... 6.15 95. C 1 - C 4 on regist. fl. cover Zagreb to Kaunas ...... 1.85 P. S. We have many more later airmail covers; please ask. KOREA 96. C 1 (4) on fl. bkst. censored commercial cover to N.Y...... 3.90 97. C 1 on unaddressed cover, cane. Seoul 6-2-48 + n.h. mint copy ...... 2.00 98. San. 2, 3, 4, 5, 12-13-14, 15-19 on six covers (philatelic) ...... 8.55 LATAKIA 99. C 1 - C 11 (except C 2 which was issued a year later) the entire first issue on two regist. covers to Pa. cancelled first day of issue. V.F. and rare .... 59.00 LATVIA 100. C 1 & C 2 (perf.) on fl. reg. cover to Bern ...... 2.00 LEBANON 101. C 1 - C 4 on fl. bkstpd. cover Rayak to Latakia ...... 5.85 LIBERIA 102. Scott and San. 1 - 3 on fl. cover, v.f., Friedl Cert. 7856 ...... 146.00 LIECHTENSTEIN 103. C 1 - C 6 on fl. reg. cover Triesenberg to Mannheim, 10-6-30 ...... 9.75 104. same on F.D. cover Vaduz - St. Gallen Fl., 8-31-30, special cane., reg. & bkst ...... 9.75 LUXEMBURG 105. C 1 - C 4 + Belgium C 1 on F.D. reg. cover to England ...... 2.50 106. C 1 - C 6 on cover to Hamburg, not bkstpd...... 2.90 PAGE 50 THE AIRPOST JOURNAL MADAGASCAR 107. C 1 - C 5, C 7 - 14 complete first set (No. 6 was issued 3 years later) on three regist. flown covers to U.S.A...... 19.50 108. C 1 var. Red color on Island omitted, v.f. mint copy, unl...... 7.50

MALTA 109. C 1 + other on fl. bkst., cover to Allahabad, India ...... 8.50 110. C 1 (pair) + Scott 197 on cens. cover to British Guiana ...... 10.75 111. C 1 Mint block of four, n.h., well centered ...... 8.75

MARTINIQUE 112. C 1 & C 2 on registered flown cover to N.Y. 1.95

MEXICO We specialize in Mexican flight covers and the Tejeria - Tapachula issue as well as all rarities on and off cover. Please let us know your wishes.

MONACO 113. C 1 + others on fl. cover to Braunschweig ...... 9.75 114. San. 501 April 1914, semi-official postal card, Madrid ...... 4.75 115. same, postal card, Paris ...... 4.75

MOZAMBIQUE 116. San. No. 1 + other on flown cover ...... 15.00 117. San No. 7 on airmail cover Inhambane - Lorenco Marques 27-1-38 ...... 11.50 118. C 1 - C 5 on flown, reg. bkst. cover to N.Y...... 85

NETHERLAND INDIES 119. C 1-5 First day f. fl. Medan - Batavia, 22-9-28 ...... 9.75 120. C 1-5 on fl. reg. cover to Holland from Galang ...... 8.75 121. same from Bandoeng ...... 8.75 122. same from Fort de Kock ...... 8.75 123. same from Semarang 8.75

NEW ZEALAND 124. C 1 on first flight cover Gisborne - Napier ...... 3.95 125. C 1-3 on first flight Rotorua - Auckland, 12-9-31 ...... 8.75 126. same, first day of issue, flown and bkst., 11-11-31 ...... 9.75 127. C 1 (2) - 2-3, first day of issue 11-11-31, on special Christmas flight New Zealand - Australia - London, authenticated by Airmail Society of New Zealand, v.f...... 11.25 128. C 2 (2) & C 3, June 25, '34, "Faith in Australia" Trans-Tasman Rd. trip fl. New Zealand - Papua - Australia with all cachets, v.f...... 7.50 129. C 5 Sixth Crossing in the "Southern Cross", 3-29-34 ...... 5.50 130. C 5 First Day cover 2-17-34, first official airmail between New Zealand and Australia ...... 6.50

PANAMA 131. C 1 + other on Lindbergh Flight cover 2-9-29 ...... 1.25 132. same, overprint shifted, "Correo Aereo" has almost disappeared in upper and lower perforations ...... 1.50 133. San. No. 1-3 on Panam f. Fl. Balboa - N.Y., bkst., v.f...... 2.50 134. C 1 A inverted overprint + others on fl. reg. cover ...... 10.75 PAPUA 135. San. No. 1, 1929, Harrison Printing, a pair on reg. fl. cover, Port Moresby - Cairns, v. rare on cover ...... 41.00

PARAGUAY 136. San. No. 1, 2, 3 (2) + others on reg. fl. cover to Paris ...... 4.25 PERSIA-IRAN 137. C 1-9, 1927 issue on 2 fl. covers to U.S.A...... 4.00 138. C 22 - c 25, 26 A on fl. cover to N.Y...... 4.00 PERU 139. C 1-3 three very fine copies, o.g. 16.50 NOVEMBER, 1961 PAGE 51 PHILIPPINES 140. C 1 and C 6, Manila - San Jose Fl., 1-28-28, 58 carried, U. S. Army cachets and arrival Postmark ...... 19.50 141. San. No. 1 (2) and 6 Palawan Island to Manila, 11-8-1928 ...... 9.85

POLAND 142. C 1-9 First day cover, 9-11-25, Warsaw to Paris, not bkst...... 9.75

PORTUGAL 143. San. 501, Special semi-official stamp issued by the Geographical Society in Lisbon for the Transatlantic flight by Joseph Costa New York - Brazil - Lisbon a. v.f. block of four. On the lower pair the overprint has shifted to top ...... 15 .00 144. the same stamp on cover from N.Y., U.S. stamps cancelled August 26, 1936, autographed by Joseph Costa, v.f...... 20.00

REUNION 145. C 1 very fine mint copy, n.h., perfectly centered ...... 17.50 146. C 1 on flown cover, first day of issue, bkstd. 2-12-37 ...... 28.50 147. same on reg. cover to Paris, not backstamped ...... 28.50 148. same stamp ni block of four (San. 300.00) on flown cover to Paris, back- stamped 2-12-37, cover v.f...... 105.00

RYUKYUS 149. C 1-13 complete country on 4 first day covers, 2 bkstpd...... 15.35

SAAR 150. C 1, C 2 (2) + other on ship to shore catapult fl. Bremen to N.Y., May 10, 1931, circular cachet, rare ...... 9.75 151. C 1, 2 (3) + other, on ship to shore catapult flight s/s Bremen, May 27, 19311 to N.Y., three diff. cachets ...... 9.75

ST. PIERRE & MIQUELON 152. C 1-7 on v.f. legal size reg. cover to Brooklyn, N.Y. 3.95

SPAIN 153. C 1 - C 5 First issue complete in blocks of four, o.g...... 11.50 154. C 1 A imperf. pair (200 exist), v.f., o.g...... 25.00 155. C 1 C inverted overprint, o.g., centered to bottom, f. - v.f...... 7.50 156. C 1-li on cover Mallorca to Madrid, not backstamped ...... 6.85 157. same on cover Malaga to Barcelona, not backstamped ...... 6.85

SPANISH GUINEA 158. C 1 on fl. cover Santa Isabel, Fernando-Po to the Canary Islands 10-9-1941, very rare ...... 30.00 159. C 1 A "Correo Aereo" overprint 22mm, o.g., v.f. & rare ...... 6.50

SPANISH WEST AFRICA 160. C 1 on flown bkstpd. cover to N.Y...... 1.25

SUDAN 161. C 1 (3), C 2, C 3 on reg. airmail cover to England, bkstpd. 7.25

SWITZERLAND 162. C 1 & C 2 on two covers, one flown, the other used as regular postage, prior to withdrawal on March 1, 1923 ...... 38.00 163. San. 56, 67, 70, 503, 515 on 5 v.f. First day covers ...... 10.00

SYRIA 164. C 1 & C 2 (2) on cover to Alexandrette ...... 19.75 165. C 1-3 on airmail cover to Alexandrette, part of front cut out, stamps v.f. .... 19.50

TANGIER ~66. (Spanish) San. No. 1 + others on flown reg. cover to Paris, bkstpd, v.f...... 15.50

TIMOR 167. C 1-9 + others on flown, legal size cover, reg. & cens...... 4.00 PAGE 52 THE AIRPOST JOURNAL TRIESTE Z. B, 163. C 1-9 on two covers, one first day, the other flown to Milan, bkstpd...... 4.95

TUNISIA 169. C 1 as single franking from Ben Gardane to Tunis ...... 1.35 170. C 1 & C 2 + others on flown, reg. commercial cover to Switzerland 12-15- 1926 ...... 1.85 1'70. C 1-6 on 3 v.f. covers, local, Vienna & England ...... 4.25 171. C 3-6 on fl. reg. cover, Sfax to England ...... 2.65 172. San. 10-11-12 on flown reg. cover, Tunis to Lyon ...... 3.50

TURKEY 1"73. C 1-5, 6, 7, 8 (2) on flown cens. reg. cover to N. Y...... 9.75 174. C 1-8 on two flown regist. covers to U.S.A...... 8.85 175. C 1-4, 6-7 + others on fl. reg. cover Galata to Brighton, England ...... 6.75 176. C 1-11 on two v.f. flown reg. covers ...... 17.25 177. C 12-18 on 2 v.f. reg. covers, day of issue ...... 3.95

UNION OF SOUTH AFRICA 178. C 1 (2) & C 3 on fl. cover Durban to Capetown, then to U.S.A .. Stamps in use only from Feb. 25 to June 15, 1925, remainder destroyed ...... 9.50 179. C 1-4 on fl. cover East London to Capetown ...... 19.50 180. same on fl. cover Durban to Capetown, bkst. 8-30-25 ...... 19.50

URUGUAY 181. C 1 Blue Overprt., on reg. commercial cover to Buenos Aires ...... 27.50 182. San. 5-7 + 8 (Montevideo) used on day of issue only, on very fine, back- stamped cover ...... 7.25 183. San. 5-7 + 9 (Florida) v.f. on backstamped .cover ...... 7.25 184. San. 10 and 10d v.f. and rare on two flown reg. covers ...... 30.00

VATICAN CITY 185. San. 1-8 on v.f. flown cover to N. Y...... 5.00

VIET NAM 186. C 1-3 on philatelic cover, not backstamped ...... 2.00 187. C 4-7, 8, 9, 10 + aerogramme, 5 covers, v.f...... 4.65

YEMEN 188. San. No. 1 & 2 on philatelic cover, not backstamped and not flown ...... 2.00 189. San. 48-54, 55-56, 59-60, 63-65 on 4 v.f. flown covers (one of legal size), all backstamped ...... 12.00

Please send your orders early, as these ·are single items, not quantities. THANK YOU! • The above offering listed mainly "Number Ones" and related items. We carry always a large assortment of airmail covers including Zeppe­ lins and Newfoundland rarities. We are also specializing in Scott No. One of all countries, mint, used and on cover as well as the classics of the World. Since our entire stock is in a New York City vault, items can be shown only by previous appointment.

c 0 L L E c T 0 R s I I T E M s ' I N c. 92 Seventh Street, Box 311 Ridgefield Park, N. J. NOVEMBER, 1961 PAGE 53 Centenary of the Stamp Catalogue By L. N. and M. Williams

The month of September, 1961 wit- • published in 1867. nessed the lOOth anniversary of publica­ Berger-Levrault had philatelic corres­ tion of the first list of postage stamps, pondents throughout the world, and forerunner of the catalogue. among them were Alfred Potiquet, the It was a modest 12-page list, unillus­ civil servant in Paris, who used Berger­ trated and unpriced, handwritten and re­ Levrault's original list as the basis for his produced by lithography, yet a pioneer own catalogue, published in December effort in an entirely virgin field. Those 1861. Other well-known correspondents who wish to examine a copy of this gen­ of the Strasbourg collector were Georges esis of the catalogue can do so in the Herpin, who coined the word philately, Crawford Library at the British Museum and Dr. Jacques Amable Legrand (Dr. in London. Ma, gnus), inventor of the perforation The list had been prepared by one gauge. Then in England there was W. whose name ever lives in the libraries of Hughes-Hughes, of the Inner Temple, philatelic bibliophiles, even though it who carefully kept a record of his total is quite unknown to most stamp collect­ expenditures on stamps for his collection ors-the name of Francois Georges Oscar and found that it amounted to £69 before Berger-Levrault, of Strasbourg. he sold his stamps for £3,000; Judge F. He was born about 1825 into a family A. Philbrick, E. L. Pemberton and Dr. famous as printers and booksellers; in­ C. W. Viner were others who exchanged deed, the name is still borne by the firm letters with Berger-Levrault in his hey­ of booksellers in the Place Broglie at day. Strasbourg. He was certainly one of the All went well until the outbreak of the' earliest French stamp collectors, and the Franco-Prussian War. By that time the strength of his collection in the eighteen­ Berger-Levrault collection had grown in sixties, when such modern refinements size to 10,400 stamps, of which 6,300 as pictorials, commemoratives and char­ were unused and about 1,400 were es­ ity stamps were as yet unknown, was says. He stated that at that stage he truly remarkable. Details of his collec­ "was only short of fifty postage stamps tion's growth are found in an article by known at that date, as also a certain Fred J. Melville in "The Postage Stamp, number of Australian stamps with theil Vol. xv, page 46, where one can read various watermarks, which I had begun that in September 1861 the collection to study toward 1866, with my old contained 673 specimens, by August friends and collaborators, F. A. Philbrick 1862 the number has grown to 1,142, in and Dr. Magnus". April 1863 it was 1,553, and in July 1864 The coming of the war and its subse­ the total had risen to 1,857. quent siege of Strasbourg seems to have Following the appearance of his orig­ inal list, which was entitled simply Tim­ put an end to Berger-Levrault's phila­ bres-Paste, Berger-Levrault devoted telic activities. Whether his collection himself more and more to the study of was lost during the fighting, or whether stamps and in December 1861 produced he was forced to the conclusion that it a second edition of his list. Then, in was too frivolous to collect stamps while June 1862, came the third edition, which precious lives were at stake cannot now was set up and printed from type, and be determined. there were several subsequent editions In its issue dated January, 1871 the and supplements. His first substantial Stamp Collector's Magazine contained a catalogue was entitled Beschreibung der letter from another noted early collector: bis jetzt bekannten Briefmarken, etc., Sir:-What became of that useful which appeared in 1864. His last work friend to philately, Mons. Berger-Lev­ was Les Timbres-paste, and this was rault, during the siege of Strasbourg? PAGE 54 THE AIRPOST JOURNAL Has he been able to save his stamps A FORERUNNER TO OUR from the general wreck and re-estab­ MODERN ASTRONAUTS lish his business, which, if I mistake Last summer on the left bank of Paris' not, was that of a publisher and book­ River Seine, the writer found a card, is­ seller? sued in spring, 1910, depicting the upset Clifton. FENTONIA. of humanity on the approaching Hal­ Answer came there none. It was many ley's Comet. We remember the day, months before his philatelic friends when everybody had the same idea or an­ learned that he had indeed survived the other on how to greet the great moment siege and the war itself, but as far as the ... on a lookout point high on a moun­ world of stamps was concerned, he faded tain, or staying with friends, or ... almost into oblivion. Almost, but not sleeping the critical night through. entirely, for Melville mentions a letter On this card there are pictured people containing his reminiscences which he who tried to get away from the earth wrote from Nancy some 20 years later. before the comet would crash into it, either floating on a rubber tire or being He continued living at Nancy past the shot up on a rocket straight to Mars. turn of the century and it was not until Here they go, the world's first rocket­ 24th September, 1903, that he breathed astronauts! Bon voyage! his last. He had reached the age of 78. -Dr. Max Kronstein The fate of his stamp collection remains forever a mystery, and no record of its IF YOU'RE GOING TO disposal can be traced in the philatelic WEST GERMANY- press. For AAMS members traveling in West As the centennial bell tolls for this pi­ Germany who may wish to attend an air oneer philatelist, let every stamp collector mail meeting, we'd like to suggest a visit remember the name of Francois Georges to Munich. Our good friend and cor­ Oscar Berger-Levrault, whose brain gave respondent, Werner P. C. Kuemmelberg, birth to a form of publication without tells us the club at Munich meets the which philately today would be unthink­ first Friday of each month at the Gast­ able. hof und Hotel "Zurn Bogner," Im Tal 72. ( Reprinted by permission of "The Phone is 22 79 29. If you want to con­ Stamp Lover," Journal of the Junior tact Werner, his address is 48/2 Elisa­ Philatelic Society (London). bethstrasse. NOVEMBER, 1961 PAGE 55 South African Aerogram1nes By I. H. C. Godfrey

REPUBLICAN ISSU,ES OF SOUTH • Groot Constantia and a bunch of grapes. AFRICA - 31st May. 1961. All printing is in magenta. Sc "Greetings" Aerogramme • The aerogrammes have again been Provisional Issue issued only with Afrikaans text first. Some of the December, 19S8 sixpen­ FIRST DAY CANCELLATIONS ny illuminated sheets, which were sur­ ON REPUBLICAN AEROGRAMMES charged "Sc" for issue on 14th Febru­ Principal post offices in South Africa ary, have now appeared additionally were open for only two hours on Re­ overprinted "REPUBLIC OF" and "RE­ public Day - 31st May, 1961 - to pro­ PUBLIEK VAN" in black serifed letters vide stamp collectors with first day cov­ approximately 23 mm. across and spaced ers. Although stocks of the new aero­ 1S mm. apart. This supplementary over­ grammes are stated to have been sent print is normally superimposed slightly to those post offices, it seems that staffs above the "SOUTH AFRICA" and were generally too busy to issue and "SUID-AFRIKA" of the stamp design postmark any postal stationery that day. but at times the upper words are well a­ Very few aerogrammes are likely there­ bove the simulated top perforations. fore to bear a Day of Issue cancellation, It was reported in the May Phila­ although a commemorative postmark was telist by the Publicity Officer that out employed at the Philatelic Bureau in of a total of 144,000 of the "Greetings" Pretoria for that one day. areogrammes sent by the P.M.G. to be surcharged "Sc", 138,000 had been dis­ tributed for issue on Decimalisation Day - 14th February 1961. That would leave a balance of 6,000 in the Government Printer's hands and it is reasonable to HARRIS deduce that only that number received the Republican overprint. Sc Definitive Aerogramme U. S. A. The basic fo rm is iden tical to the "Decimalisation" sheet issued on 14th CATALOG February, but all printing is in Royal ...... blue instead of light blue. HUNDREDS OF The impressed stamp has the same motif as the new Sc adhesive - a Baobab L.-;_..----· PRICE CHANGES! tree and flower - but, being in mono­ 160 PAGES • NEARLY 2000 ILLUSTRATIONS color, it presents a most inpleasing ef­ Brand new edition of America 's most widely used fect, reminiscent of some of the poorer U. S. & B.N.A. catalog - co ntaining hundreds Japanese stamp designs of past years. of important price changes - published by The Afrikaans wording at the top of the world's largest stamp firm. Complete illustrated stamp is, in fact, so poorly printed that listing of all major U. S. issues, U. S. Posses­ the inscription could be mistaken for sions and British North America. Also specialties, Oriental heiroglyphics. Confederate States, United Nations, "Ameri­ Onlv sheets with English texts first cana" PLUS U. S. Stamp Identifier - compre· have thus far been. seen. hensive illustrated booklet. Tells you how 21hc Definitive Aerogramme to distinguish between rare and common The new Republican form for In­ "look-a like " stamps. All land and African Postal Union use is this and more in our identical to the first definitive 2lhc. BIG interesting catalog. Rhinoceros sheet issued on the 18th H. E. HARRIS & CO. April, 1961 except for the impressed stamp ,which now depicts the portico of Catalog Dept., Boston 17, Mass. PAGE 56 THE AIRPOS'II JOURNAL U.S. TALLY AT CURIOSA, '61 - An Award of Honors: Five Golds, Nine Silver-Gilts, Three Silvers, Four Bronze By John C. W. Field "Curiosa" is the generic name for an • Silver-Gilt annual exhibition of antiques which this F. E. Adams (Australian pioneer and year ( in The Hague) concentrated on first flights). aeronautical matters. The Dutch aero­ S. L. Bayer (Various air mails). philatelic group, De Vliegende Holland­ A. P. Cohen (India 1911 airmail: Al, er, took the opportunity to organize a lahabad-Naini). large international aerophilatelic exhibi­ M. Gold (Graf Zeppelin 1930 Round tion in co-operation with Curiosa, under Flight items). the patronage of F.I.S.A. (International H. A. Holman (Austria - the first ail Federation of Aerophilatelic Societies) issue). . which also held its first annual general S. R. Rice (Airmail rarities on cover) . meeting and Congress in The Hague at Dr. R. H. Shrady (French and Ger­ the same time. man semi-officials) . The Exhibition, from August 4th to J. L. Wacht (Specialized collection of 13th, contained over 800 frames of aero­ Papua airmails). philatelic and polar postal history ma­ Silver terial as well as a special section for lit­ E. P. Bender (Early U.S. and Uruguay erature. The Exhibition was truly inter­ stamps and covers). national, especially so far as the Jury was J. R. Dilworth (Specialized collection concerned as this was under the Presi­ of Indian rocket mails). dency of Herbert Bloch (U.S.A.); with H. A. Feist (Specialized collection of Henry M. Goodkind (U.S.A.), and other Brazil). members from Europe and from Eng­ Bronze land. (The English representative was J. Bart (Airmail stamps, covers, etc., H. E. J. Evans, of the Polar Postal His­ with F. D. Roosevelt motifs). tory Society, whose special responsibility F. 0. Brown (Specialized collection of was the judging of the polar sections). IZ 127 covers). The Jury reported that the exhibition W. Fritzsche ('Catapult Mail items). had produced entries of a very high POLAR standard whose quality was reflected in Silver-Gilt the apportionment of the 58 awards Geo. A. Hall (Arctic and Antarctic). among the 89 exhibits. The following Bronze American participants received awards: F. L. Baldwin (covers and commem­ orative items relating to Admiral AIR MAIL Richard E. Byrd). Second Award of Honor H. M. Queen Juliana of the Nether­ Dr. J. J. Matejka (Newfoundland lands had granted the Exhibition her per­ 1919-1943). sonal Award of Honor which, as Grand Gold Prix, was won by Dmitri Tziracopoulo Philip Silver (Specialized collection of (Egypt) for his display of pioneer and U.S. airmails). first flight items of the world. Two Thomas A. Matthews (U.S. air mail Prizes of Honor were also given: the stamps, errors, etc.; Aerogrammes; first to M. J. Gravelat (France) for his Rocket mails; 1870 Siege of Paris collection of London - Windsor 1911 'Pellicules'). covers and documents; the second to Dr. Sam Rodvien (Airmails of the World). Matejka as stated in the list above. J. J. Britt ( Specialized collection of Dr. Matejka's was one of 19 American world-wide airmail essays, proofs, displays especially collated and taken to color trials, etc). Holland by Mr. Goodkind, and it was B. Fink (Covers flown by the Zep­ good for those of us in Europe to be able pelin LZ 127, 1928-1935). to examine what must be the best in NOVEMBER, 1961 PAGE 57 American aerophilately in this way. It CANAL ZONE 15-CENT was also good to see that a number of AIR MAIL POSTAGE STAMP American collectors had entered inde­ pendently also. Their trouble in prepar­ A 15-cent airmail postage stamp will ing and financing this participation was be placed on sale at Fort Gulick, Canal well repaid by their being frequently Zone, on November 21, 1961. The stamp featured in the Awards List. will be 0.84 by 1.44 inches in dimension, From the collector's point-of-view, the main interest of the First F.I.S.A. Con­ arranged horizontally, issued in sheets gress would have been the Study and of 50. The stamp will be blue, red, and Discussion Groups. In the Study Groups, white, having as its main feature the Messrs. Tocila and Viehoff (both of Hol­ crest of the U.S. Army Caribbean School. land) dealt with the various aspects of the K.L.M. route to and within the Stamp collectors desiring first-day can­ Dutch East Indies; Mr. C. J. v.d. Zijden cellations of the stamps may send ad­ (Holland) gave a lecture on "Postal dressed envelopes to the Philatelic Ag­ Curiosities of Spitzbergen"; and Mr. E. ency, Balboa Heights, Canal Zone, with E. J. Evans talked about Polar Mails. money order remittance to cover the The Discussion Groups covered "Imi­ cost of the stamps to be affixed. Postage tation and Private Cancels" by Dr. Raab stamps and personal checks will not be (Germany); "Aims and Activities of F.I. accepted in payment. Envelopes sub­ S.A." by M. M. ]. Kaptein (Secretary­ mitted should be of ordinary letter size General of the Association), and "Eval­ and each be properly addressed. An en­ uation and Awards" by myself on behalf closure of medium weight should be plac­ of the British Air Mail Society. The re­ ed in each envelop and the flap either sults of the discussions were submitted turned in or sealed. An outside envelope to the A.G.M. on the following day, at must not be sent for return of first-day which American interests were repre­ covers. Each cover should be pencil sented principally by Mr. Goodkind. marked in the upper right corner to There were two events to close the show the number and denomination of different aspects of the Exhibition: the stamps to be affixed, therefore, no letter Congress Dinner at the Restaurant Lens­ of instructions need be sent. The en­ velt Nicola in The Hague, which was velope to the Philatelic Agency, Balboa well attended and at which the Awards Heights, Canal Zone, should be endorsed were announced and presented; and an FIRST-DAY COVERS. Request for un­ informal supper to mark the closing of usual arrangements and plate numbers the Exhibition at a hostelry called De cannot be granted. Request for mint Paardeburg at Ouderkerk a.d. Amstel. stamps must not be included with orders This hostelry (once a 'half-way house' for first-day covers, but sent separately for coaches) is dear to the hearts of avia­ to the Philatelic Agency, Balboa Heights, tion-minded Dutchmen because it was a Canal Zone. To insure prompt shipment favorite meeting-place for Dr. Albert orders should NOT include other de­ Plesman (founder of K.L.M. Airlines) nominations. and his fellow-workers. To close this report, Americans think­ ing of visiting Holland may like to know WELL-KNOWN DEALER, LAVA, that this same river Amstel gives its EXPANDS name to a Dutch beer that, in the opin­ ion of your reporter, is well worth tast­ Artur E. Lewandowski, well-known to ing! members of the Society, whom we had

CRASH COVERS the pleasure of meeting personally after Transoceanic Record Flight years of letter-writing, has moved. He AAM No. 1182 - $10 Beautiful commemoratives of this tells us that this move is necessary to tragic flight, designed by 3 artists LITHUANIA C 79-84 at $1 per set better serve his growing clientele. You singles, pairs or blocks of any number C. MATAZUS can reach him by writing to Lava, Box l, 107-33 117th St. Richmond Hill 19, NY Fort George Station, New York 40, N. Y. PAGE 58 THE AIRPOST JOURNAL The '62 Scott Vol. I Shows 22,250 Price Changes AIR MAIL ENTIRES More than 22,250 prices have been envelopes changed or added in the 1962 edition of postal cards Vol I of Scott's Standard Postage Stamp letter5heets Catalogue published in October by Scott Publications, Inc. Finest Stock In the World This 1,000-page annual compendium THE NEW ISSUE SERVICE PLUS listing and pricing the stamps of the the outstanding specials that United States, British Commonwealth of characterize this service Nations, Latin America and the United Nations sells for $6. It is part of the ATTRACTIVE PAGES 118th edition of the world's oldest gen­ FOR MOUNTING eral stamp catalogue. (Volume II was THE AIRMAIL ENTIRE TRUTH described in the October Journal.) newsletter. Send as many Sc The 1962 Vol. I price changes exceed stamped & addressed. No. 10 en­ those of the 1961 edition by 5,520. The velopes for as many copies as you breakdown follows: U. S. proper (ex­ wish to receive. cluding Admiinstration listings for Canal AUTHORIZED AGENT FOR THE Zone, etc.), 1,464. British Common­ GODINAS CATALOGUE wealth, 10,886 (Australia 308, Canada and Newfoundland 817, New Zealand LAVA 462). Latin America, 6,544 (Brazil 513, The Distributor of the Barbados Error Venezuela 653). Box 1, Fort George Station New York 40, N. Y. Of interest .to aerophilatelists, U. S. C3a (the 24c invert) was jumped $3,000 for a record high at $10,000. The Black Honduras did even better, listing now at 1961 ·Convention Covers $30,000, an increase of $12,500. A new listing is U.S. airmail envelope (UC 20a­ Set of 4 covers: unpriced) 6c on 6c error of the 1951 re­ AAMS Convention Statton Cancel valued envelope. Under Chile, we note - one on each day September 22- that 1950-55 non-commemorative air­ 23-24 . . . plus . . . Helicopter mails have been extensively regrouped to Flight covers commemorating 50th simplify the listings, causing 95 stamps Anniversary of Ovington's Garden to be renumbered. City flight - cacheted and back­ The second and rare type of Mexico stamped ...... $1.00 No. Cl98, the 20p airmail of 1952, has Less Than 150· Sets been described and listed. Order Promptly A year's accumulation of new stamps­ a total of 1,303 stamps, compared with Helicopter Cover Alone ...... 25c (5 for $1.00) 900 for the previous year---'has been add­ ed to the new Vol. I. Souvenir Folder: Your dealer has both Volume I and II Commemorating Earle OvingtO'Il's for sale. First Air Mail Flight in 1911 from Garden City, N. Y. with Heli­ copter cover •cacfueted and back- stamped ...... $·1.00 Order !from: Mrs. Ruth T. Smith 102 Arbor Road Riverton, New Jersey

NOVEMBER, 1961 PAGE 59 TIPS BY JULIUS By JULIUS WEISS 502 E. 185ih Si., Cleveland 19, Ohio As this is being written the philatelic • to the public. The maximum length of world has a new set of gems in the form the flight permitted was 1.8 KM. 12 of some 75 adhesives issued by the terri­ rockets took off with 10,550 letters and tories of Bechuanaland, Basutoland and all but one rocket arrived safely. The Swaziland, which have adopted the deci­ mail carried in Rocket number 9 was mal system of South Africa and have damaged. Special lightweight envelopes proceeded to surcharge the existing were imprinted "In memory of 30 years Queen Elizabeth adhesives with new of rocket mail in Austria," to recognize "cents and rand" values. the first private trial of the rocket con­ A number of printings resulted in va­ structor, Ing. Schmied!. Also, a picture rieties of type, watermarks, and position of one of the early rockets was shown. of type. Perhaps, to the airmail collector, Imprinted were the words, "1st official the adhesives, other than on flight cov­ rocket mail." The arrival postmark is ers, are of little significance. "Raasdorf". Neither registration nor in­ However the airletter sheets from this surance was allowed for these letters. area are worth having. We have seen: Although this is a short run flight we Basutoland 5c on 6D, Bechuanaland 5C concur with the collectors in Austria that on 6D, and Swaziland 5C on 6D. In­ this IS the first official rocket mail in formants have told us that only 500 were that it not only received top postal sanc­ printed for Basutoland and of these, tion but it took mail from anyone, that there were two different watermarks and is, anyone who wished to take the risk. some unwatermarked. Ryukyuan new airmail issues having a face of 9c, 14c, 19c, 27c and 35c were Bechuanaland has appeared with two issued on September 21. The stamps distinct watermarks and the Swaziland show the flying Goddess and the God of sheet does not have a watermark. the Wind; pringting was 300,000 with Governmental officials have told us the exception of the 9c value which was that as of June 26 there was enough 2 million. · stock on sale in Swaziland and "it is an­ Readers may order direct from Gov­ ticipated it will remain available for a ernment of Ryukyu Islands, Public Ser­ considerable period of time." vices, Philatelic Department, Naha, Ryu­ It is understood that the airletter kyu Islands. sheets are already sold out at ALL these countries. One double overprint was re­ Some of the overprints shown in Au­ ported from Swaziland. gust "Airs of the Month" are still in At the same time South Africa over­ stock at the Agency and may be obtain­ printed a SD sheet with 2lhC face while ed for face value plus return postage. the 6D sheet is overprinted 5C. We do Rumania has issued a set of unusual not know whether these contain many airmails. Early in August a 1.75 and 1.60 printings. Lei airmail set was issued. The set shows Readers know our opinion on present a phase of a recent total solar eclipse day short-run rocket flights which carry over that country. One stamp shows the mail. There was a series of flights in eclipse as it appeared over a palace in Austria at LUPOSTA on May 23, 1961 Rumania and the other shows the total and here are the facts as received. solar eclipse over Scinteia House. The organizers of the exhibition had Surinam came through with a fine the idea for a rocket flight. In order for sheet to honor "Man In Space". Each the flight to take place the group needed sheet contains 12 stamps. The 15c shows ~fficial sanction from the GPO, the po­ the vehicle used by Soviet Major Yuri hce, Army, and other officials. Gagarin while the 20c issue shows a pic­ On May 23, 1961, 10:30 a.m., at As­ ture of Commander Alan Shepard of the pern Airport, 100 meters was closed off USA. The stamps are colorful. On the PAGE 60 THE AIRPOST JOURNAL full sheet is shown on the borders man's HARMER, ROOia: SELLS THREE progress with aircraft. The sketches in 24c INVERTS FOR $25,4501 yellow on the 20c sheet and green on the 15c sheets show a panorama of aircraft In the last 10 months Harmer, Rooke which would fit into a frame at any ex­ & Co., Inc., has sold three copies of the hibit whether philatelic or scientific as it U.S. 24c airmail invert for a total of is clear and to the point. All sheets are numbered. $25,450. Recently the Fifth Avenue auction Alitalia has conducted a number of flights in 1961. The first Caravelle jet house sold the 24c from position 14, a flight went from Rome to Tripoli on May stamp of brilliant color, to a New Jersey 1, returning on May 2. A special cancel collector by private sale. The price was was used on the Rome dispatch with a $9,000. special green cachet used on the Tripoli flight. The "Dr. Cole Copy," position 32, May 24 the line went from Rome to went to a New York dealer for $7,250, Caracas with the return by DCB jet on despite a diagonal crease, in the May 10 May 25, 1961. Venezuela used a square auction. It had previously changed violet cancel on all mail. hands at $4,500. June 16 they flew a DC8 from Rome to Buenos Aires via Milan, Dakar, Rio de The T. Charlton Henry copy, which is Janeiro, Sao Paulo. The return flight position 94 and has the sheet margin at took place on June 17 from Buenos Aires bottom, brought $9,200 in the sale of with a stop at Montevideo. Argentina last Dec. 16. This sum, then a record, used a special black cancel to tell about was paid by a New England collector. this flight on mail dispatched at Buenos Aires. On June 14 they inaugurated DC8 service to Sydney, Australia via Teheran, Karachi, Bombay and Bangkok. A spe­ cial cancel was used in Rome. We have WANTED not seen any return (Australian) dispatch YOUR Sales Department is urgently on this flight. in need of material to sell. If you have duplicates you have been think­ We have called attention to the Hun­ ing of selling, now is a good time to garian imperf editions. Many of the air­ do just that. Especially needed at this mails have been seen imperf. Prices are time are mint and used air mail fantastic when they reach the USA. Col­ stamps. The demand for stamps is lectors in Hungary tell us many have not very good and all newly-entered books seen the imperf issues. We previously will go out on circuit at once. Stamps wrote we had never seen them on cover. must be mounted in department books Our column hinted about the validity of which are for sale by the Sales Mana­ ger at 20c each. Books are designed to these stamps for we had not seen them hold 120 stamps. used. Now, however, we have seen them used, registered and complete with full In covers we need most types, but especially CAM, Airport Dedications, postal markings. We still do not under­ Crash and Rockets. Covers must be stand the high price mark-up. listed on Pack Lists which are also for Several readers have written to ask us sale by the Sales Manager. Price for about the address where the World Re­ these is .021;2c each plus a stamped addressed envelope. To order any of fugee Year "stamps on postcards" may be above or for further information, write obtained. Readers may contact: United Nations Staff Fund for Refugees, Office HERMAN KLEIN.ERT B. 114, Palais Des Nations, Geneva, Sales Manager Switzerland. As yet we have not heard as to our plan of having mail posted at 213 Virginia Ave, Fuller:t·on, Pa. camps. NOVEMBER, 1961 PAGE 61 A YEAR OF AIR MAIL first year of operations with a record of 200 flying hours in the life of several of There has passed a year of Aerial Mail these planes and 14,000 miles of flying service between New York, Philadelphia per plane. The service transported by and Washington, and regular service over air a grand total of over 200,000 pounds a second aerial route, that between of mail, or about 8,000,000 letters. The Cleveland and Chicago. One year of air New York to Washington flight has been mail has demonstrated the feasibility of reduced from 3 hours 10 minutes to 1 the plan from the commercial point of hour 58 minutes. view as well as others. What was so lately a marvel is now an (From The Christian Herald, June 21, everyday affair. The ships ply their way 1919.)

through the skies every day but Sunday with the r~gularity of clockwork, and rain, snow or sleet, thunder and lightning may come and blizzards may tie up traf­ fic on terra firma, but the Air Mail pilots AIR POST NEW ISSUES keep to their course. Though the war in the air resulted in many deaths among our aviators abroad and in American camps, the Aerial Mail OF THE ENTIRE Service has been singularly fortunate, for not a single fatality has occurred in the entire first year of operation among the WORLD regular members of the staff. Recently one or two accidents occurred, but the aviators were so skillful in management of their machines as to avoid serious in­ jury and are now back in the service. PAMPHLET UPON REQUEST The fact that the six original mail planes used, with their engines, have survived the year's service, flying in all kinds of weather, is a significant fact, and shows something about the commer­ Nicolas Sanabria Co. Inc. cial feasibility of the plan. These planes flew in storm and sunshine, rain, hail or A . MEDAWAR, PRESIDENT snow, and in some very high winds, and the aviators often had exciting experi­ 521 Fifth Ave., New York 17, N. Y. ences in passing through violent thunder storms. The postal air services closes its PAGE 62' THE AIRPOST JOURNAL A COLLECTOR'S ITEM land, for the first trip to India carrying -PASS FOR ONE official correspondence only. In the early hours of the morning of October 2 the The years 1929 and 1930 represented R-101 crashed at Beauvais, France and the peak in the history of lighter-than­ was fully destroyed. The official corres­ air dirigibles up to the present time. pondence was completely destroyed. Those years were the period of Graf Zep­ At the India end of the scheduled pelin's Round-the-World Flight and of route a large airship shed had already his first South America service flights. At been built at Karachi. Our illustration that time, the large Akron airship dock had been completed and the construction shows that passes to the landing field of the USS Akron had gotten under way. had been issued for the first arrival of The British airship R-100 had made its the airship. (This form might possibly first trans-atlantic flight to Montreal and represent the only existing collector-rec­ back to Bedford, England. (American ord of the R-101, since all the official Air Mail Catalogue 1950 p. 926 #Z- 452) . mail on board had been destroyed.) Another British dirigible, the R-101, The British magazine "Flight" report­ was scheduled to enter service between ed on January 13, 1961, that finally the England, Egypt and India, at a time Karachi airship shed is being dismantled, when the dirigible was getting ready to after being for 30 years a memento of assume a leading part in British Empire air communications. these R-101 developments. -Dr. Max Kronstein However, a sudden setback interrupt­ ed this development. On October 1, 1930 the R-101 left Cardington, Eng-

PASS FOR ONE

TO Royal Airship Base, Karachi

for arrival of H. M. Air~hip R-tOt.

IMPORTANT.

No penon i• to Bppro:ich wi thin one thnusan1l feet of the M oo ri n~ Tower on the Wimlwl\rd side. Uu.ler no <'ircumsll\n· CPS i• &'!]'one to walk on Lhe lnnding ground auy where tu leewcml (down wind) of the Towe.r.

Sboold there· b ~ no wind No pl'rson shall walk any whc·re on tha.t •iJe of the Tower from which the Ship is approachinl!', or witl1in on~ tbousn11d feet on the other side uf the 'l'uwcr.

The nccc1&i ty of strict :i1lherencc to 1111,•e i11e tr11 ctinn• cannot be OYer-ernpl11lsized owin g. to the r.xt Ntme

~n no C."l.

RESPOKSIBLE OFFICIA~ . ReRpon sibfo Officials nf thP. H1>ynl AirRl1ip R,.r will w.. ar a pur1·le nro11let on "the l•ft '""' whil.- <'uoployee< 1\'ill 11" \':lt a J?tL'ilu nrm let.

W, B. WATT, Ulli cer·iu- cluir~c . See Page 1, October issue NOVEMBER, 1961 PAGE 63 OFFICIAL SECTION MONTHLY REPORT From the Secretary Ruth T. Smith, 102 Arbor Road, Riverton, New Jersey NOVEMBER, 1,1961 NEW MEMB·ERS 4856 Hodgson, Claude L., 69-12 165th St., Flushing 65. N. Y. 485·7 Mathieson, Alfred H., P. 0. Box 645, Amherst, Mass. 4858 Lally, Joseph E., 3609 W. Anne St., McHenry, Illinois 4859 Glovinsky, H. Pete, 7636 Gannon St., St. Louis 30, Mo. 4860 Reidmar, Stig, Forvaltarvagen 19, Solna, Sweden 4861 Constantinou, D., P. 0. Box 3, Piraeus, Greece 4862 Rutter, Kurt L., 3061 Edwin Ave., Apt. 3E, Fort Lee, N. J. 4863 Buse, Raymond L., Jr., 2540 Handasyde Ave., Cincinnati 8, Ohio 4864 Lapayowker, M. Stanford, 2500 Belmont Ave., Phila., 31, Pa. 4865 Alander, Jack V., 2532 Lexington St., Harrisburg, Pa. NEW APPLICATIONS Chassy, David F., Box 42, Babylon, N. Y. Dealer. Age: 51. By: F. Kleinert Hartman, Harold H., 6001 Idylwood Dr., Corpus Christi, Tex. Manager. Age: 64. PC HC PA PB FAM CC OF Z lD By: R. T. Smith Bernhardt, A. H., 365la Dunnica, St. Louis 16, Mo. Retired. Age: 66. AM AU AS U20 UC PC HC PA FF CAM FAM CC OF DC CF lD X By: R. W. Murch Skupny, John J., 11405 Conant St., Detroit 12, Mich. Funeral Dir. Age: 56. PC HC PA GF CAM FAM RP CC OF DC Z lD By: M. M. Small Puckett, Christine (Mrs.), 113 Henry St., Gadsden, Ala. Secretary. Age: 38. AM U20 UC lD X By: R. T. Smith Gonzalez, John, 1102 Lee Hall St., San Antonio l, Tex. Lab. Analyst. Age: 33. DC lD By: R. T. Smith Smith, Leonard H., Jr. (Col.), P. 0. Box 6, River Edge, N. J. Retired. Age: 56. General used singles - specialized Australia and Un. of So. Afr. By: J. J. Matejka Godbout, G. J., 1000 Connecticut Ave., NW, Washington 6, D. C. Dir. of Mail Expr. Age: Legal. By: R. W. Murch Latvenas, Rimas, 3316 Caroline Ave., Culver City, Calif. Engineer. Age: 25. AM AU U20 UC PC HC FF GF RP OF D Z CF APS By: R. T. Smith Brown, H. Leland, 32 W. 40th St., Wilmington 2,Del. Int. Rev. Serv. Age: 65. By: R. T. Smith DECEASED 4101 Rezek, Jon. J., 845 Acacia Dr., Burlingame, Calif. NEW LIFE MEMBER #104 W. R. Ware #105 John G. Kunz #106 Jbhn S. Davis #107 R. E. R. Dalwick #108 Albert N. Brown 'HONORARY LIFE MEMBERS Francis Cardinal Spellman Basil L. Rowe CHANGE OF ADDRESS 3202 Zeller, Vern G., 455 Barclay Rd., Rosemont, Pa. 4782 Mallott, R. F., (F/Lt.), 130226 - 30 AMB, RCAF, CAPO 5051, Montreal, PQ, Can. 4477 Raes, Walter, P. 0. Box 841, Hawthorne, Calif. 4838 Perrin, Fred F., 835 County Line Rd., Highland Park, Ill. J4787 Faulkner, Carl J., Apt. 31, 373 Commonwealth Ave., Boston 15, Mass. 4774 Keeton, John G., Jr., P. 0. Box 10502, Riviera Beach, Fla. 2189 Jones, Bob, 21llh S. Ohio Ave., Sidney, Ohio 4825 Quackenbush, James, 1105 Elm St., Box 806, Cincinnati 10, Ohio 4499 Lewandowski, A., Box 1, Fort George Stat., New York 40, N. Y. 3824 Pearson, Elliott R., 104-60 Queens Blvd., Forest Hills 75, N. Y. 4233 Wagg, J. W. Bruce, 2408 - 25th Ave., NW - Suite B., Calgary, Alt., Canada 111 FLEW FROM WINDSOR11 Clement Creswell, one of the "aviators" flying the London to Windsor mail in 1911, now lives in retirement in Invernessshire, from where he sent the following account of his part in the great adventure especially for this commemorative issue of Stamp Collecting: "Perhaps after 50 years readers will be interested to know that I flew a 50 h.p. Gnome-Bleriot. Always felt a little apprehensive about climbing above the high trees in Windsor Park. I had no instruments except an unreliable altimeter and in bad gusts had to lean to one side to balance the machine! Gustav Hamel carried the first mail out, to Windsor, I flew the first one in to London. However, it was all great fun. I was then 21 and dangers, at that age, are not thought about." PAGE 64 THE AIRPOST JOURNAL AAMS EXCHANGE DEPARTMENT APJ ADS BUY SELL WANT LISTS

RATES: WANTED: Mint, Hungary imperf Cl56, FOUR CENTS PER WORD per insertion. Cl94, Monaco imperf. J51, Trieste Zone A, Minimum charge one dollar. Remittance Cl, 4, 6, 17, 19, 20, 22. Lawrence De Mars, must accompany order and copy. The 501 - 10th Ave. W., Spencer, Iowa. AIRPOST JOURNAL. 350 No. Deere Park EGYPT - Wanted rare stamps and covers. Drive, Highland Park, Ill. Will Buy or Exchange. E. A. Kehr, 220 W. 42nd St., New York 36. FOR SAL·E Interested in contacting other collectors CAN SUPPLY FDC and FFC of Australia of dedications. Write: Steve Reinhard, and whole world. Eugene Stanley, Philate­ 333 N. Columbus Ave., Freeport, N. Y. list, 29 Clarke St., Elwood, S3, Victoria, Australia *378 WANTED: 1960 Deds: L. A., Winnsboro, New Iberia, Carrolton, West Milford, ALBUM PAGES for mounting space Flora, Montreal. Also Carroll, Iowa 4/3/61. Stamps and Covers, such as Moon Flights, Steve Reinhard, 333 N. Columbus, Free­ Missiles, Rockets, Astro·nauts, Free Litera­ port, New York. ture. Artopages, Woodville, Ohio *383 SCADTA Consular Overprints, stamys, covers. Also Colombiana de Navegac10n AAMS EXCHANGE ADS Aerea and Scadta Ecuador. Have similar material in exchange. Orjan Luning, Od­ WE CAN USE Artcraft unaddressed plate engatan 11, Stockholm, Sweden. :J:t Blocks of any Famous Americans you ------might have, for anything you might need WANTED: anything pertaining to Lind­ in U.S. or U.N's. Dolin, 31 Park Row, bergh. Also Georgia "Pioneer" and first N.Y.C. 38. Hight covers. Back copies of Airpost Journal. Horace D. Westbrooks, Box 252 WANTED: Members to attend NYC Chap­ Griffin, Georgia. *37S ter meetings 2nd Friday of every month at 20 W. 40th St. 8 p.m. Info from Harold WANTED - Nat'! A.M. Week covers of J. Frankel, pres., 6201 Bay Parkway, May '38. Will buy or swap. Don Lussky, Brooklyn 4, N. Y. *378 466 Oak Ave., Aurora, Ill. *379 WILL TRADE - 1 copy each AAMS Air WANTED: Correspondence with anyone Letter Sheet, Cat. 1949, 1951, 1952 and who collects aircraft on stamps & postal Supp., 1953. Sanabria's Airpost Cat 1953. stat10nery. .Jet airplanes my topic. Law­ 1954-55. J. F. Reinhardt, 3944 McKinney, rence De Mars, 501 - 10th Ave. \\'., Spen­ Dallas 4, Texas. cer, Iowa. HELICOPTER mail Italian handbook, edi­ US - FDC collection, 95% with Blx's & tion 1952, I offer for one rocket fLght Pl. Blx. old cachets,. mounted. European cover of U.S.A. Giuseppe Schenone, Via F. FIIght covers, to dispose of. What have Zamenhof 2, Milano (733), Italy. you? Joseph F. Bush, 4601 N. E. 3rd Ave., Fort Lauderdale, Fla. *379 BALLOON covers, cards and labels of U.S. A. wanted. Exchange with balloon item·; WILL SWAP 1 set United Nations Imp. of Europe. Giuseppe Schenone, Via Za­ :J:t blocks on superb first day covers for menhof 8, Milano (733), Italy. mint set of zepp. singles. H. Dolin & Co., ------31 Park Row, NYC 38. WESTERN Covers, philatelic material and philatelic literature of all kinds wanted. QUATEMALA, 100 different stamps post­ All contributions are deductible for in­ paid by registered airmail in exchange come tax purposes. Write to Arizona Pi­ tor . 12 International Reply Coupons, oneers' Historical Museum, Postal History available at all Postoffices. Kurt John Dept., 949 East Second St., Tucson, Ari­ Weiss, Panajachel, Republic Guatem'lla. zona. *380 *379 ~~~~~~--~~~~~~~- Urgently Require - FAM 5-85, 87a, 88, \\'ANT: Regulu3 Missile Mail - Carried. 88a, 89a, 90/90a, 91/9la, 92a, 96, 97b, 97g, For, U.S. Commercial Jets Non-Govern­ 98, 98a/98c mental Rockets carried Wallops Island F5 E - 12/12a, 13/13a, 14/14a; 15a, Firmgs. Edmond C. Browne, 120 Kenil­ 17 /17a, 18/18a worth Place, Brooklyn 10, N.Y. F5 - 104, 105/105b, 106, 107 /107a, 112a, 113/113b WANTED: Austria and Czechoslovakia F6 - 76, 77, 78a, 79a/79b, 80/80a, 81/8la. Airmail stamps and covers, oddities or Write Ralph E. Moffett, AAMS :J;t591, P.O. what-have-you. Dr. Matejka, Hotel La Box 602, Nav School.Monterey, Calif. Salle, Chicago. SEND for copy of my airport dedication I. GIVE 200 nicely assorted foreign air­ want list. Wm. T. Wynn, Jr., 13537 Rocke mails for every 300 large used U.S. Com· dale, Detroit 23, Mich. mems. sent me. Tauber, 708 E. Tremont Ave., Bronx, N. Y. •379 \YOULD like to trade or purchase crash covers, as well as dirigible and aeroplane WANTED: Exchapge 0£ First and Special post cards before 1925. Joseph Eisen­ FIIght Covers with A.A.M.S. members in drath, 350 No. Deere Park Drive, Highland other countries. L. Stransky, 91-19 - 245th Park, Ill. St., Bellerose 26. New York. (4732) NOVEMBER, 1961 Nicklin 67t!ll, Auction Sale FRIDAY, NOV. 17, 1961 at 2 P. M. Air Post Stamps &Covers WIDE ASSORTMENT Rocket Stamps &Covers • e • AUSTRIA, Including Rarities SPLENDID LOT I NOIA, Representative Lot Boy Scout, Girl Guide Firings Rarities and Classic Firings Propaganda Missives WWl, WW2 STRIKING LOT

LIBERIA - Splendid Lot of High Priced Material ALSO WHOLESALE LOT

The Ballard Stock of Foreign Covers 19th and 20th Century, Offered in Singles and Bundles · Mixed Cover & Postal Sta 1tionery Lots Collections, Bulk Lots, Wholesale All Desir·able For Collec±or, Dealer, or Speculator

CATALOGUE ON REQUEST John W.·Niclclin Pioneer of Aerophilately 110 WEST 42nd STREET NEW YORK 36, N. Y.