Capital District Stamp Show 10 A.M.–4 P.M

Stamp Insider www.nystampclubs.org September / October 2010

A Theatrical Mystery

Journal of the Federation of New York Philatelic Societies Colorful… Historical UNITED STATES Commemorative Album Pages by

Featuring illustrated display frames for singles of all commemoratives since the 1893 Columbians, this sectional album also has background stories that place the stamps in their historic perspective. And, to highlight the stamps, there’s a distinctively designed border with the multicolored pictorial illuminations that have become a White Ace trademark. There’s more to White Ace than meets the eye: the heavy album page card stock is acid-free — your assurance of long lasting freshness; and the looseleaf style provides flexibility, so the album can grow with your collection. What’s more, with annual supplements it will always be up-to-date. Choose this White Ace album for your U.S. Commemorative Singles or one of its com- panion albums for blocks or plate blocks. Albums are also available for U.S. Regular Issues in all three formats. You will be opting for America’s superlative stamp albums. White Ace Albums are published by The Washington Press — makers of ArtCraft first day covers and StampMount brand mounts. Visit our website at www.washpress.com to order; or for information on recent & future album supplements, & new US & Commem. Singles (1893-1939) Part 1 ...... $28.85 UN issues. Use our information Commem. Singles (1940-1949) Part 2 ...... 21.60 Commem. Singles (1950-1970) Part 3 ...... 52.75 request web page today to receive Commem. Singles (1971-1979) Part 4 ...... 46.95 complete pricing for White Ace Commem. Singles (1980-1986) Part 5 ...... 49.10 Commem. Singles (1987-1992) Part 6 ...... 54.20 Stamp Albums, StampMount Commem. Singles (1993-1995) Part 7 ...... 52.00 Mounts, & Artcraft First Day Commem. Singles (1996-1997) Part 8 ...... 40.45 Commem. Singles (1998-1999) Part 9 ...... 54.20 Covers. Commem. Singles (2000-2001) Part 10 ...... 44.80 Commem. Singles (2002-2004) Part 11 ...... 50.55 Commem. Singles (2005-2006) Part 12...... 47.65 Available at your favorite Commem. Singles (2007) Part 13 ...... 24.60 stampshop or order direct. Matching Border Blank Pages Pack of 15 ...... 7.75 Gold-Stamped Deluxe Binder...... 23.50 Binder Dust Case ...... 16.95 ON MAIL ORDERS White Ace album pages are available for commemorative … please add $6.50 packing blocks, plate blocks, regular issues and many other nations. charge (foreign by weight) Ask for a complete White Ace Price List. LINDNER USA The Washington Press Your Home for Stamp & Coin Supplies & Accessories. PUBLISHERS FLORHAM PARK, NEW JERSEY 07932 Toll Free: (877) 966-0001 • Internet: www.washpress.com LINDNER Publications, Inc., 800-654-0324 PO Box 5056, Syracuse, NY 13220-5056 www.lindner-usa.com September / October 2010 Contents Vol. 27 No. 1 o ion f Ne President’s Viewpoint at w r Y e o Stamp Insider Mode of Delivery...... 2 d r e k F Editor’s Perspective

S ta m p . . P . The Gypsies Are in the Palace...... 4 h c i n la I George Fekete’s Pondering Philately: t s, el ie Insider ic Societ Do Your Heirs a Favor...... 6 www.nystampclubs.org George McGowan’s BNA: The Fate of the RMS Nerissa...... 8 Editor Alfred Carroccia’s Seen at Auction: Albert W. Starkweather Bad Description Favors the Buyer...... 10 5668 Tranquility Oaks Dr., Unt 208 Tampa, FL 33624-5849 Gary Musante: A Theatrical Mystery...... 14 813-962-7964; [email protected] About the Cover Associate Editor A postmortem cover with a well-known Heather Sweeting actress’ corner card to a legendary stamp 14329 Victory St., Sterling NY 13156-3172 dealer was mailed 10 days after her death. 315-947-6761; [email protected] Contributing Editor Thomas M. Fortunato: George T. Fekete A Titanic Cover of a Different Hue...... 20 111 Dale Road, Rochester NY 14625-2009 Jerome F. Wagner: 585-381-6233; [email protected] The Penultimate Hapsburg Emperor...... 22 Advertising Manager Bauer, Three Other Writers Honored.....28 George McGowan Stafford J. Willis — 1928–2010...... 30 P. O. Box 482, East Schodack, NY 12063-0482 Communications...... 32 518-479-4396; [email protected] Ruth L. Sabo’s Exploring Deltiology: Webmaster Sixty-Five Years Since VJ Day...... 34 Thomas M. Fortunato Glenn A. Estus’ First Day Coverage: 28 Amberwood Place, Rochester, NY 14626-4166 Exploring Maximum Cards...... 35 585-225-6822; [email protected] David A. Kent’s Fillmore the Philatelist: Financial Shape Up or Ship Out...... 38 John J. Nunes Robert Finnegan’s Youth & Philately: 80 Fredericks Road. Scotia, NY 12302-5727 The APS and Budding Philatelists...... 39 518-399-8395; [email protected] Club Pages...... 41–68 Subscriptions / Secretary Stan Burdick: Philateli-Calamity...... 69 Ronald K. Ratchford Shows & Bourses...... 70–71 1105 Union St.. Schenectady, NY 12308-2805 Heather Sweeting’s The Last Words: 518-374-3776 ; [email protected] Time for Philatelists To Hit the Books..... 72 Subscriptions, Copyright, Advertising Rates, Deadlines Stamp Insider™ is published six times per year by the Federation of New York Philatelic Societies for the Federation of Central New York Philatelic Societies, Inc., a non-profit organization, at 1105 Union St., Schenectady, NY 12308-2805. Subscriptions: $16 per year; inquire of Subscriptions. Content ©2010 Federation of Central New York Philatelic Societies Inc.; Design ©2010 Albert W. Starkweather / Design on Demand. Stamp Insider and the magnifying glass logo are trademarks of the Federation. Any portion of this publication may be reproduced without prior consent, provided credit is given. Written expression or opinions of the writers are their own and not necessarily those of the Stamp Insider or Federation. Some product names and images may be trademarks or registered trademarks, and are used only for identification and explanation, without intent to infringe. Every effort is taken to ensure accuracy, but validity is not guaranteed. Articles by readers are encouraged. Manuscripts cannot be returned without a large SASE. Electronic submissions are preferred. Dimensions (In inches) Per Insertion Contract Per Year Yearly Savings Small Business Card (2 1/5 × 1) One-Year Contract Only $ 115.00 — Super Business Card (3 × 2 1/4) One-Year Contract Only $ 220.00 — Half Page (4 1⁄2 × 3 7⁄16) $ 85.00 $ 450.00 ($ 75.00) $60.00 Full Page (4 1⁄2 × 7 1⁄2) $115.00 $ 630.00 ($105.00) $60.00 Full Page Inside Front or Back Cover $125.00 $ 690.00 ($115.00) $60.00 3/4 Page Outside Back (4 1⁄2 × 5 1⁄4) $200.00 $1050.00 ($175.00) $150.00 Centerfold (two full pages) $245.00 $1260.00 ($210.00) $210.00

Printed by Wilcox Printing & Publishing, Inc., Madrid, IA Editorial & ad deadlines for the two months following are Feb. 1, April 1, June 1, Aug. 1, Oct. 1, Dec. 1 o ion f Ne at w President’s Viewpoint r Y e o d r e k F John J. Nunes

. . P . h c 80 Fredericks Road i n la I t s, el ie Scotia, NY 12302-5727 ic Societ John J. Nunes 518-399-8395; [email protected]

Stamp Insider Mode of Delivery n my last column, I discussed adjusting our subscriber and advertising rates to account Ifor the loss of Norman Cohen’s contribution to the Stamp Insider. Our new printer, Wil- cox Printing & Publishing, and editor, Albert Starkweather, and staff did fantastic jobs in making the transition both in quality and timing of the publication. The Iowa USPS also did an excellent job in providing a more timely mailing of our publication, perhaps because it is closer in proximity. Despite these adjustments, we are still evaluating what we can continue to do to lower or maintain the status quo rather than raise the cost of the publication in the face of another postal increase. We want to continue to maintain quality and ensure timely delivery of our publication for our membership, subscribers, and advertisers. With this in mind, we are asking for your suggestions and ideas. We may have to imple- ment more changes for the January–February 2011 issue, as it appears cost increases will continue to be an inevitable part of the future. Printing expenses, including paper and mailing, are our main costs. Here are some alternatives to our current mail only delivery for your consideration: • Change our delivery mode to electronic only, • Continue to print and raise the cost to readers and advertisers, • Offer a choice of free electronic delivery or printed issues at a cost to those who don’t have computer access, and • Continue to print copies for dissemination at shows and bourses. As Linn’s Stamp News, Mekeel’s & Stamps, and U.S. Stamp News subscribers and advertisers know, electronic versions of these publications are available long before those who receive the printed versions. Further benefits of an electronic version would include having e-mail and web site addresses hyperlinked, a definite bonus for advertisers; financial relief to Federation clubs with limited financial resources and to advertisers as well; and greater exposure of clubs and advertisers by offering the free version to a potentially much larger audience. Tell Us What You Think Which options do you prefer? We seek input from subscribers and advertisers alike. Feel free to send us any ideas and cost cutting suggestions. All responses will be considered to help reduce our costs. Please send your response by October 1 to Associate Editor Heather Sweeting at [email protected] or 14329 Victory St., Sterling, NY 13156-3172. A tally of the most popular ideas will be compiled in helping ensure a healthy future for the Stamp Insider. ◾

2 / Stamp Insider • September / October 2010 metro expo New YorK ! Next Show Sept. 24–26 Midtown Holiday Inn, 440 W. 57th St. between 9th & 10th Avenues Within walking distance or a quick cab ride to scores of New York attractions! Retail hours: Fri. Noon–6, Sat. 10–6, Sun. 10–4 PLUS: Dealers-only bourse: Friday 10–Noon

More than 35 dealers from as far away as Ohio and Florida with $Millions in U.S. & worldwide stamps, covers & collections from 10¢ to $Thousands ﬁ lling more than 50 tables in a congenial, relaxed ballroom setting! For Show Info or Society Booths Elaine Dunn: 800-635-3351, [email protected] www.MetroExpos.com FOR DEALER SPACE: Dick Murphy, 508-393-9732, [email protected] John Nunes, 518-399-8395, [email protected]

To get on our mail or email list for news of MetroExpo shows in New York, DC/Virginia and Pennsylvania, send your name and mail or email address to: Metro Expos, 42 Sentry Way, Merrimack, NH 03054 800-635-3351, [email protected] Editor’s Perspective Albert W. Starkweather 5668 Tranquility Oaks Dr., Unit 208 Tampa, FL 33624-5849 813-962-7964; [email protected]

The Gypsies Are in the Palace Internet retailer Amazon.com Inc. says it is now selling 80% more downloaded books than hard- backs. Amazon’s download format is for its Kindle electronic reader as well as other devices. — Los Angeles Times, July 20, 2010

n case you haven’t noticed, there have been radical changes Iin delivery of information and few have any relationship to traditional print. Many publications that once were locked into print on paper, including the staid New York Times, The New Yorker magazine, and National Geographic have em- braced the new technology. The Christian Science Monitor is now electronic only. All have extensive web sites and offer digital editions. The New York Times has taken this one step further by offering an e-edition that can be downloaded to Apple’s iPad. The New Yorker and National Geographic are offering complete runs of their publications on DVD or preloaded onto a hard drive. Shifts toward e-publishing are evident even in the more conservative philatelic field. Several organizations now distribute their publications by e-mail, including RPA’s Hinges & Tongs and the Precancel Stamp Society’s The Precancel Forum. Many books, catalogues, and copies of older publications are now offered on CD or DVD. As e-readers become much less expensive due to a consumer-driven market and competition, some philatelic publications undoubtedly will be offered in this format. Amazon may be helping expand the envelope by offering free Kindleless e-book readers for Windows and Mac, Android, Blackberry, iPhone, and iPad, as well as lowering the cost of the Kindle itself. As paper, printing, and mailing costs continue to escalate, e-delivery may become a viable alternative to traditional methods. Benefits will also include the ability to include audio and video, as well as links to advertisers and references. Those who cannot or do not want to make the move to e-delivery have an alternative already being employed by some philatelic groups — online services that print a limited number of books on demand. If the Stamp Insider was offered for free in digital format, would you as a reader opt for this? Benefits would include receiving the issue well in advance of the cover date for readers and hyperlinks to web sites and e-mail addresses for advertisers. Those wishing printed copies would have the option of paying for them. ◾

4 / Stamp Insider • September / October 2010 Great Venues by John J. Nunes Stamps • Post Cards • Covers • Ephemera Supplies • Free Admission & Parking RS Stamp Show 9 a.m.–5 p.m. Sunday, December 19 February 6, March 13, June 12, July 10, August 7, and December 11, 2011 Eagles Club #52, 1200 Buffalo Road (Rt. 33), Rochester, New York Thruway Exits 45 or 47; take I-490 to Exit 7A (Route 33 East); go 1.7 miles east to the Eagles Club on the left. Capital District Stamp Show 10 a.m.–4 p.m. Sunday, September 19 & October 17 November 21, December 19, and January 16, 2011 Ramada Latham (formerly Holiday Inn Express) 946 New Loudon Road, U.S. 9, Latham, New York Northway (I-87) Exit 7; go east to Route 9; 1/4 mile north on left. Mania Shows Post Card Mania 11 (new dates) 10 a.m.–6 p.m. Saturday, October 9, 2010 9 a.m.–4 p.m. Sunday, October 10, 2010 September 17–18, 2011 Clarion Hotel, 3 Watervliet Ave., Albany, New York Cover Mania 13 10 a.m.–6 p.m. Saturday, February 19, 2011 9 a.m.–4 p.m. Sunday, February 20, 2011 Clarion Hotel, 3 Watervliet Ave., Albany, New York Just off I-90 Exit 5, 4 miles east of Thruway Exit 24 NunesNook 80 Fredericks Road, Scotia, NY 12302-5727 518•399•8395 ★ E-mail [email protected] Pondering Philately George T. Fekete 111 Dale Road Rochester NY 14625-2009 585-381-6233; [email protected]

Do Your Heirs a Favor f you love your heirs more than your philatelic material, and they are not interested Iin stamp collecting, you may want to provide them with some useful information regarding your collection before you are incapable of doing so or head for that Big Stamp Store in The Sky. Although many of us have thought about how we would like our philatelic holdings to be disposed of after we’re gone, and perhaps even took specific steps to make our in- tentions clear, when the time comes our heirs will probably have much more important things to deal with. Excellent resources exist for people who administer philatelic estates, but non-collectors may not be aware of them. The American Philatelic Society (www.stamps.org/Services/ser_estateadvice.htm) and Virtual Stamp Club (www.virtualstampclub.com/inherit.html) both provide online advice for estate administrators. The APS also provides members an estate advisory service. My experience as a family estate administrator and member of the APS Advisory Service exposed a gap that is sometimes mentioned but not fully explored in the resources above. I plan to prepare documentation, designed to fill the gap, which will become a codicil to my will to help the executor of my estate optimally dispose of my philatelic material. Gap Plan Below then, is a focused brainstorm of my Gap Plan. My goal is to provide the executor a useful roadmap that doesn’t require extensive philatelic knowledge or a detailed inventory. • The first step is to identify the elements to be disposed of, which not only includes stamps and covers, but also includes catalogues, journals, books, tools, and supplies. Consequently, more than one channel (e.g., dealer, eBay, auction, donation, postage, trash) will be designated to distribute my stuff. In practice of course, it will be the administrator who decides which channel(s) to use. • Next, an estimate of the value of the major components will be documented to calibrate the expectations of the executor. • Third, I will provide a list of philatelic friends that could meet with the executor to help interpret the codicil, if necessary. • Finally, I will identify those items that are particularly valuable — and why — that the executor can use to evaluate offers from third parties. I believe the output of this exercise will be a roadmap no longer than a few pages that the estate administrator can use to navigate existing philatelic estate resources and effec- tively dispose of my philatelic estate. ◾

6 / Stamp Insider • September / October 2010 FRANCE MAIL SALE Specializing in 1950s–1960s Items for SEPIA Award-Winning INSPECTION PROOFS Collections DIE PROOFS DELUXE SHEETS WRITE FOR CURRENT DELUXE LISTS AND BID SHEETS OR COLLECTIVE SHEETS VIEW ON OUR WEB SITE BIDS DUE NOVEMBER 3 E. JOSEPH McCONNELL, INC.

T H G E W I N O V R R L E D S

n P. O. Box 683 • Monroe, NY 10949-0035 AmericaanT Tooppiciacal Al Asssoscoicaitaito ion

Y F L T E H T E A M L A I T I C P H Phone 845-783-9791 • Fax 845-782-0347 [email protected] • www.ejmcconnell.com

Syracuse Stamp & Collectibles Show Central New York’s largest philatelic show. Dealers to buy, sell, trade stamps, covers, postcards, paper collectibles. Sunday, September 12 —10 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. Holiday Inn Thruway Exit 35 — Carrier Circle Future Show Schedule November 13–14 2011: February 13, April 3, September 11, Syrapex November 12–13 Contact Ed Bailey P. O. Box 2338, Syracuse, NY 13220-2338 • 315-452-0593

September / October 2010 • Stamp Insider / 7 British North America George McGowan P. O. Box 482 East Schodack, NY 12063-0482 518-479-4396; [email protected]

The Fate of the RMS Nerissa he cover shown here was sent from St. John’s East, Newfoundland to Pittsburgh, Penn- Tsylvania on September 22, 1928. St. John’s East was a sub post office of the St. John’s G.P.O. from 1818 to 1975, and the only Newfoundland office other than the G.P.O. to have a machine canceler. It is postmarked with the Newfoundland Specialized Stamp Catalogue slogan number PS2b, “Buy / Made in / Newfoundland / Goods”. The machine used was an International model. The cover was taken out of the collection and dusted off during an e-mail exchange with John M. Walsh, editor of the catalogue to verify that a similar cover was a new find. After that exchange and all questions were put to rest, I happened to turn the cover over, and that is where this story begins. From www.ssnerissa.com, I found that the RMS Nerissa was a passenger and cargo steamer, the final ship to be built for the Red Cross Line, doing service between New York, Halifax, and St. John’s, Newfoundland. It was 349.5 feet long, built in Glasgow, Scotland, and was launched on March 31, 1926. Although the web site identifies the Nerissa as a SS (steam ship), its official stationery uses the RMS (Royal Mail Ship) designation. The Red Cross Line relied heavily on the American tourist business and by 1927 this was in decline. By 1928 the service was discontinued with the three remaining Red Cross ships, the Nerissa, Rosaland, and Silvia being sold to Furness Withy. The Nerissa continued to work the St. John’s route until 1931 when it was moved to the New York to Bermuda run. At the beginning of World War II, the Nerissa was used as a troop transport. On April 30, 1941, it was sunk off the coast of Ireland by a torpedo from U-boat 552 under the command of Erich Topp. (This is the same U-boat that sank the destroyer USS Reuben James, the first U.S. Navy warship lost in World War II.) Canadians remember that the Nerissa was the only troop ship to lose Canadian soldiers enroute to England during the entire war. It sank in four minutes with a loss of 290 passengers and crew, with only 84 surviving. ◾

8 / Stamp Insider • September / October 2010 Buy & Sell With Conﬁdence Whether you’re looking to start a new collection, ﬁnd a unique specialized item for your exhibit, or just save some money on postage, you’ve come to the right place! Henry Gitner Philatelists offers three convenient ways to buy — mail order, online from our Web site, and at our eBay store: http://stores.ebay.com/Henry-Gitner-Philatelists.

Contact us today with your speciﬁc needs … and when it comes time to sell your collection, accumulation, or dealer stock, you can be assured we pay top dollar.

Buying United States and the World No one pays more for collections, lots, and accumulations of lots and covers! You are always welcome to visit us, but please call ﬁrst so that we can devote our time to you. We have 6,500 square feet of stamps! Henry Gitner Philatelists, Inc. Philately — The Quiet Excitement! P.O. Box 3077 / 53 Highland Ave. Middletown, New York 10940-0800 www.hgitner.com e-mail [email protected] 1–800–947–8267 845–343–5151 Fax 845–343–0068 We accept Visa, MasterCard, Discover, Amex Seen at Auction Alfred Carroccia 152 Windmill Road West Seneca, NY 14218-3776 716-674-0302; [email protected]

Bad Description Favors the Buyer reviously we had taken a look at eBay Plot descriptions and their effect on the outcome of the auctions. This time we take a look at an auction lot that was improperly described and had an opening bid of under a dollar. Had the seller researched the cover and properly valued the item, it would have drawn more bids from serious collectors and sold at a higher price than it actually did. The lot was a small ragged cover missing the back flap and canceled by a Pan American Expo slogan cancel on April 11, 1900. The two-cent Washington stamp, a first Bureau issue, was not identified. However, the slogan cancel was a Pan American Exposition 1901. The opening bid was 99 cents. After two bids it finally sold for a staggering $2.01! Needless to say it was evident the seller did not bother to do some background research on this cover particularly the cancel itself. The Pan-American Exposition opened in Buffalo in April 1901 to “promote the social and commercial interests of the States in the western hemisphere.” More than eight million people passed through its gates to view many technical exhibits including spectacular electrical displays. More than a dozen postal markings from the exposition are known and it is reported that the slogan cancels were installed on machines located at the Buffalo Main Post Office and not on the exposition grounds. According to Postal Markings of United States Expositions (1996) by William J. Bomar, the slogan cancel on this cover is a Barry machine cancel Die Oh, due to the 1900 cancel and the numeral 2 in the straight line canceler. Bomar identifies it as catalogue number B01-14c with a 1996 value of $15 for a first class usage. Factoring in the condition of the cover — black flap missing and in ragged condition — 50 percent of the value should be deducted. However, the condition of the postmark itself is excellent. Armed with this information the seller should have in- creased the opening bid thus inviting higher bids from interested collectors and a higher realization. ◾

10 / Stamp Insider • September / October 2010 Stamp Collections Wanted By Cape Cod BuYer I am a long-time dealer and ASDA member, and am interested in buying U.S. and worldwide stamps, whether you have one good album or a room full. I’ll come to you or you can come enjoy beautiful Cape Cod while I examine your stamps. Fair, prompt, and courteous treatment — always. Charles W. Deaton P. O. Box 2836, Orleans MA 02653 Cell Phone 713-927-9948 e-mail: [email protected] From November–May contact me at: P. O. Box 2465, Fredericksburg, TX 78624

STAMPS ◆ COVRS ◆ POSTCARDS ◆ SPORTS CARDS George McGowan’s Nassau Street Stamps & Collectibles R 5 W R / O B B 4151 US 20, S, NY (½ R 9 20) Store Hours: A T Tuesday & Friday noon–5 p.m., R. 4 ursday 5–8 p.m. Saturday by appointment. R . 9 Please call ahead to be sure we are open. & 20 I-90 E 11 Mailing Address: P. O. Box 482 R 20 East Schodack, NY 12063-0482 T P [email protected]  R 9 ✪ T H (518) 479-4396 or 573-5457

September / October 2010 • Stamp Insider / 11 Update Your Topical Collection ANIMALS 100 cats 100 6.60 100 10.45 200 9.20 only 5.70 HEADS OF STATE 200 28.00 500 20.15 200 17.50 100 2.40 NAVIGATOR 1000 38.50 300 45.50 200 * 50 9.65 2000 94.50 100 Dogs HORSES 100 26.25 ARTS only 5.70 100 4.65 NUDES 300 14.45 200 15.75 300 149.00 200 23.65 ATHLETICS 500 141.75 500 43.75 300 42.00 100 7.90 COAT OF ARMS 600 61.25 400 50.75 200 24.10 100 8.70 HUNTING OLYMPICS 300 33.25 200 15.35 50 13.15 300 12.25 ASTRONAUTS COSTUMES INSECTS 500 22.75 50 7.45 50 2.40 100 5.70 1,000 56.00 200 15.35 100 5.25 200 16.20 ORCHIDS AUTOMOBILES CHESS 300 33.25 50 5.20 200 11.40 50 4.85 KANGAROOS 100 12.70 300 21.00 100 19.25 25 5.80 200 42.00 600 54.25 DANCING LIGHTHOUSE 300 77.00 AVIATION 50 6.15 25 7.90 PAINTINGS 200 11.35 100 15.75 MAPS AND 300 13.15 300 17.10 DISNEY GLOBES 500 21.00 BALLOONS No. Arabs incl. 100 5.70 1,000 56.00 100 7.45 100 14.00 200 15.75 2,000 119.00 200 24.50 200 31.50 300 35.00 PARROTS BASKETBALL 400 77.00 MONKEYS & 50 6.95 25 5.20 DUCKS APES 100 14.00 50 13.60 25 3.85 50 5.25 PREHISTORIC BEARS 50 9.20 100 19.20 ANIMALS 25 3.95 FISH-SEA LIFE MOTORCYCLES 100 7.90 50 9.65 200 105.00 50 4.85 200 31.50 BICYCLES 500 47.25 100 11.40 PRINCESS DIANA 50 3.95 FLAGS MOVIE STARS & 100 36.75 100 13.15 200 10.50 ENTERTAINERS RED CROSS BIRDS 500 36.75 100 26.25 50 3.70 500 31.50 600 56.00 Mint RELIGION 1,000 75.25 FLORA/FAUNA 100 22.40 100 4.90 BOXING 500 13.60 300 113.75 200 13.15 100 22.75 600 19.25 MUSIC REPTILES BUTTERFLIES FLOWERS 50 2.90 100 8.40 200 11.40 300 12.70 100 6.15 200 17.50 300 18.40 500 21.00 200 12.70 ROSES 500 45.50 1,000 66.50 MUSHROOMS 100 8.75 CAMELS FOOTBALL 50 2.90 200 21.00 25 4.40 (Soccer) 100 8.35 SAILING 50 17.50 200 9.65 MUSICAL IN- 100 5.70 CATS & DOGS 500 38.50 STRUMENTS 300 17.50 200 11.40 600 70.00 25 2.90 SCULPTURES 300 19.25 1000 227.50 50 * 50 10.10 500 45.50 FRUITS NAPOLEON 100 24.50 White Ace Topical Pages 200 43.75 400 71.75 SWIMMING 100 11.40 SHELL FISH SNAKES 50 5.90 200 31.50 50 3.70 50 5.70 100 14.95 U.S. HISTORY 100 8.70 SPACE TURTLES 300 29.75 SHIPS & BOATS 300 31.95 25 3.85 VOLLEYBALL 300 14.00 500 28.00 50 9.65 25 5.20 500 31.50 1,000 70.00 TRAINS WATER SPORTS 1,000 87.50 SPORTS 200 11.40 50 3.95 SKATING 300 12.25 300 19.25 WINTER 50 3.45 500 19.25 500 46.40 SPORTS 100 12.25 1,000 47.25 TRANSPORTA- 100 5.70 200 50.75 2,000 108.50 TION 200 15.35 SKIING STAMPS ON 500 21.00 WRESTLING 100 14.90 STAMPS 1,000 54.25 50 14.45 200 28.00 50 3.85 TRIANGLE 300 52.50 100 9.65 SHAPE White Ace Topical Pages Colorful bordered pages highlighting each topic, with ample space to create your own 1 layout. Standard 8 /2x11” Page Size, 3-Ring Punch with Full Color Headings. Animals A1R Columbus CAR J.F.K. K2R Rowland Hill R7R Art A5R Comm CBR Lincoln L1R Scouts S1R Autos A2R Fairy Tales F1R Lions Int. L2R Ships S3R Baseball BB7R FDR F9R Medicine M0R Soccer S4R Birds&Ins. B3R Fish F2R Music M5R Space S5R Black Her. B8R Flowers F4R Olympics O1R Sports S6R Chess C5R Football F6R Railroad R4R Xmas C7R Freemasonry F8R Red Cross R1R ZWAT-______Coins C8R Geo. Wash. G1R Religion R5R (fill in code) Sold in packs of 12 pages per topic. $7.90 ea. pkg., any 5 or more $6.35 ea. Assortment Package of 18 Titles ZWA-TAS...12.25, SSS Price 11.03 G&K Nassau Binder & Dustcase • Leather look Binder with matching Dustcase • 3-Ring mechanism 1 • Holds all 8 ⁄8 x11” pages 1 3 1 • Binder Size 10 ⁄8x11 ⁄4x2 ⁄8” Available in: Blue, Black, Burgundy, Hunter Green ZGK-CLAB/D $28.30, SSS Price $21.23 America’s (and the World’s) Largest Stamp Collecting Supply Company SHIPPING CHARGES By MAIL/UPS *: $6.50 Min. Orders over $54 ADD 12%, Over $100 ADD 10%,Over $250 ADD 8% * Some Remote Areas Carry Higher Shipping charges. PA Residents: ADD 6% Sales Tax ADD $5/$10 Per Parcel on high weight/low cost orders shipped to the 11 Western States & TX Ask for Shipping Charges to AK, HI, P.R., APO’s, FPO’s, Foreign Phone: 1-800-221-9960 Fax: 1-888-221-9960 2121 Beale Ave, Altoona, Pa 16601 Email: [email protected] Phone: 814-946-1000 Fax: 814-946-9997 A Theatrical Mystery By Gary Musante have been a stamp collector all of my life and have worked in theater almost as long. For I about 20 years I was a general stamp collector — U.S. Canada and a bit of worldwide, but became a theater topical collector after finding my first cover about 25 years ago. In my collection I have many theater stamps, first day covers and ceremony programs, assorted advertising covers and postcards with pictures of actors, theaters, and plays on- stage. I also have many related non-philatelic items such as playbills from the early 1900s, some of which tie in with the actors or theaters depicted on some of my covers and postcards. I enjoy all of the items in my collection as they each tell a little bit about theater, American and postal history but I have a fondness for the advertising covers from the late 19th and early 20th century.

My first cover was sent by actor Arthur Sidman, who toured upstate New York in 1888. I have found many more covers since this first one but this is still my favorite. It was mailed from Geneva to his hometown of Tully 55 miles away. The cover is in fair shape — it has a few tears, is ragged around the edges, the stamp is common, damaged, and you can barely read the cancel, but I love it. The cover advertises the tour of his current play, Uncle Rube, and has a caricature of the actor in the lead role. Inside is a printed letterhead that further describes the high quality of the production values and the hand-written note asks for his mail to be forwarded to the next stop on the tour, Watkins Glen. The letter is simple and it has a clean and clear signature of Sidman. My first efforts in researching the cover on the internet were limited because I spelled his name wrong, but when I realized it was Sidman and not Sideman I got much better results. From about a dozen sources, mostly from old copies of the New York Times and other newspapers, I have been able to piece together a basic biography of Sidman. From my research I know that he was born about 1863 and was 25 or 26 at the time the letter was mailed. Continued on Page 16

14 / Stamp Insider • September / October 2010 Saratoga County’s Most Interesting Collectibles Headquarters Azusa Stamps and Collectibles Visit Our Store at 3 Curry Road, P. O. Box 745 Round Lake, NY 12151-0745 (518) 899-3027 [email protected] www.azusacollectibles.com Store Hours Wednesday 11 a.m.–5 p.m. • Qualified estate appraiser Thursday 11 a.m.–8 p.m. • Philatelics Friday 11 a.m.–5 p.m. • Comic books Saturday 11 a.m.–4 p.m. Additional Hours by Appointment • Sports / Non-Sports cards *Want Lists Filled • Paper ephemera *U. S. Mint and Used Stamps, • 30+ years experience and First Day Covers, Plate Blocks, store ownership on Long Booklets and Booklet Panes, Island and in Round Lake Back-of-Book, Possessions • Insurance appraisals and Trust Territories *Canada and Provinces • Dealer Member American *Israel mint tabs *Vatican mint Philatelic Society (#94747) *United Nations 28 years Also a Selection of: • Member Ephemera Society Great Britain, including Channel Islands • Member Long Island British Colonies Postcard Club France and Colonies • Comic book seminars and Germany and Colonies appearance on TV’s Other European Asia, Central and South America Antiques Show and Sell Program Full line of stamp and cover supplies • Show promotions and An old fashioned personal service store appearances with a comfortable atmosphere and free coffee. And we’re air conditioned!

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Azusa To Albany Theatrical Mystery — Continued from Page 14 I have read old newspaper articles online that gave reports of Sidman and his company of actors, which included his wife, performing in towns across Upstate New York and per- formances at several theaters in New York City. One story recounts how he had his company stay over in a town to play a benefit for the family of a woman who had died recently in a fire. It was noted that more money was collected than just the total of the ticket sales. The New York Times of August 13, 1901 reported Arthur Sidman died the day before at his summer home while preparing for another tour. After his death, his play York State Folks was produced on Broadway in 1905. I recheck my online sources from time to time because new information is constantly being added to the internet. The most recent items I have found on Sidman are newspaper listings from life insurance companies noting various payouts they made after his death in 1901. The Mystery At a spring stamp show in Rochester I bought two more theater covers. Because I was unfa- miliar with the names on them, I did a Google search to see what I could learn. One of the new covers was a simple stamped envelope (Scott No U398) with a rubber stamped corner card — Clara Bloodgood, / in Clyde Fitch’s New Comedy / “The Truth” — that yielded a very interesting story with a surprising twist. The cover is dated December 16, 1907 and was sent from New York City to Boston with no other markings. From my research I found out that Bloodgood (1870–1907) was a well known and respected Broadway actress of her day and appeared in several of Fitch’s plays, some of which he specifically wrote with her in mind. Bloodgood appeared in at least eight Broadway plays as well as many tour- ing productions. Fitch (1865–1909) was one of the first American playwrights to have his works published overseas and his stories were very popular all over. Later on some of his plays were used for the basis of several early movies including 1924’s Beau Brummel starring John Barrymore. Because his works had strong female characters he sometimes was called the Continued on Page 18

16 / Stamp Insider • September / October 2010 LeatherÇocking Stamp Club Show /Bou rs´ 10 a.m.–4 p.m. Saturday, October 16, 2010 St. Mary’s Parish Center 31 Elm Street, CooperTown, New York a Free Admission & Parking z

Contac Ellen Tillapaugh [email protected] — 607-547-5646 S T E P E X 2010 Southern Tier–Elmira Philatelic EXhibition STAMP EXHIBIT & BOURSE For 35 Years This Has Been a Popular Regional Show for the Southern Tier of New York and Northern Tier of Pennsylvania AMERICAN LEGION POST 45 South Olcott Road, Big Flats, New York (Just Off I-86 Exit 49, Go South) 10 a.m. – 6 p.m. Friday, October 15 10 a.m.– 5 p.m. Saturday, October 16 Up to 60 Frames of Competitive Exhibits • 12–15 Area Stamp Dealers U.S. Postal Service • Pictorial Cancel & Show Cachet • Junior Activities Free Admission & Parking • Sponsored by Elmira Stamp Club. Dealer Info: Wayne Nyre, P. O. Box 147, Watkins Glen, NY 14891 (607) 535-2625, [email protected] Exhibitor Info: Alan Parsons, 809 Holley Road, Elmira, NY 14905 (607) 732-0181, [email protected]

September / October 2010 • Stamp Insider / 17 Theatrical Mystery — Continued from Page 16 American Ibsen. His plays are not often seen today in part because of the large casts, many settings, and changing audience tastes. In 1905 Fitch (right) dedicated the publication of his script of The Girls with Green Eyes to Bloodgood. Two years later it seems that he liked the lead actress who starred in the London production of The Truth more than Bloodgood and dedicated the published script to her. This greatly upset Bloodgood who was performing the play in Baltimore at the time. One evening, after getting her costumes ready for the night’s performance, she shot and killed herself. Fitch, a native of Elmira, New York, died just two years later in Europe after delaying medical treatment for appendicitis. Because the cover was postmarked 10 days after Blood- William Clyde Fitch good’s death I was curious to see if I could find out more about whom the cover was sent to and why. The cover is addressed to J. M. Bartels, who to my great surprise turned out to be a well known stamp dealer and expert who is in the American Philatelic Society Hall of Fame. At first I was not sure I found the right man but as I researched I found that he did spend time in Boston. I found a photograph of a cover sent from Bartles in Bos- ton but the return address did not match the one on the Bloodgood cover. Searching again, I found a photo of another envelope sent from Bartel’s Office at the Old South Building address on the cover. The real reason for the link on this cover between my two interests of theater and philately will probably always remain a mystery because it has no contents. I have many more items similar to the Uncle Rube and Clara Bloodgood covers and will continue to research them all. I was lucky to find four more theater covers at Ropex in May and I have just begun to research them and hope that they too will have some interesting stories to tell. ◾

Musante is a technical director/lighting designer at SUNY

Brockport and a member of Western Monroe Philatelic Society. December 7, 1907 Times, New York

18 / Stamp Insider • September / October 2010 StampInsider2010 4/5/1011:56AMPage2 Shipping & Handling $10.00 for CLASSIC & JUMBO and $20.00 for MEGA, $40.00 for MONSTER. Order Online Order MONSTER. for $40.00 MEGA, for $20.00 and JUMBO & CLASSIC for $10.00 Handling & Shipping All checks must be drawn on U.S. Banks. NY Residents add 8.875% sales tax($7.10 for CLASSIC) ($13.31 for ($13.31 CLASSIC) for tax($7.10 sales 8.875% add Residents NY Banks. U.S. on drawn be must checks All CUSTOMER FAVORITE! Each Carton contains an assortment of Stamps, Covers, Blocks, Remainders of lots, etc. U.S., Foreign, British, Foreign, U.S., etc. lots, of Remainders Blocks, Covers, Stamps, of assortment an contains Carton Each VISA/MC/DISCOVER accepted Credit Card Orders must include Name, Card Number & Exp. Date. Exp. & Number Card Name, include must Orders Card Credit accepted VISA/MC/DISCOVER ORCEI ADWL EATMTCLYBLE AHMNH,SG PNOW! UP SIGN MONTH., EACH BILLED BE AUTOMATICALLY WILL CARD CREDIT YOUR Terms & Ordering Instructions - PLEASE SEND STREET ADDRESS FOR UPS SHIPPING UPS FOR ADDRESS STREET SEND PLEASE - Instructions TermsOrdering & Order online at: www.championstamp.comat: online Order SIGN UP FOR 11 CARTONS (ONE PER MONTH - MUST BE SAME SIZE) SAME BE MUST - MONTH PER (ONE 11CARTONS FOR UP SIGN JOIN Topicals, JUMBO) ($44.02 for MEGA) ($88.75 for MONSTER) for ($88.75 MEGA) for ($44.02 JUMBO) ALWAYSSTOCK! IN OUR Anytime. Payment must accompany order.accompany must Payment Anytime. N EEV H 12 THE RECEIVE AND Locals, Cinderellas, Locals, MYSTER C & Thursday 10AM-7PM Thursday & 10AM-4PM Monday-Friday HOURS: STORE [email protected] E-Mail: 581-8130 (212) Fax: Tel:~ 489-8130 (212) 10019 NY York, New St., 54th West 432 Every carton is different. is carton Every RO APPROX ARTON C Y C MEGA! RO APPROX ARTON MEGA! ARTON CART J J DOUBLE THE VALUE OF OUR CLASSIC OUR VALUE THE OF DOUBLE UMBO C UMBO C THE CARTON THATCARTON THE STARTED IT ALL! ON OF ON A HOURS & HOURS OF ENJOYMENT OF HOURS & HOURS PPROX etc. Tons of catalog value. Tons value. etc. catalog of SHIPPING & HANDLING $10.00 HANDLING & SHIPPING LASSIC LASSIC TH SHIPPING & HANDLING $10.00 HANDLING & SHIPPING MON MON OT FREE! MONTH C . 20-25 . SHIPPING & HANDLING $20.00 HANDLING & SHIPPING . 5-6 . RO APPROX ARTON AN INCREDIBLE VALUE,INCREDIBLE AN HSSOL AIF THE SATISFY SHOULD THIS . 3-4 . THE MEET THE MONSTER! OUR NEWEST CARTON! NEWEST OUR MONSTER! THE MEET PRESENTING POUNDS POUNDS MONTH POUNDS SHIPPING & HANDLING $40.00 HANDLING & SHIPPING ST ST . 45-60 . , D , $495.95 $495.95 , D , D , $79.95 $149.95 $79.95 $149.95 CLUB! IMENSIONS IMENSIONS E POUNDS E IMENSIONS R R , D , IMENSIONS $999 13” X 9.5” X 4” X 9.5” X 13” LARGEST LARGEST $999 16" H L NEW THE ALL 13" X 12.5" X 10.25" X 12.5" X 10" APPETITE APPETITE 9.5" X 15" X 24" . . 95 95 X 5.5"

2010 A Titanic Cover of a Different Hue By Thomas M. Fortunato uch has happened since my original Marticle about covers bearing a Titanic marking was published in the September–Oc- tober 2008 Stamp Insider. A follow-up article by D. Jennings-Bramly of Great Britain in the March–April 2009 issue, posited his theory that the markings were fake, since all reported covers at that time were sent to the same business and all Titanic markings were identical. Since then the number of covers reported has swelled to 12. A collector in New Jersey purchased two covers between 2007 and 2010 that resemble the previous covers — the sans serif Titanic markings in brown and purple, the dossier docketing marks, light blue regis- tration-type marking, and the M. A. Winter Company receiving marks. However, of more significance is the latest cover to come to light. Unlike the others this one was sent from Spain rather than France. The top third of the envelope has an all-text return address of the harness making business of Joaquin Bussalleu. It was mailed on March 7, 1912 from Vich, a suburb of Barcelona, and also addressed to the Winter Company in Washington, D.C. It bears the same markings as all the other covers except one. The word Titanic is in red and in a totally different font, this one being italic with serifs. My original cover is illustrated for comparison. Research continues to determine the ship this envelope was carried on when it finally crossed the Atlantic. But, the existence of a totally different Titanic marking leads me to believe that these markings were legitimate and used in different locales. Additional finds may produce better clues to put the pieces of this puzzle together, especially if they are on covers sent to an address other than that of the M. A. Winter Company. An updated chart of known Titanic covers can be found online at www.nystampclubs. org/cny_downloads.html. ◾

20 / Stamp Insider • September / October 2010 Harmer–Schau Auction Galleries, Inc. BUY•SELL•AU ION stamps • postal history • postcards • ephemera Fall Schedule Houston, TX — September 12–13 Greater Houston Stamp Show Humble Civic Center 8233 Will Clayton Parkway

Eureka, CA — September 25–26 Humboldt Stamp Show Red Lion Hotel 1929 4th Street

Los Angeles, CA — October 1–3 SESCAL 2010 Hilton Los Angeles Airport Hotel 5711 West Century Boulevard

New York, NY — October 21–24 ASDA National Postage Stamp Show New Yorker Hotel 34th Street and 8th Avenue

Contact Our Northeastern Representative Today! John J. Nunes [email protected] 518-399-8395 H www.harmerschau.com S Francis Joseph I of Austria The Penultimate Hapsburg Emperor By Jerome F. Wagner / Greater Utica Stamp Club rancis Joseph (Franz FJosef in German) was born August 18, 1830 at Schönbrunn (beautiful park) Castle near Vi- enna. He was grandson of Francis I, who as Francis II was the last emperor of Schónbrunn Castle, Francis I, and Ferdinand I the Holy Roman Empire.† He was the eldest son of Archduke Francis Charles and Sophia, daughter of King Maximilian I of Bavaria. Francis Joseph was educated as heir-presumptive since his uncle, Ferdinand I, was childless. Francis Joseph was raised to be a soldier, serving with the Austrian army in Italy in 1848 when Lombardy-Venetia, supported by King Charles Albert of Sardinia, rebelled against Austrian rule. Francis Joseph wore a uniform all his life, but was not a strate- gist. He made up for it by careful study of documents, by an extraordinarily retentive memory and by being a shrewd judge of character. Hungary’s relationship with the Hapsburg monarchy always had been voluntary, at least in Hungarian eyes. In 1848 there was a liberal nationalist revolution in Hungary. For a few months Hapsburg rule was overthrown, but in 1849 the Russian army intervened to restore the Hapsburg monarchy. Austria’s defeat by Prussia in 1866 opened the way for renewed Hungarian demands for self rule which Fran- cis Joseph could not resist. The Emperor aban- doned any idea for a centralized rule from Vi- enna and restored self government to Hunga- ry by The Compromise of 1867, which granted complete independence to Hungary leaving only foreign affairs and military policy in common with the lands of the Austrian Crown. Hungary enjoyed a relatively privileged status in the Magyar national component of the dual monarchy in which Francis Joseph was Francis Joseph as King of Hungary Continued on Page 24

22 / Stamp Insider • September / October 2010 BEJJCO of Florida, Inc. Arnold H. Selengut U.S. & WORLDWIDE Stamps and Covers FDCs, Flights, U.S. & Foreign Postal History All Continents, All Countries From 20¢ to $100s, Mint and Used Let us help you fill those empty spaces. See us at a Stamp Show, or send us your Want List. E-mail: [email protected] P. O. Box 16681 Temple Terrace, FL 33687-6681 (813) 980-0734

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September / October 2010 • Stamp Insider / 23 Francis Joseph — Continued from Page 22 Emperor of Austria, but King of Hungary, wearing the Crown of St. Stephen. Mutual fear of disintegra- tion kept Vienna and Budapest together after 1867, despite petty disputes about the title of the common army — Imperial or Royal according to where it was stationed — and the language of command. Francis Joseph was greatly feared as the head of his Austrian Issues house. His attitude toward his family was determined primarily by dynastic considerations. The fatal stabbing of his wife Empress Elizabeth, the Duchess of Bavaria, whom he had married in 1854, by an anarchist in Geneva on September 10, 1898 saddened him greatly.‡ His only son Rudolph, the heir apparent, shot himself in a suicide love pact with a 17-year old-baroness on January 30, 1889. The emperor had forced Rudolph to marry Princess Stephanie of Belgium, gave him an unsuitable education. and dealt with him in a cold manner. Francis Joseph never was reconciled to the morganatic union of the next heir-apparent, Arch- duke Francis Ferdinand, and Countess Sophie Chotek, Duchess of Hohenberg. He looked on their murder at Sarajevo on June 28, 1914 as divine retribution. Francis Joseph’s brother, Maxi- milian, was executed by a firing squad in 1867 ending his brief reign as Mexican emperor. However, Francis Joseph could be generous to his daughters and those members of the house who bowed to his wishes. Toward the end of his life, he became a universally revered man, a personality that for all its defects and insufficiencies held together the decaying structure of the empire. His many mistakes were balanced by splendid achieve- ments. Social legislation, a new penal code, trade regulation, and a commercial code were examples of a civil administration that was highly regarded throughout Europe. Francis Joseph died November 21, 1916 at Schönbrunn Castle. He was succeeded by Charles I, a grand nephew, who would be the last Hapsburg Emperor. The Hapsburg Dynasty began in the tenth century and ended in the twentieth century at the end of World War I. ◾ Francis Joseph — Young, Middle Aged, and Old

† Pope Leo III originated the Holy Roman Empire in 800 A.D. Charlemagne was crowned emperor on Christmas Day in Rome. The empire was dissolved August 6, 1806 by Emperor Francis II to prevent Napoleon from annexing the title of emperor. ‡ Anarchists assassinated six heads of state in the 20 years before 1914: (1) President Carnot of France in 1894; (2) Premier Canovas of Spain in 1897; (3) Empress Elizabeth of Austria in 1898; (4) King Humbert of Italy in 1900; (5) U.S. President William McKinley in 1901; (6) Canalejas, another premier of Spain, in 1912.

24 / Stamp Insider • September / October 2010 Big Box of Stuff

Three Boxes…$125.00;One Box…$46.00 Six Boxes…$240.00 13 Boxes (Baker’s Dozen)…$495.00 We've sold over 5000 of these lots online & via our ads in the philatelic trade journals! No two boxes are exactly alike. Each box is a #1097 USPS Priority Mailing Box and contains hundreds of items! You'll ﬁnd the good, the bad & the ugly. These boxes contain a myriad of material that includes U.S. & Foreign covers, FDCs, Events, Navals, Flights, Postcards, QSL-CB radio postcards, commercial mail The Cover of all shapes & sizes, unsold and unclaimed eBay lots, items retired from our show inventory and sometimes even a modest sprinkling of stamps. These boxes are Connection geared for cover lovers and you won't ﬁnd a lot of stamps inside. The mix ranges P.O. Box 173 from Trash to Treasures. These boxes are ideal for someone who likes to sort out covers! Some repeat customers like to buy these wholesale boxes and list the Niagara Square Station contents individually on eBay. TERMS: Offer expires December 31, 2010; FREE SHIPPING via USPS Priority Mail; Delivery Buffalo, NY 14201-0173 within the United States ONLY; Make check payable to The Cover Connection; Member ASDA, APS, NY State residents please include sales tax. Visit our eBay Store: http://thecoverconnection.com. Free price list for #10 SASE. USCS, AFDCS (Life)

OCTOBER IS STAMP COLLECTING MONTH OLEPEX 2010 Annual Stamp & Post Card Show of the Olean Area Stamp Club • Displays • Six to Seven Dealers • Free Appraisals Saturday, October 2, 2010 10:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m. B.P.O. Elks Lodge No. 491 209 West State Street, Olean, New York (2 blocks west of the intersection where Rts. 417 & 16 meet) OPEN TO THE PUBLIC — FREE ADMISSION & PARKING

Route 417 (West State Street) Route 417 (EastState Street) Rt. 16

Elks Lodge 1st Street 2nd Street

September / October 2010 • Stamp Insider / 25 AS NATIONAL POSTAGE STAMP SHOW Da Stamps • Covers • Postal History • Stationery • Literature • Supplies

ATTEND OUR 61ST ANNUAL FALL CLASSIC AT THE New Yorker Hotel 34th Street and 8th Avenue New York City October 21–24, 2010 National & International Dealers, U.S. & UN Postal Administrations, Agencies, Societies & Clubs! Show Hours Thursday – Saturday 10:00 a.m. – 6:00 p.m. Sunday 10:00 a.m. – 4:00 p.m. ✓ USPS & UN First Day of Issue Ceremonies ✓ Souvenir Show Cards & Special Cancels ✓ Treasures in Your Attic (Free Appraisals) ✓ Raf es and Free Gifts for Participants FREE ADMISSION! BRING A FRIEND! www.asdaonline.com • 516-759-7000

Figure 8 NEW UNITED NATIONS STAMPS

On 21 October 2010, the United Nations Postal Administration will issue will issue three mini-sheets of six stamps in the denominations of 44 cents, F.s. 1,30 and stampsINDIG2-7:Layout€ 0,65 on the1 7/13/10 theme 10:29 “Indigenous AM Page 1 People”.stampsINDIG2-7:Layout The artist is 1 Stephen 7/13/10 Bennett,10:29 AM Page a world- 2 renowned American portrait painter who travels around the world to portray the wonderful diversity of people through his artwork. These are Mr. Bennett’s. second set of stamp designs for the United Nations.

For this stamp issue, UNPA will be holding a first day of issue ceremony at the National Postage Stamp Show in New York, where the artist will be speaking and signing UNPA products.

The all new 2010 Annual Collection folders will also be released on the same day.

UN 44c UN 44c UN 44c ONU f.s. 1,30 ONU f.s. 1,30 ONU f.s. 1,30 Stephen Bennett Stephen Bennett INDIGENOUSStephen Bennett PEOPLE nzanie Stephen Bennett stampsINDIG2-7:Layout 1 7/13/10 10:30 AM Page 3 de Ta blique-Unie de 2010 2010 2010 Brunéi Darussalam Stephen Bennett Papua New Guinea Répu Australie StephenAustralie Bennett French Polynesia 2010

ailand 2010 2010 Indigenous People Indigenous People Indigenous People Peuple autochtone Peuple autochtone Peuple autochtone

UN 44c UN 44c UN 44c ONU f.s. 1,30 ONU f.s. 1,30 ONU f.s. 1,30 Stephen Bennett Stephen Bennett Stephen Bennett

2010 2010 2010 Polynésie françaisePolynésie Stephen Bennett République-Unie de Tanzanie Tanzanie République-Unie de Stephen Bennett françaisePolynésie Stephen Bennett Australia

French Polynesia 2010 2010 2010 Australia Indigenous People Indigenous People Indigenous People Peuple autochtone Peuple autochtone Peuple autochtone United Nations € € € © ONU 2010 © UN 2010 0, 0, 0, UN 65 UN Nations 65 UN 65 Unies Stephen Bennett

2010 2010 2010 Vereinigte Republik Tansania Stephen Bennett Tansania Republik Vereinigte Französisch-Polynesien StephenFranzösisch-Polynesien Bennett Indonesien Peuple IIndigenen MenschendigIndigenee MenschennoIndigeneu Menschens € € € UN 0,65 UN 0,65 UN 0,65 PeStephen Bennett ople autochtone

2010 2010 Stephen Bennett Tansania Republik Vereinigte 2010 Namibia Französisch-Polynesien StephenFranzösisch-Polynesien Bennett Indigene Menschen Indigene Menschen Indigene Menschen Vereinte © UN 2010 Nationen UNITED NATIONS POSTAL ADMINISTRATION UNITED NATIONS, NEW YORK, NY 10017 Indigehttp://unstamps.un.orgne Menschen William H. Bauer, Solomon Glass, Janet Klug, and Richard F. Winter Bauer, Three Other Writers Honored PS Writer’s Unit #30 inducted William H. “Bill” Bauer and three other well-known Aphilatelic writers into its Hall of Fame at StampShow in Richmond Virginia on August 15 during the unit’s Writers Breakfast. The others are Solomon “Sol” Glass, Janet Klug, and Richard “Dick” Winter. Bauer (1934–2009) of Unadilla, New York, is best known for his Colorado Postal History, which he co-authored with James L. Ozmet and John H. Willard. He was a prolific researcher who contributed numerous papers to a large number of philatelic journals over a 40-year career. He also served the Writer’s Unit and the APS as president. Glass (1893–1973) was known as one of the greatest experts of United States 20th century stamps. His prolific writings in The Bureau Specialist (now the United States Special- ist) over 30 years drew upon close contacts with the Bureau of Engraving and Printing to provide much of the primary source material that has appeared in print. His 1954 United States Postage Stamps of 1945–1952 won wide acclaim. His story of the 1943–44 Overrun Nations series is considered the definitive text and his 1953The Story of the United Nations Postage Stamps was republished as an official UN publication. Klug of Pleasant Plain, Ohio, the first female president of APS, has a writing career stretche- ing over 30 years. Her books are the Guide to Stamp Collecting (2008), 100 Greatest American Stamps co-authored with Donald Sundman (2007), Building Better Stamp Clubs co-authored with Linda Lawrence (1996), and Catalog of Tin Can Mail Cachets (1985). She has written more than 200 articles for such publications as the SAS/O Informer, Military Postal History Society Bulletin, APC Congress Book, Stamp Collector, Global Stamp News, and Scott Stamp Monthly. Winter, a retired naval officer, has written more than 100 articles that appeared in most of the major philatelic journals, including The Chronicle, Western Express, Postal History Journal, France and Colonies Philatelist, Collectors Club Philatelist, and the Congress Book. He has served for 24 years, first as associate editor, then editor, of the Foreign Mails Section of The Chronicle of the U.S. Classic Postal Issues. His latest book, Understanding Transatlan- tic Mail, Volume 2, appeared last year to high acclaim. An earlier work, co-authored with Walter Hubbard, was North Atlantic Mail Sailings 1840–75. ◾

28 / Stamp Insider • September / October 2010 Thousands of Illustrated Covers On www.coverspecialist.com Visit our website and see why we are the leading dealer of the following covers: * Pioneer Flights * FAMs/CAMs * Inaugurations * Early U.S. Flights * Zeppelins/Hindenburgs * Akron/Macon Covers * Government Flights * Catapult Flights * WW2 Patriotic Covers * Foreign Flights * Early First Days * Autographs on Cover * Roessler Business/Promotional Covers

1930, 04/29 Graf Zeppelin Europe Pan-America Flight Cover Friedrichshafen, Germany to Lakehurst, N.J.

If you are without internet contact us to receive our color, illustrated brochures of the above covers. 167 So. River Rd. #3 Bedford, NH 03110 1-800-332-3383 [email protected]

UPSTATE’S LEADING UNITED STATES DEALER For over twenty years STEVE MALACK STAMPS has been in business BUYING and SELLING Quality U.S. Stamps and Coins. Whether you are BUYING or SELLING contact STEVE MALACK STAMPS today! SEE OUR WEBSITE with over 15,000 FULL-SIZED COLOR PHOTOS and 3,000 AUCTION LOTS WWW.MALACK.COM INTEGRITY – VALUE – SERVICE – QUALITY STEVE MALACK P. O. Box 5628 • Endicott, NY 13763-5628 607-862-9441 (phone / fax) [email protected] BUYING / SELLING U.S. STAMPS and COINS

September / October 2010 • Stamp Insider / 29 Stafford J. Willis — 1928–2010 tafford J. (Staff ) Willis, 82, of Malta, Sa well-known stamp dealer, died at St. Mary’s Hospital, Troy on June 17, 2010 after a short illness. His wife, Mary, who also had been active in S. J. Willis Ltd., died March 20, 2009 at 79. He was a stamp dealer for 40 years. The Willises were known to many Federation Norman Wright, left, and Staff Willis members as they were at most stamp shows and bourses throughout the state. He was a retired U.S. Air Force master sergeant with 21 years of service, serving in World War II, Korea, and Viet Nam. Willis later retired from the New York State Department of Transportation after 15 years of service. Willis was a 50-year member, past master, and secretary of Clinton Masonic Lodge No. 140, Waterford Royal Arch Masons Chapter No. 169, Schenectady Sigma Bodies, Scottish Right Masons AASR, secretary Troy Scottish Rights Masons, Troy Shrine Club, Oriental Temple Shrine, past district Deputy Grand Master of Rensselaer Schenectady District (Ma- sonic), past president and secretary of the Youth Exchange of the Waterford Lions Club, and past deputy governor and Zone N chairman 20Y2. He belonged to the Douglas Weisz U.S. Covers Charles J. Brady American Legion, Post, Troy Elks Club, FDCs, Flights, Events, American Stamp Dealers Postal History & Stationery Association, and was past president of the Capital P.O. Box 1458 District Stamp Association. McMurray, PA 15317-4458 He was a member and Elder 773-914-4332 of the First United Church of Waterford. www.douglasweisz.com Willis is survived by a [email protected] son, Michael J. Willis of Poughkeepsie. ◾

www.covercrazy2.com SUNDAY STAMP BOURSE Thousands of covers 10 a.m.–5:30 p.m. September 20 not yet on the Internet! Holiday Inn Arena & Convention Center Please send your want list to: 2–8 Hawley Street, Binghamton, New York Elwyn & Anne Doubleday Conveniently located in the heart of the Southern Tier P. O. Box 119, Alton, NH 03809 near I-81 and I-86 (Rt. 17)

Covers? 603-875-1808 Stuart’s Stamps, Philadelphia, PA 215-722-2614 • www.stuartstamps.com Crazy About [email protected]

30 / Stamp Insider • September / October 2010 Selling your collection or massive accumulation? John L. Leszak Makes House Calls When it’s time to sell your surplus stamps, covers, postcards or other philatelic junk & accumulations, call John L. Leszak. With 35 years experience as a full-time dealer John L. Leszak is worthy & well-qualified and has the connections to find a home for your unwanted material. That’s why his business name is The Cover Connection. (Yes, he buys stamps too!) Over the year John has purchased entire rooms, truck loads, and dealer inventories to fulfill the needs of his customers. John will buy it all, including the good, the bad, and the ugly, and he won’t “cherry pick” your stuff and leave you with the pits. John wants to hear from serious sellers, and he’s willing to make house calls when he maps out his next buying trip. You might have just a box-load to sell, and you can obtain an authorization number & arrange to mail a box to John for an offer. Please do not send anything without prior authorization. Lots sent without an authorization number will be refused. Sell to someone with the experience, know-how, and the connections. Call TOLL FREE 1-877-COVER10 (1-877-268-3710) to discuss your material and potential sale JOHN L. LESZAK Philatelist since 1963 … Full Time Dealer Since 1975 Stamps, Covers, Postcards Bought & Sold, Estates Appraised Member: American Stamp Dealers Association, American Philatelic Society American First Day Cover Society (Life), Universal Ship Cancellation Society

SECOND SUNDAY STAMP & COIN SHOW MERIDEN, CONNECTICUT Sheraton 4 Points Hotel, 275 Research Parkway off the east end of East Main Street. EZ from I-91, 691 & Rt 15. 9 A.M.–3:30 P.M. Free parking/admission. Next shows: September 12 & October 10. THIRD TUESDAY STAMP & COIN SHOW NORTHAMPTON, MASSACHUSETTS World War II Veterans Association, 50 Conz St. Exit 18 off I-91. Rt. 5N, then left on Conz 1/4 mile from I-91. Free lunch/supper buffet. 10:30 A.M.–8 P.M. Next shows: September 21 and October 19. Both monthly shows feature stamps, coins, covers, postcards, collections, supplies, discounts, and much more. Scott 2010 catalogues just $59. Material from pennies to $1,000s for beginner to advanced collectors. (Please mark your calendar now while you’re thinking of it.) Scott 2010 Catalogues 1–6 $39 each, 1–6 set $229, U.S. Specialized $49 Sponsor: Harry Tong • 603-978-3459

September / October 2010 • Stamp Insider / 31 Communications Share your opinions! Send to: Albert W. Starkweather 5520 Gunn Hwy 1406, Tampa, FL 33624–2847 [email protected] Why Admission Is Charged was rather miffed to read the disparaging remarks by Steve Brainard of the Olean Stamp IClub about Nojex on page 57 of the July–August issue of Stamp Insider. He seems to have been upset and surprised that there was a $2 admission charge to attend the show on Satur- day and couldn’t recall having ever been charged admission by any other show. Some WSP shows charge admission; others do not. Westpex and Balpex have a $5 admission charge which is good for all three days. Boxborough Philatelic Show charges $3 per day or $5 for all three. Nojex charges $2 for either Friday or Saturday. Putting on a show in the New York metro area in an exhibition hall attached to a hotel is an expensive undertaking and every bit of revenue is needed. Mr. Brainard could have cut his admission charge in half with the $1 discount coupon in Linn’s Stamp News, Mekeel’s & Stamps, and the Stamp Insider prior to the show. Many attendees presented these coupons and received the discount. He could have avoided the entire cost if he attended the show on Sunday when there was no charge. He also said there were “a number of frames.”Had he read the show program he was given at the admission desk or looked at the exhibits, he would have known that there were 266 frames of competitive exhibits, not a mere “number of frames.” Even with a capacity of 266, which is more than many WSP shows, we still had a waiting list. He went on to complain: “It was very crowded and made browsing difficult.” He is correct that Saturday was crowded. I believe that it was the best Saturday attendance we’ve had in the past few years. In my opinion, and I suspect the dealers’ also, this is a good thing. If you have a show where the dealers can play Frisbee in the aisles, you won’t be having a show the following year. Browsing may be difficult with a good crowd, but patience is a virtue. I wanted to respond to Mr. Brainard’s remarks so people don’t form a negative impression about Nojex based solely on his comments. Please let him know that if he’d like to attendNojex 2011 on either Friday or Saturday next year, I’ll send him the discount coupon and $1, postpaid. Nick Lombardi, NOJEX Vice Chairman Long Island Dealers In the March–April Stamp Insider John Nunes wrote about the demise of the local stamp shop and listed seven still in operation in New York State. Even though Long Island is only connected to the mainland by several bridges, it is still part of the state. Please ask Dr. Nunes to add Hun- tington Stamp and Coin and BBC Stamp and Coin in East Setauket to the list. There are a few others that sell stamp and coin supplies only. Alas, Dr. Nunes is correct in pointing out the ex- tinction of the local store. My childhood destination, TSS Stamp and Coin in Levittown, closed its doors last year. Thankfully, the owner is still doing mail and internet business. Frank Braithwaite, Smithtown, NY ◾

32 / Stamp Insider • September / October 2010 P C S Byron Sand eld 6440 North Central Expressway, Suite 316 • Dallas, Texas 75206 For Appointment: 214-361-4322 • e-mail: [email protected] Buyer of Carriers and Locals

72L3 N Y Well stocked in Postal History, U.S., Classics, Revenues, and Locals

For Worldwide Postal History Cash Paid and Historical Letters. We seek 19th century or earlier, but will consider anything pre-1960, including family correspondences and WWI, WWII soldiers’ and war- related mail, individual letters, diaries, ship logs, documents, manuscripts, broadsides, and accumulations of all kinds. We also buy postcards (Pre-1940 U.S. & Worldwide). Also: stampless covers and autographs. Free appraisals, quick decision, and we pay you immediately! We also cover all postage costs. www.fredschmitt.com WE BUY HISTORY ON PAPER!

Member: Manuscript Society, ASDA, Fred Schmitt APS, PTS (London), CSDA (Canada)

Since 1953 SchmittSchmitt Investors Investors Ltd.Ltd. International Postal History Specialists Since 1953 P.O. Box 387-Ins • Northport NY 11768-0387 Phone: (631) 261-6600 (24 hours) Fax: (631) 261-7744 • E-Mail: [email protected]

September / October 2010 • Stamp Insider / 33 Exploring Deltiology Ruth L. Sabo 51 Island View Road Cohoes, NY 12047-4929 518-785-1330; [email protected]

Sixty-Five Years Since VJ Day here are three different dates associated with the end of World War II in the Pacific TTheater — known most commonly as Victory in Japan or V-J Day, but also called Vic- tory in the Pacific Day, especially by Asian countries. August 14, 1945 is the date Americans were informed that Japan had surrendered uncondi- tionally to the Allied forces, but it was August 15 in Japan on the other side of the International Date Line. The formal surrender occurred aboard the USSMissouri , anchored in Tokyo Bay, on September 2, 1945. This momentous and desperately awaited event was celebrated in many ways, including being commemorated on picture postcards and postal cards. As an avid collector of social history cards, war-related cards — especially those con- cerning World War II — are among my favorites. I share with you some wonderful cards commemorating President Harry S. Truman announcing on August 14: This is the day we have been waiting for since Pearl Harbor. This is the day when Fascism finally dies, as we always knew it would. This came three months after the celebration of V-E, or Victory in Europe Day, on May 8 and nearly four years after the devastating aerial attack on Pearl Harbor in Honolulu on December 7, 1941. Our declaration of war against Japan following that attack led to Hitler’s war declaration on the U.S., culminating in shifting a European conflict into a truly global confrontation. After increasing numbers of victories in Asia by Allied forces, their leaders issued the Pots- dam Declaration on July 26, 1945, calling on Japan to surrender. If it did not it was threatened with ‘”prompt and utter destruction.” When the Japanese government refused, the B-29Enola Gay dropped an atomic bomb on Hiroshima on August 6 with massive casualties and three days later the B-29 Bockscar dropped another on Nagasaki. These brought Japan to its knees. In a radio address on August 15, Emperor Hirohito urged the Japanese people to accept the terms of the Potsdam Declaration and accept surrender, later formalized on September 2, 1945. ◾

34 / Stamp Insider • September / October 2010 First Day Coverage Glenn A. Estus P. O. Box 451 FIRST DAY OF ISSUE Westport, NY 12993-0451 [email protected], 518-962-4558

Exploring Maximum Cards skPhil.(www.askphil.org) defines a Maximum“ A Card as a picture post card that has an illustra- tion, stamp and cancel all with a common theme.” The American Philatelic Society Manual of Philatel- ic Judging (Sixth Edition, 2010) notes that “Maximum cards (maxicards) are picture postcards or 19th century illustrated postal stationery with a stamp affixed to the view side that is tied with a related postmark. The card, the stamp and the postmark must work together, forming a concordance. In other words all elements must have a valid relationship with each other. It also notes that “the cards must conform to dimensions accepted by the UPU. Postcards reproduc- ing postage stamps as issued or with multiple pictures or holograms are not acceptable as a proper maxicard. The postage stamp must be postally valid and should be contemporaneously issued with the date of use. The cancel should be made by an authorized postal author- ity and relate to the subject of the stamp and card.” Some stamp designs lend themselves more easily to maximum card creation than others. In 1955, the USPOD issued a three-cent stamp hon- oring the 200th anniversary of Fort Ticonderoga. Today, the fort is a well known tourist attraction and it’s not difficult to find post cards showing various views of the site. In 1955, many maximum cards were created with the stamp and the FDOI cancel from the Fort Ticonderoga Rural Station. The aerial view is a linen card which made it very easy to attach the stamp and FDOI hand cancel. The card held the ink of the cancel well. The card showing the French soldier was a little harder to create. The card is a glossy card stock which meant that the portion of the hand cancel on the card itself had a tendency to smudge away. The card is one of a set of 10 showing French units that were stationed at the fort before it was captured by the British in 1759. Next issue I’ll illustrate a maximum card that doesn’t fit the above definitions and explain why. ◾

September / October 2010 • Stamp Insider / 35 BA1129 10x7.5_10x7.5 8/2/10 7:31 AM Page 1 Mystic’s Stamp Buyers Come Highly Recommended We’re looking for the following… N Rare/High-quality stamps, U.S. and worldwide “Please express my heartfelt gratitude... N Award-winning collections for making the experience of selling my N Entire stamp dealer stocks, store inventory, show dealer late husband’s stamp collection a tolerable experience. My overall experience was very and mail order dealer stocks positive and I would highly recommend that N United States stamp collections anyone with a collection to be sold contact N Worldwide country or topical collections your company.” N Error stamps Pat U. – New York Mills, NY N Accumulations and mixed stamps (they don’t need to be organized) See Why It’s Always Easier N Postage lots to Deal with the Best N First Day Covers hen it’s time to sell your stamp collection be We Pay More for Your Stamps Wsure to call Mystic. The reason is simple... Call 800-835-3609 Name______Mystic Pays More Street______As America’s most active stamp buyer, Mystic has the experience to value all of your stamps. You’ll get City/State/Zip ______top market price for them all – not just the gems. Phone Number (include area code)______J United States J Worldwide J Collection J Accumulation Mystic makes selling your stamps easy. You Approximate value ______don’t even have to sort – we’ll take care of it. And Donald Sundman Collector & President Based on ______Mystic pays fast. We back our offers with a check Mystic St amp Company “on the spot.” Brief description of stamps ______

______Mystic Stamp Company Attention: Buying Department 9700 Mill Street, Camden, N.Y. 13316 Mystic Phone: 1-800-835-3609 Fax: 1-800-385-4919 [email protected] We Pay More For Your Stamps Copyright © 2010 by Mystic Stamp Company, Inc. BA1129 BA1129 10x7.5_10x7.5 8/2/10 7:31 AM Page 1 Mystic’s Stamp Buyers Come Highly Recommended We’re looking for the following… N Rare/High-quality stamps, U.S. and worldwide “Please express my heartfelt gratitude... N Award-winning collections for making the experience of selling my N Entire stamp dealer stocks, store inventory, show dealer late husband’s stamp collection a tolerable experience. My overall experience was very and mail order dealer stocks positive and I would highly recommend that N United States stamp collections anyone with a collection to be sold contact N Worldwide country or topical collections your company.” N Error stamps Pat U. – New York Mills, NY N Accumulations and mixed stamps (they don’t need to be organized) See Why It’s Always Easier N Postage lots to Deal with the Best N First Day Covers hen it’s time to sell your stamp collection be We Pay More for Your Stamps Wsure to call Mystic. The reason is simple... Call 800-835-3609 Name______Mystic Pays More Street______As America’s most active stamp buyer, Mystic has the experience to value all of your stamps. You’ll get City/State/Zip ______top market price for them all – not just the gems. Phone Number (include area code)______J United States J Worldwide J Collection J Accumulation Mystic makes selling your stamps easy. You Approximate value ______don’t even have to sort – we’ll take care of it. And Donald Sundman Collector & President Based on ______Mystic pays fast. We back our offers with a check Mystic St amp Company “on the spot.” Brief description of stamps ______

______Mystic Stamp Company Attention: Buying Department 9700 Mill Street, Camden, N.Y. 13316 Mystic Phone: 1-800-835-3609 Fax: 1-800-385-4919 [email protected] We Pay More For Your Stamps Copyright © 2010 by Mystic Stamp Company, Inc. BA1129 Fillmore the Filatelist David A. Kent P. O. Box 127 New Britain, CT 06050-0127 860-667-1400; [email protected]

Shape Up or Ship Out illard, so far as I can tell, never spent any time on a ship, except perhaps for the occa- Msional voyage on the Erie Canal. Nevertheless, New York has one of the world’s great harbors, an important ocean coastline, and a long history of interest in the sea. Collectors of New York postal history may mistake this postmark for one from the Herkimer County village of Newport, which dates back to the Revolutionary War. It’s actually a postmark from a ship, a gunboat built for the Navy back in 1896. It was named USS Newport, and patrolled the Caribbean during the Spanish-American War. Within a decade it was considered obsolete because of its masts and coal-fired boilers. In June 1907 it was given to the Massachusetts Naval Militia. Apparently they didn’t want it either, for four months later she was transferred to the New York Public Maritime School, which was renamed the New York State Nautical School in 1913 and today is the SUNY Maritime College based at Fort Schuyler in the Bronx. Except for a brief stint back with the Navy during World War I, the Newport remained with the Nautical School until the 1930s, when she moved to Aberdeen, Washington to train sailors on the west coast. Finding historical data on the ship isn’t difficult, but the real question is the wording in the cancel, “NEWPORT/N.Y.S.S.” It couldn’t be titled USS, because in 1907 Teddy Roosevelt had issued an executive order that only commissioned warships of the U.S. Navy could use that title. In 1908 the Navy Department had reached an agreement with the Post Office Department to operate post offices on Navy ships, butNewport was no longer a Navy ship and wouldn’t have come under this agreement. Some collectors have speculated that “NYSS” is an abbreviation for New York School Ship. Does anyone have any further information on this cancel? The postmark is very rare, fewer than 10 examples being reported. The card was obvi- ously mailed by a cadet who had sailed on the ship, for he writes “How would you like to be on the Newport when she pitches like this? This is no exaggeration either.” ◾

38 / Stamp Insider • September / October 2010 Youth & Philately Robert Finnegan 10 O’Neill Drive Oneonta, NY 13820-1154 607-432-8141; [email protected]

The APS and Budding Philatelists hen I first found an interest in work- Wing with children in the area of philately I was blessed with a monthly magazine format produced by the U.S. Postal Service called Stamp Fun. It was wonderfully produced and reached out to children in the hope of converting some couch potatoes into meaningful philatelists of the future. I had used many of the activities as well as timely information about our hobby as well as tidbits of information relative to various topics. Unfortunately the USPS no longer produces the publication. Our American Philatelic Society, however, realizing that many of our younger, budding philatelists, are now on the computer, have devoted a portion of its web site “Just for Kids or For the Young at Heart” at www.stamps.org/kids/kid_stampfun.htm. There are a number of worthwhile activities in which juniors can quickly engage. The stamp club advisor could simply duplicate the web site address for the parents of their respective juniors or reproduce some of the activity pages after ascertaining the grade or age appropriateness of the desired materials. The site even has an Education Assistant and Program Coordinator who may be contacted by phone or e-mail. The page includes information for beginners, new stamp issues of interest, fre- quently asked questions, activity pages and fun facts. It also provides other philatelic links. If you are short on ideas for meetings other than swapping or hinging stamps to album pages, these may provide you with some new notions as to how to pursue fun at your meetings. Providing children with meaningful and productive philatelic web sites such as this one would be a worthwhile learning experience. Because I have access to a school classroom for my meetings, I can actually show children how to navigate such web sites. Think outside the box for some of those meetings you will be having with children and they will keep coming back for more. ◾

September / October 2010 • Stamp Insider / 39 The Frugal Philatelist Jim Hannah 158 Fisher Ave. Staten Island NY 10307-1310 718-984-5378; [email protected]

Army and Navy Military History wo of my favorite U.S. sets are the Army and Navy issues of 1936–1937 (Scott No. T785–794). Each consists of five stamps and each stamp is a fine example of the engraver’s art. The stamps are available for under $1 each mint or for less than 50 cents used. The one through four cent Army stamps include portraits of nine U.S. generals, including two named Jackson. One or more of these may not be well-known to you, providing an opportunity to spend some pleasant time renewing your acquaintance with U.S. military history as you look up their careers. The first four stamps of the Navy issue depict nine U.S. admirals. You might want to learn more about them as well. Also pictured on the Army issue are the residences of three of the generals. Matching the homes to the generals is relatively easy. If you would like a bit of a challenge, look at the one through three cent Navy stamps. Each portrays two admirals and one or more sailing ships. The admirals are named and under their portraits you will find the names of their ships. The challenge lies in deciding which ship is actually pictured on each stamp. If you look at the ship’s names on the one and two cent stamps you will note that the names on the right are set within a pair of printer’s ornaments. Different ornaments are used on each stamp. Before you take the ornaments as a clue to the ship, check the three cent stamp. Neither ship’s name is set between ornaments. If you have a family member or a friend in the armed forces, you might like to pick up some mint U.S. postage stamps which honor the U.S. military forces and the men and women who have served in them. Using such stamps as postage is a quiet way of saying I care. ◾

40 / Stamp Insider • September / October 2010 Glens Falls, New York www.asc-stampclub.org Adirondack Stamp, Meets at 7 p.m. on the second Wednesday of each month at Crandall Library, City Park, 251 Glen St. Post Card & Joseph Kopczak, 44 Surrey Fields Dr., Queensbury, NY 12804-8708 Ephemera Club [email protected], 518-792-1659

Enjoying Our New Meeting Place e are enjoying our new meeting place at the Crandall Library and appreciate our Wpresident, Thelma VanDerzee, for arranging for this venue. This reminds me how important it is to change the officers in a club from time to time. New officers bring in fresh ideas and invigorate an organization. Thelma offered to be president last fall even though she had little experience with stamp clubs. She has not hesitated to suggest changes from what has been done in the past and our club has reacted positively. Generating New Ideas This club has been the source of several other new ideas for the hobby over recent years. Our previous president, Conrad Novick, has created some outstanding exhibits using extensive graphics technology. He also encouraged the use and competition of single page exhibits. We believe that the hobby is ready for some major changes to allow a new generation of collectors to come in to the hobby. By limiting new collectors to the procedures set up in the past, we may be losing some fine talent. No Novice Sale Speaking of changes, we mentioned in our last column that we were considering a novice stamp collector show. In the past couple months, we have discussed how we would set up this show and came to the conclusion it was not realistic with the limited manpower we have available. Educational Panels One of our members, Steve Matte, suggested we consider preparing several panels about the hobby and using them for making presentations to small groups at schools, museums, and anyone who wants to know what stamp collectors are all about. We all agreed to come back in our future meetings with ideas on the content of individual panels that we can use for this purpose. Programs September 8 — Steve Matte will talk about some his world covers from the 1940s. October 13 — Tom Noonan will show his collection of motorcycles on stamps. November 10 — Bill Hart will continue his presentation on early Glens Falls area covers. December 8 — Annual dinner — probably at the Sweet Basil Restaurant All meetings are at the Crandall Library on the second Wednesday, assuming we get our usual room on that date. Our e-mail will confirm the meeting schedule so make sure you are on our mailing list. ◾

September / October 2010 • Stamp Insider / 41 T H E N G W I O V R R L E D Carterville, Illinois S

www.americantopicalassn.org AmericanTopical Association American Topical Association Executive Director O

Y F L Vera Felts, P. O. Box 8. Carterville, IL 62918-0008 T E H T E A M L 618-985-5100; [email protected] A I T I C P H

ATA Study Unit: Chess on Stamps he Chess on Stamps Study Unit has 110 members and was founded in T1979. The group’s membership brochure notes that chess-related material can be new and old philatelic issues, covers, postmarks, post cards, books, notgeld, autographs, photos, ex libras, telephone cards, coins, dou- bloons, proofs, souvenir sheets, deluxe sheets, or even comic books. There are spectacular offerings of chess-related material in COSSU’s auctions. Chesstamp Review, a quarterly publication, is a continuing source of chess-related news, auction items and potpourri. Recent articles include: • Games Positions on Cancellations • The Glasgow Chess Club • Groningen, 1946 • Chess in German Censorship Marks Officers of the unit are: president, Ray Alexis, 608 Emery St., Longmont, CO 80501- 5035, [email protected]; vice president, Remy Rubin, P. O. Box 584, South Haven, MI 49090-0584; [email protected]); secretary-treasurer, James McDevitt, 3561 Country Ct. N., Mobile, AL 36619-5335; [email protected]; and Chesstamps Review editor, Jon Edwards, 178 Pennington-Harbourton Rd., Pennington, NJ 08534- 1415; [email protected]. Membership costs are $17 for North American addresses ($24 other). Want to merge your game and your hobby? Go to www.chessonstamps.org or contact one of the officers listed above to execute a smart move! ◾

Scannell Honored Caroline Scannell, left, re- ceives the Distinguished Topical Philatelist Award from Executive Director Vera Felts at the ATA’s annual convention awards banquet in Denver, Colorado on June 26. Wayne Youngblood photo Youngblood Wayne

42 / Stamp Insider • September / October 2010 NEW YORK T H CHAPE T ER N G W New York, New York I O V R R L E D Meets at 6 p.m. on the second Thursday, except July S and August, at The Collectors Club, 22 East 35th St. AmericanTopical Association

Y Caroline Scannell, 14 Dawn Drive, Smithtown, NY 11787-1761 F L T E H T E A [email protected] M L A I No. 3T I C P H Having a Busy Off Season or an off season, we’ve all been busy. I traveled to Denver in June to accept the Distin- Fguished Topical Philatelist award, and to nose around the Rocky Mountain Philatelic Library (See photo on facing page). I made a foray into their stacks of periodicals (with two guides!) checking out where and how they keep them and their ease of accessibility. Inexpensive Stamps for Illustrations I also purchased some stamps that they keep in books and sell at five cents each. Some- times you need a stamp to illustrate something and don’t want to buy a mint copy of a complete set to get just one … and they’re arranged topically! Saving Money on Supplies Am I the only one who does this or what? As soon as school supplies go on sale I stock up on notebooks for my want lists and notes about new stamps for my topics, looseleaf binders to house my various collections, pocket notebooks to jot down the names and e-mail addresses of dealers who may have something I need for my collec - tion, pens and pencils, and all sorts of paper clips. The more money I save, the more I can spend on stamps! Officers Elected We’ve had our elections and the ballots were counted in early September. Our new officers are Michael Lubrano, president; Lou Guadagno, vice president; Vincent Benkovitz, treasurer; and Allen Hoffman, secretary. Penn Station Centennial We are to have an event at Penn Station for the centennial of its opening on September 8. ASDA Show Season It’s hard to believe it’s already MEGA show season.The ASDA is changing the name back to the National Postage Stamp Show. I no longer work next door to the site so it’s going to be a trip in. By the time this is published I will have been working in Hicksville, Long Island for a month or more. My boss wants to move back to the city already! Please Join Us Come on down and join us for a meeting. We always have a show and tell, occasionally we get a speaker or one of the members give a talk about their collection. Beginners are always welcome. We are all beginners after all. As soon as we finish one facet of our collections, we begin another, and who knows where it may lead! Our dues are only $10 per year. ◾

September / October 2010 • Stamp Insider / 43 Buffalo, New York Meets at 7:30 p.m. on the first & third Fridays, except June, July, and August, at VFW Leonard Post, 2450 Walden Ave., Cheektowaga Alfred Carroccia, 152 Windmill Road, West Seneca, NY 14218-3776 [email protected], 716-674-0302

Board Sets Calendar, Elects Officers he 2010–2011 club calendar was set at the Board of Directors’ meeting on July 16. Dates Tof note include the Autumn Stamp Festival on Saturday, November 20, and Bufpex 2011 on Saturday and Sunday, March 5 and 6. Both shows will be held at the Leonard Post. Programs The 2010–2011 calendar is: September 10 — Auction January 21 — Bob Meegan exhibiting September 24 — Show and Tell presentation and identification October 8 — Auction night October 22 — Call to membership for February 4 — Auction presentation February 18 — Slide show by Tim Cary November 5 — Auction March 4 — Set up for Bufpex November 19 — Autumn Stamp Festival March 5 and 6 — Bufpex set up March 18 — Auction November 20 — Autumn Stamp Festival April 1 — Auction December 3 — Auction and holiday get April 15 — Larry Cherns presentation together May 6 — Auction 2011 May 20 — Irv Tesmer presentation January 7 — Auction June 3 — Welcome to Summer Auction For the September 24, October 22, and January 21 meetings there will be advance no- tice in the newsletter and at the auction for the membership to participate. Officers Reëlected The board unanimously reëlected Alan Davis president, Bob Meegan vice president, Al- fred Carroccia secretary, Tim Carey treasurer, and, Casey Kielbasa membership chairman. The Board also appointed Dan Sherwood auction manager, George Gates advertising chairman, and Bill Witschard bourse chairman. First Manned Space Flight Show Theme The board decided that the theme for Bufpex 2011 will be 50th Anniversary of the first U. S. manned space flight. Meegan suggested using the four-cent Project Mercury stamp (Scott No. 1193) with a 40 cent stamp to complete the rate for the show covers which will have a show cancel and cachet designed by Marge Schleining. ◾

44 / Stamp Insider • September / October 2010 Philadelphia, Pennsylvania Stamp Club Meets at 1:30 p.m. on the last Saturday of each month at the Ryerss Museum and Library, 7370 Central Ave. Stuart Geisler, 7205 Rising Sun Ave., Philadelphia, PA 19111-3926 [email protected], 215-768-5735 The Burholme

Club Celebrates Second Birthday e celebrated our second birthday as a stamp club in August. In honor of this occa- Wsion, we are planning special activities. Our second bi-yearly Club Show was a total success, well attended by club members with club members as vendors. Club Lecture In June, club president Stuart Geisler gave a lecture and slide presentation on two diametrically opposed, but related, topics, the postal histories of the Freedman’s Bureau, and Ku Klux Klan, complete with covers, documents, and a PowerPoint demonstration. The Freedman’s Bureau was established by Act of Congress under the auspices of Presi- dent Abraham Lincoln, and had the purpose of guaranteeing citizenship rights for blacks liberated by the Civil War during Reconstruction, guaranteeing employment, and also acting as a missing persons organization due to the tumult caused by that same war. The Ku Klux Klan was a reaction to Reconstruction. One of the covers shown at the lecture was addressed to an officer who led black troops in a colored regiment, who was appointed to the Freedman’s Bureau immediately after the war. Beginners Corner A lot of old covers have inexpensive stamps affixed to them, making them appear rather ordinary. Before dismissing such a cover as valueless, make sure you examine to whom the cover was addressed, as well as the return addressee. It might be an historical treasure, like the covers addressed to the Deputy in the Freedman’s Bureau, which I discussed in my lecture. Happy Hunting! ◾ Other Federation Member Clubs The Putnam Philatelic Society of Carmel and the Fulton Stamp Club of Fulton are also members of the Federation of New York Philatelic Societies. Drew A. Nich- olson, 18 Valley Drive, Pawling, NY 12564-1140, [email protected], is the Putnam club contact. Meetings are on the first and third Fridays at 7 p.m. in the third floor caf- eteria of Guideposts, Seminary Hill in Carmel. John A. Cali, P. O. Box 401, Fulton, NY 13069-0401, phone 315-592-4441 is the Fulton Club contact. Meetings are on the third Wednesdays except July and August at different locations. ◾

September / October 2010 • Stamp Insider / 45 Hamilton, New York Meets at 7:45 p.m. on the first Monday March–December at Hamilton Public Library on the Green, 13 Broad St. Braden Houston, 2063 Spring St., Hamilton, NY 13346-2259 [email protected], 315-824-2237

Lighthouses on the Great Lakes — Part III t. Joseph Lighthouse is Slocated on the southeast shore of Lake Michigan. The first lighthouse was constructed in 1832 at the end of a pier, and the postage stamp shows it still in the distance. The lighthouse which is still in use today was built in 1906 on the same pier with a catwalk joining the two. It is octagonal and set on a square house. St. Joseph Lighthouse is owned and managed by the U.S. Coast Guard and is open to the public and has National Register status. Split Rock Lighthouse is located on the north shore of Lake Superior with an address of Two Harbors, Minnesota. It was built in 1910 and it was accessible only by water until 1924 when a highway was built. Given its physical location high above a cliff, its beam can be spotted for many miles. The lighthouse was closed in 1969. It has been meticulously restored to its 1924 appearance and today it is a popular tourist attraction. It is only lit annually on November 10 in commemoration of the freighter Edmund Fitzgerald which sank on that date in 1975 with the loss of all 29 crew. The following are some interesting facts about the Great Lakes, which were formed nearly 20,000 years ago when the earth’s climate warmed and the last glacial continental ice sheet retreated. The glacier, up to two miles thick, was so heavy and powerful that it gouged out the earth’s surface to create the lake basins. Approximately 4,000 years ago the Great Lakes attained their present water level. The Great Lakes contain the largest supply of fresh water in the world, holding about 18 percent of the world’s total fresh water and about 90 percent of the United States’ fresh water. The lakes supply 40 million U.S. and Canadian citizens with drinking water. ◾

— Braden Houston Centennial Fireworks on July 31 / Duluth News Tribune

46 / Stamp Insider • September / October 2010 t C cu ov i e t r c New Haven, Connecticut e C

n Meets at 9:30 a.m. on the third Sunday l

n u

at the Super Stop and Shop, 112 Amity Road b

•

Joseph Connolly, 571 Treat Lane, Orange, CT 06477-2739

o 6 0

[email protected], 203-795-3718 o 0 0 n 2

d d u e 0 nded 2 Connolly Compiling WW II Philatelic CD lub Secretary Joseph Connolly and his Cson, Sean, are assembling the first of a three-volume CD set of philatelic remem- brances of World War II. The elder Connolly has been compiling first day, commemorative, and historical covers relating to the war for more than 30 years. The first volume will beWorld War II and America in the Pacific Theater. The second will be World War II and America in Europe. The third will tell the story of The Home Front During the War. Connolly is using his philatelic resources to tell the Pacific story in sec- tions. One of the first to be written is Wake Island and the gateway to the Philippines. Club member Cliff Gilmond displays his Signed covers include the early defenders covers that will be on the new Connolly CD. of Wake Island and the associated islands making up the Wake atoll. Personal stories and actual letters home from the defenders reflect on day-to-day life of the U.S. military forces during the early months of World War II. Naval covers from aircraft carriers and supporting vessels portray different types of military post including reports of early naval battles. Critical to the success of the project is research being done by the younger Connolly that adds to its historical accuracy. Much of the research is being done through the archives of the Navy Department, the U.S. Naval Academy, and the U.S. Military Academy. ◾ — John S. Withers, Jr.

Patriotic covers by Jacques Minkus and Dorothy Knapp.

September / October 2010 • Stamp Insider / 47 Poughkeepsie, New York Meets at 7:30 p.m. on the first & thirrd Mondays at the Friends Meeting House, corner of Hooker Avenue & Whittier Boulevard Cliff Foley, 3 Short Court, Wappingers Falls, NY 12590-3515 [email protected], 845-297-1875

A Philatelic Tour of the Hudson Valley s we look through our stamp albums we see many issues Athat commemorate events and places in the United States and the world. Our society meets in the Mid-Hudson Valley region of New York and we have a rich history going back to colonial times right up to the present. In July the marriage of Chelsea Clinton took place in the former home of lifelong Hudson Valley resident John Jacob As- tor IV. Although this has not made it to a stamp issue, there are other people and sites that have. The American Revolution saw the Hudson Valley as a prime player in our battle to gain independence. The importance of a sharp bend in the Hudson River at West Point, which is today the site of the United States Military Academy, (Scott No. 789) cannot be stressed enough. George Washington spent more time at his headquarters in Newburgh (Scott No. 727) than at any other headquarters during the war. This also happens to have been New York State’s first state historic site. We have Baron von Steuben (Scott No. 689) who had his headquarters at Mount Gulian in Beacon. This Prussian helped train and discipline our young army. All of these historic places can be toured. Another site that can be visited is the home in Kinderhook of the eighth president, Martin Van Buren (Scott No. 813). He was the first President born in the United States (1782). The seven men before him were born while we were still under British rule. As we move ahead in time we can stop at Hyde Park which was home of the longest serving U.S. president, Franklin D. Roosevelt (Scott No. 930). His home and Presidential Library are open to the public as is his wife Eleanor’s (Scott No. 1236) retreat Val-kill. We hope you can plan a fall trip to the Hudson Valley to spend time at some of our postally connected historic places. ◾

48 / Stamp Insider • September / October 2010 Elmira, New York Meets at 7 p.m. (doors open at 6) the third Tuesday at Steele Memorial Library, 101 E. Church St. Stamp Circuit Available Alan Parsons, 809 Holley Road, Elmira, NY 14905-1212 [email protected], 607-732-0181 Elmira Stamp Club A Busy Time for the Club eptember and October are busy months for us. Help is needed for Stepex 2010 at Big SFlats American Legion Post, 45 South Olcott Road, at 7 p.m. October 14 to bring in and assemble exhibit frames, at 7:30 a.m. on October 15 to organize the floor layout and mount exhibits, and at 5 p.m. on October 16 to take down the show. We need two people at all times to staff our table. There will be a sign-up sheet at the September meeting. 43rd Elmira College Octagon Fair: The club will have a table at the Wild, Wild West Octagon Fair 2010 from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. September 25. Alan Parsons, who coordinates our participation, needs help for setup between 8 and 10 a.m., staffing the table during fair hours, and tear down after 4 p.m. Death of Staff Willis: The club extends condolences to the family of stamp dealer Staf- ford (Staff ) Willis, who, with his late wife, Mary, helped fill the bourse atStepex for more than 30 years. The well-liked dealer died June 17. (See obituary on page 30.) Membership: At its June meeting we welcomed new member George Church of Avoca and returning member Elmer Selby of Horseheads. Both are APS members who collect foreign and U.S. Our roster in June dropped eight members for non-payment of dues and two deceased members. Eight new members were added. Award winner: Club member Bill Sammis of Ithaca took gold, reserve grand, and the Postal History Society Medal at Nojex 2010 in May for his 10-frame exhibit, The Expresses of Maine, Private and Postal 1840–1865. Congratulations, Bill! Programs September 21 — Auction night September 25 — Elmira College Octagon Fair — members staff club table October 15–16 — Stepex 2010 club sponsored show October 19 — APS slide program: The Penny Postal: Gone but Still Collectible Meeting Notes June — 12 attended. Parsons again urged the members to prepare exhibits for Stepex and circuit manager Galer Perreault urged them to buy stamps. We enjoyed the APS slide program The Soviet Vosk Hod Space Program in Philately. July — 19 attended. Treasurer Don Dolan’s second quarter report showed receipts exceeding expenses by $315 and a healthy bank balance. Parsons reported we had enough APS members to avoid chapter dues in 2010, urging those not belonging to join. President Mike Breed and Dom Romeo called a 38-lot auction, selling 22 for $34.60. The two club lots included sold for $3. and this plus $3.17 commission on the nonclub lots brought the club a total of $6.17. ◾

September / October 2010 • Stamp Insider / 49 . P. H . . S S APS Unit 28 . EMPIRE STATE E Meets twice annually FOUNDED POSTAL HISTORY Membership info: George McGowan P. O. Box 482, E. Schodack, NY 12063-0482 1 SOCIETY [email protected], 518-479-4396 9 6 7

A Hudson River Mail Cover By George McGowan n Ken DeLisle’s book, The W. L. L. Peltz ICollection of Albany Postal History, there is mention of a cancel; 30mm in diameter “U.S. EXPRESS MAIL / N.YORK or ALBANY / DATE / N.Y.” See attached figure. He further details that letters of the 1840s displaying one of these markings are mementos of the long ongoing struggle between the U.S. Post Office Department and independent mail carriers. As a result of steam boat services and later railroad service, quick, reliable connections over long distances was becoming commonplace. Some entrepreneurial private citizens established delivery companies that would carry parcels, goods, snotes and bills etc. In addition, these messengers would collect and pay drafts, execute orders for merchandise, pick up and deliver cash, and make themselves useful to their customers in any way possible. The messengers would pay for their fare as a regular passenger and carry their express cases as personal luggage. The carrying of letters put these companies in direct competition with the USPOD and in violation of the law. Express companies were actually advertising their services as being in competition with the USPOD. Attempts to stop this illegal mail competition met with little or no success as the public enjoyed breaking this law because they often received better services at lower rates. To make a long story shorter, the USPOD decided it was better to join them rather than to fight them, and saw an advantage in having these express companies carry the U.S. mail under contract, plus the use of the words Express Mail gave a favorable impression to the public. These markings were replaced by a new style device in early 1847, and the “ALBANY” cancel is the rarer of the two. The cover shown here originated in New York City on August 5, 1845 and carries a “N.YORK Aug 5” express marking applied by an agent, probably on the boat as it traveled northbound. It cost 10 cents to mail, the correct rate for a half-ounce letter going more than 300 miles (act of March 3, 1845). Detroit, Michigan was the destination. If you collect New York postal history or would like to learn more about this and other related topics, consider joining the Empire State Postal History Society. ◾

50 / Stamp Insider • September / October 2010 R L G E A Geneva, New York N K I E Meets at 8 p.m. on the second and fourth Wednesdays at the F S Sawdust Café, New York State Agricultural Experiment Station James Darnell, 136 Lock St., Clyde, NY 14433-1117 S T B A U [email protected], 315-923-7355 M P C L

Members Enjoy Picnic embers especially enjoyed our annual picnic in July. Our hosts again this year were MJohn and Virginia Bourke at their home — High Springs Farm — south of Newark. After the feasting, our Anything Auction conducted by Jim Snow raised a considerable amount of money for the club. Five Cent Errors At our Philatelic Show ’n Tell session at a recent meeting one of our members displayed a complete 100 stamp pane of Scott No. 505 (two cent reds with perforation 11 of the Wash- ington–Franklin Series) which contained two five cent error stamps. It was produced when plate number 7942 had two worn two-cent dies inadvertently replaced by five-cent dies. At the following meeting another member showed us a strip of three similar stamps (Scott No. 467 with perforation 10) with the middle stamp being the five-cent error. [The error can also be found on the imperforate Scott No, 485.] Deaths This summer, we were saddened by the death of former member Adele Johnson and by the passing of Carol Scheetz, wife of long-time member Bill Scheetz. New Covers Our cover committee has recently produced cacheted first day covers for the Negro Leagues Baseball and Scouting commemorative stamps. They are still available in limited quantities. They may be ordered by sending payment payable to the Finger Lakes Stamp Club ($2.50 for the two-stamp Negro Leagues Baseball cover and/or $2 for the Scouting cover) and a No. 10 sase to James Darnell, 136 Lock St., Clyde, NY 14433-1117. Programs September 22 — Kiloware Scramble October 13 — Working for the USPS by Jim Darnell, Carl Klapp, and Shirley Stowell October 27 — Club auction ◾

September / October 2010 • Stamp Insider / 51 Albany, New York Incorporating Women’s Seal and Stamp Club Meets at 7:30 p.m. on the second & fourth Tuesdays at Bethany Reformed Church Community Center, 760 New Scotland Ave. Maris Tirums, P. O. Box 5475, Albany NY 12205-0475 [email protected], 518-438-1657

The Albany Tulip Festival any American cities have beautiful Mflower festivals, however not many have roots as deep in tradition and history as the six-decade-old Albany Tulip Festival, which is held in early May. Each spring since 1949 Albany has re- membered its Dutch beginnings, such as: • the arrival of the Half Moon, • the founding of Fort Nassau and • a decade later, Fort Orange, • the Patroon land grant • the renaming to Beverwyck, and the take over by England with another name change to Albany. Over the years, there have been philatelic connections to the festival and the Fort Orange Stamp Club has been active. A post card from 1966, top right, pictures the ceremonial scrubbing of State Street by Dutch descendants. In the middle is a cover commemorating the very first festival, while the one at the bottom right from eight years later was sponsored by the Fort Orange Junior Stamp Club. Other Festivals Two other cities in the state have flower festivals as well. The 10-day Rochester Lilac Festival (www.lilacfestival.com), which is also held in May, dates back to 1898. This even attracts up to 500,000 visitors to the city’s Highland Park. The Newark Rose Festival is held annually in July. ◾

52 / Stamp Insider • September / October 2010 Rome, New York STANWIX

Incorporating Community Stamp Club STAMP Meets at 7 p.m. on the fourth Thursday, except

January and February, at Rome Municipal Building, Second Floor FORT Fort Stanwix Stamp Club, P. O. Box 734, Rome, NY 13442-0374 Patricia A. Hash, 315-339-1019 CLUB

Forever Presentation Joe Kalynycz created an over- sized flow chart to graphi- cally illustrate the different varieties of the U.S. Liberty Bell Forever stamp (inset). He will be sharing his knowledge of the variations with Stamp Insider readers in the November-December issue.

Learning About the Liberty Bell Forever t the club’s June meeting, members were given a lecture on the different varieties of Athe U.S. Liberty Bell Forever stamp. Member Joe Kalynycz’ presentation covered all the varieties of the stamp since its issue in 2007 to the present. Kalynycz had a large flow chart with examples of each variety of the stamp. Dur - ing the July meeting Joe did a follow-up presentation on some of the worldwide non- denominated stamps issued by other countries. You can see in the photo that it took a lot of effort and time to put this wonderful lecture together. Fort Stanwix Day Covers The Fort Stanwix Day covers went on sale August 3 from our volunteer members at the Willett Center at the fort. Contact our secretary, Patricia Hash, at the address on the top of this page for more information. Cost is $3 each or two for $5 plus a No, 10 sase. The fort is celebrating its 75th anniversary as a national monument this year. ◾

September / October 2010 • Stamp Insider / 53 Ithaca, New York Meets from at 7:30 p.m. on the second & fourth Wednesdays in Morrison Hall Room 384, Cornell University Yoram B. Szekely, 104 Klinewoods Rd., Ithaca, NY 14850-2229 [email protected], 607-257-5346

The Birds of the British Empire — Part II By Bruce Packard he British Caribbean countries also Tfeature some fine bird sets. I like the St. Lucia set of 1976 because it includes several birds I have seen, such as the Laughing Gull, Kingfisher, Sparrow Hawk, Gallinule, and Osprey. These stamps are brightly colored and handsomely framed. Some of the most interesting birds in this set are the St. Lucia Parrot, brightly colored in green, red, and purple, and the handsome St. Lucia Oriole in orange and black, looking similar to the Baltimore Oriole in the United States. My favorite, though, is the $1 denomination showing the White Breasted Thrasher. This rare bird is found only on St. Lucia and Martinique, where it is critically endangered. I recently read in an article that on St. Lucia its habitat was threatened by a company that wanted to build a cricket stadium and hotel complex. The bird set from the Grenadines of St. Vincent has a novel twist in bird stamps. This 1978 set shows a picture of the egg next to each bird. The dimensions of each egg given in centimeters. I already have about half of the stamps in this set and find it a novel way of learning about birds via philately. A final set that I have always liked is that issued by the Pitcairn Islands in 1964. The islands have some interesting avian fauna because they are some of the most isolated islands in the world. One of the interesting traits of this set is that the birds are all described by their local names. Thus, the Red Footed Booby is called Austin bird, while the Red Tailed Tropicbird is called Bosun bird. Murphy’s Petrel is Ghost bird, while the Henderson Rail is called Chicken bird. Three of the birds pictured in this set — the Rail, Stephen’s (Red Breast) Lorikeet (parrot), and Wood Pigeon — are found only on Henderson Island, one of the four islands that make up the Pitcairn chain. I can imagine that very few bird watchers have had the opportunity to see these rare species. Somewhere I read that a British millionaire wanted to build a luxury mansion on the island, which would have devastated the bird population. Fortunately, the island was given to the British Land Trust and was made a nature preserve. There are many more such stories about the birds pictured on stamps. Collecting birds on stamps is a perfect way to combine an interest in birds with the love of stamp collecting. ◾

54 / Stamp Insider • September / October 2010 Leatherstocking Cooperstown, New York Stamp Meets at 7 p.m. on the first Tuesday, except February Club and March, at the Tillapaugh home, 28 Pioneer St. Ellen Tillapaugh, 80 Beaver St., Cooperstown, NY 13326-1202 [email protected], 607-547-5646

Induction Covers Benefit Firemen’s Fund lub member Al Keck pre- Csented his latest Baseball Hall of Fame induction covers at our August 3 meeting. Keck, a past president of the all- volunteer Cooperstown Fire Department (CFD) has sold his unique induction covers for the past 19 years on Induc- tion Weekend in Cooperstown. He donates his proceeds to the CFD Fellowship Fund and has raised more than $40,000 for the fund which benefits firemen and their families. Keck has a loyal following of collectors who return each year to pick up the special elected / inducted cancels. The cover shown here features 2010 inductees Andre Dawson, Gene Richards, John Scott, and Denny Walling, and has their rookie card attached. Keck secured two cancels — on January 6 when they were elected and on July 25 when they were officially inducted. In keeping with licensing regulations, the names are not printed on the cover. The attached rookie card is a commercially marketed item. Collectors enjoy buying the covers and then securing the players’ autographs on them during the weekend. A great deal of thought goes into the creation of these covers and in this case, Keck selected the Jesse Owens stamp (25 cents) and the Jackie Robinson stamp (20 cents; issued in Cooperstown on August 2, 1982) for the elected cancel and to pay the current, 44 cent mailing rate. Owens won four gold medals, prevailing at the 1936 Olympics in the face of Nazi Germany’s aryan racism. Robinson was the first black Major League Baseball player in 1947, laying the groundwork for future black players. The special Negro Leagues Baseball stamps (a setenant, or attached pair), which were issued on July 15, were available for the induction cancel. Interestingly, many induction covers produced by others, did not take advantage of these recently released stamps, but instead used a ubiquitous, flag stamp. This was one of several different designs created by Keck this year. For more information on these covers or the programs, contact the club. Programs September 7 — Coins by Lin Bissell October 5 — Stamp Identification; public invited to bring items ◾

September / October 2010 • Stamp Insider / 55 Plattsburgh, New York Meets at 1 p.m. on the secondnd Saturday in the second floor meeting room of Plattsburgh Public Library, 19 Oak St. Glenn A. Estus, P. O. Box 451, Westport, NY 12993-0451

StampClub

NorthCountry [email protected], 518-962-4558

Contract Units Keep the Mail Moving n the last few years we have heard about the IU.S. Postal Service’s problems and how the public uses it less and less and is turning to e-mail to stay in contact with friends and family. Even business mail is down as online bank- ing and bill paying becomes more prevalent. This has led to the realization that many smaller rural post offices have little econom- ic justification for continuing. However, in many localities the population is expanding and there is still a need for postal services, but not the ones that we have come to expect in the past. Plattsburgh is a good example. The main post office is downtown in the city center, convenient to the lake shore and the railroad. This is a reflection of the era when all the business was centered in that area. By the end of the twentieth century the city’s business area had moved about two miles to the west, especially after the construction of Interstate 87 during the mid 1960s. This is not unique to Plattsburgh. The business demographics of many areas have changed since the end of World War II. One way the USPS has attempted to react is the establishment of Contract Postal Units (CPUs). These are usually full service post offices located in a private business and run by non-USPS personnel. Plattsburgh has a CPU at the Champlain National Bank at the junction of U.S. Route 3 and I-87. You can buy postage stamps, mail registered letters, Express Mail, and conduct almost all business that is available at the main post office. The office even has its own postmark,PLATTSBURGH, NY CONT STA. #1. Just as the west side expanded during the 1960s in response to the arrival of the Interstate, the south side is now expanding. This is a direct result of the Base Realignment and Closure decision of 1993. In 1995 Plattsburgh Air Force Base was closed and the area was turned over to a local development agency which in the past 15 years has successfully turned the area into both a housing area as well as a new high tech industrial complex, home to new industry. As the area has expanded so has the need for postal service. According to information from the Plattsburgh Post Office, a new contract station will soon be opened at the U.S. Avenue branch of Glens Falls National Bank. One final note: After doing extensive research on the USPS web site, I have discovered at least 60 CPUs in operation throughout New York State. ◾

56 / Stamp Insider • September / October 2010 EAN A Olean, New York L R O E

Meets at 7:30 p.m. on the second Monday A

at Bethany Lutheran Church, 6 Leo Moss Drive S T

Jack Searles, 733 Front St., Olean, NY 14760-2851 B

U P

[email protected], 716-372-1070 C

Club Gears Up for Olepex Show The club will have its annual Olepex show from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. on Saturday, October 2 at the B.P.O. Elks Club No. 491 at 209 West State Street. The show offers displays, six or seven dealers, and free appraisals, as well as free admission and parking. Club Auction The semiannual club auction was held at the May meeting. A total of 61 lots were sold, generating total sales of $292.20, from which the club realized commissions of $29.25. Speakers Mel Follett spoke at the June meeting about how he first became interested in stamp collecting and how the methods of collecting and mounting stamps have changed over the years. Fred Printz gave a retrospective of his years as a collector at the July meeting. Programs September 13 — Speaker Dick Sherman October 2 — Olepex October 11 — Speaker Ron Yeager November 8 — Semiannual club auction December 13 — Holiday party ◾ First Days Journal Free Online he July 15 issue of First Days is available to the public free online. The printer of the Tjournal of the American First Day Cover Society announced more than a week after the cover date that it had gone out of business. Not only had not it mailed the issue as scheduled, it had not even printed it. The AFDCS is now looking for another printer. It already is in talks with several, and the issue will be mailed to its members. Meanwhile, the issue is available on the society’s web site — http://afdcs.org — to members and non-members alike. The AFDCS leadership felt it had an obligation to make the issue available in a timely manner to its members, and hopes non-members will take a look at the magazine and see what a great publication it is. A subscription to First Days is one of the principal benefits of membership in the AFDCS, and membership is the only way to get a subscription. ◾

September / October 2010 • Stamp Insider / 57 Oswego, New York Meets at 6 p.m. on the fourth Monday, except July and August, at Faith United Church, 12 Mark Fitzgibbons Drive Leigh LeClair, 212 Murray St., Oswego, NY 13126-4032 [email protected], 315-342-5653

Club Resuming Meetings After Hiatus he club has been on hiatus during July Tand August. Regular meetings will re- sume on the last Monday in September. Barry Interesssting! A recent trip to an area antique mall resulted in a fun philatelic find. I picked up a cute Os- wego postcard and found an experimental Barry cancel on the reverse side. The card was priced at two dollars — a bargain! Those who collect machine cancels are very familiar with William Barry, the noted Oswego inventor who was instrumental in developing and patenting several mail can- celing machines. The card, cancelled by a Barry mail distrib- uting apparatus, bears an experimental postmark used only for a very brief period. The card, postmarked July 31, 1908, does not have a period after the word Oswego, or the year 08, which makes it experimental cancel EX7b, used from late July to September 2, 1908. A second Barry experimental cancel recently turned up on eBay. This card, bearing a photo of the Oswego Yacht club, was mailed in Oswego on July 9, 1908. It distinctly shows periods after both the word Oswego and the 08. This makes it a great example of Barry Experi- mental EX7a, which was only used from June 20, 1908 to the middle of July 1908. Those wishing for more information on Barry cancels should consult the definitive volumes on the subject, Reg Morris and Robert Paynes’ three volume work, The Barry Story. You may be surprised at the rarity of some of the various Barry machine cancels. ◾

58 / Stamp Insider • September / October 2010 Rochester, New York www.rpastamps.org Meets at 7 p.m. on the second & fourth Thursdays except July and August at Twelve Corners Presbyterian Church, 1200 S. Winton Road Thomas M. Fortunato, 28 Amberwood Place, Rochester, NY 14626-4166 [email protected], 585-225-6822

The Rochester Industrial Expo he Rochester Industrial Expo, which began in 1908, was somewhat of a cross be- Ttween a county fair and a trade fair showcasing the best the city had to offer. The event typically took place in early fall and lasted for a week or two, kicking off with a parade down Main Street. There are some wonderful philatelic reminders of that by-gone era of a century ago through the covers used by merchants to advertise the Expo. Each year an official poster design was selected and used as a cachet on business envelopes by companies throughout the area. Examples are known covering 1909 through 1919, with a good possibility that later year covers may exist. They sell today for between $25 and $75 each in fine condition and can bring more if the original content is enclosed. Programs Our next meetings will be on September 9 and 23, October 14 and Oct 28, and Novem- ber 11. Subjects are to be announced. ◾

September / October 2010 • Stamp Insider / 59 DY S TA TA C M E P Schenectady, New York N C E L

H U SCHAU-NAUGH-TA-DA Meets at 7:30 p.m. on the first Monday, except January–February

C B

S and July–August, at Union Presbyterian Church, 1068 Park Ave. Ronald K. Ratchford, 1105 Union St., Schenectady, NY 12308-2805

O 0 RG 93 [email protected], 518-374-3776 ANIZED 1

Schenectady Post Office Brandywine Station s the city of Schenectady grew in population during the twentieth century, so did the Aperceived need for additional postal facilities to serve that population. Until I was a teen- ager, my home was at 1031 State Street, just slightly west of Brandywine Avenue, a major cross street in the midst of the city. The local post office, the Brandywine Station, was only about a block away at 1121 State Street. Apparently, this postal facility had been serving that part of the community since 1929 — both as a distribution point for letter carriers as well as for walk-in use by postal customers. It is likely that this was where I would first purchase items for my collection of unused United States postage stamps. In August 1962, that postal facility would be replaced by a new Brandywine Station located almost a mile farther east at 1523 State Street. This new brick-faced building was constructed in the style of numerous post offices of the era. There was even a small decorative cupola in the center of the roof. Less than 14 years later in July 1976, the newly constructed Heritage Station would replace both the Brandywine Station and also the Crane Street Station that was located in the Mont Pleasant area. Recently, I decided to photograph the two buildings that had been known as the Brandywine Station of the Schenectady Post Office. The older building at 1121 State Street now houses an income tax preparation firm on the first floor. The 1523 State Street building, now remodeled without the cupola, serves as the Center for Disability Services. At least the Brandywine Station still can live in this

philatelist’s memory. ◾ Ronald K. Ratchford photos

60 / Stamp Insider • September / October 2010 Elkland, Pennsylvania www.stampcampusa.org Conducts youth-oriented activities and adult leader workshops throughout the United States and Canada Cheryl B. Edgcomb, 117 Court St., Suite A, Elkland, PA 16920-1447 [email protected], 814-258-5601

July Stamp Camps Winners Announced e had a busy July with two area camps. The first, Wat Mansfield University for a full week, provided campers with an opportunity to explore hobby basics as well as traditional and creative 3-D stamp exhibit techniques. Each camper prepared unique exhibits that will now go on to upper level stamp exhibition. Creative 3-D exhibits being prepared over the summer will be grouped into a special display for October — National Stamp Collecting Month — at the Pennsylvania State Art Museum. Guest judge was Kent Marshal of the Elmira Stamp Club. Winning grand in 3-D exhibiting was Ethan Mc- Quaid, followed by Aaron Butters and Lorah Wil- son. In the traditional exhibit portion, with each camper producing a single 16-page frame ready for competition, Shannon Madigan placed grand, fol- MSU Camper Aaron Butters lowed by Lorah, Ethan, and Aaron. works on his exhibit. Wellsboro Parks and Recreation Program hosted Stamp Camp for a five-week course, providing campers with an opportunity to begin or expand existing stamp collections, as well as to learn exhibiting techniques. The 3-D exhibits from this stamp camp also will be on display at the State Art Museum in October, providing an ideal opportunity for visitors to see the artistic and educational components that go into the 3-D stamp exhibit process. Guest judge was Tioga County Partnership Executive Director, Deb Atkins. Winners of the Creative 3-D portion were grand award: Flying High by Brayden Button; first place: A Growing Garden by Audrey Zuchowski and Washington DC Park by Reenie Ann Callahan; second place: Summer Garden by Natalie O’Conner and Tree Life by Natalie Mee; and third place: Coral Reefs by Samantha Bailey and In the Woods by Landen Kennedy. Traditional stamp exhibits were prepared in four or more page formats. Winners were grand: Natalie Mee for Ollie and the Owl’s Adventures; reserve grand: Natalie O’Conner for A World of Fish; first place: Samantha Bailey forSammi’s Turtles; second place: Reenie Ann Callahan for Wild Cats; and third place: Brayden Button for Different Covers and Audrey Zuchowski for A Walk in the Woods. ◾

September / October 2010 • Stamp Insider / 61 Staten Island, New York Meets at 7:30 p.m. on the first & third Monday, except July Staten Island and August, at the Rev. Paul Kroon Center of Messiah Lutheran Philatelic Society Church, 195 Jefferson Blvd., Annadale, Staten Island Charles R. Carlson, 30 Hopping Ave., Staten Island, NY 10307-1219 [email protected], 718-984-7880

Too Hot To Handle Stamps e have been on summer hiatus. This summer it is hotter than last. The TV weather Wguy last night said today would be our 27th day of 90 degrees plus, while all last year we had only seven. We’re not even half way through the season. The stamps I acquired while we were in Germany will have to wait until the weather mod- erates before I will put them away. I’ve got air conditioning in my stamp room, but it will still be hot and not the weather I like to handle stamps. At least we have air conditioning. Germany is also having an unusually hot summer, with weeks of days of 30 degrees (Celsius) plus (about 89 Fahrenheit), and no air conditioning. German windows do not open up and down. They either lean in a bit or open like doors, so window units are not feasible. Besides, the Germans are, shall I say charitably — thrifty. Electricity is expensive, so no one will buy an air conditioner that is useful only three or four days a year. Unfortu- nately this year it has been weeks longer, with very high humidity, including most of my three weeks in Munich, during which I hardly left my daughter’s apartment, sitting and sleeping in front of her only fan. My big philatelic knowledge was gained in a stamp shop in Munich. A fellow brought in a nice stock book, well laden with what looked to me like mostly postwar 1940s and early 1950s West German commemoratives and semi-postals. Nice stuff. Some of it would have looked good in my albums, but the dealer hardly looked at it. No certificates. No certificate, no sale! It appeared to be a hard rule. I have a lot of nice German stamps — from the states in the 1850s to the euro issues of unified Germany, but also no certificates. Does that mean my stamps are worthless? I am sure I have been fooled by some German forgeries, stamps and cancels, but I have rarely bought a stamp I thought needed an expert opinion. Some of the expertizing I have seen in this country has not impressed me enough for me to try someone else’s opinion and spend the bucks. Maybe I am also thrifty. Summer hiatus is the time our little club has used to try to find new members. This year we are, again, getting address labels from APS, and will mail to every APS member in the 103xx ZIP code area. The good news is that this year APS is providing them for free! In the past it has cost us $20 dollars or more. The bad news is that there are only about 50 APS members on Staten Island, seven of whom are already SIPS members. The first time we tried this, 20 years ago, there were about 120. The last time was five years ago, and we got 89 labels. We have gotten some members using this method, so we will try again to spread the news that stamp collecting is fun. ◾

62 / Stamp Insider • September / October 2010 Syracuse, New York www.syracusestampclub.org Meets at 8 p.m. the first & third Fridays at the Reformed Church of Syracuse, 1228 Teall Ave.

Allen Swift, P. O. Box 593, East Syracuse, NY 13057-0593 Organized 1919 [email protected], 315-457-3201 APS Chapter 50

‘Steeleing’ the Show he Board of Directors met at Dick Nuhn’s home in mid July. The meeting was kept Tshort so we could spend time congratulating the Treasurer Jim Steele and his wife, Lisa, also a club member, on the arrival of their first grandchild, Rebecca. We celebrated with a delicious cake. Future Club Programs Collecting and creating cachets and cancels can be a lot of fun resulting in covers that are unique, interesting, and even humorous. The program given on September 3 will describe and exhibit many examples of this kind of work. Covers of the Liberty Series show the flow of mail domestically and overseas from the 1950s to the 1970s. Changing rates created collecting challenges involving certified, registered and insured mail ranging from ordinary business mail to sacks of gold sent from Alaska. Join us on October 15 to learn about these covers, their stamps and auxiliary markings; a historical record of America’s history and her culture. Programs* September 3 — Fun with Covers by Vince Juchimek September 17 — Auction October 1 — Anniversary of Scouting by John Finn October 15 — Open house with pizza and drinks; Liberty Series Covers by Paul Davis October 29 — Auction November 5 — Philatelic Forensics by James Shattell * Remember that the club auctions off 10 lots every meeting night. ◾

September / October 2010 • Stamp Insider / 63 Sidney, New York Meets at 7 p.m. on the third Monday, except January and February, September–June at Sidney Civic Center, 21 Liberty St., and July–August at Sidney Memorial Public Library, 8 River St. Robert Finnegan, 10 O’Neill Drive, Oneonta, NY 13820-1154 [email protected], 607-432-8141

Club Revamps Meeting Schedule he club had two summer meetings for the first time in its history in July and August. TWith new blood and new ideas entertained, the club decided to change its meeting dates for the year. It will now meet from September to December, skip the January and February meetings, and pick up meetings from March to August. There are two reasons for the changes. The weather in the southern tier of New York is miserable during January and February and a number of our present members travel to Florida or Arizona for the winter. Meetings for September through June will be scheduled at the Sidney Civic Center, while the July and August meetings will be scheduled at the Sidney Memorial Public Library. Exceptional Presentation The club had an exceptional presentation put on by new member, James Collins in July. His in-depth presentation on Tagging of United States Definitives, complete with ultralight- ing was one of the finer presentations put on in years at the club. Calling Other Clubs The club is entertaining the notion of trying to further interest a possible meeting of various clubs in central New York later this coming year. Steve McCarthy, our newly elected secretary, is doing some probing and will be in contact with other clubs. Dues Dues for the upcoming year will be accepted at the September meeting. They are $18 for the year and include the Stamp Insider. Programs The 2010–2011 Program Schedule for the club is partially put together. The Program Com- mittee, with much input from the membership, decided on the following: September 20 — APS slide presentation: Stamp Printing Methods October 18 — Odd and Unique Stamps Part I by Scott Fielder November 15 — Stamp Conditioning by Bob Kruppo December 20 — Odd and Unique Stamps Part II by Scott Fielder 2011 March 21 — Stamp games and quizzes by Bob Finnegan April 18 — APS slide presentation: Owney the Traveling Dog May 16 — Hosting the Sidney Elementary School Stamp Club June 20 — Annual dinner or barbecue ◾

64 / Stamp Insider • September / October 2010 Binghamton, New York Triple Cities Stamp Club Meets monthly at 1:30 a.m. on Saturday at the Bundy Museum, 129 Main St. Contact us for the monthly dates. Stuart Geisler, 7205 Rising Sun Ave., Philadelphia, PA 19111-3926 [email protected], 215-768-5735

Club Getting New Members e continue to recruit new members to this new club. At the last meeting, we saw Wsome new faces. It was suggested by several attendees that we try to recruit young people by introducing philately at the local schools. John Stopka, club member from Montrose, PA, is teaching a seminar on philately at the local high school. Good work! Club Lectures In July club founder Stuart Geisler gave a lecture on the Postal History of the Broome County, NY Ku Klux Klan, complete with a PowerPoint presentation and covers and stationery from the 1920s from that organization. Illustrated is a mailing envelope for dues that the members paid to keep their membership in the Klan. This lecture was aug- mented by a diametrically opposed postal history lecture on the Freedman’s Bureau, complete with covers formerly owned by a club member from a deputy from that government organization whose function was to ensure that newly freed slaves received their rights of new citizenship. Come to our free lectures to learn more! Beginners Corner A neat trick to prevent mint stamps from sticking to each other in glassine envelopes in hot weather is to coat them with a very thin coat of unmedicated talcum powder. This old trick worked for a century prior to the invention of air conditioning! Three New Postal History Blogs lenn Estus of Westport, New York has launched three new postal history blogs relat- Ging to New York State and Vermont. The http://empirestatepostalhistory.blogspot.com site is devoted to pre-1900 postal history. The http://nypostalhistory.blogspot.com is devoted to post-1900 postal history. The http://vermontpostalhistory.blogspot.com is entirely devoted to that state’s postal history. All three feature covers with brief explanatory text. ◾

September / October 2010 • Stamp Insider / 65 M STA A M S P Troy, New York E C

L Meets at 7 p.m. on the first & third Wednesdays, except June– August, L

U at Cornerstone Community Church, 570 3rd Ave., Lansingburgh

U Terrill S. Miller, 604 Sand Creek Rd., Albany, NY 12205-2435 T R . [email protected], 518-869-6872 OY, N.Y Club Announces Programs for the Year elcome back to our 66th year of philatelic pursuits. Visitors are always welcome. WPlease come and join us. 2010 September 1 — Opening night, appointment of Board of Directors, and Sherlock Holmes by Tom Auletta 15 — Gilboa Dam by John J. Nunes October 6 — Tri City Breweries by John Rudzinski 20 — Single Page Night

November Clip and Save 3 — Fiji by Steve Grey 17 — Tri Club Auction hosted by Uncle Sam Stamp Club December 1 — Joint Issues by John Traver 15 — Holiday banquet 2011 January 5 — Flight Trivia by Wayne Hillison 19 — Rocket Mail by Jim Kirby February 2 — Terry Miller’s Philatelic Quiz 16 — Members auction March 2 — Competition Night 16 — Something Philatelic by Maris Tirums April 6 — New York Postal History by George McGowan 20 — Ireland, pre 1922 by Tom Hanley May 4 — The American Indian on Stamps by Chuck Eson 18 — Spring banquet Summer Picnic Watch for details ◾

66 / Stamp Insider • September / October 2010 ER U Utica, New York AT T I E C Meets at 7 p.m. on the first Tuesday, except January and February, at R A

New Hartford Town Library, 2 Library Lane; stamp circuits available G Jerome F. Wagner, 160 Proctor Blvd., Utica, NY 13501-6119 S 315-732-0219 T B A U M P C L

Spring Banquet Well Attended he spring banquet meeting at the Casa Too Much was well attended. Ken Upde- Tgraft displayed material from his recent trip to the Mexican post office which is always an adventure. This time the stamps from Mexico were commemorating the centennial of the revolution. Updegraft also had a sheet of stamps that illustrated the aviation history of Mexico from the beginning to the present. His topic was quite appropriate for the venue. The new Mexican money, especially the 100 peso note that Updegraft had was really interesting. The note did not appear to be printed on paper, but on a plastic material or Kevlar. Door prizes were given away at the meeting. Meetings Being Posted Online Information has been provided to the secretary by which the club will be able to use the new free Utica Observer-Dispatch online calendar for meeting notices. The club has registered for the site and plans to list all future meetings. French Revolution The presentation at the July meeting was given by Francis Kolarits, who spoke about stamps issued to commemorate the bicentennial of the French Revolution. Kolarits has lived in Paris. This enabled him to provide interesting details related to the par - ticular stamps. Stamps included many reproductions of paintings by Delacriox of fighting in the revolution. Representative Requested The Tri-County Stamp Club of Sidney has requested a representative from the Greater Utica Stamp Club to plan for some future show, possibly similar to the old Cincopex. Steve McCarthy has volunteered to represent the Utica Club. His help is greatly appreciated. Ed Jordan Breaks Hip Ed Jordan fell and broke his hip. A club sent him a card wishing him a speedy recovery. ◾

Ontario & Western Predecessor This 1870s era cover to Rochester was ser- viced on the Utica Branch RPO of the New York & Oswego Midland Railroad. The railroad, organized in 1868, later was renamed the New York, Ontario & Western Railway.

September / October 2010 • Stamp Insider / 67 W M P S Spencerport, New York ORGANIZED FEB. 7, 1961 APS 560-44599 http://westernmonroephilatelicsociety.blogspot.com Meets from 6:30–9 p.m. on the second Tuesday at Ogden Farmers’ Library, 269 Ogden Center Road Gary Musante, 107 Sherwood Drive, Brockport, NY 14420-1451 585-637-9091, [email protected]

The APS circuits are among the more popular club activities. We Will Meet Year Round he bringing back of an old tradition of a club picnic last August prompted a dis- Tcussion which ended in the decision for the club to meet year round without a summer break. Our first ever July meeting was well attended with 11 members, including one new member. We have added one new member at each of our last regular meetings and we now have a total of 18. President Reëlected In July we had our club elections with Diane Bombard being reëlected as president. Damaged in Transit Although not as exciting as early airmail crash covers, Gary Musante brought in a modern cover he received that had been damaged in transit. The envelope, in a plastic cover, had an enclosed note from the U.S. Postal Service that noted a mail truck had caught fire after an accident and damaged most of the mail. It took nine hours to clear the scene and the small amount of salvageable mail had been dried and sanitized. The cover showed little damage —just a little toning at one end, but it does smell smoky. Programs September 14 — Dues payable, APS circuits, silent auction October 12 — Show, Tell and Learn, silent auction November 9 — APS circuits, silent auction December 14 — Holiday gift exchange, Show, Tell and Learn, silent auction ◾

Do you like to draw or paint and meet people from all over? The Art Cover Exchange may be for you! Write to Joe Doles 105 Lawson Rd., Rochester, NY 14616-1444 or go to our Web site: www.artcoverexchange.org

T H E N G W I O V R R L E D One Word for the Future — S Essential Information for Philatelists! AmericanTopical Association

Y F L TOPICALS! T E Stamp Insider H T E A M L for education, creativity, fun A I T I C P H American Topical Association Seeing Is Believing! P. O. 8, Carterville, IL 62918-0008 [email protected] Bimonthly $16 per year. WWW.AMERICANTOPICALASSN.ORG To subscribe or for a sample copy: Federation of New York Philatelic Societies Join the American First Day Cover Society 1105 Union St. • Get a unique perspective on stamp collecting Schenectady, NY • Learn about first day cover collecting • Enjoy FIRST DAYS magazine 12308-2805 • Contact us today! ● AFDCS, P.O. Box 16277, Tucson, AZ 85732-6277 Phone 520-321-0880 • Website www.afdcs.org www.nystampclubs.org

September / October 2010 • Stamp Insider / 69 A CREATIVE NEW e-BOOK FROM Shows WILDTOONZ — Don’t Forget The ‘Z’ & Bourses Award winning cartoonist and children’s book illustrator George Wildman, along with the staff at Wildman Creative Studios, are pleased to announce a September new e-book release focused on the wonderful world of stamp collecting … 12 — Syracuse Philatelic Treasures takes you on an historic U.S. postal journey from Syracuse Stamp, Coin & the earliest days of the post riders through to modern times. Collectibles Show, Holiday ★ Great recruiting tool for new hobbyists! Inn, Carrier Circle, Thruway ★ Fun for all ages, including non-collectors! exit 35. 10–4:30. Bourse. Ed ★ All new artwork exclusively for this product Bailey, 315-452-0593. ★ Puzzle pages with hidden objects 12 — Meriden, CT ★ Pages can be colored for challenging fun! Second Sunday Stamp & ★ Immediate download — no waiting! Coin Show, Sheraton Four Available at www.wildtoonz.com Points, 275 Research Parkway. 9–3:30. Harry Tong, 603-978- 3459, [email protected]. Stamp, Coin, Postcard 19 — Latham Capital District Stamp Show, & Collectibles Show Ramada Latham, 946 New SUNDAY Hours 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. Loudon Rd. 10–4. Bourse. John J. Nunes, 518-399-8395, September 26, October 24, [email protected]. 20 — Binghamton November 28 & December 12 Sunday Stamp Bourse, Holi- day Inn Convention Center, Free Admission & Parking! 2–8 Hawley St. 10–5:30. Harvey D. Morin VFW Post 2940 Stuart Geisler, 215-722-2614, 965 Center Road, West Seneca, NY [email protected]. 21 — Northampton, MA Contact: Victor Drajem • phone: 716-656-8080 Third Tuesday Stamp & Coin Show, World War II Veterans Association, 50 Conz

ILAT H EL P I St. 10:30–8. Harry Tong, 603- • C

EST. • N 1886

S Calling All Writers & Editors

C I

C 978-3459, [email protected]. I R

M Y A • APS Writer’s Unit #30 welcomes writers, editors, publishers, and anyone interested in philatelic writing. 24–26 — New York City Whether you write in-depth research articles, prepare Metropolitan Stamp Expo, news releases, or edit a newsletter, a journal, or books, Midtown Holiday Inn, 440 you’ll bene t from a membership that includes: W. 57th St. Friday noon–6, ✒ The award-winning quarterly The Philatelic Communicator featuring — ✎ Informative articles to improve your writing, editing & design skills Saturday 10–6, Sunday 10–4. ✎ A critique service for your newsletter, journal or other publication John J. Nunes, 518-399-8395, ✎ Web site and software information and reviews [email protected]. ✎ Book, journals, and newsletter reviews, and much, much more! 26 — West Seneca ✒ Biannual breakfasts at APS StampShow and AmeriStamp Expo Stamp, Coin, Postcard & Join today and begin reaping the bene ts! Collectibles Show, Harvey Dues of only $20 per year include the journal. Contact WU #30 Secretary D. Morin VFW Post 2940, 965 George B. Griffenhagen, 2501 Drexel St., Vienna, VA 22180-6906 Center Rd. 10–4. Bourse. Vic- [email protected] • WWW.WU30.ORG tor Drajem, 716-656-8080.

70 / Stamp Insider • September / October 2010 October 2 — Olean NOW BUYING: U.S. & THE WORLD! Olepex 2010. Elks Club, 209 W. State St.. Dealers, displays McCloud 10-4. Ron Yeager, 814-362- 4471; [email protected]. Stamps & Covers 9–10 — Albany Coins & Sports Memorabilia Post Card Mania 11, Clarion • Estate Appraisals Hotel, 3 Watervliet Ave. Satur- • Liquidations • Large & Small Collections day 10–6, Sunday 9–4. Bourse. • Stamp & Coin Supplies John J. Nunes, 518-399-8395, CALL for an APPOINTMENT or [email protected]. WE’LL TRAVEL TO YOU! 10 — Meriden, CT Second Sunday Stamp & Call Today! 585.507.3533 Rochester, New York Coin Show, Sheraton Four Points, 275 Research Parkway. 9–3:30. Harry Tong, 603-978- 3459, [email protected]. 15–16 — Big Flats Suburban Stamps, Coins Elmira Stamp Club Stepex & Collectibles 2010, American Legion Post. Always Buying 45 S. Olcott Rd. 10–6 Friday, 10–5 Saturday. Alan Parsons, 315•452•0593 [email protected]. Open: Tuesday–Friday 10 a.m.–5 p.m. 16 — Cooperstown Leatherstocking Stamp Club Saturday 9 a.m.–1 p.m. Bourse, St. Mary’s Parish 120 Kreischer Road Center. 31 Elm St. 10–4. Ellen North Syracuse, NY 13212-3251 Tillapaugh, 607-547-5646, Just off Taft Road 1⁄2 mile east of Rt. 81 [email protected]. 17 — Latham Mark Szuba • Edward Bailey Capital District Stamp Show, Ramada Latham, 946 New Loudon Rd. 10–4. Bourse. John J. Nunes, 518-399-8395, Lincoln Coin and Stamp Co., Inc. [email protected]. Complete Line of Coin & Stamp Supplies 19 — Northampton, MA We Buy Stamps, Coins, Third Tuesday Stamp & Picture Post Cards, Coin Show, World War II Old Envelopes, Pan American Expo Veterans Association, 50 Conz Material St. 10:30–8. Harry Tong, 603- Come In and Look 978-3459, [email protected]. Around 24 — West Seneca Free Parking Stamp, Coin, Postcard & 33 West Tupper St. Collectibles Show, Harvey at Pearl Street D. Morin VFW Post 2940, 965 Buffalo, NY 14202-1710 Center Rd. 10–4. Bourse. Vic- Phone 716-856-1884 tor Drajem, 716-656-8080. ◾

September / October 2010 • Stamp Insider / 71 The Last Words Heather Sweeting, Associate Editor 14329 Victory St. Sterling NY 13156-3172 315-947-6761; [email protected]

Time for Philatelists To Hit the Books hen students head back to school in September, it can be beneficial for philatelists to hit Wthe books as well. Many topics require advanced knowledge, patience, and time. Tack- ling a new subject can open the door to a new collection, result in a more advanced exhibit, help you to identify newer and rarer varieties, freaks, errors, and more. Philatelic studies, or as one friend puts it, philatelic archeological digs, can be entertaining and educational. During July’s 90 degree days I organized all the covers I had accumulated franked with 44- cent flag and Liberty Bell Forever stamps. The task, which I thought might take an hour, took three hours of sorting, magnifying, etc. I try to find one example of each issue used on cover and this can be extremely challenging. Have you avoided studying the Washington–Franklins, Indian States, or another area because the task is so daunting? Is there a pile of stamps you have set aside because you aren’t sure what they are or can’t identify them? In previous years, many collectors and collector societies created vast libraries of reference works to assist collectors in these tasks. Now, much of this same information is being transferred to, shared, and made available on various philatelic web sites. These range from very basic beginner collector information to advanced forgery studies. Here are a few online philatelic sources that may slake your philatelic thirst for knowledge: A basic guide to the various types of perforations can be found at www.stamp2.com /library/perforation.asp. A free perforation gauge is downloadable in Adobe Acrobat format at http://webspace .webring.com/people/md/dakshina_kan_pa/download/perf.pdf. AskPhil has an excellent philatelic glossary at www.askphil.org/b25.htm. Terms trans- lated into different languages can be found at www.stampshows.com/translate.html. The International Society of World Stamp Clubs has a stamp identifier atwww.iswsc .org/iswsc_ident.html, which also contains a list of bogus stamp issuing countries. Tackle that pile of hard to identify stamps by scanning your stamp and posting a question at Identify Your Weird Stamps, www.raster.it/stefano/a/ — a site where users ask questions about revenues, Cinderella seals and labels, and unidentified stamps. For those looking for a more advanced subject, investigate the stamp forgery identifier, which has examples of genuine and forged copies of various issues. Are your stamps real? http://stamps.about.com/gi/o.htm?zi=1/XJ/Ya&zTi=1&sdn=stamps&cdn= hobbies&tm=445&gps=265_392_1242_757&f=00&tt=14&bt=0&bts=0&zu=http% 3A//www.geocities.com/claghorn1p/. Do you have a favorite educational link to share with fellow collectors? Let us know, or send in a review of your favorite site! Now get back to your homework! ◾

72 / Stamp Insider • September / October 2010 LINDNER USA Your Home for Stamp & Coin Supplies & Accessories. LINDNER Publications, Inc., 800-654-0324 PO Box 5056, Syracuse, NY 13220-5056 www.lindner-usa.com Stamp Insider 1105 Union Street PRSRT STD Schenectady, NY 12308-2805 U.S. Postage Paid Madrid, IA 50156 Return Service Requested Permit No. 10 Dated Mail — Please Rush

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