Philatelic Memories

Stamp Insider www.nystampclubs.org November / December 2010

Mail on the St. Lawrence

Journal of the Federation of New York Philatelic Societies Join the Cover Society and Never Miss an Issue

ArtCraft first day covers are recognized worldwide for the excellence of their artistic design, and for the distinction of their fine engraving on rag content envelopes. For these qualities, collectors choose ArtCraft more often than any other brand. ARTCRAFT MAKES IT EASY The ArtCraft Cover Society can give you all the enjoyment of collecting first day covers without the frustrations. You’ll get fresh unaddressed covers, shipped in a protective package, for as much as 12% less than our regularly advertised mail order prices. (The member price for a single of a 42¢ issue is only $2.40). Shipments are sent approximately once a month, and covers are charged against the balance you have on deposit. No more missed issues, no dues, no service charges, and no shipping fees. We’ll enclose a statement of your account in each mailing showing all trans- actions since your last mailing and your new deposit balance. When your balance runs low (and before you miss a mailing) you’ll be advised that an additional deposit is necessary. If you wish, you can authorize us to automatically charge your renewal to the Visa, MasterCard, or Discover card you specify. And, we can customize your service to match almost any collecting profile. START NOW—Visit our website, phone, or write us today to receive complete information on the services we offer and how to join. The ArtCraft Cover Society FLORHAM PARK, NEW JERSEY 07932 Toll Free: (877) 966-0001 • Internet: www.washpress.com November / December 2010 Contents Vol. 27 No. 2 o President’s Viewpoint ion f Ne at w r Y Silent Majority Has Yet To Speak...... 2 e o d r e k F Editor’s Perspective

S ta m p . . A Bonus from a Newspaper ...... 4 P . h c i n Pondering Philately: la I t s, el ie ic Societ A Retrospective as a Column Ends...... 6 Insider BNA: Canada Post and Stamp Quest...... 8 www.nystampclubs.org Seen at Auction: Look for Clues on Cover...... 10 Editor Chris Brock: Mail on the St. Lawrence.....14 Albert W. Starkweather 5668 Tranquility Oaks Dr., Unit 208 About the Cover Tampa, FL 33624-5849 Closed for the Season — the post office on 813-962-7964; [email protected] Round Island — by Mary Randazzo of Clay- www.starkweatherdeisgn.com ton, New York (www.maryrandazzo.com). Associate Editor Albert W. Starkweather: Heather Sweeting 14329 Victory St., Sterling NY 13156-3172 River Mail’s Historical Perspective...... 20 315-947-6761; [email protected] Florence Wright: Trained Seals...... 26 Cartoon Museum Closes...... 28 Advertising Manager Review: Attracting Youngsters...... 30 George McGowan Phyllis Larsen: Philatelic Memories...... 32 P. O. Box 482, East Schodack, NY 12063-0482 Exploring Deltiology: 518-479-4396; [email protected] TV Turned the Tide in 1960 Election..... 34 Webmaster First Day Coverage: Thomas M. Fortunato Maximum Card or Not?...... 35 28 Amberwood Place, Rochester, NY 14626-4166 Fillmore the Philatelist: 585-225-6822; [email protected] The Good Time Governor...... 38 Youth & Philately: Financial 20th–21st Century Commemoratives...... 39 John J. Nunes Frugal Philatelist: 80 Fredericks Road. Scotia, NY 12302-5727 Low Stress Collecting...... 40 518-399-8395; [email protected] Club Pages...... 41–68 Subscriptions / Secretary Philateli-Calamity...... 69 Ronald K. Ratchford Shows & Bourses...... 70–71 1105 Union St.. Schenectady, NY 12308-2805 The Last Words: 518-374-3776 ; [email protected] 2011 U.S. Program a Pleasant Surprise..... 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]

Silent Majority Has Yet To Speak he response to my last president’s column was minimal — almost a resounding Tsilence. We received three individual responses regarding possible methods of delivery for the Stamp Insider. There was no input from any of our member clubs as to which type they preferred. I am left with the same uncertainty as when I wrote the previous column two months ago. I can only conclude that our membership is happy with the status quo. At this point we will plan no large change for the near future. We will strive to continue to bring you the excellent quality and content found in the Insider. Our finances continue to be a concern, especially with proposed increases in postal rates on the horizon, even though the USPS’ latest request was denied by the Postal Regu- latory Commission. A future rate hike will likely mean another round of price changes for our advertisers and for receiving a copy of the Insider. All rates are projected to increase approximately 10 percent. This will influence 2011 rates which will be enumerated in the January–February issue. Some Responses “My two cents is that you should encourage electronic distribution to cut costs using the PDF format, but I know there will be advertisers and others who want a print version no matter what. So offer both for now, but push the e-mailed version,” wrote Stewart Krem- sky, an ESPHS member. “I suppose that the very act of taking pen in hand foreshadows my wishes regarding the form of future Stamp Insider issues,” wrote J. Ogden Tyldsley, Jr. of the Dutchess Philatelic Society. “I neither own, nor have any experience with a computer, nor do I anticipate a change in this status,” he continued. “Obviously my preference is a con- tinuance of the printed copies; surely I am not the only neo-Luddite in our graying hobby. I would be willing to pay $1–$2 per copy, should the need arise … the less the better, of course!” Myron Kavalgian of Old Lyme, Connecticut had several ideas to boost revenue, including: • Mail the magazine in a poly-bag which has an ad on the carrier card. This will allow you to sell the back cover for a full page instead of the partial page that’s there now. An advertiser would need to buy several months at a time so the cost of printing the carrier cards would be minimal. • Classified ads — Perhaps a reader needs a stamp or stamps? Perhaps a company needs a philatelic expert or an auction catalogue person? Classified ads would be similar to the ones now running in Linn’s Stamp News. ◾

2 / Stamp Insider • November / December 2010 TWO GREAT SHOWS! $Millions in U.S. & worldwide stamps, covers & collections from 10¢ to $Thousands ﬁ lling more than 50 tables in congenial, relaxed ballrooms MetroExpo NY, December 10-12 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

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For dealer space in New York or DC:

Dick Murphy, 508-393-9732, [email protected] John Nunes, 518-399-8395, [email protected] Editor’s Perspective Albert W. Starkweather 5668 Tranquility Oaks Dr., Unit 208 Tampa, FL 33624-5849 813-962-7964; [email protected]

A Bonus from a Newspaper hen I began planning this issue, I had another cover story in mind that now will ap- Wpear in a later issue. On deadline Associate Editor Heather Sweeting discovered an article on boat mail service to four of the Thousand Islands in the September 28 issue of the Watertown Daily Times. Slightly recast to emphasize the philatelic aspect, Chris Brock’s feature begins on page 14. This emphasizes the importance of the newspaper as a resource for philatelists. I was blissfully unaware that the USPS was still serving the four islands through contract service, one of which has a large permanent population and receives year-round delivery. From Gerald Wiley’s postal history CDs I was aware of the islands’ historical perspective when mail service was initiated in the late 19th century. We are also indebted to Mary Randazzo, a self- trained artist from Clayton who specializes in colorful scenes of the Thousand Is- lands for the cover art. Her painting of the Fron- tenac post office on Round Island in winter — Closed for the Season — seemed appropriate for the November– December issue cover. Her equally compelling fall scene — Season’s End — would have been ideal if the article had run in the Sep- tember–October issue. Both scenes are shown in full. To learn more about Randazzo, visit her web site — www.maryrandazzo.com. Limited edition prints of some of her paintings are

available online. ◾ Mary Randazzo

4 / Stamp Insider • November / December 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, November 21 & December 19 January 16, March 20, April 17, May 15, June 19, July 17, August 21, September 18, November 20, and December 18, 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 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 Post Card Mania 12 10 a.m.–6 p.m. Saturday, October 15, 2011 9 a.m.–4 p.m. Sunday, October 16, 2011 Clarion Hotel, 3 Watervliet Ave., Albany, New York 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]

A Retrospective as a Column Ends arlier this year I decided to write my last Stamp Insider column for the final issue of E2010 and I want to conclude my tenure with some thoughts about the experience. It has been a rewarding five years and I consider myself fortunate for a variety of reasons, but primarily for my newfound knowledge, the kind words about my columns from fellow collectors, and the salary — none. OK, maybe not the salary. Nonetheless, meeting a deadline every two months is a J-O-B and freeing up some time for my other interests was the motivation to stop writing this column. In the future I hope to contribute an article from time to time to the Insider. Along the way I tried to keep the column fresh by producing pieces that provided the reader with informative and occasionally thought-provoking material. You, of course, are the judge. When Al Starkweather first asked me to write for the November–December 2005 issue of the Insider, it was to continue an existing column called “Site Seeing.” The objective of that column was to provide insight about the internet culture. The world wide web is a vast and amazing source of information, and I wanted to provide the reader with the very latest knowledge available on the Internet. To do so, during the week or so prior to my deadline I would try to fashion a question that Insider readers might be contemporaneously asking themselves, and then begin my internet search just prior to the deadline. After a year or so of “Site Seeing” I wanted to expand the content of my column, and Al kindly embraced my concept, so we changed the name of the column to “Pondering Philately” to reflect the new course. During the past four years conversations with friends and acquaintances have led me to explore the nooks and crannies of philately. Frank Tritto’s 1915 Scott Catalogue, Dennis Gilson’s novel Washington–Franklin gauges, and Denise Lazaroff ’s creative 3-D covers provided grist for my column. Many others, primarily from the American Philatelic Society and the Rochester Philatelic Association, have planted seeds that contributed to my process. I believe the most difficult job in the production of a stamp periodical — especially one that depends on volunteers for copy — is the editor. I want to thank Al for his flexibility, but most of all for his dedication to excellence, which is manifestly evident, in the Insider. Nearly every editor is on the alert for writers, and Al is no exception. If you have something worthwhile to say about philately, you may want to contact him and offer your services. I’m convinced you won’t be sorry if you do. ◾

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

Canada Post and Stamp Quest hilatelists in the Capital PDistrict are fortunate to list Tom Hanley among their ranks. Before retiring, he spent his entire career as an elementary school teacher in the Waterford–Half- moon district of southern Saratoga County. For many of those years he was the faculty advisor to the school’s Ben Frank- lin Stamp Club, which averaged more than 20 youngsters each year. This was one of the most successful Ben Franklin clubs in New York state — and probably in the country. The children produced one or more event cachets each year and attended as many first day ceremonies as they could throughout the northeast. However, as popular as the Ben Franklin Stamp Club program was, the U.S. Post - al Service abruptly ended it several years ago. When Hanley’s son, Brian, was a child, he signed him up with Canada Post’s program for youngsters — Stamp Quest. Now Brian is an adult out on his own but his father still maintains his membership. In the beginning, Canada Post provided album pages, mounts, and binders for the children without cost; today there is a charge. Stamp Quest does a wonderful job providing not only stamps and the above men- tioned supplies, but also quarterly publications, philatelic comic books, stamp contests, stamp polls, stories about future releases, and makes available additional supplies, and related games and toys. If you visit www.stampquest.ca you can download free stuff, play interactive games, read about new issues, and enroll a child with Stamp Quest. The site is simple and easy to navigate. Hats off to Canada Post for providing such a wonderful service to children all around the world. ◾

8 / Stamp Insider • November / December 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]

Look for Clues on Cover have stressed a number of themes collec- I tors should keep in mind when buying and selling stamps and covers through auction. This is especially true with eBay. This time around I take a look at a cover with a rather ordinary cancel and hand stamp. However, the envelope itself provides clues to a very interesting journey the cover traveled. This eBay cover was described as a “NY, 1935 Paquebot Cover Furness Lines Bermuda” with an opening bid of $9.99. The back of the cover had an embossed Fur- ness Bermuda Line seal. Only one bidder took interest and won the cover. I was able to conclude the cover is indeed a paquebot cover because of the circu- lar “Posted on the High Seas” handstamp and that it actually passed through the mail stream as shown by the New York machine cancel. We are thankful the seller scanned both sides of the cover. Without the back of the cover we would not be able to determine which shipping line it originated from. It is presumed the contents are missing. The Furness Wilthy and Company was awarded the mail contract for the New York to Bermuda line in 1919. Bermuda was a popular vacation spot for tourists and Furness Wilthy ordered two luxury liners, the Monarch of Bermuda and Queen of Bermuda, which alternated on the route between 1933 and 1939. Both ships made the run between New York and Bermuda in two days allowing four days to be spent on the island. So it is safe to say this letter was posted on one of the two ships thus receiving the hand stamp. The cover remained in the ship’s mailbag and upon return to New York the cover entered the mail stream and received the New York machine cancel. It then continued to its destination. This is another example of an unusual usage that was acquired for less than its value. Covers with auxiliary markings are desirable and are priced as such. With luck and knowledge you can acquire covers such as this on eBay for less than what a dealer would charge. Good hunting! ◾

10 / Stamp Insider • November / December 2010 STAMPS ◆ COVRS ◆ POSTCARDS ◆ CLASSIC SPORTS CARDS NASSAU STREET STAMPS & COLLECTIBLES George McGowan

. P. H . . S S . E EMPIRE STATE FOUNDED POSTAL HISTORY

1 SOCIETY 9 6 7 Welcome to our larger quarters AND ADDITIONAL STORE HOURS Same Location We have moved from Room 5 to Room 10 in the Wood Realty / Oerbeck Builders Building 4151 US20, Schodack, NY (½ mile east of the junction of Routes 9 & 20) Check Out Our New Stock: More than 6,000 new post cards More than10,000 new covers Strong O erings Of: New York State & New England Postal History RFD Covers – RPO Covers – Naval Covers – Doane Cancels Topical Covers – Canal Zone Covers and Cards Store Hours: A T R. 4 Tuesday noon–5 p.m. ursday noon–7 p.m. Friday noon–5 p.m. And by appointment. R. 9 I-90 & 20 E 11 Call ahead to be sure we are open. Mailing Address: R 20 P. O. Box 482 ✪ T P East Schodack, NY 12063-0482 R 9 [email protected] T H (518) 479-4396 or 573-5457 Fall Savings On Cover Album Postcard Album • Complete album with 25 pages • Complete album with 25 pages (page size 87/8x9”) Available in: (page size 87/8x9”) Available in: Blue, Black, Wine Red Blue, Black, Wine Red • Black-back two-sided 2 pocket • Black-back two-sided 2 pocket pages pages (holds 100 180x108mm covers) (holds 100 154x108mm cards) ZGK-838A $28.78, $21.59 ZGK-836A $28.78, $21.59

• Same with all-clear pages • Same with all-clear pages (holds 100 covers or 50 viewed (holds 100 cards or 50 viewed from from both sides) both sides) ZGK-838AC $28.78, $21.59 ZGK-836AC $28.78, $21.59

108 mm 108 mm

183mm 154mm

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135 mm 140 mm

140 mm 140 mm

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St. Lawrence River U.S. Channel• Clayton, NY 1 mile Mail on the St. Lawrence By Chris Brock / Watertown Daily Times Staff Writer either snow, rain, sleet nor four-foot waves slows mail service to four islands in the NSt. Lawrence River near Clayton, New York. On a blustery September day, Brian C. Parker guided his 18-foot, mail-laden 1965 Starcraft steel boat to the Clayton municipal docks to collect a Times photographer and me two days after Labor Day and a week before service to three of the islands ended for the season. “It’s starting to get quiet,” he said. “A lot of people leave at this time of year.” He turned the boat around, gave it some gas and the 115-horsepower Evinrude outboard bit into the water, winning the war with the whitecaps, but giving the boat solid slams as Parker headed out to his daily duties. “You earn your money on days like these,” he said. Parker, 47, a Grindstone Island resident, is in his fourth year of a contract with the U.S. Postal Service to deliver mail to Grindstone, Grenell, and Round (Frontenac) islands, and Murray Isle. All but Grindstone have postal facilities where island residents pick up their mail. On Grindstone, Parker spends about 45 minutes in his pickup truck delivering to roadside mailboxes. His day begins at the Clayton post office, where he picks up the islanders’ mail. He delivers to Grindstone year-round. When the river freezes up, he uses an airboat or, pref- erably, a snowmobile, which is less expensive to operate, to fetch and deliver the mail. He delivers to the other islands from mid-June through mid-September, when the seasonal residents leave their cottages for the year.

Continued on Page 16 Google Earth image

14 / Stamp Insider • November / December 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!

To Saratoga Springs I-87  Route 9

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Azusa To Albany Mail on the St. Lawrence — Continued from Page 14 Parker enjoys his job. “It certainly is unique,” he said — “then you have days like today.” After a pause, he added, “It’s not so much as days like today, but it’s when you have a wind and it’s like 15 degrees and it starts to build ice on your boat. But I guess I wouldn’t be doing it if I didn’t like it.” His route is in the Albany District of the U.S. Postal Service, an expansive area of about 710 post offices incorporating Bing- hamton, the Finger Lakes, the foothills of the Catskills, Plattsburgh, and the Thou- sand Islands. Maureen P. Marion, public affairs specialist for the Albany District, said the district has several boat routes covered under a seasonal highway contract route system. Other boat routes in her district are in Lake Placid, Old Forge, Big Moose Lake, Ra- quette Lake, Inlet, and Skaneateles Lake. Workers contracted by the USPS on three islands wait for Parker’s boat to exchange bags of mail. The first stop is Round Island (also known as Frontenac Island), a mile down- river from Clayton. Unlike the other islands, its post office is dockside. The green building is adorned with a Frontenac sign, signi- fying that the building is the lone surviving A Day on the Job structure of the once massive Hotel Fron- On a rough day on the St. Lawrence Riv- tenac resort complex. The hotel burned in er, Parker leaves Clayton. From his boat, Parker exchanges bags of mail with Jose- 1911 and its annex in 1917. phine N. Van Order, postmaster at Round Josephine N. Van Order, whose perma- Island’s Frontenac postal facility. Parker nent home is in Freeville, Tompkins County, carries the day’s mail down a dock to de- has been Round Island’s contract postmas- liver on Grindstone Island, the only island he serves year-round. ter for about a decade. She said the island, named after a person and not its shape, has about 40 residents at the height of the summer season. In recent years, Van Order has noticed declining mail volume. “It’s been a big decrease in usage because of e-mail,” she said.

Continued on Page 18 Daily Times Norm Johnston / Watertown

16 / Stamp Insider • November / December 2010 Buffalo Stamp Club’s Two Great Events AUTUMN STAMP FESTIVAL 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. Saturday, November 20 BUFPEX 2011 Buffalo’s Oldest & Largest Stamp Festival Exhibition, Bourse & More Coming 10 a.m. to 5 p.m., Saturday, March 5 10 a.m. to 3 p.m., Sunday, March 6 Free Admission, Parking & Door Prizes — Lunch Available Both Days Both at VFW Leonard Post 6251 2450 Walden Avenue, Cheektowaga, New York

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November / December 2010 • Stamp Insider / 17 Each island contract post office has its own cancelling devices, although most mail is postmarked in Clayton. The ZIP codes are the same as that for Clayton. Mail on the St. Lawrence — Continued from Page 16 The river became a little calmer as the boat escaped the full force of westerly winds and headed to Murray Isle. “That’s the beauty of this river,” Mr. Parker said. “You can always find someplace calm.” Murray Isle’s contract postmaster Elizabeth A. Lamb is proud of its stamp sales, say- ing it’s the islanders’ small way of showing support for the facility. She pointed to a wall chart showing stamp sales over the past several years. The record was in 2006, when they hit $14,000. As of September 8, the facility had recorded $10,604 in stamp sales. Lamb hopes U.S. Postal Service officials will consider such numbers during any further budget cutbacks. She worries the small community post offices on the islands will be axed. At this point, such worries are not warranted, Marion said. “There are no discussions to alter our tradition of service in the Thousand Islands,” she said. Lamb said the post office history on the island “goes back to the hotel days.” The Mur- ray Hill hotel was built in 1894 and torn down in 1925. The postal facility was operated out of a dock house associated with the hotel through 1947, when operations were shifted to a surplus World War II Army barracks that was shipped piecemeal, Lamb assumes, from Pine Camp — now Fort Drum. She said the island has about 50 post office box hold- ers in the summer and around 65 cottages. The post office shares its space with the Mur- ray Isle Association. Joan C. Rector started coming to Grenell Island as a child in the 1940s. She’s in her fifth year as the contracted postmaster. “It’s a community here, and the post office is part of it,” she said. The postal facility is in the island’s community house operated by the Grenell Island Improvement Association. There are about 35 mailboxes for residents. Rector remembers, as a child, heading to a store on one end of the island, where the post office used to be. “The association bought the mailboxes about 25 years ago and brought them to the community house,” she said. The island is the permanent home of Rector and her husband, Timothy. They spend the colder months on the road traveling in their recreational vehicle. After heading to Grindstone and securing his boat at the community dock, Parker hopped in his Dodge pickup truck for the on-land, year-round portion of his route. He delivers to about 75 residents at the height of the summer on his approximately 18-mile route. None of the roads are paved, but they are plowed in the winter. ◾

Historical Perspective — See Page 20 Postmarks Courtesy of Glenn A. Estus

18 / Stamp Insider • November / December 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 River Mail’s Historical Perspective By Albert W. Starkweather he origins of mail boat service Ton the St. Lawrence River date to 1845 when a contract star route was established from Lewiston just north of Niagara Falls, up the Niaga- ra River, east across Lake Ontario to Rochester, Oswego, and Sackets Har- bor, and down the St. Lawrence with stops at Kingston, Ontario and Clay- ton, Alexandria Bay, Morristown, and Ogdensburg, New York. The steamer St. Lawrence handled mail between Alex- Mail was carried six times a week andria Bay and Clayton for nearly a quarter century. over this route under three consecutive contracts until 1857. The first contract was for $1,500 a year and the latter two were for $3,000 per annum. This service ultimately was doomed because the lake and river froze solid during the winter, which begs the question of why the contracts specified per annum, and by the rapid expansion of the rail network along the lake and river. Although railway post office (RPO) service was not begun until 1864, railroads had begun carrying mail in 1837. RPOs later also included water routes. One of the latter was established between Al- exandria Bay and Clayton, operating June 15 to September 15 from 1893 to 1917 by the steamer St. Lawrence. The route included St. Lawrence Park on the mainland en route and Thousand Island Park on the western tip of Wellesley Island. The latter was particularly important since there was no connection to either the U.S. or Canadian mainland until the Thousand Islands International Bridge system opened in 1939. Until that time only Wolfe Island, entirely in Canadian waters and the largest in the Thousand Islands group, had regular ferry service. Established in 1802, Cape Vincent, New York and Kingston, Ontario were connected via two ferries. The expanded railroads opened new tourist destinations in the latter 19th century, including the Adirondacks and the Thousand Islands. To satisfy those flocking to the North Country huge hotels were erected, including in each of the major villages along the St. Lawrence and on some of the larger islands between Alexandria Bay and Cape Vincent. The latter included the elegant Frontenac on Round Island, the Murray Hill Hotel on Mur- ray Isle, and the massive Columbian in Thousand Island Park. Fire and the ravages of time claimed the palatial hotels — some during their heyday and others after they went out of style. The longest lived was the 114-year-old Hotel Crossman in Al- exandria Bay, which was razed in 1962. As the hotels disappeared, summer homes proliferated on the islands. Some rivalled Newport, Rhode Island mansions; others were simple cottages.

Continued on Page 22 Gerald Wiley Collection througout

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Contact Our Northeastern Representative Today! John J. Nunes [email protected] 518-399-8395 www.harmerschau.com H S Historical Perspective — Continued from Page 20 The hotels attracted thousands of seasonal guests who demanded mail service. The island hotels had onsite offices that also served the growing number of summer homes. The four most populous U.S. islands which have no connection to the mainland continue to receive mail by boat. The year-round Thousand Island Park post office, dating to 1876, now is served by truck. Thousand Island Park on Wellesley Island was a stop for the St. Lawrence. which was in its fourth year of Grindstone is the only other is- service when this cover was mailed in 1897. land receiving year-round service. Its office, opened in 1880, closed on October 8, 1974 after surviving a previous closing attempt in 1959. Mail now is handled through the Clayton office, transferred by boat, and delivered to residents’ mailboxes by truck. Round Island — called Fronte- nac Island by the USPS — has a rich postal history. An office opened on February 20, 1889; its first postmark identifies the office’s location The— Frontenac. By 1892 there was a circu- lar date stamp (CDS) identifying the office simply as Frontenac. An 1894 cover has an even simpler device. The killer for all three is a set of four concentric circles. Continued on Page 24

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November / December 2010 • Stamp Insider / 23 Historical Perspective — Continued from Page 22 The first post office on Murray Isle, established in 1896, was located in the Mur- ray Hill Hotel which opened that year. Ama- sa Corbin, Jr. of Gouverneur, the hotel’s proprietor, was the first postmaster. Corbin died in 1913 during a visit to his mining interests in Missouri. The office was discontinued in 1918, but was later resurrected as a seasonal branch of the Clayton post office. The hotel was closed in 1923 and later razed. The Pullman House on Grennell Island was among the shortest-lived resorts. It opened in 1890 and burned near the end of the season in 1904. The post office was moved to a store where it remained until about 25 years ago. ◾

lacking fire protection, not that those where Fire! firemen were called fared much better. he most dreaded word to hoteliers always A visitor on Grennell Island witnessed Thas been fire! Particularly susceptible were the destruction of the Columbian and 60 wood-frame structures in remote locations cottages on July 9, 1912. ◾

24 / Stamp Insider • November / December 2010 Big Box of Stuff

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November / December 2010 • Stamp Insider / 25 Trained}seals{ By Florence H. Wright ho at Christmas does not picture a train — one running around the base of the tree, Wperhaps? A toy train, which may enjoy the holiday only to be packed away until the next Yuletide. Or, if lucky, gets transferred to a table in the basement or attic, then to graduate into a model railroad as the years progress. Toy and model trains and engines have made their way onto postage stamps. They have also made their way onto numerous Christmas seals. While several countries’ seals have pictures of trains, here I show the American Lung Association (ALA) issues from the past. 1967 was the first year that Christmas trains were featured exclusively on the national seals. Designed by L. Gerald Snyder, there were 10 different designs each containing a car or engine of a train. On alternate rows, the train is going the other way. Ten different winter and Christmas designs appeared on the 1972 sheet. The complete design consists of a continuous picture covering 10 horizontal seals, and repeats 10 times in a sheet. The little train is captured on the second seal from the left and suggests it may be in competition with the sleigh seen on the next seal. The vignettes were designed by Linda Layman, and seal sales realized $38,000,557 that year. In the 1970s and ’80s the ALA sponsored art contests for children in each state, the District of Columbia, Puerto Rico, Virgin Islands, and Samoa/Guam. Youngsters were to draw what Christmas or the holiday season meant to them. One winner was chosen from each state and those designs were put on the ALA seals for that year. Each seal was inscribed with name of state or territory; there were 54 seals per sheet.

26 / Stamp Insider • November / December 2010 I scrutinized these sheets rather closely to see if any of the children might have included a toy train on their Christmas design and found a few. I’m not sure if the Vermont winner in 1975 drew a train (loco) or a truck beneath the tree. But we include it just in case. But there is no question that the young Texas artist in 1977 has a railroad track and loco on his Christmas seal. The South Da- kota picture in 1978 is interesting in that this railroad track is going around the fireplace! Beginning in 1979, the American Lung Association began issuing Test Designs for release in limited areas of the country or to selected groups, to try to determine which design was the most popular. In the following years, the nationally issued design was usually based on one of the previous year’s design experiments. In 1985 one of the test seals was a block of antique toys, one of which was a locomotive. These seals were not chosen for the next year’s national issue, however. Another set of test seals in 1989 would have delighted train buffs. A little wood loco sits outside of Santa’s pack in a seal which was part of a larger design covering four seals. Again, these seals were not chosen for the national issue. Continued on Page 28

November / December 2010 • Stamp Insider / 27 Ticonderoga Cartoon Museum Closes he Ticonderoga Cartoon Mu- Tseum closed at the end of Au- gust. The collection was donated to the Pittsburgh ToonSeum — www.toonseum.org. “I’ve been collecting cartoons for 60 years,” said Stan Burdick, Cartoon Mu- seum owner / director and Stamp In- sider cartoonist. “It’s been a passion of mine. I’ll miss that, but it’s exciting to think of the thousands of people who get to see the collection now.” Toon Time Valued at more than $100,000, Joe Wos, left, executive director of the Pitts- burgh ToonSeum, greets Stan Burdick, director the local collection will become the of the Ticonderoga Cartoon Museum. Burdick Gallery at the ToonSeum, ac- cording to Joe Wos, executive director of the Pittsburgh facility. The collection was transferred in mid September. ◾

Trained Seals — Continued from Page 27 Children’s art, in sheets of 53 returned in 1995 but in the center of the bottom row is text which gave details about the ALA children’s Christmas seal design contest. The theme was “Things that make you feel good at Christmas.” The Wyoming winner appar- ently thought a train under the tree made him/her feel good! The 1996 children’s contest winners were picked as test seals, but another design was chosen for the 1997 national seals. Mis- sissippi’s entry would have been a winner in my eyes! The 1999 seals, designed by Mary Milich, featured children’s toys: a doll, rocking horse, train and drum, on seals and gift tags. This was a test sheet and was selected as the national issue for ’99. This was available in both rouletted sheets, as well as self-adhesive, serpentine die cut sheets. Only the toy train engine is shown. I believe there have been no trains of any description on ALA seals for almost a decade. If I am wrong, I’ll be sure to let you know. ◾

Florence Wright of Rochester is a seal collector and secretary–treasurer

of the Christmas Seal & Charity Stamp Society. photo of Ti Times

28 / Stamp Insider • November / December 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 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

November / December 2010 • Stamp Insider / 29 Review: Attracting Youngsters By Cheryl B. Edgcomb Philatelic Treasures by George Wildman. 20 pages, 8A/b × 11 inches, e-book. ©2010 Wildman Creative Studios, Hamden, Connecticut. $3.99 online download from www.wildtoonz.com. n a tribute to the U.S. Postal Service Iand the hobby of stamp collecting, this 20-page booklet is geared to elementary school age children, but is interesting to beginners of all ages. Purchasers pay for and download Philatelic Treasures from the author’s web site and then output a copy on their own printer. Illustrated by award-winning cartoonist, George Wildman, the intricately detailed page designs feature a blend of stamp collecting components, as well as postal history ties. To provide a secondary activity to the mix, Wildman includes hidden objects embedded within his illustrations, an activity that most children find very appeal- ing. Designed in such a way that they are suitable for coloring, the multitude of activities featured throughout the booklet fre- quently display a comical component, adding a spark of humor overall. The story content, suggested by avid stamp collector John Withers, a neighbor of Wildman, brings the history of the U.S. Post Office Department and successor USPS to life, from the early post rider days to the present. In a setting where a young grandson is visiting with his grandfather, the experienced collector is delighted when the boy’s curiosity is piqued by his stamp collection. As grand- pa explains the various aspects of stamp collecting and the history of the mail, the illustrations depict a setting that perfectly coincides, making it easy for the reader to follow. The booklet is divided into six sections: “An Awakening Visit,” “Who Delivers Your Mail?,” “The Iron Horse Moves Our Mail West,” “America Begins To Expand,” “Mail Crosses the Ocean,” and “Today’s Mail Service.” This booklet would make an ideal classroom, stamp club, or Stamp Camp supple- ment to provide basic hobby information, while providing a fun activity that can be enjoyed individually, or as a group or family. If philately and the history of the U.S. mail is a subject you are seeking to explore and share, then Philatelic Treasures is a perfect tool to help you accomplish that end. ◾

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November / December 2010 • Stamp Insider / 31 Philatelic Memories How I Became Interested in Stamps By Phyllis Larsen n the early 1930s, I used Ito wait near the road for the letter carrier to deliver mail to Clover Farm in An- dover, Massachusetts. One day, in addition to the usual letters, he handed me two red stamps — the Arbor Day 60th Anniversary and the III Winter Olympics at Lake Placid, New York “First” Stamps (Scott No. 716 and 717). The author’s lifetime interest in philately was sparked by “Maybe,” he said, “you’d a postman’s gift in the early 1930s. Arbor Day had a New like to use these special York State connection as well. Its founder, J. Sterling Mor- stamps to start a collection.” ton, was born in Adams. I was 9 years old then, and I’ve been gathering stamps in a disorderly way ever since. My husband buys new stamps at the post office and I save whatever arrives on our daily letters. If an envelope or card has a clean cancellation, or if it otherwise catches my eye in some way, I stuff it into an open, brown 11 × 17-inch envelope behind my chair. Such gathered stamps and envelopes became useful when I taught at Beijing Agricul- tural University from 1984–1987. A mass of individual stamps, still not soaked free, occasionally would be laid out on a table and four or five stamp-collecting students would select ones they didn’t yet have. The only rule was to leave me the last one, just in case I didn’t have it back home. More important, though, were the routine envelopes. In addition to letting students look at the stamps and cancellations, I used them to acquaint the students with the many companies and organizations that sent me bills, requests for donations, or enticements to buy subscriptions. By reading the return addresses to one another, the students practiced English, and by explaining NYSEG or NAACP, I acquainted them with aspects of life in the USA — at least aspects of my life. Today in my study, I live with recent enlargements of those same red two-cent Arbor Day and Lake Placid stamps. When I look at them, I thank a nameless rural letter-carrier, and I wonder vaguely how to learn the RFD route number on my part of Lowell Road, Andover, Massachusetts, in the early 1930s. ◾

Phyllis Larsen of Ithaca is an inactive, but paid-up member of the Elmira Stamp Club.

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

Television Turned the Tide in 1960 Election t was the closest presiden- Itial election by popular vote of the century. Only a little more than 100,000 votes sepa- rated the winner and loser. Many experts believe the first- ever televised presidential debate 50 years ago between John F. Kennedy and Rich- ard M. Nixon was the crucial factor in that race for the U.S. presidency, giving JFK a slight lead for the first time. Radio listeners voted Nixon winner of the debate by a slight margin, but TV viewers, a much larger number, saw a handsome, relaxed, tanned Kennedy standing next to a sweaty, tired, pale Nixon with a five o’clock shadow. They liked the clean-cut young millionaire from Boston, distrusted the more experienced Californian who had been vice president for eight years, and made Kennedy the youngest man ever elected president. JFK became our first (and to date only Roman Catholic president) during a time when many still believed that a man of his faith would be more beholden to the Pope than the American people. The only other Catholic to seek the presidency on a major party line was Alfred E. Smith of New York, who was trounced by Herbert Hoover in 1928. The 1960 election also was the first presidential vote that included Hawaii and Alaska as states. Since 1960 the experts, as well as the electorate, rate debates between candidates as crucial factors in most elections. We expect televised debates to take place, even for offices less than the presidency. There were numerous postcards printed of both Kennedy and Nixon, especially after they became president, and they usually sell for $1–$3. The two I include here are less common. They show both as candidates: the Nixon one published in 1960 by “Volunteers for Nixon–Lodge” for which I paid $4 and the Kennedy one, a less-expensive 1993 repro- duction of JFK in his campaign plane flying over West Virginia in 1960. ◾

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

Maximum Card or Not Maximum Card n my last Stamp Insider column, II discussed some maximum cards from Fort Ticonderoga. To review: “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 “concor- dance.” (American Philatelic Society Manual of Philatelic Judging, sixth edition, 2010). Could the postcards shown with this column, one from the Fort Ticonderoga event and one from the UK with Rupert Bear, a popular cartoon character, be considered maximum cards? On the address side of this card we find the following: Reverse side of this card is a Maximum. The VELEVETONE Maximum is made from a photography of the working model of the stamp, but has been demonetized and enlarged to Post Card size. The Manual of Philatelic Judging says : “Postcards reproducing postage stamps as issued or with multiple pictures or holograms are not acceptable as a proper maxicard.” I think this falls into a gray area. What do you think? If you’re not interested in ex- hibiting, you should collect what you want and how you want. If ex- hibiting interests you, knowing the rules can only be to your advan- tage. And the rules are explained fully in the 119-page document. The APS has done the philatelic world a great service by making the manual available as a PDF download at www.stamps.org/directories/ dir_exhibitionforms.htm. ◾

November / December 2010 • Stamp Insider / 35 MRS192 Stamp Insider_MRS136 8.125 x 10.125 9/29/10 12:01 PM Page 1 Interest-Free Time Payments for These Rare Stamps Plus Hundreds More at MysticRareStamps.com Mystic Rare Stamps makes it U.S. #1 on Way Service Folded Letter Add a Columbian to Your Collection easy. Simply visit our website at 1851 folded letter sent from Mobile, Alabama, to Columbian used by black registered cancel and www.MysticRareStamps.com or the Louisiana State Bank in extremely fine centering. call 1-800-606-3101 and we’ll New Orleans. A very fine Two natural translucent paper guide you through our stamp four-margin copy of the inclusions and a small thin at inventory. Interest-free, monthly first U.S. stamp on cover. bottom don’t affect its time payments are available on 2008 PF Certificate. appearance. 2006 PSE Cert. Don Sundman all stamps and orders of $500 Scott #1, 1847 5¢, MRS 1146 Scott #243 1893 $3, MRS 1186 President and over. Please see the website J 3 payments (interest free)...... $316.67 J 3 payments (interest free)...... $316.67 Mystic Stamp J J Company for more details. 1 payment ...... $950.00 1 payment ...... $950.00

Only 3 to 5 Proofs Known Franklin Pair with U.S. #327 Imprint Plate Number Block 1875 Panama-Pacific Exposition Reprint small Extremely Fine Centering Louisiana Purchase mint die proof. Wide margins and Franklin Type I-II mint no gum hinged imprint and plate rich color. This proof is seldom vertical combination pair. Extremely number block of four. seen in such excellent condition. fine centering for this notoriously Small hinge remnants at Includes 1999 Philatelic small-margined issue. Bottom stamp sides, still a particularly Foundation Certificate. (Type II) with crease. 1997 APS Cert. nice showpiece. Scott #45P2a, 1915 24¢, MRS 1253 Scott #18, 20 1861 1¢, MRS 644 Scott #327 1904 10¢, MRS 741 J 10 payments (interest free).$350.00 J 6 payments (interest free).....$283.33 J 4 payments (interest free)...... $275.00 J 1 payment...... $3,500.00 J 1 payment ...... $1,700.00 J 1 payment ...... $1,100.00

Own a 149-Year-Old Pony Express Cover U.S. #298 with Extremely Large Margins U.S. #217 with Extremely Fine Centering Sent from St. Joseph, Pan-American Exposition Mint hinged single with very fine to extremely Missouri, to San Francisco, mint hinged single. Stamp fine centering. A beautiful, full California. Embossed cover has beautiful centering and original gum example of this is stamped with a #U10. Has extremely large margins. American Bank Note Company repair at the bottom and light With 2006 PSE XF-Superb issue. Includes 2007 Philatelic soiling – still a fine cover. 95-graded Certificate. Foundation Certificate. Stampless 1861, MRS 966 Scott #298 1901 8¢, MRS 71 Scott #217 1888 30¢, MRS 1038 J 10 payments (interest free)...... $1,400.00 J 2 payments (interest free)...... $275.00 J 4 payments (interest free)$275.00 J 1 payment ...... $14,000.00 J 1 payment ...... $550.00 J 1 payment...... $1,100.00

TERMS OF SALE: Call Toll-Free: 1-800-606-3101 1. All stamps are guaranteed and most come with Philatelic Foundation Certificate. 2. If you’re not completely satisfied with your purchase, return it to us within 14 days for a full refund. Fax: 1-800-385-4919 3. We accept checks, money orders, wires, VISA, MasterCard, American Express and Discover. Email: [email protected] Once you’ve paid for your stamp in full, your order will be shipped. or visit www.MysticRareStamps.com 4. Add $8.75 for U.S.P.S. Priority Mail (Signature required) or $19.95 for Two-Day Shipping MRS192 Mail: Mystic Rare Stamps, 9700 Mill St., Camden, NY 13316 MRS192 Stamp Insider_MRS136 8.125 x 10.125 9/29/10 12:01 PM Page 1 Interest-Free Time Payments for These Rare Stamps Plus Hundreds More at MysticRareStamps.com Mystic Rare Stamps makes it U.S. #1 on Way Service Folded Letter Add a Columbian to Your Collection easy. Simply visit our website at 1851 folded letter sent from Mobile, Alabama, to Columbian used by black registered cancel and www.MysticRareStamps.com or the Louisiana State Bank in extremely fine centering. call 1-800-606-3101 and we’ll New Orleans. A very fine Two natural translucent paper guide you through our stamp four-margin copy of the inclusions and a small thin at inventory. Interest-free, monthly first U.S. stamp on cover. bottom don’t affect its time payments are available on 2008 PF Certificate. appearance. 2006 PSE Cert. Don Sundman all stamps and orders of $500 Scott #1, 1847 5¢, MRS 1146 Scott #243 1893 $3, MRS 1186 President and over. Please see the website J 3 payments (interest free)...... $316.67 J 3 payments (interest free)...... $316.67 Mystic Stamp J J Company for more details. 1 payment ...... $950.00 1 payment ...... $950.00

The Good Time Governor id you know that an obscure governor of DNew York has appeared on more stamps than anyone else in history? Yes, for 80 years this man was pictured on billions and billions of stamps, most of which were deliberately destroyed by someone looking for a good time. Your mind races through all the figures you’ve seen on stamps. The Roosevelt cousins? No, surely not on billions of stamps. Martin van Buren or Grover Cleveland? Naw. And Millard never was governor of New York. Listen carefully. I didn’t say postage stamps. The governor was DeWitt Clinton, who served from 1817 to 1822 and again from 1825 to his death in 1828. He is best known for his work on the Erie Canal Commission, pushing the project to completion. His detractors called it Clinton’s Ditch but it was one of the major contributions to the building of America. Still can’t place the stamp? Look at the example here, with Clinton holding his head, printed on blue paper. It’s a cigarette tax stamp, first introduced in 1878 and used con- tinuously, in various formats, until all tax stamps were discontinued in 1959. They were usually pasted over the top of a pack of cigarettes, or over the edge of a box of cigars, so they would be torn when the pack or box was opened, effectively canceling them at no effort by the government. Just why Clinton was chosen for this stamp is not clear. Some claim it was a commemo- ration of the 50th anniversary of the Erie Canal, but if so it was three years late, the Canal having been opened in 1825. Clinton was never involved in farming (not that much tobacco is grown in New York State), nor did he have anything to do with collecting taxes. This blue-paper stamp is the most common form of the Clinton tobacco tax stamps, and many were saved by collectors. His portrait decorates many other styles of stamps, however, some of them long strips that enclosed packages of as many as 300 cigarettes, sold in bulk for single sales in old country stores, probably atop the cracker barrel. The picture of Clinton is based on a portrait by Charles Cromwell Ingham, painted about 1824, and later reproduced in various formats. Notice that in the original Clinton is leaning the other way. The engraver flopped the image when he made the engraving. ◾

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

20th–21st Century Commemoratives hildren have no difficulty finding most commemorative issues in any mixture on sale to- Cday. I have accumulated many U.S. commemoratives over the years thanks to the donations I have received from collectors who knew I was working with youngsters. I also have a number of editions of The Postal Service Guide to U.S. Stamps. Using the stamps and the guides along with the copy of the sheet below, I encourage students to find out when a particular stamp was first issued. This activity allows students to discover that particular time periods meant for a particular denomination. The student checks the stamp illustration, uses the postal guide, and simply places the date of issue on the blank. They then find the stamp in the pile I place in front of them and they can keep it as well. I have provided an example, but a similar sheet can easily be developed with the help of the image section of Google. Of course … a completed sheet warrants some free commemoratives. ◾

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

Low Stress Collecting or three years this column has been devoted to stamp collecting on the cheap. You’ve Fprobably also noted a second major concept — well-defined, small but still somewhat challenging collections. Both themes are offered as a way to revisit the pleasures we experienced when, as children, we first started putting stamps into albums. As years passed, we matured. We graduated to serious collecting. Often we found ourselves seeking completion of large open- ended collections which included some very expensive stamps. Our collecting depended on what we could afford. At the very highest levels, we sought a few rare stamps at auction when major collections were sold. By taking a step or two back from working on our main collections and seeking easier [and cheaper] challenges we can remove some seriousness from collecting and, I think, reintroduce some plain pipe rack fun. A mini-collection of inexpensive stamps can be whatever you want it to be. There’s nothing to keep you from defining one any way you wish. You can set the ‘rules’ in advance so the collection can be completed at minimal expense. Minimal expense, by the way, doesn’t automatically mean the stamps will be easy to locate. The thrill of the hunt isn’t cost-sensitive. I’ve always been awed by well-engraved bicolor stamps and collect those of Spain. They’re a large group. Some stamps are well over $1. But there’s no reason to define a collection by country. A quick jaunt through any volume of Scott can uncover many engraved bicolor sets and singles here and there. An inexpensive set that catches your eye can make an attractive album page or two. While writing this column I stumbled on the 1902 Gua- temala set, Scott No. 114–123. They’re certainly cheap enough. I wonder how much effort it would take to put this set together? Let’s see now … ‘Till next issue, I’m saving my pennies — for stamps. ◾

40 / Stamp Insider • November / December 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

World Awareness Children’s Museum Project he World Awareness Children’s Museum (www.worldchildrensmuseum.org) in TGlens Falls is preparing for its grand opening in its new location at 89 Warren Street in 2011. The museum continues to set up exhibits in various other locations in the city in the meantime. Our club has provided stamp-related materials in the past and recently was asked to produce some new exhibits. Jacquiline Touba, the museum’s executive director, requested an exhibit with a subject of The Holocaust on Stamps with a required deadline of October. We were able to assemble about 30 pages of material on short notice including several articles from the internet and several pages of actual stamps. One of the articles was particularly interesting because it contained copies of reproductions of several stamps created by students in Israel with their interpretation of the Holocaust. We have delivered the basic exhibit, but we would like to add to it over time. We would like to obtain copies of correspondence associated with the Holocaust, an area we feel is a bit incomplete. If any Federation members have such material, we would appreciate copies of it to complete our exhibit. Please contact me at the address at the top of the page. We have also been requested to supply an exhibit on Dancing on Stamps, with a delivery date of mid 2011. The entire club is working on this exhibit under the direction of our president, Thelma Vanderzee. The club as a whole is also working on a series of stamp panels which can be used to present the basics of stamp collecting to students, teachers and selected groups in the area to educate them on the hobby we enjoy so much. I am sure that these panels eventually will serve some purpose for the WACM. We hope the club can be a regular presence in the museum when its exhibit area is officially opened in 2011. Monthly Meetings Meanwhile, we continue to have club members as speakers at our monthly meetings so we are finding out the special interests of our fellow members. Our membership is slowly increasing and we are constantly amazed at the depth of philatelic knowledge we have in our club. Holiday Party We will take a brief break from all of our philatelic tasks when we have our December meeting at a local restaurant. Details will be discussed at our meetings and distributed in our e-mails for those not able to attend our meetings. We hope that all members and prospects will be able to attend with any guests they may want to bring along to this din- ner meeting. Plan to make your reservations early. ◾

November / December 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: Fire Service in Philately he Fire Service in Philately unit (FSIP) Twas founded in 1976 and has been very active ever since. The annual meeting of its membership occurs at the Spring Melt Fire Auction and Fire Flea Market in Al- lentown, Pennsylvania. Members gather on Friday night, Sat- urday, and Sunday to attend the auction and market, hold their annual meeting, trade fire stamps and covers, and have good fellowship. Some FSIP members concentrate on collecting stamps that show fires, firemen, fire engines, and fire apparatus. Others include campfires, flames, Dalmatians, and such fire saints as St. Florian. Some members collect fire-related postcards, FDCs and cacheted covers, while others specialize in fire poster stamps, fire cinderellas, fire not geld and fire letter seals. FSIP members have worked together to compile a 33-page list of firefighting stamps, while others have created electronic media showing fire-related philatelic material. Fire Stamp News, issued quarterly, provides news and promotes connections among FSIP members. Recent articles highlighted fireboats and Russian helicopters used to fight fires. Regular columns include: • Do You Know? (highlighting a specific fire service stamp) • Page from the Past • The Cinderella Corner Officers of the Fire Service in Philately unit are: president and editor, John Zaranek, [email protected]; vice president, Brian Engler, Sr.; secretary, Dick Peters; treasurer and ATA representative, Edward Flory, , 149 Sopher St., East Stroudsburg, PA 18301-2209, [email protected]. Membership costs are $15 annually. Contact Flory for more information. Want to add sparks to your collecting? Go to www.firestamps.com to add some sizzle to your stamps! A safe kind of sizzle, of course! ◾

42 / Stamp Insider • November / December 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 Chapter Elects New Officers he ATA-NY Chapter is back is business, having held an election over the summer to Tvote for new officers. They are Michael Lubrano of Brooklyn, president: Lou Guad- agno of Brooklyn, vice president: Allen Hoffman of Brooklyn, secretary: and Vincent Ben- kovitz of Queens, treasurer. The September meeting was changed from the 9th to the 16th in order for our Jewish members to attend. Every year the meeting clashes with the holidays. We had our usual get-together meeting to recap what we had done over the summer and shows we attended. We had a guest from Switzerland discuss his stamp collection from a European point of view. While mnh is the preferred way of collecting in the U.S., European collectors like a nice block of four with a socked-on-the-nose cancel. We’d call this a CTO but they certainly don’t! These blocks usually sell for twice the mint price for the same block. Everyone greeted our new president who collects rock ’n roll on stamps, Czeslaw Slania, and anything else strikomg his fancy. He even has a nice U.S. collection of early airmail and started a German WW II era collection that got a bit out of hand with the quantity of stuff issued. Also discussed was the National Postage Stamp Show — formerly the fall MEGA, which was held at the Hotel New Yorker October 21–24. As usual the ATA had a table at the show and the booth is used as a member get-together and meeting spot. Everyone puts in at least two hours during the duration of the show, which is the coat-check fee we charge. Penn Station Pictorial Postmark There was another philatelic happening in New York’s Pennsylvania Station to cel- ebrate the centenary of its tunnels opening to regular railroad traffic. The Long Island Rail Road had the first revenue train depart- ing the new terminal on September 8, 1910, with the LIRR’s owner, the Pennsylvania, following in November. Covers are available from former president Caroline Scannell, whose address is listed at the top of this page, at $5 for a set of two, one with a cachet depicting the original terminal building and one with a cachet of the tunnels. The building is long gone as is the Penn- sylvania Railroad, but the tunnels are in use every day as many thousands of commuters traverse them from Long Island to Manhattan and New Jersey to Manhattan. The covers raise money for charity. It’s a great gift for the railroad collector, and those interested in architecture or engineering. ◾

November / December 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

Annual Picnic Attracts 25 he club held its annual Tpicnic at Meegan Manor, home of Bob Meegan, on Au- gust 21, where 25 members and their families turned out on a gorgeous Saturday for good food and philatelic and non-philatelic conversation. Ed Ferraro and Dan Sherwood, left, conduct the auction. After lunch an impromptu auction was held under the trees with a dozen lots auctioned by Ed Ferraro. The grill then was fired up for a second round of hot dogs and hamburgers. Special thanks to Bob Meegan and his family for opening up his house for this annual event. Boris Politzner Dies One of our long-time members, Boris Politzner, died on August 5. He was ranking member of the club He was also an exhibitor and an APS judge. Politzner specialized in stamps com- memorating Queen Elizabeth II. He was a kind, down-to-earth person who unselfishly put the club before his own personal gains. He always had a soft spoken demeanor that befriended everyone. He made material available not so he could profit financially but was willing to part ways with an item if he knew someone else would enjoy it. He will be sorely missed. Show and Tell At the September 24 show and tell meeting we had a good response from members. Gene Golebiewski showed a unique photo post card of Polish workers of the Solidarity that was sent to Canada franked with U.S. stamps. It had several topical postmarks of Polish worker rights. Bill Witschard passed around a distinctive crested monogram album nearly filled with English monograms. Mary Meegan showed her collection of egg themed items including covers, envelopes, and postcards. Alan Davis recounted his acquisition of Japanese annual stamp booklets from 1981 to 1999 and Bob Meegan described his latest additions to his domestic postal rates collection which is being expanded to include the early years from 1782 to 1900. Autumn Stamp Festival The annual Autumn Stamp Festival will be held on Saturday, November 21 at the Leonard Post. Hours are from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. with a 12 dealers scheduled to attend. In past years we have had a strong turnout and this year should be no exception. Setup will be Friday, November 19 at 7 p.m. The more people we have to set up tables and chairs the quicker we will we finish and then retire for refreshments. ◾

44 / Stamp Insider • November / December 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

Simply Sinful: Tax-Paid Revenues n September, club president Stuart Geisler gave the membership a lecture on a group of Irevenues called tax-paids. These back of the book stamps were issues starting with the end of the Civil War, and generally taxed activities deemed sinful, such as cigarettes, tobacco, cigars, snuff, alcoholic beverages, narcotics, lottery tickets, and playing cards. Some were self canceling, such as those used on liquor bottles, packs of cigarettes and playing cards, and cigar boxes, being torn when the item was opened. (To learn more about the common cigarette tax stamp, see David Kent’s “Fillmore the Filatelist” column on page 38.) Club Activities In October, Ed Stevens and his sons were to give a lecture on the group of Farley Issues and all their varieties honoring the national parks. On October 9 we had our Third Semi- Annual Burholme Club Stamp Show. All of the vendors were Burholme Club members. In November or December, we are trying to put together a lecture on classical music on stamps, complete with either a violin or cello soloist who will play selections congruent with the composers depicted on stamps related to this topic. ◾

November / December 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

U.S. Parcel Post Stamps By Frank Lee rior to 1913, residents of the U.S. de- Ppended on private express companies to receive or send shipments of goods. This service was expensive and did not serve all of rural America, which comprised 54 percent of the population. Many factions urged Congress to institute a parcel post service through the U.S. Postal System. The order to do so was approved by Congress and signed into regulation in November 1912, to become effective on January 1, 1913. Establishment of this service had a huge positive effect on the national economy as it opened up opportunities for farmers and merchants. Rural Americans were now able to purchase and receive medicine, food, dry goods, and other items not readily available to them. Farmers were also able to ship eggs and other produce directly to consumers saving both time and money. Curiously, in 1914, the parents of a blonde 4-year-old named May Pierstroff sent her from Grangeville, Idaho, to her grandparents in another part of the state for 53 cents, the going rate for chickens. Upon hearing of this the U.S. Post Office Department quickly forbid sending any human being by mail. Twelve parcel post stamps were authorized for this service, the first four representing postal workers delivering the mail, the next four representing modes of transportation to deliver the mail and the last four representing the industries that would use the service. Interestingly enough, the 20 cent stamp was the first stamp in the world to show an airplane, a full six years prior to the U.S. instituting regular airmail service in 1918. The parcel post stamps were so similar to the color and size being used on all values that postal workers complained of the confusion being generated. On July 1, 1913, only six months after being issued, the parcel post stamps lost their unique status and it became regulation that ordinary postage stamps would be valid for parcel post usage. Also, as of July 1, 1913, the parcel post stamps would be valid for postage on ordinary mail. Although rare and hard to find, many of the parcel post stamps were used on ordinary mail and are quite valuable, especially the July 1, 1913, first day covers. ◾

46 / Stamp Insider • November / December 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 Anthony R. Cataldo — 1925–2010 nthony R. Cataldo, 85, of New Rochelle, New York, died on Sep- Atember 3. The respected New York and Connecticut first day cover dealer, had been recognized as the second Connecticut Cover Club Hall of Fame honoree at a presentation during the New Haven Philatelic Society Fourth Sunday Collectible Show in New Haven on October 25, 2009. Cataldo began collecting used U.S. stamps when he was in fourth grade. His collecting interests in FDCs began with Artcraft in 1952. His cachet collecting specialties were the 1936–1937 Army and Navy issues, 1939 baseball centennial, and Roessler FDCs. His career as a FDC dealer began in 1963. He and his wife of 61 years, Claire, were an active presence at local and national shows. Cataldo always made an effort to match a FDC, which needed a home with the collec - tor who would appreciate it. He was a member of the Metropolitan First Day Cover Club and the American First Day Cover Society (AFDCS) . He wrote interesting columns about first cachets called “First Editions” in the Stamp Show News. Until his death he maintained a monthly table at two stamp shows in New York and Connecticut. Cataldo was born in New Rochelle September 3, 1925 and served in the Navy dur - ing World War II from 1943 to 1945. He was a radioman first class aboard the USS Balch, a destroyer escort. His combat station was on the bridge, and he served in the Okinawa campaign. Under the cover of night, the Balch landed Underwater Demoli- tion Teams on the beach before the island’s invasion. He again served in the Navy during the Korean War, being stationed at Yokosuka, Japan. He left the Navy in 1952 as a chief radioman. A 1949 graduate of Iona College in New Rochelle with a degree in finance, Cataldo began his career as a buyer and seller of first day covers in 1963 while still serving as a principal of a Dodge dealership in Mount Vernon. After retirement in 1995 from the automobile business, he devoted his workday to locating first day covers that would fill the needs of the vast Mid Atlantic collecting community. ◾

November / December 2010 • Stamp Insider / 47 Poughkeepsie, New York Meets at 7:30 p.m. on the first & third 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

FDR: The Stamp Collecting President ost people involved in our hobby know that four term President Franklin Delano MRoosevelt was an avid stamp collector. Many philatelists do not know the extent to which FDR was involved in designing and approving new issues. Infantile paralysis struck when he was 29 years old. He found comfort working with his stamp collection and repeatedly credited his involvement in the hobby as having saved his life. The first postmaster general appointed by FDR was his former campaign manager James Farley. They worked closely and changed the face of the hobby, which was to that point viewed as a child’s activity. The Byrd Antarctic stamp was issued to assist the President’s long time friend Admi- ral Richard E. Byrd who needed help promoting his expedition. Shown here is the Bryd stamp designed by FDR (Scott No. 733). The story of the Byrd stamp, those Farley special issues and much more is told in a book published by Dutchess County’s Anthony Musso. FDR and the Post Office issued in 2006 was researched at the FDR Library in Hyde Park and includes details of Farley, Roo- sevelt and many aspects of their influence on everything from stamp design to building post offices during the Great Depression. In the book we learn that FDR’s final official act on the day he died was to approve the United Nations stamp design (Scott No. 928). A half hour later he suffered a cerebral hem- orrhage. The date was April 12, 1945. Upon hearing of FDR’s death Postmaster General Frank Walker contacted the Bureau of Printing and Engraving and had the president’s name added to the stamp. This became the first of many worldwide commemoratives honoring the philatelic president. To order a copy of FDR and the Post Office send a check for $14.95 plus $3 for shipping to Anthony Musso, PO. Box 34, Lagrangeville, NY 12540. Anthony will autograph each

copy and is glad to add a special inscription if requested. ◾ Sketch Courtesy of National Postal Museum

48 / Stamp Insider • November / December 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 Show Cover Available he Stepex cover honoring Mark Twain’s Tconnections to Elmira and literary achieve- ments can be obtained at meetings or by mail for $2 plus sase from Neal Walker, 403 Her- rick St., Elmira, NY 14904. Condolences: Member Judy Stewart, 77, died September 1. She exhibited at local and regional shows. Her topical pipe organ exhibit, Pull Out the Stops, won gold at Stepex 2008. For many years she coordinated our awards ban- quets and participation in Elmira College’s Oc- tagon Fair. Long-time member Frank Bober’s At the Octagon Fair wife, Lorraine, died August 29. Club members Gary Bernhardt, left, and Octagon Fair: The club had a display that at- Neal Walker discuss a point while presi- tracted many visitors/prospective members at dent Mike Breed, right, looks on. the September 25 Octagon Fair. Thanks to Neal Walker, Gary Bernhardt, Mike Breed and Al Parsons for setting up, attending the tables for six hours, and then taking them down. New Members: The club welcomed three new members at its September meeting: Shawn R. Tiffany of Woodhull, who collects U.S., and Vincent Joe Wade and his son-in-law, Steve Fieno, both of Millport and both collectors of U.S., UN, and Vatican. Programs November 16 — Super Auction, each lot must have $5 minimum bid December 21 —Stepex Awards, Holiday treats, APS slide program, The U.S. 1847s Meeting notes August — 12 attended. Members again were urged to prepare exhibits for Stepex and lots for the November Super Auction. Parsons reported on StampShow in Richmond and noted that Sarah Halliday also attended. The APS slide program was Number Ones of the World. September — 21 attended. Single-page exhibit competition at Stepex was described and members urged to participate. Times for Stepex set-up and take-down reviewed and sign- up sheet for club table passed around. Mike Breed, with help from lot facilitator Gor- don Stratton and teller Wayne Nyre, called an auction of 26 lots, selling 11 for $76.25. Two club lots in the 11 sold for $ 14.25. This plus $6.20 commission on the non-club lots brought the club a total of $20.45. ◾

November / December 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

Fairfield and the Academy By Gerald Wiley he town of Fairfield in Herkimer county was incorporated in 1796. The post office in the Thamlet of Fairfield was established in 1804 with William Smith as postmaster. Fairfield Academy, founded in 1803, underwent many changes during its lifetime of almost a century. In 1809 it became Fairfield Medical College. It was chartered in 1813 as The College of Physi- cians and Surgeons of Western New York. The medical school closed in 1841, having graduated more than 500 doctors of medicine. It is considered the birthplace of Upstate Medical Center in Syracuse, the School of Medicine of University of Buffalo, and Albany Medical College. A cover mailed in 1854 advertised the Fairfield Classical Academy and Female Colle- giate Institute with a “large and competent faculty” and stated “the pianist is a gentleman of superior qualifications.” An 1889 cover enclosed stationery from Fairfield Seminary Boarding School for Young Ladies and Gentlemen offering twelve courses of study including telegraphy, elocution, violin, mandolin, guitar, shorthand, and typewriting. From 1890 until it closed in 1902 the school was known as Fairfield Seminary and Military Academy. The bicentennial of the founding of the town of Fairfield was commemorated in 1996 with a pictorial cancellation picturing an outline map of the town boundaries and the town hall. The cancellation was applied at the Fairfield Community Hall, serving temporarily as a station of the Middleville post office. The Fairfield post office had closed in 1995. ◾

50 / Stamp Insider • November / December 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

Cover Committee Has Successful Year ur cover committee completed a Overy successful year, producing first day of issue cachets for several 2009 commemorative stamps. Cachets were produced for the following stamp issues: Distinguished Sailors set of four, Cowboys of the Silver Screen set of four; Katharine Hepburn, Kate Smith, Negro Leagues Baseball, Scouting, and most recently Mother Teresa, which is now available. The Mother Teresa cover was created by club treasurer, Shirley Stowell. It was her first cacheted first day cover and certainly a job well done. For the cachet design, Stowell contacted artist Judi Wild of Vancouver, British Columbia who graciously gave her permission for the use of an image of a painting she had done of Mother Teresa. A framed print of this painting had been presented to Mother Teresa, paid for by a Mumbai tea farmer. This cachet is still available in limited quantities. To order send $2 cash or check payable to Finger Stamp Club and a No. 10 SASE to James Darnell, 136 Lock St., Clyde, NY 14433. Other Cachets Available The other cachets listed above, except for the set of four Distinguished Sailors, remain available in very limited quantities and may be ordered through the same address. All are $2, except the set of four Cowboys of the Silver Screen cachets are $7 and the Negro Leagues Baseball cachet is $2.50. Plans for 2011 We are looking to produce covers for even more United States commemoratives in 2010 — Mark Twain, Ronald Reagan, Indianapolis 500, Owney, Gregory Peck, Helen Hayes, Civil War, Merchant Marine, jazz, and Mercury Project are good bets. Check the January–Feb- ruary issue of the Stamp Insider for more definite information. Programs November 10 — Working for the Post Office, featuring tales and anecdotes by four club members with past and present post office experience December 8 — Christmas party ◾

November / December 2010 • Stamp Insider / 51 Albany, New York 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

Civilian Conservation Corps camp at Lake Placid, May 1935 Learning About the CCC elcome to another exciting year of stamp, cover, and post card collecting. We began Wthis new season on September 14 with author and researcher Marty Podskoch talk- ing about the CCC (Civilian Conservation Corps). Podskoch, a retired teacher who lives in Connecticut, has written several books about the fire towers of the Catskills and the Adirondacks. While gathering information for his books, he discovered and was fascinated by the CCC as it pertains to upstate New York. It turns out that more than 220,700 men were involved in New York State alone, working on parks, roads, bridges, plantings, fire control and insect control. Podskoch presented a detailed history of the Federal program, filling in for member Bob Markovits who was to speak to the postal history of the camps but was unable to attend. Castles on Stamps On September 28 member Chuck Eson gave an interesting topical presentation, Castles on Stamps. Castles as we know them today started to evolve around the ninth and tenth century. Defense, centers of commerce, and symbols of wealth were reasons for castles and their designs. Eson described the keep, the bailly, the dungeon, the moat, and other features of the castle, and displayed several stamps from many countries proudly showing off their national treasures. Topical collecting seems to be as popular as it ever was and it is amazing how many interesting collections can be put together. Programs November 9 — Schenectady Breweries by John Rudzinski November 17 — Tri Club Auction hosted by Uncle Sam Stamp Club November 23 — U.S. Joint Issues by John Traver December 14 — Holiday banquet ◾

52 / Stamp Insider • November / December 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

November Meeting Moved ur November meeting Ohas been moved up two weeks to November 11 because the normal meeting night coincides with the Thanksgiving holiday. It will be the last formal meeting this year. Its theme is a slide presentation on revenue stamps along with stamp swaps. Holiday Party The annual holiday party will be in December at a local restaurant. Members will be informed of the date and time at the November meeting. Joe Occhipinti and Joe Kalynycz Fort Stanwix Event Covers Sell Well At the September meeting our secretary informed us that Fort Stanwix event covers sold very well at the Willett Center. A big thanks to the volunteers who manned the covers table on August 3, especially Joe Kalynycz, shown in the photo with Joe Occhipinti standing behind him. First Meeting of New Year After the holidays, our next formal club meeting will be March 24, 2011. Happy Holidays We wish everyone a great holiday season. ◾

Fire Survivor Rome’s Bingham Harness Co. survived a disastrous March 5, 1897 fire, but was back in business two years later. The fire also destroyed Willoughby’s Carriage Works. Loss was estimated at $100,000. The horseless carriage destroyed what fire could not.

November / December 2010 • Stamp Insider / 53 Leatherstocking Stamp Cooperstown, New York Club Meets at 7 p.m. on the first Tuesday, except February and March, at the Tillapaugh home, 28 Pioneer St. Ellen Tillapaugh, 80 Beaver St., Cooperstown, NY 13326-1202 [email protected], 607-547-5646

These Are Really Large Bills ver wonder who is on Ethe U.S. $1000 bill or the $5000 bill? Lin Bissell, a member of the Leatherstocking Stamp Club and a numisma- tist, enlightened club members on the intricacies of coins and currency at the Club’s most recent meeting. For the record, Grover Cleveland appears on the $1000 bill and James Madi- son appears on the $5000. Bill Me Later? Although they are still Leatherstocking Stamp Club members learn about coins technically legal tender in and currency at a recent meeting. Lin Bissell of Oneonta the United States, high-de- shared his collection of coins from the 1700s on. From left, Bissell, Albert Keck, Cathy Raddatz, and Peter Craig. nomination bills were last printed in 1945 and officially discontinued on July 14, 1969. However, these bills effectively disappeared well before then although some are still in circulation. Due to their rarity, collectors will pay considerably more than the face value of the bills to acquire them. Bissell also presented a display of coins including Spanish eight-reales (pieces of eight) which would have been used by the founders of our nation. It wasn’t until 1793 that the U.S. Treasury produced our first coins, the half cent piece which was made of 100 percent copper and was slightly smaller than a modern U.S. quarter. Programs November 2 — Your Favorite Philatelic Items by all members ◾

54 / Stamp Insider • November / December 2010 Plattsburgh, New York Meets at 1 p.m. on the second 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

[email protected], 518-962-4558 NorthCountry

Jehudi Ashmun The 1949 one-cent is shown with red and green proofs showing Ashmun and the Great Seal of Liberia.

Liberia’s Ties to the North Country id you know that the Clinton County Town of Champlain was the birthplace of one of Dthe founders of the modern nation of Liberia? Today, Liberia has just emerged from a brutal 14 year civil war. A century ago Liberia was one of a handful of independent states on the African continent. Liberia was an experiment in returning emancipated black Americans to Africa under the auspices of the American Colonization Society 190 years ago. From the mid 1820s to 1847, Liberia was a colony governed by white governors. One of these governors was Jehudi Ashmun (1794–1828). Ashmun studied at Middlebury College and graduated from the University of Vermont in 1816. Excited by the prospects of returning slaves to Africa, in 1822, Ashmun, his wife, and 37 African Americans traveled to Monrovia, the capital of Liberia where he found the small colony under attacks from the native African population. Ashmun organized the colonists and repulsed the attacks. After his wife died in Liberia, Ashmun returned to the United States where he died of ma- laria in August 1828 a few days after arriving in New Haven, Connecticut, where he is buried. The successful defense of the colony was commemorated in 1949 by a set of six Libe- rian stamps (Scott No. 309–312 and C63–64). The five cent value shows Ashmun and other defenders. He was also honored on a set of stamps in 1952 along with other early colonists and governors (Scott No. 332–337). ◾

November / December 2010 • Stamp Insider / 55 EAN A L R Olean, New York O E

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

S at Bethany Lutheran Church, 6 Leo Moss Drive T

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

U P

C [email protected], 716-372-1070

FOUND ON THE INTERNET: A quick search quickly turns up an interesting variety of postmarks and usages that should please any Olean specialist.

56 / Stamp Insider • November / December 2010 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

First Meeting Well Attended ur first meeting of the new season was well attended. Among the many activities Othroughout the evening were swapping, circuit books and trying to identify if a particular stamp was printed using the photogravure or lithographic process. We discussed future programs, dues, and a holiday party at a local restaurant. A Mysterious Nixie Recently, my mother mailed a donation to the H. Lee White Marine Museum in Oswe- go. She used the museum’s preprinted reply envelope, affixing a stamp and her return address label, which has been cropped from the scan. The letter was mailed in Oswego and processed in Syracuse on September 22. The USPS returned it to her two days later with a nixie label: return to sender / not deliverable as addressed / unable to forward. The following day she and my step-dad, Ed, took the letter to the museum and asked if this was the correct address. It is. The address is listed on its web site and printed materials. Imagine the staff ’s surprise that they might possibly be missing out on donations because their letters were not getting delivered? Ed then stopped at the Oswego post office and asked why the letter was returned. He was told it must be the wrong address. After stating that he had just been to the museum and it was the correct address, he was told that the letter must have been stuck behind another when it was scanned at the sorting facility. If the letter was stuck behind another and the address wasn’t read, it would not have been cancelled or had the label applied. I do not fault the Oswego office for failing to deliver the letter or for its return. The misdirection to the nixie office must have occurred during processing in Syracuse. Did the nixie clerk make any attempt to confirm the address before slapping on an undeliverable label? The museum is paying a fee for a local post office box. The USPS is profiting from that. Is it truly that hard for the USPS to deliver within its own building? If anyone wonders if the USPS’ financial tribulations perhaps starts with sending a local letter to Syracuse, then to a nixie office, and then back to Oswego, to be redelivered to the sender, rather than to the original recipient. In the old days, this letter would have been emptied from the mailbox and stuck into the awaiting post office box in the same building. Now that’s efficiency! ◾

November / December 2010 • Stamp Insider / 57 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

Association Has New Officers ith the resignations of some officers after the first year of their two-year term, the WRPA Board has approved the following slate of officers for the 2010–2011 season: Thomas M. Fortunato, president; Frank Tritto, vice president; Rich Spinelli, recording secretary; Chuck Schultz, Rick Kase, and Bob Kingston, board members; and Ray Stone, immediate past president. Request for Electronic Programs As has been reported in past issues of the Stamp Insider, many clubs have been creating all kinds of electronic presentations for their members. It is time that these be collected and shared with others. In his role as chair of the APS Chapters Activities Committee, Fortunato has put out the call to do just that. It doesn’t matter whether they be in PDF, PowerPoint, Word or HTML format. As a service to Federation clubs, any Federation club that shares one or more such programs will receive a disc of all submitted programs. This will be a great way to bring new programs to your group while sharing your knowl - edge and expertise with others. To participate, send a disc containing the work to Fortunato along with $1 to defray postage costs. A paragraph describing the program(s) would be appreciated as well. Con- tributors do so understanding that their work will be freely distributed for public use. Federation contributions may also appear on the Federation web site in the future. Programs November 11 — The Bluenose: Stamps, Covers, and the Schooner by Doug Borden December 9 — Christmas party ◾

Not a Mere Trolley During the late 1800s and early 1900s, the U.S. Post Office Department operated Rail- way Post Offices (RPOs) on streetcars that carried mail between post office branches, with clerks sorting the mail on board to speed processing. One or two clerks worked in the streetcar RPOs. Gerald Wiley Collection

58 / Stamp Insider • November / December 2010 DY S TA TA C M E P Schenectady, New York N C E L

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

C B

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

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

Club Will Note 80th Anniversary he eightieth anniversary of the founding of the club Twill be commemorated with a special pictorial postmark on Friday, December 10. Pictorial postmarks were created for the 50th and for the 60th anniversaries. The special temporary postal station for the 75th anniversary was established on December 10, 2005 at the Schenectady County Historical Society’s Washington Avenue headquarters, the expected venue for the eightieth anniversary special temporary postal station from 10a.m. to noon. Plans were made in 1930 for the formation of a stamp club in the fast-growing city of Schenectady. The U.S. Cen- sus for that year showed a population of more than 95,000 — quite a contrast 70 years later to an official population figure of less than 62,000. The club had its first official meeting on December 10, 1930. A small item appeared in the December 10, 1930 Sche- nectady Union-Star newspaper: The club was to be for men and women over 18 years of age. It was noted that “it is believed there will be a large membership as there are many enthusiasts in the section … Promoters emphasize that juniors are not to be included in the organization.” Nine men were present for that organizational meeting. The Alling Rubber Company store was the site for that initial meeting as well as for various future meetings. Later club meetings also would be held at the YMCA. Finally, the Schenectady Chamber of Com- merce provided a room in its building for use of the stamp club. Within about a year, the club had attained a membership of 54. Programs November 1 — Single Page Night December 6 — Christmas banquet celebrating club’s anniversary at Petta’s Restaurant, 134 Duane Ave. ◾

November / December 2010 • Stamp Insider / 59 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

National Stamp Collecting Month Display s the leaves begin to Aturn colors, we were reminded at Stamp Camp that October and National Stamp Collecting Month was already here. We wanted to introduce newcomers to the hobby, so we grouped our campers’ three-dimen- sional stamp exhibits, to display at the Pennsylvania State Art Museum in Har- risburg until mid November. Exhibits have been numbered so viewers can vote for their favorites. Prizes will be awarded to campers when their exhibits are returned. Several schools and groups are represented. Our annual Volunteers Luncheon will be at noon on Friday, November 5 at the Parkhurst Memorial Presbyterian Church, Main Street in Elkland. RSVP by November 1 by calling 814-258-5601 or e-mailing [email protected]. We would love to have you be with us this year. Admission is one packet of stamps in support of our youth outreach programming. It takes a community of volunteers to help behind the scenes at Stamp Camp. We are blessed with an awesome group of people who help us sort, soak, compile, and prepare the materials necessary to conduct each camp. Stamp Camp soon will be moving south — namely into the Southern Tioga School District in Pennsylvania. A grant from Packer Foundation and Tabor Foundation provided the funding. Stamp Camp programming now includes all three school districts within Tioga County. As we soon wind down from this year’s camp season, we will be working to get Stamp Camp ready for the coming year. This will include several new board members. If you know of a school, community group, or stamp club interested in hosting a stamp camp, please contact us. Nothing pleases us more than to be able to share our knowledge of stamps and our collecting interests. Hopefully, in so doing, we’ll make a few new collectors for the next generation, a worthy goal, indeed! ◾

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

First Meeting a Success s the calendar turned, our summer hiatus for the society came to a close. Our first Ameeting was successful, with most of our regulars, a returning former player, and one new member. We tried the method of a mailing to all the APS members on Staten Island, which seemed successful. In fact, it may have been too successful, as we had to add a table to our usual configuration, which made our usual banter more difficult, and we seemed to split into smaller groups, although all were busy and laughing. So far, so good, and we have hopes for a few more who expressed interest but did not make our first meeting. One member gave me box of stuff he had to get rid of to make room in his stamp closet. Nothing exciting, except there was a 2004 old catalogue from a dealer in Linz, Austria that seemed to parallel and define my collection. I was astounded, at how close he followed what I thought was my fairly unique style, and at the prices (in euros) he wanted for his stamps. Wow! I am a rich man! This guy was pricing real stamps, not the perfect ideals in the Ferchenbauer catalogue. Ferchenbauer’s values represent perfection which is truly rare, with substantial reduc- tions for anything less, but he also shows those faults, and it is easy to see where they fall from perfection. The guy in Linz had extensive photos of real stamps, the kind most of us have in our albums, and still had Oh My God prices. The catalogue predated the recent economic diffi- culties. I’ve been to Austria, and while I buy relatively little, because what I want is cheaper in this country, I did not think there was that much of a difference. The Linz dealer had all of what I collect, and described his stamps well as to paper types, engraving types, flaws, and printing varieties, those that are seldom adequately illustrated or explained in general, even specialized catalogues (Netto or Michel for example). The photos were so clear that the varieties were easy to understand, and in case I was really dumb, he circled the interesting thing he wanted me to notice. He also had pages of cancels (Oh, be still my heart) photographed and explained. It is annoying to have a fragment of a potentially interesting town or transportation cancel and not be able to quite break its meaning, even with all the references at my disposal. A great start to the new season. Have fun! ◾

November / December 2010 • Stamp Insider / 61 Syracuse, New York www.syracusestampclub.org Meets at 8 p.m. the first & third Fridays at the Reformed Church of Syracuse, 1228 Teall Ave.

Organized 1919 Allen Swift, P. O. Box 593, East Syracuse, NY 13057-0593 APS Chapter 50 [email protected], 315-457-3201 Presentation at the Manlius Library yracuse Stamp Club Smembers hosted a presentation on the History of Stamp Collecting on Setem- ber 21 at Manlius Library. The session was well received by a dozen folks who all had something to share and/or raise questions on their philatelic interests. We hope this helped raise interest in the community and may even generate one or more club members. We will plan to host similar pro- At Presentation grams in the future. To help promote the talk From left, Diane and Vince Juchimek, club president Mike Ammann, Allen Swift, and John Davis. and raise community interest, Vince and Diane Juchimek developed a window display of several club member’s philatelic material. This impressive display was up for the entire month of September. Holiday Party Work is underway to finalize plans for our annual holiday party. At this time we are planning to return to Tony’s Restaurant in the same room as last year. We expect to help defray costs for members. Guests will have to pay the full fare. Members who attend meetings infrequently, please make note of this and call an officer in early Dec. to receive the final plans and make their party reservations. Programs* November 5 — Philatelic Forensics by James Shattell November 19 — Auction December 1 — Stamp Quiz by Jim Steele December 18 — Holiday party December 31 — New Years Eve — no meeting * Remember that the club auctions off 10 lots every meeting night ◾

62 / Stamp Insider • November / December 2010 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

First Meeting Educational and Fun he club had its first two meetings of the year and learned of the various stamp print- Ting methods used by the United States Postal Service and a very entertaining look at philately with a unique presentation of Odd and Unique Stamps by Scott Fielder. Fielder’s collection of the many various shapes, designs, holographic and textured stamps showed the painstaking attempt by foreign postal services to entice the philatelists around the world to collect their stamps. A Good Resource Those who may be interested in sharing tid- bits of information about a particular stamp of interest can find out info from a nice internet source created by the Smithsonian Institution at www.arago.si.edu. You will find a great number of U.S. postage stamps with interesting information about each. Give it a try. You could save the illustrations to your hard drive and create albums of interest to you as well. Still Calling Other Clubs The club is still contacting other area clubs to see if there would be interest in a meeting of the minds to share what programming has been successful in various clubs. It would be hoped that a silent auction could also be conducted at such a meeting. Area philatelists could share their individual interests and then begin networking with one another to enhance their respective collections. Our secretary, Steve McCarthy, is making the contacts and will report later this philatelic year as to the possibility. Elementary School Club Finnegan’s school stamp club will begin its meetings the second week in January at the Sidney Elementary School. Programs We have two more meetings before our January–February winter break. A number of members will be enjoying the winter in Florida and Arizona. Meetings will resume on March 21. November 15 — Odd and Unique Stamps Part II by Scott Fielder December 20 — Stamp Condition by Bob Kruppo ◾

November / December 2010 • Stamp Insider / 63 Triple Cities Binghamton, New York 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

Spring Club Show Planned e are currently planning for a club show at the Bundy Museum in the spring. The Wmuseum has an annex which is perfect as a venue for a small stamp show, which will be open to club members as vendors at a minimal price. Lectures Club founder Stuart Geisler was to give a lecture on tax paid revenues in October. Un- fortunately, our meeting was cancelled in September because the lecturer’s car broke down. In the future, we shall provide for emergency lectures by other club members, just in case. Beginner’s Corner At the end of the Civil War, President Abraham Lincoln realized that the war had to be paid for. His solution was to use the Internal Revenue Service to issue stamps to levy taxes on just about everything considered a luxury item, including photographs and playing cards. Also taxed were a wide variety of non-luxury services, including bank checks, life insurance, contracts, and mortgages. ◾

Historic View This German postcard de- picts the post office in Bing- hamton around 1910. It is valued at $2–$8. The old post office was on the banks of the north branch of the Susquehanna River. Eric Jackson Revenue Stamps

64 / Stamp Insider • November / December 2010 M STA A M S Troy, New York P E C

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

June– August, at Renehan’s Pub and Grill, 499 2nd Ave., North Troy U

U Terrill S. Miller, 604 Sand Creek Rd., Albany, NY 12205-2435 T [email protected], 518-869-6872 R . OY, N.Y Club Returns To Former Home he club has returned to its former home, which has reopened under a new name. MJs Ton the Avenue, which closed unexpectedly on January 26, is now Renehan’s Pub and Grill (www.renehanspubandgrill.com). A Good Turnout After a pleasant summer break, the Uncle Sam Stamp Club kicked off another philatelic season with a surprisingly good turnout. It was nice to see everyone again and those in attendance were treated to an entertaining program by member Tom Auletta. Auletta has been a Sherlock Holmes fan and an avid reader of the Arthur Conan Doyle books for many years, so naturally he would find a philatelic connection. He displayed stamps, covers, and other souvenirs that he has collected over the years. Auletta also related some great stories attributed to the well known detective. Drowned Towns At the September 15 meeting, John J. Nunes spoke about the Gilboa Dam in Schoharie County. The Schoharie reservoir, built between 1919 and 1927, forced the removal of 350 residents of the community of Gilboa (right) and neighboring valley lands. The reservoir covers an area in Greene and Schoharie counties. After giving a history of the New York City water supply system — watersheds and reservoirs that supply one billion gallons of water annually — he listed six reservoirs that caused the extinction or relocation of 26 post offices. Along with a total of 5,772 people, the Ashokan eliminated three and moved seven; the Cannonsville eliminated five; the Neversink eliminated two and moved one; the Pepacton eliminated four; the Rondout eliminated three and the Schoharie moved one. Nunes is also seeking postal history and picture postcards from these 26 post offices. Programs November 3 — Fiji by Steve Grey November 17 — Tri Club Auction hosted by Uncle Sam Stamp Club December 1 — Joint Issues by John Traver December 15 — Holiday banquet ◾

November / December 2010 • Stamp Insider / 65 ER U AT T Utica, New York I E C R Meets at 7 p.m. on the first Tuesday, except January and February, at A

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

Exploring the Liberty Bell Forever lub member Joseph Kalynycz gave an excellent pre- Csentation in August on the origin of the U.S. rate change stamps and their evolution into the Liberty Bell Forever stamp. The forever stamp is very challenging as many varieties exist. These stamps have; micro printing in three different sizes, the base of the bell has two distinct widths, different perforations, and some are tagged. Kalynycz prepared a visual flow chart showing the family tree of this issue. Stock Pages At the September meeting he demonstrated how he makes his own stock pages from card stock. He gave a template to members who wish to do the same. These homemade pages are highly flexible and functional as they allow extra information to be entered. South American Airmails In September, Ken Updegraft’s presentation of the Air- mail Stamps of South and Central America addressed three main point which were: the excellent design qual - ity, low book value and the larger volume of airmail stamps issued. Updegraft prepared a table which listed various countries to show the number of regular issued stamps in compared to the airmail stamps issued. He used the U.S. as a base line. It is theorized that one reason for the larger number of airmail stamps in these countries is that the only way to get from one city to another in the most efficient manner was by air. The lack of ground transportation in the countries would have made mail delivery quite precarious. Outreach In September, club members provided their expertise for a non-member who had in- herited a UN stamp collection and was unsure of how to dispose of it. ◾

66 / Stamp Insider • November / December 2010 W M Spencerport, New York P S ORGANIZED FEB. 7, 1961 http://westernmonroephilatelicsociety.blogspot.com APS 560-44599 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]

Member Hosts Annual Picnic lub member Margaret Johnson hosted our annual club picnic on August 10 for the Csecond year. Eighteen members, spouses and friends gathered for hotdogs, burgers and a nice mixture of potluck salads and desserts. A multi-bean bake was very popular. The recipe will be posted on the club blog — http://westernmonroephilatelicsociety.blogspot.com. Between conversation and food everyone looked through a large accumulation of handmade ACE covers. Club Activities Planned Our September meeting had eleven members and plans for future club activities and presentations were made. Members made purchases from APS circuits and several auction lots and many new treasures were added to member’s collections. Programs November 9 — APS circuit, silent auction December 14 — Gift exchange, silent auction ◾

Happy Holidays from All of Us at the Federation & the Stamp Insider! Santa Claus on back of truck. Washington, D.C., 1921 [Library of Congress]

November / December 2010 • Stamp Insider / 67 o ion f Ne at w r Y e o Schenectady, New York d r e k F Meets biannually to conduct Federation business

. . P . Secretary h c i n Ronald K. Ratchford, 1105 Union St., Schenectady, NY 12308-2805 la I t s, el ie [email protected], 518-374-3776 ic Societ

About the Federation he Federation of New York Philatelic Societies, founded in 1940, includes 31 clubs Tfrom throughout New York State, as well as two from Pennsylvania and one from Connecticut. The society publishes the full-color bimonthly journal — the Stamp In- sider, which is distributed to members of the clubs, as well as to subscribers from the U.S. and Canada. Officers are: John J. Nunes, president, 80 Fredericks Road, Scotia, NY 12302, [email protected], 518-399-8395; Ronald K. Ratchford, secretary, 1105 Union St., Schenectady, NY 12308-2805, [email protected], 518-374-3776, and Stephen E. Gray, treasurer, 10 C-l Hillcrest Village West, Schenectady, New York 12309-3831, phone 518-372-9866. To learn more about the Federation, visit www.nystampclubs.org.

ILATEL PH IC M SO A C Founded N IE T 1976 T U Y

❍ ❍

AP 1 S Chapter 106 Other Federation Member Clubs The Fulton Stamp Club, Putnam Philatelic Society, and the Ithaca Philatelic Society are also members of the Federation of New York Philatelic Societies. Fulton Stamp Club John A. Cali, P. O. Box 401, Fulton, NY 13069-0401, phone 315-592-4441 is the Ful - ton Club contact. Meetings are on the third Wednesdays, except July and August, at different locations. Ithaca Philatelic Society Yoram B. Szekely, 104 Klinewoods Road, Ithaca, NY 14850-2229, [email protected], 607-257-5346 is the Ithaca club contact. Meetings are on the second and fourth Wednesdays at 7:30 p.m. in Morrison Hall Room 384, Cornell University. Putnam Philatelic Society Drew A. Nicholson, 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 cafeteria of Guideposts, Seminary Hill in Carmel. ◾

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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

November / December 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 November new e-book release focused on the wonderful world of stamp collecting … 12-14 — Toronto Philatelic Treasures takes you on an historic U.S. postal journey from CSDA National Posage the earliest days of the post riders through to modern times. Stamp Show, Queen ★ Great recruiting tool for new hobbyists! Elizabeth Building, Exhibition ★ Fun for all ages, including non-collectors! Place. Hours: 11-6 Friday, ★ All new artwork exclusively for this product 10-5 Saturday, 10-4 Sunday. ★ Puzzle pages with hidden objects Dealers, Canada Post. bourse. ★ Pages can be colored for challenging fun! ★ Immediate download — no waiting! More informaton from [email protected], Available at www.wildtoonz.com www.csdaonline.com/ shows. 13–14 — Syracuse Stamp, Coin, Postcard Syracuse Stamp, Coin & Collectibles Show, Holiday & Collectibles Show Inn, Carrier Circle, Thruway SUNDAY Hours 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. exit 35. 10–5:30 Saturday, 10–4:30 Sunday. Bourse. Ed November 28 & December 12 Bailey, 315-452-0593. 14 — Meriden, CT Watch for 2011 Schedule. Second Sunday Stamp & Coin Show, Sheraton Four Free Admission & Parking! Points, 275 Research Parkway. Harvey D. Morin VFW Post 2940 9–3:30. Harry Tong, 603-978- 965 Center Road, West Seneca, NY 3459, [email protected]. 16 — 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 978-3459, [email protected].

I R

M Y A • APS Writer’s Unit #30 welcomes writers, editors, publishers, and anyone interested in philatelic writing. 20 — Cheektwowaga Whether you write in-depth research articles, prepare Buffalo Stamp Club Autumn news releases, or edit a newsletter, a journal, or books, Stamp Festival. 10–5. Bourse. you’ll bene t from a membership that includes: VFW Leonard Post, 2450 ✒ The award-winning quarterly The Philatelic Communicator featuring — ✎ Informative articles to improve your writing, editing & design skills Walden Ave. ✎ A critique service for your newsletter, journal or other publication 21 — Latham ✎ Web site and software information and reviews Capital District Stamp Show, ✎ Book, journals, and newsletter reviews, and much, much more! Ramada Latham, 946 New ✒ Biannual breakfasts at APS StampShow and AmeriStamp Expo Loudon Rd. 10–4. Bourse. Join today and begin reaping the bene ts! John J. Nunes, 518-399-8395, Dues of only $20 per year include the journal. Contact WU #30 Secretary [email protected]. George B. Griffenhagen, 2501 Drexel St., Vienna, VA 22180-6906 26 — West Seneca [email protected] • WWW.WU30.ORG Stamp, Coin, Postcard &

70 / Stamp Insider • November / December 2010 Collectibles Show, Harvey D. Morin VFW Post 2940, 965 NOW BUYING: U.S. & THE WORLD! Center Rd. 10–4. Bourse. Vic- tor Drajem, 716-656-8080. McCloud December Stamps & Covers 10–2 — New York City Coins & Sports Memorabilia Metropolitan Stamp Expo, • Estate Appraisals Midtown Holiday Inn, 440 • Liquidations W. 57th St. Friday noon–6, • Large & Small Collections Saturday 10–6, Sunday 10–4. • Stamp & Coin Supplies John J. Nunes, 518-399-8395, CALL for an APPOINTMENT or [email protected]. WE’LL TRAVEL TO YOU! 12 — West Seneca Call Today! 585.507.3533 Stamp, Coin, Postcard & Rochester, New York Collectibles Show, Harvey D. Morin VFW Post 2940, 965 Center Rd. 10–4. Bourse. Vic- tor Drajem, 716-656-8080. Suburban Stamps, Coins 12 — Meriden, CT & Collectibles Second Sunday Stamp & Always Buying Coin Show, Sheraton Four Points, 275 Research Parkway. 315•452•0593 9–3:30. Harry Tong, 603-978- Open: Tuesday–Friday 10 a.m.–5 p.m. 3459, [email protected]. 19 — Latham Saturday 9 a.m.–1 p.m. Capital District Stamp Show, 120 Kreischer Road Ramada Latham, 946 New North Syracuse, NY 13212-3251 Loudon Rd. 10–4. Bourse. Just off Taft Road 1⁄2 mile east of Rt. 81 John J. Nunes, 518-399-8395, [email protected]. Mark Szuba • Edward Bailey 19 — Rochester RS Stamp Show, Eagles Club #52, 1200 Buffalo Rd. 10–4. Bourse. John J. Lincoln Coin and Stamp Co., Inc. Nunes, 518-399-8395, Complete Line of Coin [email protected]. & Stamp Supplies 21 — Northampton, MA We Buy Stamps, Coins, Picture Post Cards, Third Tuesday Stamp & Old Envelopes, Coin Show, World War II Pan American Expo Material Veterans Association, 50 Conz St. 10:30–8. Harry Come In and Look Around Tong, 603-978-3459, Free Parking [email protected]. ◾ 33 West Tupper St. at Pearl Street Add Your Listing Buffalo, NY 14202-1710 Send show/bourse items to: Phone 716-856-1884 [email protected]

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

2011 U.S. Program a Pleasant Surprise n the past I have taken the Citizens Stamp IAdvisory Committee to task for not following its own stamp selection rules. This year however, I was pleasantly surprised to see a “classy” if not classic selection of topics for the 2011 stamp program. I am sure some will be dismayed by the lack of Disney, Simpsons, the ever popular lighthouses, and cats and dogs, but I am not. There are enough popular topics such as the Flags of our Nation, Lunar New Year, Garden of Love Flowers, and Ronald Reagan to keep traditionalists happy. The Indianapolis 500 race will no doubt be one of the most popular issues of the year. As a music teacher, I was excited to see many arts related issues this year, including the Latin Music Legends, a jazz stamp, Edward Hopper, Pioneers of American Industrial De- sign, Mark Twain, Gregory Peck, Helen Hayes, and Romare Bearden. Have you ever heard of Bearden? I am fascinated by his artwork. It’s exciting, contemporary, and colorful. I discovered more about this fascinating painter and member of the Harlem Artists guild at www.beardenfoundation.org/index2.shtml. I confess I looked up the American Scientists: Melvin Calvin, winner of the 1961 Nobel Prize for Chemistry, who is known for the Calvin scale and his use of carbon mapping to trace pho- tosynthesis in plants; Asa Gray, considered the most important botanist in American history and author of Manual of the Botany of the Northern United States; Maria Goeppert Mayer, the second woman to win a Nobel prize in physics, after Marie Curie; and Severo Ochoa, Spanish- American physician, and co- winner of the 1959 Nobel Prize in Physiology or Medicine, for his work on the synthesis of RNA. This series reminds me of the Famous Americans series which had such topics as inventors, composers, poets on stamps with similar design. The stamp program this year harkens back to those of earlier decades, where innova- tive creative writers, artists, and painters were included along with those honoring great historical events. This year’s events include Kansas Statehood, the Civil War, Mercury project, and Merchant Marine Ships. Children and adults can both learn something about the subjects that appear on their mail. Thanks to the CSAC for realizing that their mission is to honor great events and the great innovators found within our own American culture! ◾

72 / Stamp Insider • November / December 2010 Some Names are a Promise. LINDNER. Collectors Accessories of Distinction. Das Original - Collectors accessories of distinction.

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Contact our US Branch: LINDNER Publications, Inc. · Matt Patterson, Branch Manager P.O. Box 5056 · Syracuse, NY 13220 · Tel. 1-800-654-0324 www.lindner-usa.com · A US-subsidiary since 1970 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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