VOL . XXVII, NUMBER 6 NOVEMBER 200 1 American Helvetia Philatelic Society Herbert Brach Book on Strubels The eagerly-awaited book The Imperforate Sitting Helvetia "Strubel" - 1854-1863 by long- time AHPS member Herbert Brach is printed and available . The book is meticulously researche d and beautifully printed ; it contains thoroughly-analyzed solutions to the problems of the standard Zumstein classification system. Herbert Brach was born in Czechoslovakia of Austrian parents . His father, a malt producer, started the family stamp collection ; the family moved to the United States in th e 1930s . Herb graduated from MIT with a Free Postage from Swiss Post! degree in chemical engineering. He served in the US Army in World War II, and worked as a chemist for Union Carbide in Mexico for 35 years. After retiring from Union Carbide , he moved to San Antonio in 1983, reclaimed his half - which included Switzerland -- of the family stamp collection from his brother . Figure 1 Figure 2 He was drawn to the Strubel issue, with its On September 20, Swiss Post allowed rich experience of inks, papers, uses, . He . noted problems with the standard letters of sympathy to the US postage free e classification system, and developed his own We do not know when or how th announcement was made, but enough structure . He published his findings in s articles in TELL in the late 1980s an d people knew so that several AHPS member received those postage-free letters . 1990s ; these led to his comprehensive study Instructions to post offices were apparentl y in book form. sketchy, as shown by some examples of how Herb died in 1996, leaving th e the policy was implemented . Figure 1 is a manuscript unpublished . His family took o n the task of preparing the book fo r publication, arranging and supervising th e publication, and underwriting th e publication expense as a memorial to Herb . Herb's widow and all six childre n participated. Along the way, Bob Zeigler , Heinz Katcher, and Chuck LaBlonde gav e Figure 3 Figure 4 assistance and encouragement. regular postmark from Zurich on a cover Because the book is the family's with no indication of postage paid . Figure 2 memorial to Herb, the printing standards ar e is from a cover that received a P.P. hand extremely high: the text is well-spaced o n postmark in Bretigny-sur-Morrens . Figure 3 the page; the paper is a joy to touch ; the shows a regular postmark from Burgdorf binding is first-class. The most care wen t with an ancillary P .P. mark. Finally, Figure 4 into the illustrations ; well over a hundre d shows a P .P. mark from Luzern with no pages have color illustrations of stamps and indication of date ; the letter inside noted th e covers, and great care went into the fidelity policy and the date . All four of these of the color reproduction . envelopes carried normal "A Priority" . The book starts with a history of the stickers Strubel issue, and a (continued on page 5) We appreciate this expression of sympathy by Swiss Post . Contents American Helvetia Philatelic Societ y Herbert Brach Book on Strubels 1 Officers 2001-2002 Free Postage from Swiss Post! 1 President's Message 2 ELECTED OFFICERS APPOINTED OFFICERS 3 Swiss Exhibit Awards President TELL Edito r Meet Harry Winter, our new AHPS Treasurer 4 David E . Durham George Struble Notes from the Treasurer 4 149 Ontario St . 210 18th St. NE Frank Young 1920 - 2001 5 Honeoye Falls, NY 14472-1139 Salem, OR 97301-431 6 9 5 Home : 716-624-5575 Home : 503-364-392 Auction 121 Prices Realized E-mail : dedur@juno .com E-mail : World War II Mail from Switzerland - Part 10 6 gstruble@willarnette .edu Auction 120 Prices Realized 1 0 Past Presiden t Matterhorn Meanderings 1 1 James A. Anderson TELL Associate Edito r 14463 E. Wagontrail Pl . Steven S . Weston Auction 121 Results 1 3 Aurora, CO 80015 P.O. Box 868 Auction 122 14 Home : 303-617-7836 Del Mar CA 92014-086 8 Kofranek CD Still Available 16 jamesaanderson@home .com 760-752-7812 Vice-President Circuit Sales Manage r Copyright 2001, The American Helvetia Philatelic Society (AHPS) . William R. Lucas Emil L. Tobler TELL (ISSN 1042-2072) is the official journal of the American 8912 Pinnacle Peak Rd ., P.O. Box 2 6 Helvetia Philatelic Society, affiliate #52 of the American Philatelic PM Box 559 Bradford RI 02808 Society and a member of the Union of Swiss Philatelic Societies . Scottsdale, AZ 85255 Home : 401-377-2238 TELL is published bimonthly (Jan/Mar/May/Jul/Sep/Nov) . Home : 480-342-9739 r Opinions expressed in this journal are those of the authors an d E-mail : [email protected] Auction Manage Gordon Trotter are not necessarily endorsed by AHPS or the Editor . Secretary as Librarian 10626 Fable Row Letters and articles on Swiss, Liechtenstein, UN Geneva an d Richard T . Hall Columbia, MD 2104 4 related philately are welcome and should be sent to the Editor . P.O. Box 15053 Phone : 410-730-793 6 Whenever possible, submit material on 3 .5" PC computer disk- Asheville, NC 28813 Fax: 410-740-721 5 ettes or by e-mail in plain text or as a Microsoft Wor Home phone: 828-681-0581 E-mail : trotters@erols .com . Illustrations are encouraged and may be submittedd attachment a s E-mail : rtravis@alum .mit .edu image files or as full size photocopies ; or, we can copy/scan your Publicity Chairma n originals (please consult the Editor before sending actua l Treasurer Awards Chairma n stamps, covers, etc .) . Please include your name, address an d Harry C . Winte r Harlan F. Stone telephone number . 614 Westwood Avenu e P.O . Box 77033 4 Ann Arbor, MI 48103-355 7 Woodside NY 1137 7 Subscriptions for 2001 include AHPS dues : United States, $20 ; : 718-478-2374 ; overseas ai r Home phone: (734) 761-5859 Home by first class mail, $25 ; Canada and Mexico $25 .edu E-mail : hfstone@rcn .com delivery, $30 . Request membership applications from the Sec- E-mail: harwin@umich retary . Change-of-Address should be sent to the Secretary . Regional Director West Slide Chairman Donn Luec k Richard W . Blaney PRESIDENT'S MESSAG E P. O . Box 11582 PO Box 110 0 Phoenix, AZ 8506 1 Easton MA 02334-110 0 by David E. Durham Home : 602-841-132 2 508-238-3134 "Having a wonderful time - wish you Regional Director Centra l REPRESENTATIVE S Ralph Soderberg, M .D . were here!" This could be the message again Union of Swiss Philatelic P. O . Box 36067 Societie s Grosse Pointe Woods, MI 4823 6 as I write this message at SESCAL . The ex- Ralph Soderberg hibits were outstanding, with Swiss materia l Home : 313-885-412 5 P.O. Box 3606 7 constituting 28% of the frames . Our exhibitors Regional Director East Grosse Pointe Woods, MI 4823 6 Helen Galatan-Ston e Home : 313-885-412 5 did very well, as the report on page 3 shows . P.O. Box 770334 Woodside NY 1137 7 American Philatelic Society Our business meeting opened on a sad Home : 718-478-2374 Ernest L . Bergman note as we memorialized in silence the death o f E-mail : [email protected] 1421 Harris St . our long-time treasurer Frank Young . Harry Plan to attend/exhibit at these State College, PA 1680 3 AHPS Conventions and shows : 814-238-0164 C. Winter was elected to serve the balance o f E-mail : [email protected] the term to December 2002 . We then received CHICAGOPEX November 2002 BALPEX September 2003 Liechtenstein Study Group reports from various appointed and elected of- Baltimore, MD Chm: Ralph R . Schneider ficers. ROMPEX May 200 4 P.O . Box 23049 Belleville IL 62223 Dues for the coming year basically re - Denver, Colorad o main the same, but we are dropping the little- MEGA-EVENT, Spring 200 5 New York, NY - used and obsolete rate for overseas surface de Commercial advertising copy and rate inquiries should be sen t livery of TELL. Dick Hall and his son Rikki are to the Editor . Advertising deadlines are seven weeks prior t o leading us into the new millenium as they set publication date : Jan . 10, Mar . 12, May 12, July 13, Sep . 12, up an AHPS website with money we author- Nov. 13 . ized . Helen and Harlan (continued on page 3) Printed by Kettle Moraine Printing, West Bend WI 53095 2 TELL November 2001 PRESIDENT'S MESSAG E Bruce Marsden - "Swiss Fondue" : silver; "Wohlen, Switzerland 1824-1868 - Highlights of (continued from page 2) Stone announced at the Isler & Co. Archive" (one-frame) : silver the awards banquet that in response to the Ralph Soderberg - "Switzerland, the Sit- support they have received from AHPS follow- ting Helvetia Perforated Issue 1862-1883 ": gold , ing the September 11 attack, they will under- APS Best 19th Century Award, Grand Award , write a major portion of the cost of the websit e Felix Ganz Memorial AHPS Grand Awar d development . Thank you, Helen and Harlan; that is indeed very handsome! Look for mor e Harlan F . Stone - "Switzerland's Domes - about our website in a future issue of TELL. tic Postage Due Charges" : gold, AHPS bronze ; "Switzerland's 1924 UPU Commemoratives " The presence of Deborah Brach an d (one-fame) : vermeil, AHPS Best One-frame Katherine Brach Gottschalk, daughters of th e late Herbert Brach, generated uniqu George Struble - "Toward Swiss Airmai l . Following his death, his familye excitement dedi- Service 1900-1920" : vermeil, AAPE Award of cated themselves to publishing his long-time Honor; TELL : silver award in the philatelic lit- study of The Imperforate Sitting Helvetia Stru- erature division bel .