VOL. XXVIII, NUMBER 4 JULY 2002 American Helvetia Philatelic Society 20th Century Swiss Postal History - An Overview : Part 1 by Charles J. LaBlonde CPhH (Reprinted from the Bulletin of the Schweizerische Vereinigung für Postgeschichte , with permission ) Introduction To many collectors "postal history" means beautiful old folded letters or covers, carefull y written in a fine hand, sometimes sealed with wax, possibly franked with a classic stamp issu e and usually covered with a variety of exotic markings . I certainly do not disagree with this picture since I have collected early Geneva covers for many years . But I suggest that every piece of mail delivered to our homes and businesses each day is also postal history . Some collector s of classic material may feel that nothing after 1900 is real postal history . Even Swiss philateli c exhibitions seem to divide things at the year 1907 -- real postal history is before 1907 an d modern postal history is all the rest . Before beginning let me review what I believe to be the definition of postal history , whether old or modern . I think postal history is very simply rates, routes and markings, no more, no less. Thus, a new stamp issue is not postal history, but the new rates that caused th e stamp issue are very much postal history . (At the end of this article I will stretch my own definition of postal history . .but only a little .) In the following pages I hope to provide a very brief overview of some 20th century Swiss postal history highlights, based upon the above definitions : rates, routes and markings. There is not enough space to address every development of the past century, only to address som e highlights. The flow is approximately chronological insofar as possible, even though some topic s are appropriate to the entire century . Along the way I will attempt to note some literature relevant to modern postal history developments, for those who might wish to know more . Cancel Machines (Markings) At the dawn of the 20th century the volume of mail in the world was increasing dramatically . Postal administrations around the world wer e looking for ways to automate mail processing . For example, Great Britain had cancel machines i n operation from 1857, Germany from 1866 and th e USA from 1871 . Switzerland began in 1911 to test in Bern a cancel machine manufactured by th e Figure 1 International Postal Supply Company of Brooklyn , New York (Figure 1) . The story of the early machines is very well told by PTT employee E d Greminger in the PTT "Postzeitschrift" publication, IX/X 1946 . (continued on page 8) Contents American Helvetia Philatelic Societ y 20th Century Swiss Postal History - Officers 2001-200 2 An Overview: Part 1 1 ELECTED OFFICERS APPOINTED OFFICER S President's Message 2 President TELL Editor CHICAGOPEX 3 David E. Durham George Struble AHPS Auction 123 Prices Realized 3 149 Ontario St . 210 18th St. N E Matterhorn Meanderings 4 Honeoye Falls, NY 14472-1139 Salem, OR 97301-431 6 Home : 585-624-5575 Home : 503-364-392 9 Beans, Bananas, and Snakes : Part 6 13 E-mail : dedur@aol .com E-mail : AHPS Auction 124 14 gstruble@willamette .edu Past Presiden t James A. Anderson TELL Associate Edito r AHPS Website : http://www.swiss-stamps .org 14463 E. Wagontrail Pl . Steven S . Westo n Aurora, CO 80015 P.O . Box 86 8 Home : 303-617-7836 8 Copyright 2002, The American Helvetia Philatelic Societ y Del Mar CA 92014-086 (AHPS) . TELL (ISSN 1042-2072) is the official journal of th e jamesaanderson@attbi .com 760-752-781 2 American Helvetia Philatelic Society, affiliate #52 of th e Vice-President r American Philatelic Society and a member of the Union o f Circuit Sales Manage Swiss Philatelic Societies . TELL is published bimonthly William R . Lucas Emil L . Toble r (Jan/Mar/May/Jul/Sep/Nov) . 8912 Pinnacle Peak Rd ., P.O. Box 2 6 PM Box 559 Bradford RI 02808 Opinions expressed in this journal are those of the authors an d Scottsdale, AZ 85255 Home : 401-377-223 8 are not necessarily endorsed by AHPS or the Editor . Home : 480-342-973 9 Letters and articles on Swiss, Liechtenstein, UN Geneva and E-mail : wlucas3@cox .net Auction Manage r related philately are welcome and should be sent to the Editor . Gordon Trotte r Whenever possible, submit material by e-mail in plain text o r Secretary & Librarian 10626 Fable Row as a Microsoft Word attachment . Illustrations are encouraged Richard T . Hall Columbia, MD 2104 4 and may be submitted as image files or as full size P.O . Box 1505 3 Phone: 410-730-793 6 photocopies ; or, we can copy/scan your originals (please Asheville, NC 2881 3 Fax : 410-740-721 5 consult the Editor before sending actual stamps, covers, etc .). Home phone: 828-681-058 1 E-mail : trotters@erols .com Please include your name, address and telephone number . E-mail : rtravis@alum .mit.edu Publicity Chairma n Subscriptions for 2002 include AHPS dues : United States , Treasure r Awards Chairman $21 ; Canada and Mexico $26 ; overseas air delivery, $31 . Harry C . Winte r Harlan F . Stone 614 Westwood Avenu e Request membership applications from the Secretary or P.O. Box 77033 4 download from Web page . Change-of-Address should be sen t Ann Arbor, MI 48103-3557 Woodside NY 1137 7 to the Secretary. Home phone : (734) 761-585 9 Home : 718-478-237 4 E-mail : harwin@umich .edu E-mail : hfstone@rcn .com PRESIDENT'S MESSAG E Regional Director Wes t Donn Luec k Slide Chairman Do you know the most important thing P. O . Box 1158 2 Richard W . Blaney Phoenix, AZ 8506 1 20 Paddock Road about AHPS? Do you know what keeps u s Home : 602-841-132 2 South Easton MA 02375-140 1 running as a society? Do you know wha t E-mail : donn3@earthlink .net 508-238-3134 makes collecting Swiss stamps mos t Regional Director Centra l REPRESENTATIVE S interesting? PEOPLE!!! And this month I Ralph Soderberg, M .D . Union of Swiss Philatelic want to lift up some names of special people . P. O . Box 36067 Societie s Grosse Pointe Woods, MI 4823 6 Ralph Soderber g First, there are our officers, listed o n Home : 313-885-4125 P.O. Box 3606 7 page 2, who continue to do a fine job, each i n Regional Director Eas t Grosse Pointe Woods, M I 48236 Helen Galatan-Stone Home : 313-885-412 5 his or her own area . Take note of who they P.O. Box 77033 4 are. I would note some responsibilities no t Woodside NY 1137 7 American Philatelic Society Ernest L . Bergman listed: Donn Lueck is our Conventio Home : 718-478-237 4 n E-mail : hfstone@rcn .com 1421 Harris St . State College, PA 1680 3 Coordinator ; Dick Hall writes that incredible Plan to attend/exhibit at these column "Matterhorn Meanderings" for eac h 814-238-0164 AHPS Conventions and shows : E-mail : elb3@psu .edu issue of TELL; and Bob Zeigler has served CHICAGOPEX November 200 2 informally as our attorney . BALPEX September 2003 Liechtenstein Study Grou p Baltimore, M D Chm: Ralph R .Schneider P.O . Box 23049 Second, the most exciting new ROMPEX May 200 4 development in years is our website . The Denver, Colorad o Belleville IL 6222 3 financial support from Harlan and Helen MEGA-EVENT, Spring 2005 Stone got us started, and Harlan wrote th e New York, NY main text for the site Commercial advertising copy and rate inquiries should be . Our website steering sent to the Editor . Advertising deadlines are seven weeks prio r committee is chaired by George Struble, ou r to publication date : Jan . 10, Mar . 12, May 12, July 13, Sep . webmaster, who works with Dick Hall , 12, Nov . 13 . Gordon Trotter and (continued on page 3) Printed by Kettle Moraine Printing, West Bend WI 53095 . 2 TELL July 2002 PRESIDENT'S MESSAGE Peter, Powers, Stone and Trotter. Their work is critical to the success of our periodical ! (continued from page 2) Steve Weston to give However, we know there are many persons direction . Steve Weston did most of the work among our readers who could also do a n in mounting Bruce Marsden's "Swiss Fondue" article, short or long, simple or complex . exhibit on the website; both Bruce and Steve PLEASE GIVE SERIOUS CONSIDERATION T O deserve our appreciation . WRITING AN ARTICLE FOR THIS, YOU R Third, our profound gratitude goes to MAGAZINE!!!! ! persons who have slaved to create exhibits . And so, the thanks of the whole societ y Recently these have included John F . Barrett , go to these persons who play such an Ernest Bergman, Anthony Dewey, Richard important role in our philatelic life . Fath, Greg Galletti, Robert Kinsley, Charles LaBlonde, Donald Lengacher, Bruce Marsden , Michael Peter, Ralph Soderberg, Harla n AHPS Auction 12 3 Stone, George Struble, and Steve Turchik . Prices realized But we should also include our superb printer, Roland Essig, who exhibit s underwater philately! Exhibits do more than anything to keep Swiss philately before th e stamp collecting public, I believe . Fourth, we note with special appreciation those dealers who advertise wit h us ; they include Ian Gilchrist, Henry Gitner , Heinz Katcher, Craig Keplinger, Michael Vele z and Hans Walser. You support them, yes? They sure help keep our costs down ; thank you! Fifth, as a former editor I am profoundly grateful above all to the authors of articles for TELL. You saw their names in the index published in our January issue -- Bergman, Fath, Guinand, Hall, Heath , Heissinger, Kaufmann, LaBlonde, MacKenzie , Reminder: Our AHPS 2002 Annual Meeting will be at CHICAGOPEX, November 2-24 .