Stamp Insider Insider/Older PDFs/0707.pdf · When Warren Gamaliel Harding succumbed to a prob- able...

Journal of the Federation of New York Philatelic Societies

StampInsiderwww.nystampclubs.org July/August2007

CFOILRLSETCTDIANYGS

featuring articles byconrad novickalan warrennorman cohengeorge fekete

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Subscriptions,Copyright,AdvertisingRates,DeadlinesStamp 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: $7.50 per year; inquire of Subscriptions. Stamp Insider is sent free to members of participating clubs. Content ©2007 Federation of Central New York Philatelic Societies Inc.; Design ©2007 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.

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July/August2007Vol.24No.6

StampInsider

www.nystampclubs.orgEditor

Albert W. Starkweather5520 Gunn Hwy. Apt. 1406, Tampa, FL 33624-2847813-962-7964; [email protected]

AssociateEditorHeather Sweeting

14329 Victory St., Sterling NY 13156-3172315-947-6761; [email protected]

ContributingEditorDaniel A. Piazza

P. O. Box 76846, Washington DC 20013-6846 301-313-0287; [email protected]

AdvertisingManagerGeorge McGowan

P. O. Box 482, East Schodack, NY 12063-0483518-479-4396; [email protected]

WebmasterThomas M. Fortunato

28 Amberwood Place, Rochester, NY 14626-4166585-225-6822; [email protected]

FinancialJohn J. Nunes

80 Fredericks Road. Scotia, NY 12302-5727518-399-8395; [email protected]

Subscriptions/SecretaryRonald K. Ratchford

1105 Union St.. Schenectady, NY 12308-2805518-374-3776 ; [email protected]

ContentsPresident’s Viewpoint ......................................4Editor’s Perspective...................................... 6George Fekete’s Pondering Philately: These Stamps Don’t Get No Respect........ 8George McGowan’s Collecting Posted on the High Seas ..........................10Ada Prill’s Newcomers’ Corner: Dress It Up With an Add-On Cachet .....12Conrad Novick: A New Way To Display ....14Kodak Eliminates Stamp Club .....................18Alan Warren: Collecting FDCs ................ 20

AbouttheCoverGeorge W. Linn, founder of Linn’sStampNews, conceived the first day cachet — for the two-cent Harding memorial issue in 1923. (Photo courtesy Amos Press, Inc.)

Aldred Carroccia: Tips on Types Review ... 24Norman Alan Cohen: Seeking the “Grand Daddy” of FDCs .... 26George Fekete: FDC Design Seredipity .... 30Daniel A. Piazza’s Stamp Stories Harding Stamp Launched Two Crazes ... 34Pair of Clubs Joins Federation ...................35Robert Finnegan: Youth & Philately ......... 38Glenn A. Estus: First Day Coverage ...........39Ruth L. Sabo’s Exploring Deltiology: Copper-Clad Statue of Liberty Card .....40Club Pages ................................................41–65Souren Serebrakian’s Widow Dies ............ 51James Darnell: Stamp Sudoku Puzzle ....... 42Shows & Bourses.................................... 66–67Heather Sweeting’s The Last Words: Sailing the Seven Cs of Collecting ........ 70AdvertiserIndex............69

Fede

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President’sViewpointJohnJ.Nunes

80FredericksRoad,Scotia,NY12302-5727518-399-8395;[email protected]

SqueakyWheelGetstheGrease

I am happy to report that our campaign to speed up the delivery to Stamp Insider subscribers met with a great improvement with the last issue. I believe it was due

primarily to our calls and mail to U.S. Sens. Hillary Clinton and Chuck Schumer, as well as to U.S. Rep. John M. McHugh. Their office staffs understood and informed me that changes would occur, based on communication with Postmaster General John E. Potter’s office.

We also spent more money sending bulk shipments to specific advertisers through Federal Express. That really sped up our delivery, but we will be unable to continue this mode as it is well beyond our budget. I am still uncertain of the impact of the recent postal rate increase on our rates. The next two issues postage cost will be our bellwether. Month-ly cash flow is improving with George McGowan bird-dogging our advertising income on a per-issue basis rather than the end-of-year basis that I was using.

My second note of jubilee is that the transition to our two new officers has been almost seamless. Communication, as always, can improve and will during the transition.

These successes were accompanied by failures. The local meeting of the Federation at Ropex was dismal in attendance. I was unable to man a quorum for the new regional meeting concept I started last year. Let’s hope our annual meeting at Syrapex 2007 on November 11 at 2 p.m. will bring out our supporters and detractors and thus provide me with some meaningful feedback.

Sadly, the Kodak Stamp Club of Rochester has lost corporate support for its meeting site and is facing extinction. I am sure the folks at Rochester Philatelic Association will help fill in the gap. We are willing to assist in any way we can, even though the Kodak group was not a Federation member.

The good news is tht Dutchess Philatelic Society has returned to the Federation, while Putnam Philatelic Society has joined the organization. See story on page 35.

My next campaign following speeding delivery, staying on budget, and assuring accu-racy in transition will be to promote visiting and supporting the National Postal Museum, a branch of the Smithsonian Institution in Washington, DC. It is conveniently located at 2 Connecticut Ave. in the old post office building across from Union Station. The Metro stop is nearby.

Make it a day to see our national treasure whenever you visit Washington. New York State is fortunate to have Daniel A. Piazza, former Syracuse Stamp Club Member, Syra-cuse University graduate, and Stamp Insider contributing editor, as a member of the NPM staff. Cheryl Ganz chooses well.

For show info: Elaine Dunn: 800-635-3351, [email protected]

For dealer booth spaces: Dick Murphy, 508-393-9732, [email protected]

John Nunes, 518-399-8395, [email protected]

Within walking distance or a quick cab ride from great dining—and scores of New York attractions!

Fri. Noon-6, Sat. 10-6, Sun. 10-4 • Free admissionDealers–OnlyWholesale Bourse Fri. 10a.m. to 12 p.m.

Midtown Holiday Inn, 440 W. 57th St.Between 9th & 10th Avenues, minutes from West Side Hwy, 57th St. exit

“Start Spreading the News.” It’s Worth a Trip to NY!

• StampWants.com free C3a entries at the show!• $100 Ticket Master gift card (for events of your choice) door prize Sunday only! • 40 leading stamp & cover dealers!

• USPS with vast stock, incl. rate-change issues!• Yankee Stadium cacheted cover!

To order call: 800-635-3351; Email: [email protected] sure to visit: www.metroexpos.com

6 StampInsider

Editor’sPerspectiveAlbertW.Starkweather

5520GunnHwy1406,Tampa,FL33624-2847813-962-7964;[email protected]Ô

IcedTeaandtheFrenchSST

News of the death of Maria Serebrakian, widow of the late Souren Serebrakian, brought a flood of memories about the first time I visited the legendary dealer in France and

French Colonies. It came on a very hot Friday afternoon in late July or early August 1985 as I was returning upstate from the city, using the Quick Way — Route 17.

I had pulled into a diner in Monroe in search of something cold to drink when I spied a phone booth and remembered the omnipresent ad in the Airpost Journal for “S. Serebrakian, Inc., Monroe, New York.” I had purchased a few inexpensive items from him by mail order and decided to see if he was listed in the phone book. My call was answered by Mrs. Serebrakian who knew my name and invited me to their home a few blocks away.

She met me at the door and led me to the enclosed back porch, declaring it was “too hot to sit anywhere else” and adding that her husband would join us shortly. After a glass of iced tea, Mr. Serebrakian appeared, pushing a small cart loaded with ring binders. He remembered I was interested in Concorde topicals and soon showed me more material than I could afford.

I finally chose a selection of material that nearly equalled my week’s pay and told him that I had to pass on some other items I relished. He put them into the pile, saying “you’ll need these.” I protested, but finally said I would pay for what I had first chosen and have him hold the rest until I sent him a check. He refused the payment, because “I might have car trouble or some emergency” on my drive back to Oswego, and insisted I take every-thing with me and send him the payment when I had the opportunity — an unimaginable thing to hear from a dealer even in those days.

He was no less generous in his dealings by mail order. I remember receiving a sheet of trial colors with the admonition: “Cut out what you want and return the rest.”

I still have the material stored in a stock book, awaiting the day when I create my supersonic transport topical exhibit. I look at it with fond memories of a hot summer afternoon, iced tea, and the SST.

Although they aren’t particularly scarce, these two pairs of trial colors and color proofs for France Scott No. C48 are among my favorite acquisitions from S. Serebrakian.

John J. Nunes PresentsGreat Venues

Stamps • Post Cards • Covers • EphemeraSupplies • Free Admission & Parking

RS Stamp Show10 a.m.–4 p.m. Sunday Aug. 5

Also November 4 • Feb. 3, Aug. 3 & Nov. 2, 2008Eagles Club #52, 1200 Buffalo Road (Route 33), Rochester, New York

Thruway Exits 45 or 47; take I-490 to Exit 7A (Rt. 33 East);go 1.7 miles east to the Eagles Club on the left

Capital District Stamp Show10 a.m.–4 p.m. Sunday July 15 & Aug. 19

Also September 16 & October 21Clarion Hotel, 3 Watervliet Ave., Albany, New YorkJust off I-90 Exit 5, 4 miles east of Thruway Exit 24

Starting January 2008, Capital District Shows will be atHoliday 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 ShowsNEASDA Mania 2 & Post Card Mania 9

10 a.m.–6 p.m. Nov. 17 • 10 a.m.–4 p.m. Nov. 18Clarion Hotel, 3 Watervliet Ave., Albany, New York

2008 Cover Mania 1010 a.m.–6 p.m. Feb. 16 • 9 a.m.–4 p.m. Feb. 17

Clarion Hotel, 3 Watervliet Ave., Albany, New York

Berkshire Paper Mania10 a.m.–4 p.m. Sunday July 29 & Aug. 26

Also November 25Berkshire South Community Center, 15 Crissey Road,

Great Barrington, Massachusetts (off Route 7)Two-day Mania shows on Saturday and Sunday

Nunesnook80 Fredericks Road, Scotia, NY 12302-5727518•399•8395 E-mail [email protected]

� StampInsider

PonderingPhilatelyGeorgeT.Fekete

111DaleRoad,RochesterNY14625-2009585-381-6233;[email protected]

TheseStampsDon’tGetNoRespect

Some of the coolest stamps on earth are not classics, linked thematically, or part of a schol-arly study. Or, in most cases, not very expensive. You might call them Rodney Dangerfield

stamps — they just “don’t get no respect.” So, if you’re a philatelic purist whose sensibilities are offended by non-traditional stamps, you might as well skip this column.

These aren’t replica stamps or ephemera: They were issued by legitimate postal admin-istrations and are valid for postage. Once folks began to collect postage stamps and not use them to pay for their intended service, governments created stamps designed to ex-ploit this source of revenue. Some issue these sparingly to showcase an aspect of national pride; others are far more prolific.

Some characteristics that distinguish my favorite Dangerfield stamps from their con-ventional counterparts are composition, geometry, and interaction. Wood, embroidery, metallic foil, and plastic have all been used to produce postage stamps. Dust ground from a 19 kg meteorite found in Morocco was embedded in a stamp that features the meteorite. Likewise, Swarovski crystals were embedded in two stamps issued by the Austrian postal service. The Bahamas, among others, issued a stamp containing a trace of wood taken from HMS Victory in a series commemorating the 200th anniversary of the Battle of Trafalgar.

Several countries, including Sierra Leone and the U.S., have issued interesting geomet-ric shapes, and Bhutan has issued a series of stamps depicting ancient artifacts in three dimensions. Some stamps can stimulate your tactile and olfactory senses: Italy, South Af-rica, and Switzerland have all issued stamps with Braille characters on them. Alternately, you can enjoy the scent of chocolate, roses, tea or fruit by scratching and sniffing stamps issued by several nations. If you prefer the action genre, stamps that simulate speed skat-ing and golfing have been produced by the Netherlands and Ireland respectively.

My favorite Dangerfield stamps are a series of seven Lp record stamps issued by Bhu-tan that you can actually play!

Fellow RPA member Tom Fortunato shows examples of several of these stamps in V- These Are Stamps? near the bottom of the screen on his The Evolution of Mail and Postage Stamps Web site —www.fortunecity.com/olympia/tilden/186/stampcollecting/index.html.

Bits of meteorite are embedded in the Aus-tria stamp; the Italy issue is embroidery; and the Bhutan stamp is a sound recording.

July/August2007 9

Syracuse Stamp, Coin& Collectibles Show

Central New York’s largest philatelic show. Dealers to buy, sell, trade stamps, coins, covers, post cards, paper collectibles.

10 a.m. – 5:00 p.m. September 9Holiday Inn

Thruway Exit 35 — Carrier CircleMore Shows at the Same Location

November 10–11 — SYRAPEX 2007February 10 and April 13, 2008

Contact Ed BaileyP. O. Box 2338, Syracuse, NY 13220-2338

Phone 315-452-0593

TOPICAL

ENGRAVINGSBurkina Faso 1963 108 Basketball $450.00French Equatorial Africa 1956 189 Waterfall $550.00 French West Africa 1956 67 Railroad $550.00France 1963 1073 Waterskiing $650.00Niger 1961 C21 United Nations $350.00St. Pierre et Miquelon 1959 358 Hockey $650.00Togo 1957 C25 Great White Egret $500.00

DISCOUNTS: 10% YOUR CHOICE, 15% ON $300 OR MORE, DEALER DISCOUNTS PLEASE INQUIREWrite or call today to discuss your personal interests.

E. JOSEPH McCONNELL, INC.P. O. Box 683 • Monroe, NY 10949-0035Phone 845-496-5916 • Fax [email protected] • www.ejmcconnell.com

PRINTER’S SEPIA“INSPECTION” PROOFS —

Approximately 5½ by 4¼ inches in sepia with three punch holes at the bottom, prepared in limited quantities (3 to 5). Printed for inspection to determine clarity of the die. Ceased in the early 1960s.

SE

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American Topical AssociationAmerican Topical Association

10 StampInsider

CollectingGeorgeMcGowan

P.O.Box482,EastSchodack,NY12063-0482518-479-4396;[email protected]

PostedontheHighSeas

I have talked to several people who collect how mail is carried, and related areas: air mail, railway post office, rural free delivery, steamboat mail, and pneumatic mail, to name

just a few. Belonging on this list is the provision given to mail posted at sea.The ship’s purser or postal officer usually held such mail until the next port that had a

postal facility. When that port was reached, the mail would have been turned over to the post office and marked paquebot, or equivalent, and entered into the mail stream.

Paquebot is French for packet boat, and these were originally vessels employed by gov-ernments to carry dispatches, cargo, passengers, and mail, on a somewhat regular schedule.

Some other paquebot markings that have been used include ship mail, posted at sea, New York Ship, packetboat, and paquetboat.

The Universal Postal Union set rules for paquebot mail posted at sea, such as which country’s stamps were to be used and what rates were to be applied.

The Gibraltar postcard, upper left, was mailed at sea to County Cork, Ireland, and has a Great Britain stamp and postmark. A French post card, upper right, was mailed at sea to New Jersey, on a British ship. Paquebot service was begun at Massena in 1962 for ships transiting Eisenhower lock on the St. Lawrence Seaway. A special pic-torial postmark and a cachet were prepared for the last call of the QueenElizabeth.

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]–800–947–8267 845–343–5151 Fax 845–343–0068

We accept Visa, MasterCard, Discover, Amex

Our Pledge to YouWe have assisted thousands of stamp collectors over the past

quarter century in realizing their goals. We are happy to serve

the beginner and specialist alike. Our reputation as one of the world’s

leading buyers of philatelic properties, combined with our staff of

experts, consistently yields a stunning inventory of worldwide treasures.

When the time comes to sell your collection, accumulation or dealer

stock, you can be assured of getting top dollar.

Buying and SellingU.S., U.N., Canada, Europa, and Other Fine Worldwide — Visit our

Web site for an in-depth view of the scope of our offerings.

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!

12 StampInsider

Newcomers’CornerAdaM.Prill

130TrafalgarSt.,RochesterNY14619-1224585-328-2438;[email protected]

Ada intended to use fabric and glued-on eyes for her teddy bear cachet, but instead used cutouts from a Land’s End catalogue to meet deadline constraints. The body and ears were a canvasknitshirt and the other pieces came from random bits of paper from the same catalogue, except the eyes, which were pearls from a different catalogue. Most of Ada’s artsupplies are courtesy of Land’s End and L. L. Bean, which send her cata-logues almost weekly. Both use good-quality paper and printing. However, she regrets not having time to try a real cloth teddy and will seek another cover in a 25-cent box.

DressItUpwithanAdd-onCachet

Sometimes you can have a lot of fun personalizing a cheap first day cover. Take a FDC of the 1998 teddy bear stamp from the Celebrate the Century series: Nice stamp, but

the uncacheted cover seemed pretty ordinary. So ordinary, in fact, that I picked it up in a 25-cent box.

As it happens, people liked this stamp so much that the USPS gave the teddy bear its own set of four stamps, issued in 2002. I had created a cachet for those stamps, so when I found this cover in a bargain box, I decided to put a similar cachet on it. Not great art, but for 25 cents, no big loss either. Putting a cachet on an existing cover, especially one you didn’t service yourself, is called an add-on.

FDC enthusiasts differ on what makes a cachet an add-on. Some people say a cachet needs to be put on a cover within a year of the date of issue to avoid being considered an add-on, while others say six months. Some purists say a cachet added at any time after the cover is ser-viced is an add-on. By any definition, a cachet added to this 1998 cover in 2007 is added on.

Some FDC collectors avoid add-ons, while others don’t mind that they were created months or years after the cover date. To be considered an honest add-on rather than a fake, however, any add-on should be signed and dated on the back (inset above).

To learn more about cachet making, consider joining the Art Cover Exchange. More information about ACE is available from Joseph Doles, 105 Lawson Road, Rochester, NY 14616-1444; [email protected]; www.artcoverexchange.org.

July/August2007 13

Harmer–Schau Auction Galleries, Inc.

BUY•SELL•AUCTIONstamps, postal history, postcards, ephemera

Contact Our Northeastern Representative Today!John J. Nunes

518-399-8395 • [email protected]

www.harmerschau.com HS

14 StampInsider

A New Way To DisplayOvercomingtheTyrannyoftheFrame

By Conrad Novick

The last year has seen my introduction of a new

style of exhibiting — using graphic art as a backdrop for mounting and display-ing philatelic material, cov-ers in particular.

My exhibit, Space … the Final Frontier, was a concept born a little more than a year ago. My intent was to create an exhibit that is colorful, interesting, and exciting to both the novice as well as to the experienced philatelic spectator, collector, and ex-hibitor; to enhance the expe-rience of viewing an exhibit by creating in the mind of the viewer a memorable experi-ence. Judging reactions at shows across the country that mission was accomplished.

Space … the Final Frontier was shown at Americover 2006 in Cleveland, OH; at Stepex 2006 in Elmira; at Ameristamp Expo 2007 in Riverside, CA; and in the Courts of Honor at Phila-telic Show 2007 in Boxbor-ough, MA; and Ropex 2007 in Rochester. It will be dis-played at the Albany Plan-etarium this summer.

Continued on Page 16

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Visit Our Store at3 Curry RoadP. O. Box 745

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*Want Lists Filled*U. S. Mint and Used Stamps,

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Also a Selection of:Great Britain, including Channel Islands

British ColoniesFrance and Colonies

Germany and ColoniesOther European

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Full line of stamp and cover supplies

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16 StampInsider

New Way To Display — Continued from Page 14

I also have been invited to the opening of the NASA John H. Glenn Research Center Museum at Lewis Field in Cleveland, OH, later this year.TheVisionUnder my concept, the method of looking at an individual frame takes on a unique change. No longer do I, as the creator of the exhibit, look at a single frame and question myself:

“What do I do with 16 8!/™ by 11-inch pages?” Rather, the question becomes: “What do I do with 12 square feet of display area?” At this point, I no longer am constrained by the limits of page sizes, as the entire 36 × 48-inch frame becomes a single page with which to work and place the philatelic items that I wish to present. This opens up much more area for mounting, placement, and presentation of philatelic material.

This is most noticeable in the frame that is subtitled Looking Out to the Universe, where two sets of first day covers (one set of five and one set of four) are arranged in a circular fashion. First day covers of multiple stamps in a set are also allowed to be cascaded with-out constraint of page sizes.TheImaginationIt is said that “one picture is worth a thousand words.” With that adage in mind, imagina-tion now comes into play — to conjure up a scene, that by the use of graphics, creates in the mind’s eye of the creator and the viewer, the presentation of a story. The graphics used must complement both the subject and material being presented and, at the same time, act as part of the story line. Text itself also becomes part of the graphics experience, using graphic techniques for the printing of philatelic information on particular items.

Relying upon the thousand words theory, text is, therefore, kept to a minimum, allow-ing the presentation as a whole to speak for itself.

The main concept itself allows for the introduction of innovations in displaying, where-as the method of display is an innovation in its own right. In the space display, the frames are divided into topics rather than a chronological order of presentation of the first day covers. This provides a unique perspective as each of the present seven frames — with the addition of a first page — may stand as its own topical display. Another innovation is the inclusion of a last page to summarize the entire display.TheMethodPutting it all together is the hardest of all portions of an exhibit of this type. Once the subject of each page was decided upon, graphic images had to be acquired. In this display, there was a total reliance upon the NASA Web site (www.nasa.gov) for photographs taken from the various space missions.

Once the graphics were acquired, touched up, sized and placed, a decision on fonts and lettering style had to be made, as well as developing a technique for the text areas. Then came the arrangement of the covers on the sheet, and — as was pointed out to me — spelling.

Using my computer and Photoshop software, the individual pages were created. Once created, the digital files were put on disk and sent off to a commercial printer to be printed in a single 36 × 48-inch format. Cost is $45 per page.


Shows for ’07FALL CONVENTION10 a.m.–5 p.m. Saturday, October 610 a.m.–3 p.m. Sunday, October 7

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Losson Road

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To Niagara Falls To Lockport

Exit

Exit

To B

uffa

lo

Dick

Ro

ad

Walden Avenue

Genesee Street

To Erie, PA To Hamburg

Unio

n

Ro

ad

Rt. 2

77

Tran

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R

oad

Rt.

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I-90

COLUMBUSBANQUET HALL

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New Way To Display — Continued from Page 16When the finished product arrived, mounting material had to be purchased from an

art supply store — one-eighth inch foam-board that they cut to my specifications. Armed with a can of spray glue and newspapers to cover my entire living room, I mounted the pages and then mounted the envelopes using corner mounts.

The boards mounted very quickly in show frames everywhere, with only one excep-tion. Being fairly new to exhibiting, I did not know that exhibit frames came in two sizes; International Standard (36 × 48 inches) and American Standard (35 × 46 inches). As my displays are set to International Standard, I was informed four weeks before a show I was committed to that my frames would not fit their mounts. This forced me into construct-ing my own A-frame mounts for that show. How I did it is for another article. Suffice it to say, I now have my own frames and mounts.

ConradNovickofSouthGlensFallsisacomputeranalystfortheNewYorkStateDe-partmentofEnvironmentalConservation.Healsodoesgraphicsworkforthedepartment’smagazine,theConservationist.Hehasbeen

involvedinphilatelyforthelasttwoyearsaftera15-yearhiatus.HeisamemberoftheGlensFallsStamp,Postcard&EphemeraClub,AmericanPhilatelicSociety,AmericanAssocia-

tionofPhilatelicExhibitors,theAmericanFirstDayCoverSociety,andtheSpaceUnit. Jo

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KodakEliminatesStampClubJoseph Doles, Kodak Stamp Club representative, was notified on May 25 that the club no

longer will be able to continue its association with the Eastman Kodak Co. Recreation De-partment, which has been eliminated. All clubs and organizations received the same notice. Kodak has been downsizing for many years and this did not come as a surprise, Doles said.

The Kodak Stamp Club, formed in December 1959, originally was known as the A & O Stamp Club for Kodak’s Apparatus & Optical Divisions in Rochester. Its first directory listed 54 members. During the 1960s and 1970s there were as many as 125 members at monthly meetings. Membership was for employees and their families only; guests were also welcome. Several times a year the monthly meetings would be a bourse and sometimes there would be six or more member dealers set up.

Only two original members were active for the total 48 years the club existed. They are John McNally of Fairport and Graydon Loomis of Pittsford.

The current members will be given the opportunity to continue the club if a meeting place can be found that is agreeable to the members or to join other local stamp clubs such as the Rochester Philatelic Association or the Western Monroe Philatelic Society.

July/August2007 19

One Box…$46.00Three Boxes…$125.00; Six Boxes…$240.0013 Boxes (Baker’s Dozen)…$495.00

This is one of our most popular selling items! We've sold thousands of these lots

via our ads in Mekeel’s & Stamps, Linn’s and on eBay; and we receive numerous

re-orders! This lot contains a myriad of philatelic material, ranging from pure trash

to some exquisite delights that include retired inventory, postcards, QSL cards,

covers, stamps, unsold/unclaimed eBay lots, FDC’s, navals, events, foreign and U.S.

commercial covers. No two boxes are exactly alike. The Priority mailing box that

holds all this fascinating material measures approximately 12 3/4" long, 11 1/2"

wide and 2 1/2" high! Each box contains HUNDREDS of items! We started making

these bulk wholesale surprise lots years ago, and they've caught on like wildfire!!!

You'll find the good, the bad, and the ugly in this lot. It’s a great lot for people who

like to sort out “stuff.” You’ll also like the stamps we use to ship this lot!

TERMS: New York State residents must include sales tax; Payment must accompany all orders,

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United States; Offer expires Oct. 30, 2007. Visit our eBay Store for thousands of exciting items: www.thecoverconnection.com.

P.O. Box 173

Niagara Square Station

Buffalo, NY 14201-0173

Member ASDA, APS,

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Big Box of Stuff

I am a long-time dealer and ASDA member, and am

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20 StampInsider

Collecting First Day CoversBy Alan Warren

How should I collect first day covers? Let me

count the ways …There are many differ-

ent approaches to collect-ing FDCs and it is whatever that strikes your fancy that will determine what and how to collect. Some collec-tors have a favorite cachet maker. Two of the current ones that are quite popular are Fred Collins and Julian Pugh. They have subscrib-ers who sign up to receive all of their new issue covers or you can select items from their stock.

Many of these are hand painted, silk-screened, or computer generated and are quite colorful. Older cachet makers are also sought after, such as Walter Crosby, Har-ry Ioor, and Dorothy Knapp. Artcraft cachets made by Washington Press have been around for more than 60 years and are very popular.

When thinking about what to collect, don’t just think about covers. There are programs that are handed out at first day of issue ceremonies, often with the new stamp can-celed on first day.

Continued on page 22

First Day CollectiblesPopular first day collectibles include hand-painted covers, top; siderographer’s initials, above; U.S. Postal Service commemorative pages, below left, and first day ceremony programs, bottom right.

July/August2007 21

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22 StampInsider

Collecting First Day Covers — Continued from Page 20The postal service issued commemorative pages and panels, typically of 8!/™ by 11-inch

size that are very attractive. For these souvenirs as well as the ceremony programs, the older ones are difficult to find and represent a real challenge for collectors.

Interested in plate number coil stamps? They can be collected on first day covers as well, as can plate number singles or blocks, Mr. Zip singles, and other marginal informa-tion. In the 1920s the initials of the Bureau of Engraving and Printing siderographers and plate finishers are sometimes found in the margins. The siderographer transferred the stamp image from the engraver’s die to the printing plate. The plate finisher machined the printing plate to remove blemishes and flaws. FDCs with these marginal stamps are difficult to find but they are out there.

The topical approach to FDC collecting attracts many who seek baseball themed stamps on covers and similar subjects. The joint issues released by the United States with another country are another thematic specialty of interest.

Some serious collectors look for earliest documented use covers. These are typically 19th century or early 20th century issues for which the actual issue date may be unknown. The earliest recorded cancellation is submitted to an expertising service and the certificate documents that item as the earliest known use at that time.

This article barely scratches the surface of FDC collecting. There are many other ways to collect and you can get some ideas by poking through the cover boxes at your local bourse, or looking at FDC exhibits at regional and national shows. And don’t forget foreign first

day covers. If you collect stamps of the Brit-ish colonies or Switzerland, think about first day covers from those countries as well.

More information is available from the American First Day Cover Society (AFDCS), a volunteer non-profit and non-commeri-cal organization serving the needs of first day cover collectors, cachetmakers, and dealers (www.afdcs.org). Founded in 1955, the society now has a membership of nearly 3,000 active first day cover col-lectors, including hundreds of collectors who design and manufacture their own cacheted FDCs.

AFDCS holds an annual show — Ameri-cover. Its 52nd annual Convention and Ex-hibition will be held at the Marriott Hotel in Stamford, CT, from Aug. 17 to 19.

AlanWarrenofExton,PA,isrecordingsecretaryoftheAFDCS.

Specializing in serving beginner and intermediate collectors with O U.S. / Canada / BC recent

commemorative, regular, S/S, revenue, fancy cancels, PNCs / on cover, WW U pick, packets, & supplies.

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24 StampInsider

—BookReview—

Identifying Washington-FranklinsBy Alfred CarrocciaTips on Types: The Washington-Franklin Two Cent Reds 1908 to 1923 & Three Cent Violets 1908 to 1919, second edi-tion by Robbin Dick. 5!/™ × 8!/™ inches, 26 pages, soft cover, saddle stitched. ©2007 self-published. $20 plus $2 shipping and handling domestic or international from Robbin Dick, 43 Crossbow Drive, Penfield, NY 14526.

The myriad varieties of two- and three-cent George Washington stamps from the Washington-Franklin is-

sues present a challenge to collectors, who often abandon identification attempts. Many resources for these issues confuse collectors with endless tables and text packed with too much confusing information.

In 2003, Robbin Dick culled the information and pack-aged it in a concise booklet that simplified identification. The second edition, produced with the help of George T. Fekete and Dennis Gilson, begins with the basic distinction be-tween intaglio and offset printing. Intaglio and offset stamps from both issues are mounted in the booklet for reference along with illustrations of plates used in the printing process.

The first part of the booklet concentrates on the two-cent reds. Dick’s tables include only necessary characteristics to identify each stamp. Large, clear illustrations are shown for each type, along with annotated descriptions for each characteristic. Peppered throughout are tidbits of information that summarize what has been set forth in a sentence or two. These Quick Tips arm the collector with concise information and accentuate important points.

Dick devotes the balance of the booklet to the three-cent violets. The section on the violets, which are not as complex as the two-cent reds, is shorter as there are only four types.

Dick has taken the mystery out of the iden-tification of the different types and compressed a wealth of information in a compact reference source that can easily be taken to a bourse and used for quick identification with-out guessing which type a stamp may be.

July/August2007 25

Schmitt Investors Ltd.

Cash Paid For Worldwide Postal Historyand Historical Letters.

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

www.fredschmitt.comMember: Manuscript Society, ASDA,APS, PTS (London), CSDA (Canada)

Schmitt Investors Ltd.International Postal History Specialists Since 1953

P.O. Box 387-Ins • Northport NY 11768-0387Phone: (631) 261-6600 (24 hours)

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26 StampInsider

The Hunt for the ‘Grand Daddy’of First Day Covers

By Norman Alan Cohen

In the late 1990s I developed a passion for collecting first

day covers of the two-cent red brown Bank Note issued in 1883 (Scott No. 210). I was at the Willard Auction in St. Louis, MO, when a remain-der accumulation caught my eye. Eagerly studying my pur-chase, I became hooked on the collection of 1883 issues with every imaginable subject from plate errors to advertis-ing covers. In the lot was a set of Edward L. Willard’s 1970 two- volume publication The United States Two Cent Red Brown of 1883–1887. While avidly reading in the first vol-ume, I came upon a section on the Oct. 1, 1883 First Day Circular and a list of 11 first day covers compiled by Robert L. Markovits. (Editor’s note: Many more No. 210 FDCs have come to light since Willard’s book was published .)

In 1883, basic first class mail rates were to be effective on Oct. 1, but early in September or possibly late in August, the Stamp Agency in New York City began to supply the new two-cent stamp to offices over the country. Under date of July 18, 1883, the Third Assis-tant Postmaster General sent out a circular to all postmasters announcing the new stamps and their use. “On and after the first day of October 1883, the rate of postage on domestic mail matter of the first class will be reduced from three cents to two cents per half ounce or fraction thereof, as provided by the Act of Congress approved March 3, 1883. The De-partment has adopted a new design for the two-cent stamp — the head of Washington in profile — from (Jean Antoine) Houdon’s bust, being placed on a plain tablet; above the oval surrounding the head are the words ‘United States Postage,’ and underneath the tab-let are the words ‘Two Cents’. The stamps will be printed in metallic red. The embossed


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usstampsusa.comSpecializing in U.S. Stamps

Richard D. Eratowner

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The Hunt — Continued from Page 26

stamps on the two-cent envelopes will also bear the head of Washington.”

In the original color description, the stamp was described as metallic red. There is an official designation — metallic red, which in fact is a reddish brown. This color was in use from October 1, 1883 to January 1884.

With all this great info, I began my hunt. Upon receiving an auction catalog with an offering of three No. 210 first days, I was for-tunate to acquire one from New York City. Later in the Houston 210 sale, I acquired another first day from Danville, NJ. In the course of the last five years, at least 20 more first day cov-

ers have shown up. The latest was four items at a recent Matthew Bennett sale.

My curiosity has been killing me, so I am tracking the covers offered in the auc-tions to which I have access. So far, I have found 40 list-ings and am intrigued by a quote by Mr. Markovits in the Willard book: “Mr. Mar-kovits comments: ‘It is my guess that hundreds exist, many unrecorded.’ It is our guess that covers existing to-day do not exceed 200.”

I’m game for the hunt. Care to join me? Let’s find out how many covers exist. If you have a No. 210 FDC, please e-mail me: norman @adventuregraphics.com.

NormanCohenofDallas,TX.,whosecompanyprintsthe

StampInsider,isamemberoftheAPSandTexasPostal

HistorySociety.

Houdon (1741–1828) designed the bust.

July/August2007 29

Park Cities StampsByron Sand�eld

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Well stocked in Postal History, U.S., Classics, Revenues, and Locals

30 StampInsider

Serendipity Inspires FDC DesignBy George T. Fekete

Cachets have been around for a long time and take

many forms. Some define a cachet as text and/or graph-ics applied to an envelope that is linked to an event or stamp, excluding corner cards or advertising, while others use a broader defini-tion. Nonetheless there are countless ways to collect ca-cheted covers. Patriotic and political covers produced during the 19th century are extremely popular.

Although I enjoy viewing cacheted covers, I confess I’m not a collector of, nor an expert on, the subject. At Ropex 2007 I was drawn to a display of fascinating 3-D covers created by Denise Lazaroff (3-DLAZ Covers) at the cachet makers bourse. They reminded me of other 3-D cachets I had seen that were created by Art Cover Exchange members. Among Denise’s covers were two FDCs franked with the 84-cent northern lights stamps from the U.S. International Polar Year (IPY) souvenir sheet issued on Feb. 21.

I had to know more about these covers and here is what I learned — Denise’s husband Chris, also a cachet maker, was planning to take some FDCs to Fair-banks, AK for servicing. They discussed including polar bears and penguins


Denise Lazaroff employs standard scrapbooking tech-niques to create unique three-dimensional cachets. In addition to creating new covers, she applies her skills to existing first day covers.

July/August2007 31

COLLECTORS’ SHOW/EXPO 2007Semi-Annual

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32 StampInsider

R.J. ASSOCIATESStamps & Covers Dealer

Buying • Selling • AppraisalsSpecializing in U.S., Topicals, German

RONALD J. YEAGERP.O. Box 774 • Bradford, PA 16701-1318814-362-4471 • E-mail: [email protected]

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--

Serendipity — Continued from Page 30

on the cachets Denise planned. This inspired an idea that evolved over a week or so and resulted in her decision to make three-dimensional covers for the event. Serendip-ity played a major role in her choice. Denise teaches scrapbooking and realized that she could apply some of the tools and techniques used by scrapbook artists to create 3-D covers.

She hand cuts and folds the scrapbooking paper into an envelope that will become the cover. Since this paper comes in many colors and designs and is archival, it is an ide-al medium for making cachets. Graphics for the third dimension of the cachet are gen-erated and edited in the same way as those for two-dimensional cachets. Once the 3-D artwork is drawn it can be shaped and sized using a commercially available scrapbook-ing die cutting machine. The machine may be computer controlled. Other techniques are used to create a desired effect. The upper edges of the background snow on the IPY

covers were produced by tearing white paper. Finally, the 3-D effect is created by building up one or more layers by attaching them to the cover with small foam squares for support. De-nise’s 3-D covers sell for $10 each and mail orders are shipped via Priority Mail in protective boxes for $5 ship-ping and handling, which includes multiple covers.

You can write to Denise at P.O. Box 2053, Elkton, MD 21922-2053, call her at 410-441-1334, or e-mail her at [email protected].

Her husband, an AFDCS award-winning cachet mak-er, specializes in two kinds of cachets. He creates afford-able cachets for people who attend first day ceremonies that would like to have a sou-venir of the event, and for cachet collectors he makes single color cachets.

July/August2007 33

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34 StampInsider

StampStoriesDanielA.Piazza

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HardingStampLaunchedTwoPhilatelicCrazes

The two-cent black Harding mourning stamp (Scott No. 610) has become legendary in the annals of U.S. philat-

ely because it single-handedly launched not one, but two philatelic crazes. George W. Linn’s typeset cachet for the is-sue is generally regarded as the first modern first day cover; countless collectors of precancels and perfins also cut their philatelic teeth on varieties of the stamp. The story of the stamp itself, however, and the public reaction to its release, is at least as interesting as the numerous new ways in which philatelists chose to collect it.

When Warren Gamaliel Harding succumbed to a prob-able heart attack on Aug. 2, 1923, he became the sixth American president to die in office. Almost immediately, letters encouraging a memorial stamp began pouring in to the U.S. Post Office Department. Third Assistant Postmaster General W. Irving Glover at first in-sisted that there could be no Harding memorial stamp, at least not during 1923. On Aug. 7 he wrote that the entire stamp production budget for the year had already been allocated; moreover, the Bureau of Engraving and Printing was already absorbed in preparation of the new airmail series (Scott No. C4–C6).

The public demand was relentless, however, and on Aug. 12 the USPOD reversed it-self and announced that a mourning stamp for the late president would be released at

month’s end. “The stamps will be printed in Bank Note black,” a press release stated, and “the Postmaster General has wired the Uni-versal Postal Union at Berne today advising of the tem-porary change of color.” (At the time, UPU conventions called for stamps that paid the domestic letter rate to be colored red.) Two hun-dred thousand of the stamps


July/August2007 35

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Pair of Clubs Joins Federation

Dutchess Philatelic Society and Putnam Philatelic Society have joined the Federation, according to Treasurer Stephen E. Gray. The Dutchess Society was a member of the

Federation for a number of years, but had dropped out.Dutchess Philatelic Society, which was founded 1931 and is APS

Chapter 480, meets on the first and third Tuesdays at 7:30 p.m. at the Friends Meeting House on the corner of Hooker Avenue and Whittier Boulevard in Poughkeepsie (enter down the back stairs). Dutchess Philatelic Society has approximately 25 members.

Dues are $10 a year. Contact is Burl Henry, 4 Shamrock Circle, Poughkeepsie, NY 12603; phone 845-297-1875.

Putnam Philatelic Society, which was founded in 1976 and is APS Chapter 1061, meets on the first and third Fridays at 7 p.m. in the third floor cafeteria of Guideposts, Seminary Hill in Carmel (enter from the parking lot). Putnam Phil-atelic Society has 18 members.

There are no dues. Club contact is Drew A. Nicholson, 18 Val-ley Drive, Pawling, NY 12564; e-mail [email protected]; phone 845-855-3387.

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Nelson, PA

e-mail for details:[email protected]

We have moved!Watch for ournew address

Phone: watch for new numberFax: watch for new number

FDCsInterestStudentsinCoverCollecting

Each year at one of our el-ementary school stamp

club meetings, I share some common and not so com-mon first day covers. After a brief discussion of what a first day ceremony is and how stu-dents can mail away for a first day of issue cover, the stu-dents are shown my covers.

The covers are ones with-out cachets, ones with commercially produced cachets, and those hand drawn by gifted phi-latelists. I share with them the uniqueness of the hand-drawn cachets. One of our former Tri-County Stamp Club members, Arthur Carver, had given me a number of hand drawn and colored cachets of first day of issues along with other hand-drawn cachets on cover years ago.

In sharing my covers I encourage students to create a cachet for a particular stamp from my mint collection. I then have them address the envelope to themselves and send it in the mail. They haven’t produced a first day of issue cover, but they have generated an interesting cover to say the least. They enjoy receiving their own mail, complete with a cacheted cover. As a result of this activity, I have had students become interested in cover collecting as opposed

to just putting stamps in a box, later to be forgotten about.

As an educator, anytime I can have students combine a philatelist interest with an-other medium, in this case, art, I am excited by what ac-tually materializes. The USPS has encouraged students to create stamp designs in the past. Perhaps the next step could be having our budding philatelists create cachets for an upcoming issue.

July/August2007 39

FirstDayCoverageGlennA.EstusP.O.Box451,Westport,[email protected],518-962-4558

ComboFDCsPoseaChallenge

Do you enjoy a challenge? Why not try combination first day covers? Combo

FDCs can be as challenging or as simple as you want. Basically, when you make a Combo FDC you are using stamps that have some relationship to each other.

In 1941, a collector made a combo FDC using the three-cent Vermont Statehood stamp issued on March 3. The collector also added three other stamps all showing a similar theme: a capitol building. The stamps used included ones that showed the Idaho capitol, the Old State House in Arkan-sas, and the Old Capitol in Iowa. The four stamps look well together and augment the Crosby thermographic photo cachet, which also shows the Vermont capitol building.

Sometimes it takes research and imagi-nation to make a combo FDC. Recently, Winston Churchill collector Todd Ron-nei (www.ronnei.com) created a combo FDC using the Henry Wadsworth Longfel-low stamp issued on March 15. How many people would have realized that there is a connection between Longfellow, Franklin D. Roosevelt, and Sir Winston Churchill. The cachet that Ronnei created succinctly explains that connection.

Ada M. Prill has written about creating combos in her Newcomers’ Corner column (Stamp Insider, July–August 2005 Page 12). She added one caution: “Collectors are not allowed to use stamps issued after the first day of the primary stamp, even if you are sending your cover to be canceled during the post-issue grace period.”

Are you ready to create your first combo FDC? Good Luck!

40 StampInsider

ExploringDeltiologyRuthL.Sabo

51IslandViewRd.,Cohoes,NY12047-4929518-785-1330;[email protected]

StatueofLibertyCardAlsoCladinCopper

On October 28, 1886, on Bedloe’s Island (now Liberty Island)

in New York Harbor, the Statue of Liberty was dedicated by President Grover Cleveland. Universally rec-ognized as a signal of freedom and a greeter of the oppressed, the copper-clad statue’s seven pointed crown represents the seven continents and seas and her right hand holds a beacon of light and hope high above her head. It was present-ed to the United States of America by France to commemorate America’s centennial. France pledged to raise the money for the statue if the U.S. would raise the funds for the pedestal.

As a child I was lucky enough to go into her crown with my parents and sister, experi-encing a panoramic view of New York Harbor — an awe-inspiring visit for the daughter of immigrants. After the 9/11 attacks, visitors were refused access. The pedestal and a museum reopened in August 2004. Its interior holds the plaque with the poem Colossus penned by ac-claimed poet Emma Lazarus whose family were not recent immigrants, but wealthy society people descended from Spanish/Portugese Jews, the first Jewish settlers in New York. The poem’s last lines have been memorized by school children throughout the nation:

Give me your tired, your poor,Your huddled masses yearning to breathe free,

The wretched refuse of your teeming shore.Send these, the homeless, tempest tost to me,

I lift my lamp beside the golden door!There is an abundance of stamps, postcards, and coins depicting the statue. I love a cop-

per card I purchased a few years ago. It is unmailed and published by Kopper Kard Co. of Salt Lake City, UT. I also have cards made of leather, wood, plastic, stickers, and others embel-lished with silk, human hair, metal springs, and even real mink. Another favorite is a divided back postcard mailed in 1909 from Derby, CT. It depicts Uncle Sam opening a curtain to show the sun rising behind the Statue of Liberty, honoring those who fought in the Civil War. It was published in1907 by the well-known Illustrated Postal Card Co. of New York. A third card was printed in France as part of a Lafayette series, No.081. A young Uncle Sam stands next to the Statue of Liberty. Speaking in both French and English, he appears disgusted with himself for not taking action, presumably for delaying so long before entering World War I.

July/August2007 41

His First AwardNine-year-old Andrew All, the youngest member of the Adirondack Stamp, Postcard & Ephemera Club received a silver-bronze award for his first com-petitive display — Hockey-mania — at Ropex 2007. Andrew, who lives in Green-field, is a fourth grade stu-dent at the Corinth Elemen-tary School in Corinth, and grandson of club member Conrad Novick. Andrew’s one-frame thematic exhibit includes hockey stamps, covers, and souvenir sheets from around the world.

GlensFalls,NewYorkMeets at 7:30 p.m. on the 1st & 3rd Fridays most months at Glens Falls National Bank Community Room, 13 South St.

Dr.W.R.Hanson,78W.NotreDame,GlensFalls,[email protected],518-798-9592

Directions—CallJoeKopczakbefore9p.m.at518-761-0020

CostofMailingaLetterRemainsConstant

Here is one good reason not to stress out about the new cost of a first-class postage stamp: The cost of mailing a letter really hasn’t risen in 35 years when you adjust

for inflation. It is true that a stamp cost just eight cents in the early 1970s, less than one-fifth today’s price of 41 cents. But when you adjust the cost for inflation over the last 36 years, a stamp today will put you out just one-tenth of a penny more in terms of what a dollar could buy in 1971.

Of course, you can ensure you never pay more than today’s price by buying the new Forever Stamp, which the postal service guarantees will be honored no matter how high prices go.

—NewYorkDailyNews

42 StampInsider

Buffalo,NewYorkMeets at 7:30 p.m. twice monthly on Fridays at VFW Leonard Post,

2450 Walden Ave., Cheektowaga, except June, July, and August

AlfredCarroccia,152WindmillRoad,WestSeneca,[email protected],716-674-0302

Thomas M. Fortunato and Walter Or-ton judge exhibits, above. A general view of the 14-dealer bourse, right.

ClubElectsFourDirectors

The club elected four members to the Board of Directors at its May 4 meeting. Alfred Carroccia, Daniel Sherwood, William Witschard, and Dennis Woodard will serve three-

year terms and will be eligible for election to hold office in the club. Woodard is serving his first term while Carroccia, Sherwood and Witschard are incumbents. A board meeting will be held in July to elect officers and set the calendar for the 2007–2008 club year.The final auction of the season was held on June 1. The final club event will be the annual picnic at Meegan Manor, the home of President Bob Meegan, over the summer. The date and time will be announced shortly.NewMembersWelcome to new members Mike Michotek and Fred Haun who are worldwide collectors.ArtsCouncilOffersTwoBooksThe Arts Council in Buffalo and Erie County has two books for sale relating to philately. The first is Legends of the West, which contains stories about the stamps from this series and the people commemorated by those issues. The second is Legends of the Silent Screen, which follows the series of the same name. Each book is leather-bound and comes in a protective sleeve with a full sheet for mounts of the stamps described.

Anyone wishing to purchase these books may contact the Arts Council at 716-856-7520 or fax 716-856-7548. Books are $7 each plus $3 shipping or $5 if you order more than one. The council address is 700 Main St., Buffalo, NY 14202.

Stamp Sudoku Brain TeaserBy James DarnellThis is a sudoku puzzle that uses letters instead of numbers, in which a philatelic term consisting of nine different letters will be spelled out in one row of column when the puzzle is correctly solved.

A proper solution is reached when all nine different letters appear in every column and row, and in each of the nine large three by three squares.

AnsweronPage68

E U D A P

A

I L C

D E L

P A T E

U C I

A I T

I

P I T L A

July/August2007 43

Hamilton,NewYorkMeets at 7:45 p.m. on the 1st Monday September–June at Hamilton Public Library on the Green, 13 Broad St.

BradenHouston,President,2063SpringSt.Hamilton,[email protected],315-824-2237

EarhartPhotoBecomesPostcardBy Bob Betz

My primary interest in collecting postcards is cards with corresponding stamps and can-cellations. I also collect cards of local interest. An opportunity arose for me to make my

own cards when I bought a small framed picture of an airplane at a local flea market. When I returned home and opened the frame, I found a notation on the back of the photo that it shows Amelia Earhart’s plane after it crashed in Honolulu on her first attempt to fly around the world in 1937. That flight began on March 17 in Oakland, CA, and ended after a tire blew and a shock absorber on the landing gear failed on her twin-enine Lockheed Electra 10E.

I made a group of postcards from the picture, added the eight-cent Earhart stamp, and had them canceled on March 20, 70 years after the crash. The balance of the cards will be cancelled on July 2, 70 years after her disappearance on her second attempt. It is interest-ing to note that on both occasions, her destination was Howland Island, first flying west and then flying east.

Earhart CardThe front and back of Bob Betz’ postcard are shown above. The flea market photograph, from which it was created shows the ravages of time. Amelia Earhart is shown with the undamaged Lockheed Electra, right.

44 StampInsider

Dansville,NewYorkMeets at 2 p.m. on the 3rd Sunday at Dansville Town

Hall, 14 Clara Barton St., September through June

SusanEdwards,P.O.Box574,Dansville,[email protected],585-335-8663

DansvilleAreaCoin&StampClub

47thAnnualShowaSuccess

At our April 15 meeting we talked mainly about the 47th annual Coin-Stamp-Sports Cards-A-Rama because it was only two weeks away. We had two new members join —

Keith Barr and Bud Lang. Raffle prize winners were Bob Stickney and Bob Teeter. Door prize winners were Gary MacDonald and Susan Edwards. The pill drawing winner was not present. The June pill drawing will be $7.

We did not have a meeting in May because Dansville has a Dogwood Festival and our meeting place is being used.

We had our annual show the last Sunday in April. It was a beautiful day, which cut down the turn out. We sold about 180 tickets at the door. Most of the people liked our new location in Dansville Middle School. The lighting was very good. We offered beef on wick and chips for lunch and sold out. This show was a success.

Prize winners were first — $10 gold piece, Dick Waterhouse of Dansville; second — 10 silver dollars, The Coinery from Lockport; third — prestige proof set, Pat Reitz of Depew; fourth — 2006 proof set, George Pretsch of Rochester; and fifth — 2006 state quarters proof set, Todd Oliver. New this year was a stamp prize worth about $30. The winner was Mike Thompson of Dansville.

Robert Minemier Jr., left, and Treasurer Gerry Freeman greet visitors, upper right.

July/August2007 45

Elmira Stamp Club

Elmira,NewYorkMeets at 8 p.m. (doors open at 7) the 3rd Tuesday at

Five Star Bank Community Room, 351 N. Main St. (rear entrance); Stamp circuit available

AlanParsons,809HolleyRoad,Elmira,[email protected],607-732-0181

ClubMeetsDuringSummer

The club continues to meet during the summer. There is no let-up during June, July, and August. Our regular monthly programs stay in place, and planning for our annual

show in October accelerates.Programs

July 17 — Auction night.Aug. 21 — Slide program: Fundamentals of Thematic ExhibitingThose wishing to exhibit at Stepex 2007 must have their completed entry forms mailed or

delivered by October 6 to be listed in the show program. The show will be Friday and Satur-day, October 12 and 13, at the American Legion Skinner–Ernest Post, 45 S. Olcott Road, Big Flats. Prospective exhibitors and dealers please note: names, addresses, etc. of contact per-sons for exhibiting and for bourse setup appear in the Stepex advertisement on page 33. In addition to help needed for Stepex, club members should mark down Saturday, September 29, to assist at the club’s table at the annual Octagon Fair on the Elmira College campus.

Long-time club member Darryl Graves, 56, proprietor of Graves Press in Elmira Heights, died April 10 at the VA Medical Center, Syracuse. He had much to offer and his contributions to the club were many. He will be missed. The club welcomes new member Jay Hammond of Barton, who joined at the May meeting. He has inherited a stamp collec-tion and wants to learn about the hobby.MeetingNotesMarch — 26 attended. When we heard it was Vicki Stratton’s birthday, we sang Happy Birth-day. Mike Breed and Don Dolan called an auction of 50 lots assisted by teller Judy Stewart and lot facilitator Autumn Rose Lester; 29 lots were sold for $93.55, with the club taking in $9.95 in commissions and sales of club lots, and the consignors receiving $83.60.April — 18 attended. We discussed the Forever stamp and other new issues in conjunction with the May 14 postal rate increases. The meeting concluded with the APS slide program Basics of Stamp Exhibiting.May — 24 attended. Judy Stewart passed out cards for members to update their collecting interests. One-page exhibits were shown by Fred Dykins, Judy Stewart, and Alan Parsons, and four pages were shown by Marlin Stewart. As punishment for exceeding the one-page limit, Marlin had to team up with Mike to call an auction of 27 lots, 21 of which sold for $56.50, netting the club $5.75 in commissions and the consignors $50.75. Prior to the auction Parsons fielded questions regarding the APS election and expressed his own con-cern about the money being spent and the negative campaigning.

46 StampInsider

EMPIRE STATEPOSTAL HISTORY

SOCIETY1 9 6 7

F O U N D E D

E. S

. P. H . S.

APSUnit2�www.esphs.org

Meets twice annually

Membershipinfo:GeorgeMcGowanP.O.Box482,E.Schodack,[email protected],518-479-4396

TheMysteriousForm29By Drew A. Nicholson

Occasionally an item ap-pears that requires re-

search into the many forms used by the U.S. Post Office Department and other gov-ernment agencies. The cov-er depicted here required such research.

When I acquired the Mil-lerton cover, I sent inquiries to several postal historians as well as the American Philatelic Research Library in Bellefonte, PA, to learn what Form 29 required to be reported by a postmaster. Responses ranged from none to a guess that the envelope contained weather or crop reports from a rural, agricultural community. Millerton in 1880 certainly would have fit that criteria as it was in the rural northeastern portion of Dutchess County known for its corn and vegetable crops and dairy products.

The use of official government postal stationery pre-addressed to the “Chief Signal Officer, U.S. Army,” made sense considering that the Signal Service most likely was the agency best equipped to receive, organize, and disseminate large amounts of statistics.

The response from the APRL included a photocopy of pages 322–323 from Thorp & Bartels’ Catalog of Stamped Envelopes and Wrappers:

At this time the Weather Bureau was under the War Department, and prior to this date [1882 (1884?)] reports from a far-flung line of observers were mailed to Washington in 3c. envelopes or 1c. wrappers, both of the War Department. When the penalty clause was made mandatory, in 1879, there must have been millions of such envelopes & wrappers in the offices of thousands of weather observers.I believed my Millerton cover was such an example. Shortly thereafter, I purchased

an unused example of a similar envelope bearing a slight variant of the admonition, which included Fortnightly in the location where there previously had been a small space

Cover for Form 29Scott No. UO54 cancelled MILLERTON, 20 SEPT 1880, star in circle duplex. Note: There were variations in the admo-nition (inset from another UO54).

July/August2007 47

between of and Reports. Obviously, fornight-ly had been subsequently deleted prior to printing the Millerton cover, making it the latter form.

The purchase of a blank Form 29 at Washington 2006 solved the “mystery.” It was a weekly, later biweekly (fortnightly) Report of Post Office Bulletins issued by the

“Division of Telegrams and Reports for the Benefit of Commerce and Agriculture.”

The fourth of the columns required to be completed by the Postmaster, hour dis-played in frame, is indicative of the impor-tance given to posting. Undoubtedly there was a series of bulletins regularly issued by the Departments of Commerce and Agri-culture designed to assist farmers. Reports from the Weather Bureau were certainly a significant part of these bulletins posted in a frame at the local post office.

The post office, frequently located in the general store in a 19th century rural commu-nity, was the center of the community where most farmers congregated to pick up their mail. There was no rural free delivery until the first decade of the 20th century. Through this posting of weather, commercial, and agricultural bulletins valuable information was disseminated to the farmers by the ap-propriate government agencies — informa-tion that could mean the success or failure of planting, raising and selling their crops.

Six Chix Kathryn LeMieux

Cropped title, top; inside, bottom.

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4� StampInsider

Geneva,NewYorkMeets at 8 p.m. on the 2nd and 4th Wednesdays at the Sawdust

Cafe, New York State Agricultural Experiment Station

JamesDarnell,136LockSt.,Clyde,[email protected],315-923-7355

FIN

GER LAKES

STAMP CLUB

ClubReinstitutesFormalBanquet

On May 9 we reinstituted a formal club banquet at Abigail’s Restaurant in Wa-

terloo to replace our dish-to-pass suppers of recent years.

Following dinner members were treated to an interesting presentation by Gary Mu-sante, a SUNY Brockport performing arts professor, about his collection of stamps, covers, and other philatelic items related to the theater. He also shared an unusual assortment of items centering around Rob-ert Hichens’ play, The Garden of Allah — his personal favorite collection.NewMemberIn May we welcomed new member Carl Klapp of Penn Yan. We now have 30 members.PicnicandAuctionOn June 27 we enjoyed our annual picnic and anything auction held for the second year in a row at the home of Janet Salone on Seneca Lake in Geneva.SummerScheduleCutBackThe club is reducing the number of meetings from twice to only once per month during the summer. In July, August, and September, the club will meet only on the fourth Wednesday. It will resume its normal schedule in the fall.ClubMemberDiesThe club mourns the loss of member, Janice B. Boyle of Geneva, who died in late April.Programs

July 25 — APS slide/tape program: UPU — Regulation of the Mails

Aug. 22 — APS slide/tape program: Swiss Postal History

Sept. 26 — Guest speaker Florence Wright of Rochester: Christmas Seals

Gary Musante

Agricultural Experiment Station in 1908.

July/August2007 49

Albany,NewYorkIncorporatingWomen’sSealandStampClub

Meets at 7:30 p.m. on the 2nd & 4th Tuesday at Bethany Reformed Church Community Center, 760 New Scotland Ave.

MarisTirums,P.O.Box5475,[email protected],518-438-1657

ClubEnjoysHerbertTrenchardPresentation

On April 10 APS historian Herbert A. Trenchard gave us a wonderful presentation on the history of philately and specifically, of philately in New York State.

Trenchard, a PhD, graduated form Loyola University and the University of Maryland, and is a retired physicist. He presently is a trustee of the American Philatelic Research Library, chairman of the APS Hall of Fame selection committee, and a volunteer at the Smithsonian Institution’s National Postal Museum in Washington, DC. His interests are philatelic literature and the history of stamp collecting.

Among an abundance of rare and valuable artifacts, Trenchard displayed the first U.S. philatelic publication, put out by A. C. Kline in December 1862. He also exhibited early material from Syracuse, Buffalo, Utica, Rochester, Binghamton, and Albany. Trenchard spoke of many of the clubs and people of New York, and their contributions to the hobby. Incidentally, for those of you whose wife has said: “You have too much stuff in your stamp room,” Trenchard at last count has more than 80,000 old auction catalogs.

We want to thank Trenchard for his thoughtfulness and John J. Nunes for making ar-rangements for him to join us.

APS Historian Herbert A. Trenchard talks about New York’s philatelic history.

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50 StampInsider

Rome,NewYorkIncorporatingCommunityStampClub

Meets at 7 p.m. on the 4th Thursday except July and August at Rome Municipal Building, Second Floor

LaviniaA.Tilton,8081PasserRoad,Blossvale,NY13308-2232315-337-8841

STA

MPF

ORT

CLUB

STANWIX

LaviniaTiltonToDisplayCachets

Lavinia A. Tilton, the club’s treasurer, will show some of her Fort Stanwix cachets at Jervis Public Library, corner of Elm and Washington streets, during August. Her entire display

will be shown at the Rome Coin Club Show on Oct. 14 at Stanwix Veterans and Mens Club.FortStanwixDayCoverFort Stanwix day will be observed on Aug. 3. Steve Stawiarz has designed the annual ca-chet and Joe Occhipinti designed the pictorial cancel. To order, send $3 and a sase to Lavinia A. Tilton, 8081 Passer Road, Blossvale, NY 13308-2232.

Harding Stamp — Continued from Page 34

were to be released on Sept. 1 in Harding’s hometown of Marion, OH. Nationwide, black Hardings would be used to fill all post office requisitions for two-cent stamps until Dec. 9.

Postal customers everywhere bought the stamps in large quantities. Fred B. Crow, the postmaster at Marion, cabled Washington on Sept. 2 to say, “entire allotment two hun-dred thousand Harding memorial stamps sold today rush additional requisition.” The circulation manager for Time magazine inquired about buying several hundred thousand copies to use on all of their corporate mail. A lady from Duluth wrote to the postmaster general that the black stamps were welcome relief from “the hideous pink we had to use for every occasion and for various colors of stationery.” By Oct. 4, the stock of black Hard-ings was dwindling, and Glover ordered a new printing of one billion copies.

Not everyone was pleased, however. A lawyer from Indiana, obviously well informed on the basics of stamp production, complained that the change to black ink “must have been at a large cost and expenditure to United States Government.” The postmaster at Danvers, MA wrote to Glover: “People refuse to take them. Not only the women, but the big business con-cerns.” He went on to complain that his customers were traveling to nearby Salem, Beverly, and Peabody in search of red stamps, but offered no specifics about why black stamps were judged unacceptable by these New England worthies. On the other hand, as late as Feb. 27, 1924, the Postmaster at St. Louis — who had already received 3.65 million of the stamps —wrote to the USPOD that “this office will be glad to receive an additional supply.”

On this occasion, at least, Massachusetts trumped Missouri as the “Show-Me” state! Sources: Herman Herst, Jr., “Remember the Harding Precancels? Stamps Don’t Al-

ways Go Up.” SPA Journal 44:5 (January 1982) pp. 283-285; Stamps, Postage. Harding Me-morial Commemorative. 1923, file in the Papers of the Third Assistant Postmaster General, National Postal Museum Library, Smithsonian Institution.

July/August2007 51

Fulton,NewYorkMeets at 7 p.m. on the 3rd Wednesday except July and August;

contact John A. Cali for location

JohnA.Cali,613W.4thSt.,Fulton,[email protected],315-592-4441

ClubAdjournsforSummer

The club has adjourned for the summer. Meetings resume in September. We are cur-rently meeting in members’ homes until a suitable location is found.The club is considering a pictorial cancellation for stamp collecting month in October.Many area collections have found their way into the club through individuals request-

ing appraisals or outright purchase. Family members have had collections left to them in estates. The common thing heard is: “We did not want to throw the collection out, but did not know what to do with it” and asked if we could assist them. If our club is unable to evaluate a collection, we seek information from someone who can.

The APS holds annual seminars to educate its members in various aspects of the hobby at the match Factory in Bellefonte, PA. They are definitely rewarding programs.

Have a Happy and Safe Summer!

Souren Serebrakian’s Widow Dies

Hertha Maria Serebrakian of Monroe, 86, widow of Souren Serebrakian, died May 7 in Warwick, two days before Part II of the Serebrakian sale by Cherrystone Auctions.

She and her husband were in business as S. Serebrakian, Inc. until his death in 1990. They traveled the world to stamp shows, where she became known as “the hostess with champagne,” because of her practice of offering customers a glass of bubbly even before they had a chance to peruse the merchandise.

Mrs. Serebrakian was born in Austria on Jan. 1, 1921. Maria came to the United States in 1939, on the SS Washington along with John Roosevelt, the sixth and last child of Frank-lin D. and Eleanor Roosevelt, with whom she danced.

Mr. Serebrakian was born in 1900 in Tiflis, the capital of Georgia, of Armenian origin. Having graduated in Leipzig in the 1920s he became a cigarette factory manager in the Netherlands. He went to Brussels around 1930, where he was a full time stamp dealer. When World War II broke out he moved to New York, continuing his stamp business. The Serebrakians were married in the mid 1940s.

She is survived by her son-in-law and daughter, Joe and Bimbi McConnell of Washington-ville, who are also stamp dealers; an older sister in Goshen; and three grandchildren.

Memorial contributions to Equine Rescue, Inc., P. O. Box 392, Walden, NY 12586; the First Presbyterian Church, 142 Stage Road, Monroe, NY 10950; or the animal shelter of your choice.

52 StampInsider

Ithaca,NewYorkMeets from 7:30–9:30 p.m. on the 2nd & 4th Wednesday

in Room 384, Morrison Hall at Cornell University

YoramB.Szekely,104KlinewoodsRd.,Ithaca,[email protected],607-257-5346

ClubMaintainsFullSummerSchedule

The Ithaca Philatelic Society maintains its regular full schedule of meetings throughout the summer months. As usual, the first meeting, on the second Wednesday of each

month, is an informal trading session. During this session the APS sales circuit for the month becomes available.

Several times a year this meeting also has kiloware selections offered by Dave Houseman from Syracuse. The second meeting begins with a brief formal business session, followed by the monthly club auction. Charlie Uhl has been our auctioneer for many years, with Julius Fabricant filling in while Charlie is away to warmer climes during the winter months.

No special events or programs are planned. Our members have never shown much interest in such activities. The prevailing view appears to be that the club’s principal pur-pose is to serve as a source for acquiring stamps for members’ collections. Educational and informational benefits, if any, accrue through informal conversations.

Our use of a meeting room in Morrison Hall on the Cornell University campus was recently formalized through registration with the building administration. This resulted in the added benefit of allowing us to store our set of Scott catalogues in a secure space within the building, relieving us of the burden of trundling the heavy volumes back and forth to meetings.

First Day Postage DuesI picked-up two postage due StampInsider returns at the Schenectady Main Post Office on June 1. Stamps were affixed for payment of the amounts due and can-celled with Schenectady’s double circle date canceller. This usage is possible because of the new policy of nationwide first day sale of stamps, even though specific cities might be designated for the first day of issue postmark and first day ceremonies.

—RonaldK.Ratchford

July/August2007 53

Cooperstown,NewYorkMeets at 7:30 p.m. on the 1st Tuesday at the Tillapaugh home,

28 Pioneer St., except February and March

EllenTillapaugh,28PioneerSt.,Cooperstown,[email protected],607-547-5646

LeatherstockingStampClub

BicentennialCoversAvailable

Cooperstown covers are available from the village’s Bicentennial Committee, which produced 470 covers for the April 3 event — 235 in black and white and 235 in color.

They may be ordered from Cooperstown Bicentennial Committee, c/o Diane Rathbun, 209 County Hwy, 52, Cooperstown, NY 13326. Black and white covers are $20 each; color at $25 each, plus $1 mailing & handling. Checks and money orders should be made pay-able to the Cooperstown Bicentennial Committee.SummerMeetingsIn;SomeWinterMeetingsOut

It was decided not to meet in February and March, because inclement weather limits at-tendance, and to have summer meetings instead. The club will have a general topic stamp meeting in July which will be geared toward youth, who would more likely attend on a Tues-day night in the summer. There is still interest in having some sort of stamp show — particu-larly a dealers only bourse. We will follow up with the coin collectors in the area who have shows every few months in Oneonta. We may be able to join in such a show this summer.

Albert Keck brought copies of recent articles on the Look coil and reviewed the history of this tagging variety. He also shared a collection of first day covers for several 1940s stamps.Programs

July 3 — Types of Collections; Members will bring examples of different types of collections — varieties of topical, country specific, back of the book, airmail, etc.

Aug. 7 — Baseball Induction Covers by Albert KeckSept. 4 — TBA by Peter CraigOct. 2 — Hidden Images — Indicia by Ellen Tillapaugh

54 StampInsider

Plattsburgh,NewYorkMeets at 1 p.m. on the second Saturday of each month in the second

floor meeting room of Plattsburgh Public Library, 19 Oak St.

GlennA.Estus,P.O.Box451,Westport,[email protected],518-962-4558N

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TwoPictorialCancellationsintheOffing

Because of the lead time involved in magazines, such as the Stamp Insider, we show two special pictorial cancels that will be used in Plattsburgh on September 8. One honors

the annual Battle of Plattsburgh commemoration which takes place during the second week of September. The other honors the centennial of the Scouting movement, which began in England in 1907. The battle cancel is sponsored by the Battle of Plattsburgh Association (www.battleofplattsburgh.com). The other is sponsored by Adirondack District Twin Rivers Council 364 Boy Scouts of America (www.adirondackscouting.org). Club mem-ber Jack Barrette designed both cancels. The council also maintains a Web page on the Battle of Plattsburgh National Historic Trail — www.battleofplattsburgh.org/trail.

Jack has also designed special cachets for the events. All proceeds will go to help fund the Battle of Plattsburgh National Historic Trail.

According to the BOP Web site: “This outdoor trail in beautiful upstate New York on the scenic shore of Lake Champlain with rolling hills, and bordering the Adirondack Park, marks the turning point in the War of 1812, and the last engagement between navies of English speaking nations. The trail is approximately seven miles in length. All along the trail are 32 historic trail markers.

“By tracing the historic footsteps of the Battle of Plattsburgh, it is hoped that you will have a physical and spiritual kinship with the War of 1812 soldier.”Programs

July 14 — International Reply CouponsAug. 11 — Program neededSept. 8 — Meeting will begin at noon so that members can attend the Battle of

Plattsburgh parade later in the afternoon.

July/August2007 55

Olean,NewYorkMeets at 7:30 p.m. on the 2nd Monday at the Elks Club, 209 W.

State St. (Entrance is from the parking lot on the 2nd Street side)

JackSearles,733FrontSt.,Olean,[email protected],716-392-1072

O

LEAN AREA

STA

MPCLUB

Wanted:CattaraugusCountyPostalHistorian

Cattaraugus County, located in the Southern Tier of counties near the toe of New York State, will celebrate its bicentennial in 2008. The second county to be cut from Gen-

esee County was formed March 11, 1808 and took its name from the creek that forms its ragged northern border. It also took two Holland Land Tracts from Allegany County, which was formed in 1806. This section of land would become the future townships of Portville, Olean, and Burton (which became Allegany in 1851).

In 1808, Olean was the only town in the county for several months. Olean Point, set-tled in 1804, quickly became the northern gateway to the west for eastern immigrants who boarded boats and rafts at Olean and rode the Allegany River south to Pittsburgh.

The first post office in the county, at Olean, was opened November 10, 1817. Ellicottsville was the second post office, established July 4, 1820. It became Ellicottville on August 29, 1894, when the “s” was dropped. Rock View Post Office opened March 5, 1879 and closed May 15, 1888. Was its location at or below the present tourist attraction at Rock City Hill?

The third post office was formed at Franklinville on July 5, 1820. County population growth was slow, and more post offices were not formed until the mid to late 1820s. There were many post offices formed from the 1850s through the 1890s, and several were formed in the early 1900s, at a time when total numbers of post offices in the United States began declining.

The latest post office to be established was Pryor Heights (rural Perrysburg), opened in 1953 and closed in 1960. Saint Bonaventure University, a Franciscan college located in the town of Allegany, has its own post office, established April 24, 1907 (zip code 14778).

Can someone be enticed to write-up such interesting post offices? How about Chelsea, Axeville, Sociality, Fox, West, or Fitch? Or perhaps Rice, Sugar Town, Tuna, Leek, Bird, or Pigeon? All were once post offices of Cattaraugus County! It is hoped someone will step forward to present the past of this fascinating county that is so rich in history.UpcomingShowThe club will have Olepex 2007, its annual show featuring stamps, coins, and postcards, on Sept. 22 at the Olean Elks Lodge, 209 W. State St. at Second Street from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. There will be stamp exhibits. Parking and admission are free.

56 StampInsider

Oswego,NewYorkMeets at 6 p.m. on the 4th Monday at Faith United Church,

12 Mark Fitzgibbons Drive, except July and August

LeighLeClair,212MurraySt.,Oswego,[email protected],315-342-5653

OswegoConcludesYearWithPicnic

The club recently wrapped up its meeting season with its annual picnic held at Os-wego’s Breitbeck Park. The club will resume its schedule of monthly meetings in

September. About 15 people attended.TwoPictorialCancellationsScheduledTwo pictorial cancellations will occur over the summer months while the club is on hiatus. The first will take place, on Saturday June 2, at the 150th annual Oswego County Fair in Sandy Creek. This cancel will feature a special logo designed by a local artist for this year’s sesquicentennial celebration.

A second cancellation will take place at the Magic in Minetto celebration on Aug. 4 at Minetto Town Hall. It recently has been announced that the legendary Dubois Hotel will be demolished to make way for the construction of a Stewart’s convenience store and gas station.

The site, home of the first tavern in Minetto, was established around 1820 and was a booming restaurant and hotel in the early 1900s. It is said that a traffic policemen was often required to direct the mobs of traffic to the restaurant when the noon whistle of Columbia Mills blew at lunchtime.

Most recently it has housed a technology business. Most Minetto residents are sorry to see the loss of what was once an historic building, but pleased to see the development of commerce and a much-needed gas station.

July/August2007 57

Rochester,NewYorkwww.geocities.com/rpastamps

Meets at 7 p.m. on the 2nd & 4th Thursday at Twelve Corners Presbyterian Church, 1200 S. Winton Road

JosephDoles,P.O.Box10206,BrightonSta.,Rochester,[email protected],585-621-3012

One half of the show floor at the Ropex2007 National Stamp Exhibition.

NewRopexLocationaSuccess

The new home for Ropex at the ESL Sports Centre on the campus of Monroe Commu-nity College in Rochester turned out to be an excellent location, both for collectors and

dealers. So good, in fact, that plans for 2008 and 2009 are in the works. The Ropex exhibition frames are almost 20 years old. The frame committee, with Rick

Kase as quartermaster and Joe Doles, cachet designer, made and sold many first day covers over several years on behalf of RPA to help pay for the frames. A sizable donation by the late Andy Hale, a local stamp dealer, made the frames a reality. The frames are visible across the top of the photo above. A few of the first day covers sold for the project are shown below.

5� StampInsider

Schenectady,NewYorkMeets at 7:30 p.m. on the 1st Monday

at Union Presbyterian Church, 1068 Park Ave.

RonaldK.Ratchford,1105UnionSt.,Schenectady,[email protected],518-374-3776

SCHEN

ECTADY STAMP

CLU

B

ORGANIZED 1930

SCHAU-NAUGH-TA-DA

PartyProgram

The club’s 23rd anniver-sary party was notable

for its folded letter sheet pro-gram given to those attend-ing the Dec. 14, 1953 dinner at the First United Presbyte-rian Church.

The basement of the church at the corner of Av-enue A and Mason Street was where club members congregated shortly before Christmas annually for four decades. We would enjoy a similar banquet prepared by the women of the church, now known as the West-minster United Presbyterian Church.

A long-time member, Paul T. Sack, who, although deaf, continued to work as a printer to an advanced age, apparently printed the event program. I believe that I have custody of the printing cut used to simulate the dou-ble circle Schenectady postal marking from the days of stampless covers. How ap-propriate that the noted sub-ject of this 1953 party would be the postal history of the

July/August2007 59

Staten IslandPhilatelic Society

StatenIsland,NewYorkMeets at 7:30 p.m. on the 1st & 3rd Monday except July and August at the Rev. Paul Kroon Center of Messiah Lutheran

Church, 195 Jefferson Blvd., Annadale, Staten Island

CharlesR.Carlson,30HoppingAve.,StatenIsland,[email protected],718-984-7880

ATypicalStatenIslandMeetingPhoto Essay by Tom Braniff

You Can Never Be Too Rich …or Have Too Many U.S. No. Ones

Dramais Peronnae, clockwise from upper left: Ted, Jim, Dave, Reggie, and Charlie. Charlie notes that the photographer, Tom Braniff, “does have a lot

of U.S. numbers ones.”

60 StampInsider

APSChapter1357Meets at 7 p.m. the second Monday, except July, August, October,

at Kanestio Historical Society Building, 23 Main St., Canisteo

SueBabbitt,1990SquareWoodsDrive,Canisteo,[email protected],607-698-2062S

teu

ben

Stamp Club

BabbittPresentationFeaturesRotary

The Steuben Stamp Club’s April Meeting featured John S. Babbitt with a new power point presentation titled A Philatelic Tribute to Rotary. His program featured the his-

tory of Rotary on stamps.The world’s first service club, Rotary, was formed on Feb. 23, 1905 in Chicago, IL. Its

popularity spread across the United States and around the world.It wasn’t until June 22, 1931 that the first stamps honoring Rotary came about. The

event was the 22nd Rotary International Convention being held in Vienna, Austria. To commemorate the event six stamps from a set of 11 were overprinted with the Rotary em-blem. The stamps were sold a double face value with the extra money going to local Rotary services. Today the stamps are listed in Scotts as Austria semipostals.

In 2005 Rotary celebrated its 100th Anniversary. More than 100 countries around the world honored the achievements of Rotarians on postage stamps.ClubonSummerHiatusThe final meeting of the Steuben Stamp Club took place on June 11 with a picnic at Rotary Park. Club meetings will resume in September.

July/August2007 61

Syracuse,NewYorkwww.syracusestampclub.org

Meets at 8 p.m. the 1st & 3rd Friday at the Reformed Church of Syracuse, 1228 Teall Ave.

AllenSwift,P.O.Box593,EastSyracuse,[email protected],315-457-3201

Organized 1919APS Chapter 50

ClubContinuestoProsper

The Syracuse Stamp Club membership is down slightly from 10 years ago. However, many members continue to be active participants. Total membership hovers around

75 to 80, with between 20 and 30 attending most meetings. We will continue to meet through the summer months as usual.Syrapex2007Nov. 10th and 11th is the big weekend for Syrapex 2007, whose theme is Honoring Louis C. Tiffany. The show will be at the Holiday Inn at Thruway Exit 35. The prospectus for exhibi-tors can be obtained by writing to SSC, P. O. Box 593, East Syracuse, NY 13057. The Satur-day evening banquet will be held at the hotel, right across from the bourse area. We have obtained a speaker from the College of Visual & Performing Arts of Syracuse University, who will speak on the life and career of Louis Comfort Tiffany and his works.TaftRoadPostOfficeTourRescheduledThe tour of the Taft Road Post Office, originally scheduled on June 15, was postponed due to recent security changes made by the Department of Homeland Security. It now has been rescheduled for Saturday, Sept. 15 at 9 a.m.DonationtoNewOrleansClubThe club provided a small donation to hur-ricane Katrina victim Crescent City Stamp Club of New Orleans. Vincent and Dianne Juchimek created a limited number of hand-colored Katrina relief covers with proceeds given to the New Orleans club. Recently they met with two of its members. Vincent, left, presents Jack Reinhard, club treasurer, and Jack Donnes, a board member of the Cres-cent City Stamp Club, with a framed artist’s proof of the cover. Dianne took the picture.Programs

July 6 — STAMPOJuly 20 — AuctionAug. 3 — Bring an Album Page or Cover to Show; pizza and sodaAug. 17 — Political Topical by Gil StrausmanAug. 31 — Auction; no business meetingSept. 7 — Stamp Identification Group, John Davis host

62 StampInsider

Sidney,NewYorkMeets at 7 p.m. except July and August on the 3rd Monday

at Sidney Civic Center, 21 Liberty St.

RobertFinnegan,10O’NeillDrive,Oneonta,[email protected],607-432-8141

ClubHostsElementarySchoolClub

In May the Tri-County Stamp Club hosted the Sidney Elementary School Stamp Club in an evening of stamp activities and fun. The youngsters far outnumbered the club’s

membership as 21 students as well as several parents played part in the club’s annual youth night.

Students were engaged in four different stations. At one station they had to match stamps from a fabricated stamp page with stamps at a table and then practice hinging the stamps properly. Secretary Bill Bauer assisted the youngsters and he believed that some of the depicted stamps were not in the pile. Many students surprised even him, in locating many of the ones that missed his astute eye. All the stamps at this first station were United States issues.

At another station, students were asked to scavenge through a cornucopia of foreign issues and then locate the stamp on a world map found on the wall. This was not an easy task for the younger students, but with the help of President Spike Paranya the students were able to master some geography skills.

At another station, students were to use their math skills, as they were to scavenge a pile of issues and calculate stamp denominations based upon several clues provided by Jim Ludwig. Jim was the only one to use a calculator, however. Bob Ludwig also assisted the younger members.

At the final station, students were asked to work with United States definitive issues. Thousands of commonly used postage stamps over the years were placed upon a huge table. Stamps had been mounted on a game board, and students were to locate as many of the mounted stamps as possible.

All in all, students and club members had a great time. Refreshments followed. Pic-tures had been planned to have been taken for this publication, but the members became

so engrossed in the job of entertaining, the pictures failed to be taken.

Bob Finnegan, treasurer of the Tri Coun-ty Stamp Club, also serves as the Sidney El-ementary School Stamp Club’s advisor.

This flag cancel was used on a 1½-cent letter mailed by Sidney National Bank on May 22, 1928.

July/August2007 63

Troy,NewYorkMeets at 7 p.m. on the 1st & 3rd Tuesday, except June, July, and

August at a location to be announced

TerrillS.Miller,P.O.Box335,Troy,[email protected],518-869-6872

UNCLE

SAM STAM

PCLUB

TROY, N.Y.

BaseballandPhilately

Our speaker on April 3 was long-time member Jim Danner, who has writ-

ten several books on sports and stamp col-lecting, and is well versed on the history of baseball, boxing, and other sports.

Jim’s topic was Cooperstown, Baseball, and Stamp Collecting. He highlighted the three major philatelic events at the Hall of Fame during the 20th century. The first was the 1939 opening of the Hall of Fame and issuance of the baseball centennial stamp, Scott No. 855. The second was in 1982 with the release of the Jackie Robinson stamp, Scott No. 2016. The third was in 1989 for the 50th anniversary of the Hall and the issuance of the Lou Gehrig stamp, Scott No. 2417. Jim featured dozens of covers, and souvenirs from each of these events and displayed many unique items and autographs.

One of Jim’s books, Baseball on United States Stamps, was purchased by the USPS and used during the celebration of the Lou Gehrig stamp. USPS also purchased another of his books in 1991 for the basketball centennial stamp issued in Springfield, MA.

Finally, if baseball and basketball are not enough, Jim is also an authority on zeppelins, boxing, and the Olympic games. The Baseball Hall of Fame is so appreciative of Jim’s work that they have issued him a lifetime pass.AnnualPicnicandAuctionThe annual Summer Picnic and Tri-Club Auction will be Aug. 26 from noon to 5 p.m. at the Polish American Community Center, 225 Washington Ave Extension, Albany. Cost is $25.50 per person and includes tax and gratuity. Please RSVP by Aug. 12 with Terry Miller or Marge Warren at 518-869-6872.ClubHomeless—AgainFor the second time in less than a year, the club is seeking a meeting place in Troy. It had met for a number of years at Holmes & Watson Ltd., which ended the relationship late last summer. The group then found quarters at Mahr’s Place in South Troy, which recently decided it did not want the club.G

eorg

e M

cGow

an

pho

to

Jim Danner

64 StampInsider

Utica,NewYorkMeets at 7 p.m. on the 1st Tuesday of the month (except July

and August) at New Hartford Town Library, 2 Library Lane Stamp circuits available

JeromeF.Wagner,160ProctorBlvd.,Utica,NY13501-6119315-732-0219

Jane

t Col

lmer

pho

tos

Youth clubs from St. Mary’s School of Clinton and St. Margaret’s House of New Hart-ford held a show on April 22. Janet Collmer of Clinton and Sister Jane Margaret of New Hartford run the groups. Daniel Atik, upper left, whose sisters, Grace and Sophie, lower left and right, entered their collections, won the door prize. Francis Kolarits of the Utica Stamp Club examines an adult display entered by Jerome F. Wagner. Participants re-ceived a medal depicting the imprint from the one-cent Martha Washington postal card.

YoungstersParticipateinShow

July/August2007 65

Cheektowaga,NewYorkMeets informally at noon Tuesdays at the Masonic

Community Center, 2379 Union Road

JohnL.Leszak,2379UnionRd.,Cheektowaga,[email protected],716-668-2755

Valley of B

uffalo Family Life StampClub

MasonsIntheMovies

A number of Freemasons who contributed to the legacy of the American film industry are also honored — directly or indirectly — on United States postage stamps.

Legendary actor and American icon John Wayne was a member of Marion McDaniel Lodge, No. 56 in Tucson, AZ.

Clark Gable, best noted for his role in Gone With the Wind, belonged to Beverly Hills Lodge No. 528 in California.

Oliver Hardy, of Laurel & Hardy fame, was a member of Solomon Lodge No. 20 in Jacksonville, FL.

Two famous American Freemasons, although not directly commemorated by U.S. postage stamps, have left their mark by association with the series of Warner Brothers character stamps that included Bugs Bunny, Daffy Duck, Porky Pig, Sylvester and Tweety, and the Road Runner and Wile E Coyote. Mel Blanc, the voice of these cartoon charac-ters, was a member of Mid Day Lodge No. 188 in Oregon. Movie Pioneer, Jack L. Warner of Warner Bros. fame was a member of Mount Olive Lodge No. 506 in Los Angeles, CA.

66 StampInsider

Shows& Bourses

July13–15—NewYorkCity

Metropolitan Stamp Expo, Hilton Washington Dulles Airport, 13869 Park Center Rd., Herndon, VA. Friday noon–6, Saturday 10–6, Sunday 10–4. John J. Nunes, 518-399-8395, e-mail: [email protected].

15—AlbanyCapital District Stamp Show, Clarion Hotel, 3 Watervliet Ave. 10–4. Bourse. John J. Nunes, 518-399-8395, e-mail: [email protected].

22—NewHaven,CTNew Haven Philatelic Society Fourth Sunday Collectibles Show, Annex YMA, 554 Woodward Ave. 10–3. Bourse. Brian McGrath, 203-389-2863.

28–29—Clayton29th Coin, Stamp, Post-card, Gem, Mineral, Paper & Collectibles Show, Clay-ton Arena. Saturday 10–5, Sunday 10–2. Bourse. George A. Mingle, e-mail: [email protected].

29—GreatBarrington,MABerkshire Paper Mania, Berkshire South Community Center, 15 Crissey Rd. 10–4. Covers, stamps, postcards, ephemera. John J. Nunes, 518-399-8395, e-mail: [email protected].

August5—Rochester

RS Stamp Show, Eagle’s Club, 1200 Buffalo Rd.10–4. Bourse. John J. Nunes, 518-399-8395, e-mail: [email protected].

Suburban Stamps, Coins & Collectibles

Always Buying315•452•0593

Open: Tuesday 10–5, Wednesday 10–7Thursday & Friday 10–5, Saturday 9–1

120 Kreischer RoadNorth Syracuse, NY 13212-3251

Just off Taft Road 1⁄2 mile east of Rt. 81

Mark Szuba Julian Szuba Edward Bailey

NewHavenPhilatelicSociety4thSundayCollectibleShowsStamp, Card & Coin Dealers

10 a.m. to 3 p.m.Free Admission and Parking • Refreshments Available

July 22 • August 26 • September 23 • October 28November 25 • January 27, 2008

Annex YMA, 554 Woodward Ave., New Haven, CT1-95 Exit 50 (Woodward Avenue Exit); take right at end of exit;

white building less than 1/4 mile on right side.Contact Brian McGrath 203-389-2863, [email protected]

See our web site: www.nhps1914.org

July/August2007 67

APS BNAPS

George McGowanCovers and Stamps

U.S., UN, British Colonies, Topics

P.O. Box 482 [email protected] Schodack, NY 12063-0482 (518) 479-4396

LED Illuminated MagnifiersThe only magnifier on the market that uses multiple LEDs

for perfect uniform illumination. (U.S. Patented)

Pocket Magnifying Glass 3x, 6x & 10x

with integrated LEDlamp illumination

Used by stamp, coin, jewelry, gun, and miniatures collectors. Also great for reading those small detail areas of your map,

especially in low light conditions.Call toll free: 1-866-543-2832 http://www.Lifatec.com

LiFaTeC USA LLC, P.O. Box 914, 12 Railroad Street, Jordan, NY 13080-9732

5–6—NiagaraFallsNiagara Frontier Coin Club Collectors’ Show/Expo ’07, Elks Lodge 346, 1805 Factory Outlet Blvd. Stamps, coins, postcards. Saturday 10–5, Sunday 10–4. Frank Munzi, 716-633-4104.

11-12—CheektowagaValleypex Stamp Show sponsored by the Valley of Buffalo AASR, 32nd Degree Masonic Community Center, 2379 Union Road. Hours 10–5, 10–4. Bourse. John Leszak, 716-668-2755, e-mail: [email protected].

17–19—Stamford,CTAmerican First Day Cover Society Americover 2007, Stamford Marriott Hotel,243 Tresser Blvd., www.afdcs.com, [email protected].

19—AlbanyCapital District Stamp Show, Clarion Hotel, 3 Watervliet Ave. 10–4. Bourse. John J. Nunes, 518-399-8395, e-mail: [email protected]—GreatBarrington,MA

Paper Mania Show, Berkshire South Community Center, 15 Crissey Rd. 10–4. Covers, stamps, postcards, ephemera. John J. Nunes, 518-399-8395, e-mail: [email protected].

24—NewHaven,CTNew Haven Philatelic Society Fourth Sunday Collectibles Show, Annex YMA, 554 Woodward Ave. 10–3. Bourse. Brian McGrath, 203-389-2863.

AddYourListingSend show and bourse listings to Stamp Insider Editor, 5520 Gunn Hwy. 1406, Tampa, FL 33624-2847, e-mail: [email protected]

6� StampInsider

Join the American First Day Cover Society• Get a unique perspective on stamp collecting• Learn about first day cover collecting• Enjoy FIRST DAYS magazine• Contact us today!

AFDCS, P.O. Box 16277, Tucson, AZ 85732-6277Phone 520-321-0880 • Website www.afdcs.org

Fascinated by Postal History?The Empire State Postal History

Society Wants You!Join today and receive EXCELSIOR!, the biannual

journal, and the quarterly Bulletin.Maris Tirums, P.O. Box 5475, Albany, NY 12205-0475

www.esphs.org • APS Unit 28

Norman CohenP.O. Box 29543

Dallas, TX 75229-0543

WANTEDBenjamin Harrison on cover. Scott 308, 622, 694, 828

Long Island postal history, M.O.B. cancels from New York

Frank Braithwaite56 Morewood DriveSmithtown, NY 11787

[email protected]

StampSudokuSolution

T E C U D A L I P

D U P L I C A T E

I A L T P E C U D

A I T D E U P C L

C P D A L T U E I

U L E P C I T D A

L C A E U D I P T

E T I C A P D L U

P D U I T L E A C

PhilatelicCenterRenovationsContinue

The latest round of renovations is under way at the old Match Factory in Belle-

fonte, PA. Workers from Leonard S. Fiore, Inc., of Altoona, PA, are focusing on three buildings at the front of the complex, gut-ting old timber, refurbishing brickwork, readying new roofs, and preparing the property for occupancy. When completed, two of the three buildings will house a re-habilitation services provider, and tentative plans call for the third to host a full-service restaurant — paying tenants that will bring new visitors and welcome rental income.

The American Philatelic Research Li-brary purchased the property in 2002 for $366,223. The plan was to renovate the complex as the American Philatelic Center, housing the APRL, the APS headquarters, and commercial tenants.

CorrectionThe judge shown with Tom Fortunato on the Buffalo Stamp Club page in the May–June issue is Alan Parsons, not Walter Orton.

July/August2007 69

AdvertiserIndexAmerican First Day Cover Society ........... 68Art Cover Exchange ................................... 68Azusa Stamps and Collectibles .................. 15B. Trading Co. .............................................. 22Bejjco of Florida, Inc. ..................................21Big “E” Coins & Stamps ................................ 67Frank Braithwaite ...................................... 68Buffalo Numismatic Association ............... 17Champion Stamp Co. ....................................27Norman Cohen............................................. 68Cover Connection ........................................19Charles Deaton ............................................19Design on Demand ...................................... 68eBay Vendors .................................................35Empire State Postal History Society........ 68Richard D. Erat ........................................... 28Henry Gitner Philatelists, Inc. .................. 11Harmer–Schau , Inc. .................................... 13Hawkeye Philatelics ................................... 22Swamy & Susan Iyer .......................................35Journal of Antiques & Collectibles.......... 69LiFaTeC USA LLC ......................................... 67Steve Malack Stamps ...................................21E. Joseph McConnell, Inc. ............................ 9George McGowan ....................................... 67Metropolitan Expositions ............................5

Bunny Moses ................................................ 32Mystic Stamp Company ..........................36–37New Haven Philatelic Society Shows ...... 66Niagara Frontier Coin ................................ 31Nunesnook ......................................................7Nutmeg Stamp Sales .........Inside Back CoverOlepex 2007 ................................................... 31Park Cities Stamps ....................................... 29PostalHistoryStore.com ........................... 24Quality Investors, Ltd. ............................... 13R. J. Associates ............................................. 32Schmitt Investors, Ltd............................... 25SoftPro 2010 ................................................ 29Stamp Camp USA ...........................................38Stamp Insider ............................... Back CoverStamp News................................................... 25Stepex 2007 ....................................................33Suburban Stamp, Coins & Collectibles ..... 66Syracuse Stamps, Coins & Collectibles ....... 9Thousand Islands Show ..............................33Valleypex 2007 ............................................. 23Vidiforms Company ..................... Back CoverVirtual Stamp Club ...................................... 22Washington Press ......... Inside Front CoverDouglas Weisz U.S. Covers ........................ 28West Seneca Shows ..................................... 66

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70 StampInsider

TheLastWordsHeatherSweeting,AssociateEditor

14329VictorySt.,SterlingNY13156-3172315-947-6761;[email protected]

SailingtheSevenCsofCollecting

Collecting(Crazy) I think everyone who collects is a little bit crazy, but that’s part of the passion of collecting. I mean you’ve got to be a little bit touched to rescue

stamped envelopes from garbage cans, spend hours soaking stamps in buckets, and studying the minutest differences in their appearance.

Classics/contemporary/country Once a person starts collecting they really need to take time to decide what they are going to collect. Will it be classics, covers, cancels, a cer-tain country, or topic? This can be an ongoing process over time. Many advanced collectors branch out into other topics when they can’t find new materials for their first specialization.

Creative Collectors are a creative bunch. Designing an interesting exhibit, slide pre-sentation, pictorial cancel, first day cachet, or special album pages to display your collec-tion are all part of the fun! Dare to be different, novel, and interesting.

Cumulating Collecting is kind of like that potato chip commercial: You can’t just have one! Collectors tend to be accumulators. Is your collection under control and incredibly organized or is it creeping into all avenues of your living space? Cumulating leads to …

Clutter Ever hear horror stories of collectors who have so much stuff they can’t even find a chair to sit in, or a place to eat? Do they even remember what they have stashed away in closets, basements, and the attic? I understand the value of maintaining a philatel-ic resource materials library, but keeping 20 boxes of 50-year-old auction catalogs and old stamp magazines in a musty basement may not be the best idea. There was an old doctor in a nearby town who had the right idea. He lived in one house with his wife and bought the house next door to store all of his antiques and collections. What a great idea.

Challenging / clubs Collecting is challenging, whether it involves studying perfora-tions, cancellations, watermarks, etc. Have you noticed how many people over 65 are still actively involved? Let’s promote our hobby to the growing / aging baby boomer generation. They have a great deal of disposable income and research shows keeping mentally active is important as one ages. Joining a club is a great way to learn and share with other collectors.

Clearance Until the cumulated clutter becomes overwhelming, most collectors avoid doing this, as they just can’t bear to part with anything. Sadly, collectors’ heirs often face this task with no knowledge of value or rarity. Take those extra albums, that box of glassines that you’ve never sorted, that cigar box full of two-cent Columbians, and any item that is really dusty and put it on eBay or donate it to a youth / veterans group, or retirement home. This will encourage new collectors! When that is done, take time to identify and label the items in your collection so that your heirs know why they were cherished by you.

We’re Buying!

Stamp Collectors

WelcomeWe have a nice sample for you.

Our product, the Showgard® mount is the accepted standard in the hobby for truly protecting postage stamps. If you select Showgard mounts for your stamps early in your collecting career it will save much remounting time later. The evidence is clear that collectors eventually switch to Showgard mounts.

Con�rm this with any experienced collector. Or proceed directly to your neighborhood dealer who will advise and sell you that impor-tant �rst package of Showgard mounts — the stamp mounts that need no change.

The promised sample is free.Specify “welcome kit” and write:

Vidiforms Company, Inc.115 N. Route 9W, Congers, NY 10920-1722www.showgard.comToll Free 877-507-5758

Essential Information for Philatelists!

StampInsiderDon’t Miss a Single Issue!

Bimonthly only $7.50 per year.To subscribe or for a sample copy write:

Federation of New York Philatelic Societies1105 Union St., Schenectady, NY 12308-2805

Stamp Insider Insider/Older PDFs/0707.pdf · When Warren Gamaliel Harding succumbed to a prob- able...

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Transcript of Stamp Insider Insider/Older PDFs/0707.pdf · When Warren Gamaliel Harding succumbed to a prob- able...