The Stanley B. Ashbrook Cup is awarded to authors of articles, books, or other studies concerning United States postal history from the Colonial Period to 1894. This year it is presented to Leonard Piszkiewiczfor his book, United States Supplementary Mail.
Len began collecting covers in 1950 when his father addressed an envelope for him to obtain a cancellation from the Chicago Fair. After Loyola University and a doctorate in organic chemistry from California Institute of Technology, he settled in Santa Clara, California. While glad to have escaped the winters, Len never lost interest in Chicago, whose postal history he began to collect seriously in the late 1970’s. Many of his findings have been published in theIllinois Postal Historian, which he has edited since 1990.
His 2006 book, Chicago Postal Markings and Postal History Vignettes, provides a fresh approach to Chicago postal history while documenting United States Post Office mail handling procedures from the mid-19th century through the middle of the 20th century. Although, starting with the Chicago cancellations and auxiliary markings, this book is much more than merely a catalog of them. Len’s research documented the postal regulations that engendered the markings. While many of the markings are particular to Chicago, the understanding of how and why the Post Office marked a piece of mail in a particular way can be applied to post offices across the nation.
Len’s articles have appeared in a wide variety of philatelic publications, including theChronicle and the United States Specialist, which he has edited since 1998. His award winning exhibits have ranged from “Usages of the Presidential Issue of 1938” to vintage LaSalles that he restored.
Although New York Supplementary Mail covers and markings are well known, the history and operation of this service has been poorly understood by many collectors. Before Len’s book, a few collectors knew a fact or two about how the service had operated, based on covers in their collections. U.S. Supplementary Mail had never been researched in a systematic way; the information he gleaned from newspapers and government documents was almost entirely unknown to the philatelic world. Len traces Supplementary Mail, defined as “late mail dispatches on ships from U.S. ports for which double postage was charged,” from its 1853 origins in New York harbor, through its development in other American ports, to its end with the outbreak of World War II. The initial chapters on the New York Supplementary Mail service and markings, both on the docks and from the post office, are followed by chapters devoted to other American ports ranging from Boston to Honolulu. A significant portion of the book is devoted to methods of identification for supplementary mail covers, especially those outside of New York, which did not receive distinctive markings. Not only does this book substantially expand on Dr. Warren Babcock’s booklet published 70 years ago, but also Len makes a convincing case for the reexamination of Classic period, double rate covers from other port cities for possible examples of Supplementary Mail.
“Stamp Shortages in the Caribou Gold Country: Mail From Williams Creek via San Francisco, 1864-1868,” by Steven Walske, Chronicle 218
Based on a census of known covers from the remote British Columbia mining town of Williams Creek, this thorough and thoughtful article examines the various forms of franking on the surviving covers to deduce patterns of postal usage dictated by periodic stamp shortages and regulatory changes. This is a detailed and well-researched work, richly supported by cover illustrations showing the highly-colorful mixed-franking uses that characterize external correspondence from British Columbia during this era. This is a marvelous rate piece of research, showing how cover-census data can be mined to add new information to the philatelic record.
Cheryl has been an authoritative and prolific philatelic author and speaker, predominantly on airmails and Zeppelins, drawing heavily on her own research and collections. Of particular note are her authorship of the American Zeppelin and Airship section of the 2002 Michel Zeppelin- und Flugpost-Spezial-Katalog, her contributions as co-compiler of The Lighter-than-Air Index (published 2002 by Atlantis Publications), and her input of Zeppelin and airmail entries on Arago, the National Postal Museum’s on-line research tool. She served as editor of the American Air Mail Society’s 1996 book on Collecting Airmail, and as Associate Editor of the 1992 AAMS book Via Airmail . Additionally, she was editor of the Chicago Philatelic Society News-Bulletin from 1983-90, and editor of The Zeppelin Collectorbeginning in 1976 (and still continuing – a 32-year tour to date!).
In 1990, Cheryl decided to improve her career potential, and over the next 10 years completed a Master’s Degree in American history (with honors), followed by a Ph.D. in American history. Quite unexpectedly, she found that her dual qualifications as philatelist and historian matched the needs of the National Postal Museum, and she joined the NPM staff in time for the Washington 2006 International and related activities. She served as assistant curator or curator for 3 distinct special exhibits her first year, was quite involved on site with Washington 2006, and was co-organizer of the Winton M. Blount Symposium on Postal History. She also worked heavily with the NPM’s Arago project.
In January 2007, the untimely death of Wilson Hulme, NPM’s Chief Curator and Cheryl’s direct supervisor and mentor, considerably increased the scope and complexity of Cheryl’s duties. Her performance under pressure was exceptional. She was appointed initially as Interim Chief Curator, and subsequently was selected to succeed Hulme as Chief Curator, the position she continues to hold. As the first to hold that position who is fully qualified as a philatelist as well as historian, she has been able to incorporate stamps and postal history within the broader structure of social history, particularly as it relates to the U.S. As she has said regarding the NPM, “We see stamps not as little pieces of paper you put in a book, but as a metaphor to America and a way to connect people and tell stories.”
It would be remiss to close without mentioning Cheryl’s major organizational contributions and recognition:
- For the APS: Literature judge (currently emerita); various committee memberships over the years, and currently member of APS Ethics Committee (2007 – present)
- For the American Air Mail Society: Awards Committee (Chair, 1988-92 and member, 2006); George W. Angers Award for outstanding service to aerophilately (1994); Aerophilatelic Hall of Fame for research and service in aerophilately (2000); AAMS President’s Award for dedicated service (2003)
- NAPEX: Board member (2006 – present)
- Federation Internationale des Societes Aerophilateliques: Board Member (1994-1997); FISA Gold Medal for outstanding contributions to aerophilately (1993)
Cheryl Ganz’s contributions to local, national and international philately have been truly exceptional, and the U. S. Philatelic Classics Society is pleased to enroll her in their roster of distinguished philatelists.
Bob Odenweller excels in so many aspects as a philatelist that it is almost impossible to classify him. He is above all a researcher and author par excellence, as demonstrated by his years of study and published articles on the classic issues of New Zealand and Samoa. His 2004 definitive book, The Stamps and Postal History of Nineteenth Century Samoa. was awarded gold and grand awards for literature, culminating in an international Best in Literature award at Pacific Explorer 2005. He is currently completing a similarly intensive handbook on the classic issues of New Zealand, 1855 to 1873.
He is a skilled and highly acknowledged exhibitor. His classic New Zealand material was recognized as an APS Champion of Champions, and subsequently as an F.I.P. Grand Prix winner; separate exhibits on Samoa and on Tasmania have received international gold medals. In 2003, his exhibit was selected as the winner of the Collectors Club One-Frame competition, and in 2006 he led the team which won the Team One-Frame competition at Ameristamp Expo, in Toronto. Since 1986, Bob has contributed a regular column on the practicalities of exhibiting to The Philatelic Exhibitor.
Closely related are his experience and service as a philatelic judge. He has been accredited nationally since 1974 and is ranked as a Chief Philatelic Judge with specialties in U.S., British Empire and classic issues of the world, as well as literature. Internationally, Bob is accredited as a judge for the traditional, postal history and revenue classes. He has served on 15 F.I.P. juries, including as jury secretary 5 times, as section leader 13 times, and as member of the F.I.P. expert team twice. He wrote a 50-page judging seminar for the F.I.P., as well as the 2-volume gold-medal-winning F.I.P. Guide to Exhibiting and Judging Traditional and Postal History Exhibits.
His service on behalf of national and international philatelic organizations and activities is exceptional. To mention only the most significant:
Chair of two major F.I.P. commissions in succession, 1978-1998; chairman of the American Philatelic Society’s Luff Awards Committee, 2003-2007; member of the APS expert committee, 1971 – present; 6-year member of APS Board of Directors and currently serving a two-year elective term; Governor of the Collectors Club since 1969 to present, Secretary 3 terms, Vice President 5 terms, President 3 terms, Trustee 1991 to 1996, Program Chairman for a total of 14 years; Editor of Collectors Club Philatelist starting in 2005, converting from black and white to full color 64 page issues while managing approximately $6,000 cost savings per issue, thereby turning a recurring deficit into a profitable operation; Vice chairman and publications chair for NOJEX since 1999; International Association of Philatelic Experts, Director 1987-present; Royal Philatelic Society London, special overseas representative and committee member; Council of Philatelists. elected 2006, member of Research Committee.
Bob’s contributions to the hobby have been recognized with a number of prestigious awards, among them: the Luff Award of the APS; the Alfred F. Lichtenstein Memorial Award; the F.I.P. Medal for Service and the F.I.P. Medal for Research; election to the Roll of Distinguished Philatelists; Fellow – and subsequently Honorary Fellow – of the Royal Philatelic Society London; New Zealand Award for Distinguished Service to Philately; Fellow of the Royal Philatelic Society of New Zealand; Collins Award of the Royal Philatelic Society of New Zealand; Crawford Medal in 2005 for best book publication.
It is with pleasure that the U.S. Philatelic Classics Society acknowledges the exceptional contributions to philately by Robert P. Odenweller by honoring him as a Distinguished Philatelist.
