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 James R. Pullin for his book, North Atlantic Packets, 1818-1840: Sailing Departures and Arrivals.
Before steamships plied the North Atlantic, American sailing packets dominated the sea lanes from New York to London and Liverpool carrying a majority of the mail, passengers, and specie transported between the United States and Great Britain. Frustrated in his attempts to identify the ships and sailing dates for the early transatlantic covers in his collection, Jim built a database of Sailing Schedules from data in Lloyd’s List and Lloyd’s Register as well as period newspapers. Years of archival and museum research produced the 108-page data table at the heart of this volume. It lists the arrival and departure dates at New York, London, and Liverpool for ships of the Black Ball, Red Star, Blue Swallowtail, Red Swallowtail, Dramatic, and Black X packet lines from the organization of the first packet line in 1818 and continues until steamships began to capture the mail and passenger business around 1840. With his research, Jim has extended and complemented the work of George Hargest, Walter Hubbard, and Richard Winter by gathering data for the ships that preceded their studies of transatlantic mail in the age of steam. Although the sailing tables are useful by themselves, the other two-thirds of the book provides a historical context for appreciating maritime postal history in general and transatlantic mail in the age of sail in particular. Accounts of the history and development of the six shipping lines include details about individual vessels such as their fate in storms, or groundings. Other chapters briefly describe postal rates and markings; the growth and development of the ports in New York, Liverpool, and London; ship construction and technology; along with various economic, political, and military considerations of the time. Collectors of early transatlantic stampless mail now have a tool for better understanding their covers along with a historical context that provides enjoyable reading.
The steel engraving printing technology, which transferred images from hardened dies onto softened printing plates, “left the plate vulnerable to surface damages which retain ink and print extraneous marks” thus, producing the constant plate varieties, which are the subjects of this study. In his series of articles, each one devoted to the plate varieties on the stamps issued for use by a particular department, Sayers has drawn upon published information as well as studies and high-resolution scans privately circulated among specialist collectors of this material. Several of the varieties, particularly from the Justice, State, and Treasury Departments are illustrated in the philatelic literature for the first time. A number of long-standing errors in the philatelic literature regarding the Navy Department issues have been corrected. Many of the Post Office Department varieties discussed are not currently listed in standard philatelic catalogs. Of particular importance is his November 2009 article, Production Plate Varieties and the Nature of Opaque Inks, with Notes on the Post Office ‘Scummy’ Printings and the Steam-Press Printings of the 2¢ Post Office Stamp. Here George applies his knowledge of chemistry, physics, and 19th century printing technology to examine the varieties found among the Post Office officials. However, his research conclusions have implications for all students of the bank note era stamps for understanding the printing technology of that era. Sayers’ articles not only add substantially to his privately printed Departmentals Plate Varieties (2005) and summarize the state of knowledge with regard to plate varieties for the 1873 Official stamps; he has also pointed the way forward suggesting areas in which other collectors might continue this work.
Joe was a member of the board of directors and is a co-chair of the Chase Fund Committee. For many years now, Joe has called many of the members of the Society who had not paid their annual dues, and managed successfully to keep many of them in the fold, with this personal touch. Volunteers such as Joe are an integral part of our Society’s ability to function and deliver its membership the best possible services.
Again, thank you Joe for the example you have set and the quality of your work. I hope the illustration of your efforts serves to motivate other members to follow in you footsteps and they seek to serve their fellow collectors as well as you have done.
David D’Alessandris explores pre-UPU mail between the United States and one of the scarcest and most difficult of all foreign-mail destinations: the French Islands of Saint Pierre and Miquelon. D’Alessandris’ article presents well- rounded and easy-to-understand description of the problems involving mail between the United States and St. Pierre, including letters from St. Pierre to the United States. The article presents never-before-published color images (including a useful map) and a detailed analysis of rates and routes and a census of known covers both ways. Crisp and well-explained illustrations support the story: altogether, a first-rate piece of postal history research.
Similar to other collecting areas, besides stamps, Officials include essays, proofs, special printings, covers, and even postal stationery. Unlike other collecting areas, Officials were issued for each executive government department, including Agriculture, Executive, Interior, Justice, Navy, Post Office, State, Treasury and War. Les has collected and studied all the departments and is best known for his departmental covers. He has exhibited virtually all areas of Officials both domestically and internationally, beginning with the The Interior Department in 1990. That was the first United States Official exhibit to ever receive an international gold award. In addition, his showing of U.S. Departmentals was the first United States Official exhibit to receive a national Grand Award and has since received two international large gold awards.
In 1977, soon after he began studying Officials, Les met postal historian and writer Charles Starnes. Through a mentor relationship with Starnes, Les continued to learn much about Officials, particularly covers and postal history. Starnes encouraged Les to write and was fortunately successful. Les has been the assistant section editor for the Officials et al. section of The Chronicle of the U. S. Classic Postal Issues since 1995. He has written many articles, primarily concerning the postal history of United States Officials and United States Penalty Clause Mail. His articles have won both of the writers’ awards for The Chronicle, the Mortimer L. Neinken Award in 1995 and the Susan M. McDonald Award in 1997.
Les has been and continues to be very active in organized philately. He is a member of many philatelic organizations, including the U.S. Philatelic Classics Society, the American Philatelic Society, the New York Collectors Club, the Royal Philatelic Society of London, the Western Cover Society and the Collectors Club of Southern California. He has served in various leadership positions, including president of the Collectors Club of Southern California.
In 1984, while president of the San Diego stamp club known as The Philatelic 25, Les became the representative to the Federated Philatelic Clubs of Southern California, the sponsoring organization for SESCAL stamp show. He served the Federation as an officer from 1992 to 1997, including president from 1996 to 1997, and is still a representative. He was recognized for his contributions to philately in Southern California when he received the Federation’s Distinguished Service Award in 1998. Also through The Philatelic 25, Les became the representative to the San Diego Philatelic Council, a group representing local clubs that organized Sandical stamp show and the San Diego County Philatelic Library. Les was very active with the library, serving as librarian for seven years. His association with the Sandical stamp committee began in 1997 and he is still active today. In 2003, he received the Sandical John Tracy Memorial Award for philatelic service to San Diego County.
Today, it is with pleasure that the U.S. Philatelic Classics Society acknowledges the exceptional contributions to philately by Lester C. Lanphear III by honoring him as a Distinguished Philatelist.
