|
|
|
|
|
|
 |
|
|
|
|
|
| Congressional Curios |
|
 |
Above: A Small plate of 12 labels was laid
down from the die and several sheets were
pulled in various colours as a colour trial.
This one is on ungummed paper. |
|
On May 22, the doors of Earls Court will open on another major international stamp exhibition to be held in London, this time called The Stamp Show 2000. However, 90 years ago another door was opened on April 27 1910 at the Caxton Hall on what was to become a very important annual event within Great Britain - the second Philatelic Congress of Great Britain. The host of this important event was the Hertfordshire Philatelic Society, now unfortunately no longer in existence, and its patron was HRH The Prince of Wales who later in that year became King George V. The Chairman of the Congress was the Right Honourable the Earl of Crawford, KT, and one of the Vice Patrons was J. Henniker Heaton MP, 'the indefatigable advocate of
Universal Penny Postage'.
The purpose of these Congresses was for societies to come together and exchange ideas, etc, to assist in the promulgation of interest in our hobby. The importance of this particular event was that 40 societies sent delegates to the Congress, a major achievement considering that there were only 47 Philatelic Societies within Great Britain at that time. For Cinderella collectors, this Congress produced the first of the souvenir stamps that became a regular feature at nearly every subsequent Congress. |
|
| Card Label |
|
 |
Label printed from die and
attached to the front of the
Congress programme.
Design derives from 1851
Nova Scotia issue. |
The first item we have in our collections is a label printed on thick card that was attached to the front
of the Congress programme (see illustration). This label was produced direct from a die by Perkins, Bacon & Co, the design being that of the 1851 issue of Nova Scotia with the marginal inscriptions changed and the central crown rotated by 45 clockwise. Coloured pinkie red, the label's die was probably made from transfer rollers in the printer's possession.
Perkins, Bacon & Co also used another stamp die, that of the 1855 Tasmanian issue, to add a philatelic element to the Congress Banquet invitation card.
|
 |
Issued invitation which differs from the die proof
with heavier print to hide 'Van Diemen's Land'
engraving above the head. |
It can be seen from the illustration that the wording 'Van Dieman's Land', originally arranged around the Chalon portrait, has been removed through additional heavy machine engraving. In our collections we have a 'die proof' card that differs from the collection of this issued
example shown here. The differences are that the Honorary Secretary's name and address has not been included at bottom left, and the machine engraving is lighter permitting 'VAN DEIMEN'S LAND' to be seen quite clearly.
A paper was read to delegates on the first morning entitled 'The Manufacture of Stamps'. It was
given by J. Dunbar Heath of Perkins, Bacon & Co. As part of the paper he gave a demonstration of a printing process, line engraved of course. Incidentally, Heath's great uncle was Frederick Heath who engraved the die of the Penny Black. |
|
|
|
|
|
|
Home 