18/09/2016

STAMPEX - AUTUMN 2016

PART 2

THE FREDDY MERCURY STAMP ALBUM

Back in 1993 what was then the NATIONAL POSTAL MUSEUM bought the childhood album of the singer Freddy Mercury, best known as the lead singer of the band called ‘Queen’. They first put this album on display to the public at a stamp show called STAMP 95, but more about that later.

At this year’s Autumn STAMPEX this album was again put on display, this time alongside the childhood album of John Lennon, which was on loan from the Smithsonian in America.

Visitors to what is now called THE POSTAL MUSEUM’s stand at the show could view both albums and pick up a free postcard which had been produced to celebrate the album being here.

POSTCARD

“Image – A page from Freddy Mercury’s childhood stamp album circa 1955 copyright ‘The Postal Museum – opening spring 2017 – London.

This postcard is one of a limited edition of 500 produced by The Postal Museum to accompany the exhibition of Freddie Mercury’s childhood stamp album at Autumn Stampex 2016”

(‘Exact’ Text from reverse side of Postcard)

The postcard depicts one of the pages from this childhood album, and one which has the letter ‘F’ made up of British stamps.

REVERSE SIDE OF ABOVE POSTCARD

As the text explains on the reverse side of this postcard, this was issued in a limited edition of just 500 (quite a low number in Philatelic circles). The reverse side has a faded out image of Freddie which is probably taken from a concert image. This makes the reverse side equally interesting and collectible.

FREDDIE MERCURY ALBUM PAGE POSTCARD

STAMPED FIRST DAY OF ISSUE

As this was a free postcard, and this was the first day of the show that I obtained a copy, I thought it would be nice to turn one of these into a souvenir, much like I do with the shows official postcard.

So, I attached one of the Ladybird ‘Post & Go’ stamps and one of the Poppy ‘Post & Go’ stamps overprinted with ‘The Battle of the Somme’ tank pictorial, and had these cancelled with the STAMPEX special hand stamp dated 14^th Sep 2016. This is of course the first day of the show and the first day of issue for the Ladybird stamp and the overprinted ‘Poppy – Somme’ stamp. So this makes the item a first day cover/card.

PHOTOGRAPH

14/09/2016

Here you can see the albums of both Freddie Mercury and John Lennon and the Freddie Mercury information board

PHOTOGRAPH

Close up of the Freddie Mercury album, which is opened on the page displayed on the free postcard given out to those visiting this display. You can also see the smaller John Lennon album on the left side.    

PHOTOGRAPH

Close up of the Freddie Mercury album, which is opened on the page displayed on the free postcard given out to those visiting this display  

STAMP 95

“I’VE SEEN THE FREDDIE MERCURY COLLECTION AT STAMP 95” – CACHET

I mentioned above that this Freddie Mercury album had been placed on display before, not long after its acquisition, at the ‘Stamp 95’ show. I attended that event as well and first saw the album there. On that occasion no special postcard was produced, but, the then ‘National Postal Museum’ did take one of their basic postcards and had applied to the reverse side a red cachet which read “I’ve seen the Freddie Mercury Collection at stamp 95”. In the centre of the cachet was the ‘FM’ initials of the singer. Everyone who attended the stall where the album was on display received one of these cachet applied postcards.

Depicted here is the reverse side of one of these postcards.

  STAMP 95

“I’VE SEEN THE FREDDIE MERCURY COLLECTION AT STAMP 95” – CACHET

UPSIDE DOWN CACHET

A very small number of the postcards accidentally had the cachet applied upside down. This is most evident in the singer’s initials in the centre which read more like an M£ than the normal FM.

Depicted here is one of these upside down cachet postcards.

STAMP 95

“I’VE SEEN THE FREDDIE MERCURY COLLECTION AT STAMP 95” – CACHET

This copy here has been used to obtain additional ‘Stamp 95’ show cachets from stands manned by the postal services of foreign countries. Here you have Sweden (Stockholm), Norway, Finland, Germany and, bottom right, what I think was Ireland’s (but not confirmed). Centre right is the Royal Mail’s show cachet. The Norway cachet was actually applied to a stamp which came free with the application of the cachet. The addition of these extra cachet’s makes for a more unusual souvenir of this 1995 stamp show.

STAMP 95

“I’VE SEEN THE FREDDIE MERCURY COLLECTION AT STAMP 95” – CACHET

FRONT OF POSTCARD

“Mails for the Packets arriving at Falmouth 1883

HS Williamson, Principal of the Chelsea School of Art

From the Post Office Archives Poster Artwork Collection”

Ref: 88/4

I suspect this postcard was chosen because the museum had lots of spare copies. There is certainly no reason that I can see why it would have been chosen otherwise as there is no obvious connection. I picture this here just so that you can see what the front image of the cachet card looked like. The card itself was issued in 1988.

THE FREDDIE MERCURY STAMP ALBUM

NATIONAL POSTAL MUSEUM

1995 POSTCARD SET

In 1995 the National Postal Museum issued a four postcard set depicting pages from Freddie Mercury’s album. These are very popular postcards and sets are not that commonly found these days. I depict all four postcards here:

Ref: NPM 95/5

“Freddie Mercury’s childhood stamp album purchased by Royal Mail for the National Postal Museum on 17 December 1993. This card shows his blue stamp album with a selection of pages”

(Text from reverse side of postcard)

THE FREDDIE MERCURY STAMP ALBUM

NATIONAL POSTAL MUSEUM

1995 POSTCARD SET

Ref: NPM 95/6

“A page from Freddie Mercury’s childhood album, showing Monaco stamps artistically arranged. Freddie used stamps as a form of art. In 1969 he was awarded a Diploma in Art and Design”

(Text from reverse side of postcard)

THE FREDDIE MERCURY STAMP ALBUM

NATIONAL POSTAL MUSEUM

1995 POSTCARD SET

Ref: NPM 95/7

“A page from Freddie Mercury’s childhood album, showing Hungary stamps artistically arranged. Freddie used stamps as a form of art. In 1969 he was awarded a Diploma in Art and Design”

(Text from reverse side of Postcard)

THE FREDDIE MERCURY STAMP ALBUM

NATIONAL POSTAL MUSEUM

1995 POSTCARD SET

Ref: NPM 95/8

“A page from Freddie Mercury’s childhood stamp album, showing British stamps arranged in the letter ‘F’. Born Farookh Bulsara later to be known to the world as Freddie Mercury”

(Text from reverse side of Postcard)

This is of course the same page from the album as appears on the most recent STAMPEX 2016 free postcard depicted at the top of this posting, only here it has the traditional pale orange coloured boarder which was in use by the museum on its cards at this time.

THE FREDDIE MERCURY STAMP ALBUM

NATIONAL POSTAL MUSEUM

1995 POSTCARD SET

FIRST DAY OF ISSUE HAND STAMP

A special handstamp was produced especially for use on this set of postcards on their day of release. This handstamp depicts a musical note on a lined stamp outline with the words “NATIONAL POSTAL MUSEUM – CITY OF LONDON EC – FREDDIE MERCURY 5 MAY 95”. In my collection I have a full set of these four postcards all used with this special hand stamp, but, I have depicted just the one example here so that you can see what this special hand stamp looks like

17/09/2016

THE ADVENTURES OF YESTERDAY

16^TH SEPTEMBER 2016

Yesterday Jo and I had to get up at 03:30am and drive to Chelmsford to catch a coach for what was to be a very interesting, and eventful day visiting France.

We were part of a delegation of Essex Police officers and members of the Essex Police Military History Club, which included the Essex Police Band and the Chief Constable. We travelled over to France and the village of Auchonvillers. This village is well known to historians of the First World War as it was a location known well to the British ‘Tommies’ who re-named ‘Ocean Villas’ in typical ‘Tommy’ humour (a number of locations where they had issues with pronouncing the French names ended up with some more British version).

We came here yesterday to unveil a plaque commemorating the Essex Police officers who joined the army and subsequently died in the fields of France.

POSTCARD

50^TH ANNIVERSARY OF THE Battle of the Marne

1914 – 1964

Published by

CARTE POSTALE PHILATELIQUE

This was one of the postcards that quite by chance I had bought on Wednesday (the 14/09/16) at the STAMPEX show. It is A MAXIMUM-CARD (a postcard where the card image, stamp and cancellation all refer to the same theme) and it depicts French soldiers departing in Taxi’s o the Marne where a major battle took place. The stamp depicts the same event (Ref: SG 1661) and celebrates the 50^th Anniversary of the Victory at the Marne. The stamp has been cancelled with a first day of issue cancel dated 5^th September 1964.

As my visit to France yesterday was WW1 based this seemed like a nice postcard to commence this posting with.

PHOTOGRAPH 16/09/2016

The Chief Constable of Essex Police standing under the newly unveiled plaque

PHOTOGRAPH 16/09/2016

And this is me, taking up the same pose, but looking a lot less professional

IT’S OUR FLAG

FIGHT FOR IT – WORK FOR IT

Published Exclusively for the

THIEPVAL MUSEUM SHOP

Ref: 96 P

After the ceremony where the plaque was dedicated and unveiled we went on to take a walk around some of the battlefield sites and ended up again at the Thiepval monument, which of course we had visited back in July (and about which I posted at the time). I bought a lot of postcards at that time but on this day’s visit there were still a couple I found which I had missed last time. This was one of those, and, considering our reason for being in France it seemed like an appropriate one to buy and post today here.

THIEPVAL

Published Exclusively for the

THIEPVAL MUSEUM SHOP

Ref: 14P

Another poster from World War 1 which actually mentions, and relates to, the area of Thiepval where we were. The poster depicts a single soldier, possibly on guard, overlooking a field of trees which have been cropped by artillery shelling. This is a poster I had not seen before so I was happy to add it to my collection.

Whilst we were here yesterday we laid two wreaths under the names of two ex-Essex Police officers who are named on the memorial. Their names appear here because their bodies were either not found or not identified – they are just two of the 72, 194 names that appear on this memorial to the missing of the Battle of the Somme.        

PHOTOGRAPH

16/09/2016

Essex Police Wreath placed at the Thiepval Memorial

EURO SOUVENIR

MEMORIAL DE THIEPVAL

In the museum shop there is a machine which dispenses, for the price of 2euro’s, a collectible ‘0’ valued euro like banknote which depicts the Thiepval monument on one side and the Eiffel Tower, amongst other French landmarks, on the reverse side. Judging from what the text on the machine was saying there appears to be a range of these notes which I assume are available at any number of other locations around the country. For the 2euro’s I thought it made for a nice paper collectible – clearly not a postcard, but you can-not collect by postcard alone.

CALAIS – PAS-DE-CALAIS

Published by

CREATION PARIS - MARQUE DE POSTE – CARTE PHILATELIQUE

SILK IMAGE POSTCARD

After a long day we ended up by driving back to Calais where we were to catch the Channel Tunnel Euro-Star train back to the UK. It was quite late by the time we drove along the main road towards the Channel Tunnel entrance, but I could still see the clock tower which is a famous landmark of the town.

The clock tower appears here both on the silk printed photograph on the postcard and on the French issued stamp (SG 3722). The stamp has been cancelled with a special hand stamp which also features the Tower. This is a first day of issue cancellation – 16^th June 2001.

France has a reputation, and a history, of producing these silk image postcards where an image is printed onto a piece of silk which is then attached (glued down) to a postcard which then has a representative stamp attached and cancelled first day of issue.

Anyone who has been to Calais will recognise this architectural landmark and it represents the old Calais, the Calais before all the immigration and immigrant issues.

EURO TUNNEL POST CARD

EUROTUNNEL EXHIBITION CENTRE, FOLKESTONE

Published by

THE CHANNEL TUNNEL GROUP LIMITED

Ref: SERIES 4 No 2

“The Centre was officially opened by Lord Young of Graffham, Secretary of State for Trade & Industry on 19^th September 1988”

(Text from Reverse side of Postcard)

This postcard harkens back to the early days before the Tunnel officially opened. Since these early days the Euro Tunnel has gone on to be major success, despite fires and people trying to walk through it and other mishaps.

Last night though, it was anything but a success! We arrived at the check in around 20:20hrs (8.20pm) and commenced our wait to be allowed onto the Euro-Star. Unfortunately, we were still there, waiting at 00:45hrs (45 minutes past midnight!!!!!!!!!). By now most people on the coach were a little bit tired (our schedule would have got us back to Chelmsford, Essex at 23:00HRS (11.00pm) if we had got away on time!).

I post this related postcard here in some sort of horrible remembrance of the long, slow and uninformed hours we spent here, in the car park lane, immediately in-front of the barrier (ironically we missed boarding on the previous train by one place) with the red stop light on, the same red stop light which tormented us for all those hours!!.

REVERSE SIDE OF ABOVE POSTCARD

This particular postcard was used by me to receive a special hand stamp which was used to celebrate the ‘EUROSTAR THROUGH THE CHANNEL TUNNEL – 14/11/1994’. On the hand stamp you can see the Euro Star train, which is more than we did for all those hours we were waiting.

Despite my apparent moaning about the Channel Tunnel wait we all actually had a smashing day (all be it a very long one), and it was a day that I will still remember with pleasure, perhaps not so much the last six hours, but certainly everything that happened before.   

And, if your interested we got home at 04:10hrs!

17/09/2016

STAMPEX – AUTUMN 2016

PART 1

I have just returned from my second day at STAMPEX and thought I should post a couple of the items which I picked up, a couple from the 400+ items I bought or which I got for free (from both the 14th and 17th Sep). 

STAMPEX 60 YEARS

This is the free postcard that every visitor to this STAMPEX, over the four days, received. You can also get some doubles from the STAMPEX information stand if you want more than one as they normally have a stack of these on the counter. This particular postcard is No 32 in the ongoing series. It has been printed in a limited (if you can call this number limited) edition of 7,000.

STAMPEX 60 YEARS – OFFICIAL FREE POSTCARD

This is my personally produced souvenir of the first day of the show. Here I have taken one of the free postcards and applied to the front of it one of the 1^st Class ‘Poppy – Post & Go’ machine issued stamps which has the special overprint ‘The Battle of the Somme’ which has the addition of an image of a tank. If I am right this is the first time a Post & Go stamp issued at STAMPEX has come with a pictorial element to the overprint. The first day of STAMPEX was the first day of release of this special overprint. Here I have had this Post & Go special cancelled with the ‘AUTUMN STAMPEX’ special hand-stamp dated 14^th Sept 2016, which was the first day of STAMPEX, thus making this a first day of issue use. I love these sort of things and they are cheap to produce if you actually visit the show but can be very expensive if bought from a dealer (£5+ most of the time).

STAMPEX 60 YEARS – OFFICIAL FREE POSTCARD

Also issued on the first day of STAMPEX was a special set of six Ladybird Post & Go stamps. There were six different stamps each of which depicts an individual and different Ladybird species, all of which can be found in the UK. These could be obtained from Post & Go machines specially placed at the STAMPEX show. There was also a special ‘AUTUMN STAMPEX – POST & GO LADYBIRDS – FIRST DAY OF ISSUE – 14th September 2016’ hand stamp.

What I have done here is take two copies of the free STAMPEX postcard and have applied three of the Ladybird stamps to each of these postcard. I then had these Post & Go stamps cancelled with the afore mentioned special ‘STAMPEX – LADYBIRDS’ hand-stamp.

The artist who painted these Ladybird images which appear on the stamps actually attended the STAMPEX show on the 14^th Sep and made himself available for an hour where he would sign items free of charge. The artist is Chris Wormell and as you can see I got both of the postcards signed by him.

Again these are personal souvenirs, but they are also very collectible items now.

The Ladybirds depicted here are:

Top Left – Seven-spot Ladybird

Top Right – Orange Ladybird

Bottom Left – Fourteen-spot Ladybird

STAMPEX 60 YEARS – OFFICIAL FREE POSTCARD

Second Copy used with three different ‘Post & Go’ Ladybird stamps

The Ladybirds depicted here are:

Top Left – Heather Ladybird

Top Right – Water Ladybird

Bottom Left – Striped Ladybird

These have again been hand-stamped and the card has again been signed by the artist.

PHOTOGRAPH 14/09/2016

Photograph of the artist Chris Wormell signing my postcards

PHOTOGRAPH 14/09/2016

Photograph of the artist Chris Wormell signing my postcards

PENNY BLACK FRAMED PHOTOGRAPHS

'BOOKMARKS'

These are not postcards, obviously, but I had some fun getting them done. This was a free thing where you could stand or sit in a booth and have your photograph taken and then this was printed inside the boarder of a penny black stamp. You could have this either in black and white or colour. Because the queue was all but non-existent I had a couple of goes and had both black and white and colour ones done. Well done Stanley Gibbons for offering up something different for collectors (and if I am being honest I prefer the black and white one – to be fair the colour one was done today and I was very, very tired, as you will see if you read the above posting).

15/09/2016

40^TH ANNIVERSARY OF MACHINS

5^TH June 2007

Depicted here are a number of Postal Stationery cards which have been used to obtain cancellations on attached stamps which relate to the 40^th Anniversary of the Machin stamp. I bought these from a dealer who used some very interesting combinations and usage to construct some very collectible items.

TOP:

4D Queen Elizabeth Postal Stationery Postcard – pre-printed 4d Machin Head stamp.

This one has the Arnold Machin 1^st class stamp from the smilers sheet with its attached label which depicts the 5D blue Machin Head stamp. This stamp has been cancelled with a special ‘FIRST DAY OF ISSUE, STOKE -ON-TRENT “I THINK I WAS BORN A TERRACOTTA MODELLER! – ARNOLD MACHIN”’ special hand stamp – 5^TH June 2007. Arnold Machin, for those who do not know, was the creator of the Queen’s Head outline that has been used on our basic stamps for decades. He himself is depicted on the stamp. Beside the stamp label is an actual 5D Machin Head stamp as depicted on the label. As this stamp, and the black printed postcard postage, is in old money and labelled ‘D’, these can-not be cancelled, and have not been here.

 BOTTOM:   

4D Queen Elizabeth Postal Stationery Postcard – pre-printed 4d Machin Head stamp.

This one has the Arnold Machin 1^st class stamp from the smilers sheet with its attached label which depicts the 6D Machin Head stamp. This stamp has been cancelled with a special ‘FIRST DAY OF ISSUE – WINDSOR “THINGS MEN HAVE MADE WITH WAKENED HANDS’” – D.H. LAWRENCE’ hand stamp – 5^th June 2007. Again an actual 6D Machin Head stamp, as displayed on the label, has been attached, and, as explained above, this has not been cancelled.

TOP:

7p Queen Elizabeth Postal Stationery Postcard – pre-printed 7p Machin Head stamp.

This has another Arnold Machin smilers sheet stamp attached. This time the label depicts a 7D green Machin Head stamp. This matches up nicely with the 7p valued hexagonal brown pre-printed postal stationery stamp. As this printed stamp is a ‘P’ pence valued stamp it can be cancelled so here the special hand stamp cancels both the attached stamp and the pre-printed stamp. The cancel is a special ‘THE MACHIN DEFINITIVES FORTIETH ANNIVERSARY – OAKHILL, STOKE-ON-TRENT – 5^TH June 2007’ CANCEL USED FOR THE FIRST DAY OF ISSUE OF THIS Arnold Machin stamp.

BOTTOM:

9p Queen Elizabeth Postal Stationery Postcard – pre-printed 9p Machin Head stamp.

This is similar in format to the 7p Postal Stationery Postcard posted above, only this time the label attached to the stamp depicts the green 9D Machin Head stamp and the Postal Stationery pre-printed stamp is a blue 9p one. The hand stamp used here is a lovely one which depicts the Queens Head, and which again celebrated the 40^th Anniversary of the Machin Head design.

4D Queen Elizabeth Postal Stationery Postcard – pre-printed 4d Machin Head stamp.

This one is slightly different as it has a different styled Queens Head stamp which still uses the Arnold Machin ‘head’ design. Only the attached stamp has been cancelled (with the same hand stamp as used on the card above). Again, this is because the pre-printed stamp on the card is in the old money denomination of ‘D’, and these are no longer valid.

So, there you have it. An unusual collection of quite unusual philatelic items which are still postcard related. This is where collections collide and overlap.

15/09/2016

ADVENTURE IN POSTCARDS & COLLECTIBLES

LEE BROWN, PROPRIETOR

Artist: Ann Rusnak

Ref: 8-92

Nice full colour design by the late American artist Ann Rusnak (I have previously posted a number of her postcard designs). Colour designs are not as common as single black and white images on plain coloured card, so this is one worth seeking out. There is of course the added bonus that the image includes a tiger, and I love tigers.

15/09/2016

THUNDERBIRDS

“ALAN PILOOT VAN DE THUNDERBIRD 3”

Alan – Pilot of Thunderbird 3”

Published by

VITA NOVA

Ref: 5

I have previously posted a couple of the Thunderbirds postcards by this Dutch Company. This is No 5 in the series (you may remember me mentioning that the reference number is in the stamp box so when used you can-not read the number). This was the very first card I obtained from this series. It also the card I have seen the most of, and by that I mean I have seen 4 or 5 copies over 30 years. 

13/09/2016

TAY ROAD BRIDGE

Published by

DENNIS PRODUCTIONS

Ref: D.1511

67

“The New Tay Road Bridge, looking towards Dundee from Fife. The Bridge is nearly 1 ½ miles long and opened August, 1966”

(Text from Reverse side of Postcard)

This postcard was actually produced prior to the Bridge opening and was available very early. The bridge itself took 3 ½ years to build at what was then £6 million. The final 65 ton girder was installed on the 4^th July 1966 and the Bridge was opened on the 18^th August 1966 by The Queen Mother. For the first four days this was a toll-free bridge (but that didn’t last).

REVERSE SIDE OF ABOVE POSTCARD

SPECIAL CANCELLATION:

“DUNDEE – OPENING OF THE TAY ROAD BRIDGE – 18^TH AUG 1966”

I believe that the addition of a special handstamp or cancellation, related to the postcard image, on a postcard can make a postcard far more interesting, collectible and often valuable as well.

13/09/2016

THE END OF THE “BABY-KILLER”

Valentine’s series

I have mentioned before that I am a member of a couple of local ‘Philatelic Societies’ (stamp clubs) and I was at one of these last night for an excellent talk and display based around the German Zeppelins up until 1919. We got to see a lot of the early posted material, which included a large number of postcards. The second half was all about the Zeppelin’s involvement in World War 1. I had a great evening and saw some very rare items. When I got home I pulled out one of my Military themed albums and found this postcard of a Zeppelin burning in the sky. The image now can be considered as quite gruesome, especially when you consider that there was a crew of anywhere between 15 and 22 men on board.

The title at the bottom of this card really shows how much the zeppelins were hated by the people of London, and the surrounding areas.

In the talk last night, a letter was read out which was from a woman who had seen a zeppelin on fire in the sky, much like the one depicted here. In this letter she explained how the crowds had cheered, and how horns had been sounded and how everyone had been happy as the zeppelin came down. She went on to write that she had no sympathy for those on board as they had been circling above waiting for a chance to bomb them. She also stated that she knew of no one who had any sympathy and that she doubted anyone was sorry for what had happened. This is probably no surprise for a population that had been regularly bombed from above by these flying airships. It is perhaps also not surprising that they were given the name of the ‘Baby-Killers’.

13/09/2016

CHILD WITH TELEVISION SET

NOVELTY EYES (LENTICULAR – MOVING IMAGE)

Publisher

KRUGER

Any regular visitors to the website (I love the thought that I may actually have some, he laughs) will immediately know why this postcard appealed to me. Yes, it is the inclusion of the television sets within the image. Television is still the main theme that I collect and am drawn to, but there is the additional pleasure of this being a novelty item. It is hard to show you the fact that the little boys eyes blink as you tilt this card. I recently saw this on eBay and had to have it. It came from Australia (some very nice stamps were used on the envelope). Novelty – Television – Cute, who could resist this?   

12/09/2016

THE LORD OF THE RINGS – THE FELLOWSHIP OF THE RING

DVD RELEASE PRE-PUBLICITY POSTCARDS

FRODO BAGGINS

The DVD for the first of the ‘Lord of the Rings’ feature films, ‘The Fellowship of the Ring’, was released on the 6^th August 2002. At Comic-Con, or at least at one of them (possibly the San Diego Comic Con, in America – but this is not confirmed, just suspected) that year they released exclusive postcards which were available only at this show. There was one other little exception as well, let me explain. Three of the postcards were available for all four days of the show, although they were only available until they had run out of each day’s supply. These three are therefore easier to obtain and were issued in larger numbers. But, on the last day of the show (I believe it was a Sunday) they issued a postcard exclusive to that one day. This ‘Frodo Baggins’ design shown here is that postcard. It is the hardest one to find but is needed to make up the full set of four. I was extremely lucky enough to come across a full set of these from a dealer who had attended the show and been there every day and thus had a single set for sale. To date this is the only full set I have seen in the UK (I am sure there must be others here who have a set, I am certainly not claiming to have the only set in the UK, but I have not seen another on any dealer’s stall or on eBay). I paid a staggering £20 for the four postcards – but I suspect they were worth it and I certainly would not part with this set for less

THE LORD OF THE RINGS – THE FELLOWSHIP OF THE RING

DVD RELEASE PRE-PUBLICITY POSTCARDS

GANDALF

THE LORD OF THE RINGS – THE FELLOWSHIP OF THE RING

DVD RELEASE PRE-PUBLICITY POSTCARDS

ARAGORN & ARWEN

THE LORD OF THE RINGS – THE FELLOWSHIP OF THE RING

DVD RELEASE PRE-PUBLICITY POSTCARDS

RINGWRAITHS

REVERSE SIDE OF ABOVE POSTCARDS

If you want to seek out this set of Postcards, then this is the reverse side you are looking out for. Each of the four postcards have the same reverse layout, including the much scarcer ‘Frodo Baggins’ design. But, if you do want a set then do not be surprised if you have to spend some money to get it, if you can!

12/09/2016

CANVEY ISLAND

NOVELTY ‘JIGSAW PUZZLE’ POSTCARD

Jigsaw Puzzle postcards have been around for many years and they are often made from the simple process of sticking an actual postcard down onto a piece of cardboard, sometimes quite thick, as is the case here, where this does really resemble a proper thick jigsaw puzzle. This one here has used a multi-view postcard showing locations on Canvey Island. I have mentioned this location before, and depicted postcards from here, this is because I used to work here between 1988 and 1995. Top left is a small train which appeared on one of the very first postcards I posted on this webpage (go back to the very first page). Next to that is the ‘Haystack’ public house, bottom left is the Casino Building (images of this have been previously posted and I have given its history before as well). The image bottom right is an area of seawall, which is quite high to prevent another major flood like then one the island suffered back in 1953.

This was a recent eBay auction win and it only cost me a couple of pounds. It is a nice addition to my ‘Novelty’ collection.       

11/09/2016

09/11/2001

IN COMMEMORATION OF

9/11

15^th ANNIVERSARY

2001 POSTCARDS

EDITIONS DU TRIANGLE

Creation by

JACQUES LARDIE

Limited Edition of 100

Jacques Lardie was a French postcard artist who produced (he may still do so but I have not heard of anything from him for many years now) many, many limited edition postcards which were either hand drawn sketches by him or photo-montages, such as these here. Most that I have are from the 1990’s but here we have a selection of his 9/11 photo-montage issues. These are not individually numbered or titled and were not issued as a set, but there was a type of series of them as a large number were issued, I have 38 different in my own collection. These were issued very soon after the attack and, unlike the early American ones which mainly showed the people involved, the aftermath and patriotic references to the disaster, these French ones often actually show the images of the actual impacts and the explosions. These capture more of the visceral impact that the images had on people, I think, and remind me of how I felt when I watched this live.

The cards do not require any descriptive text for me so are posted as just images.              

Each of the postcards depicted here in this selection is limited to just 100 copies – this is quite a low number and as such they were expensive when first issued, several pounds each. I expect now, if you could come across any, they would easily be £5+ (maybe even £10+).

10/09/2016

THE PRINCE AND THE SHOWGIRL

MARILYN MONROE – LAURENCE OLIVIER

Published by

AGI SYDNEY

Ref: CP 859

(Printed in Germany)

This is a film poster for the 1957 feature film ‘The Prince and the Showgirl’, which starred two big stars of the time, Laurence Olivier and Marilyn Monroe. The Monroe connection makes this a far more collectible postcard than I suspect it would otherwise be. The film itself was also directed and produced by Olivier, from a screenplay by Terence Rattigan (based on a 1953 stage play called ‘The Sleeping Prince’). Interestingly this was filmed in London but then it was a British – American romantic comedy.  

The film came out to mixed reviews from critic but it went on to receive far better, and more positive reviews over time. But, in most cases it is stated that Monroe and Olivier lacked any on-screen chemistry.

The image used on this film poster is perhaps the nest remembered image from the film.

K.K. LOVES M.M.

Published by

SHOOT THAT TIGER (LONDON)

© 1986

Ref: MM4

This postcard is one from a series of Monroe art postcards published by this 1980’s publisher. Here you can see the Laurence Olivier character has been replaced by that of King Kong. It is an interesting postcard to have alongside the actual film poster card displayed above. As I collect both Marilyn Monroe and King Kong related postcards this one was a must have oddity.

10/09/2016

DISNEYLAND

ADVENTURE BY LAND AND BY SEA

Ref: 010334

“In Tomorrowland’s unique attraction, you can explore the depths of the oceans aboard a submarine, ride sleek Monorail trains and tour a world of science and industry aboard the revolutionary new PEOPLEMOVER transportation system”

(Text from Reverse side of Postcard)

A lovely postcard which depicts two attractions at the California based, and original, Disney theme park. The ‘Submarine Voyage’ was a ‘Tomorrowland’ attraction which first opened on 6^th June 1959 (dedicated on the 14^th June – i.e. officially opened). The submarines were painted grey and made to look like Americans then newest nuclear submarines.

SUBMARINE VOYAGE

Ref: 01110504

“Homeward bound after ‘surfacing’ from the depths of the seven seas. Disneyland submarine voyage through ‘liquid space’ to explore mysterious undersea worlds. Crossing over the lagoon is the Peoplemover, a new concept in transportation”

(Text from Reverse side of Postcard)

Another image of the ‘Submarine Voyage’ attraction. Here the submarine is still painted in the original grey. They were changed to a yellow in the 1980’s, to represent scientific research subs, so the two images here are from before this time.

The ‘Peoplemover’ that is shown riding over the submarine was opened on 2^nd July 1967. Text on the card above states that this was a new attraction which places that cards publication to the late 1960’s. I think this card here could be from the same period.

WALT DISNEY WORLD

20,000 LEAGUES UNDER THE SEA

Ref: 0111-0075

“Captain Nemo is the narrator for this thrilling submarine voyage through an undersea world. Guests aboard the Nautilus glide past sunken ships, icebergs… even a sea monster”

(Text from reverse side of Postcard)

The Disneyland Submarine ride I have never seen as to date I have never visited the Anaheim theme park (see the two postcards above). But this Nautilus ride, depicted here, I did get the pleasure to ride when I first visited in 1993. It was a ride I had seen on many Disney TV programmes featuring the theme park. The attraction first opened on 14^th October 1971 and I was fortunate to get my ride in in 1993 as the attraction closed on 5^TH September 1994. This closure was despite the ride being an early popular attraction, but to be fair had become dated, and the windows through which you looked out into the water and the underwater divers and other models, were getting hard to see through.

Because of my fascination with this ride prior to my visit, and the fact that it had gone by my second, has led to me picking up any postcards I can find which feature the submarine and the ride. This one here has a perforated edge down the left side so was clearly removed from a postcard book.

THE NAUTILUS

“Captain Nemo’s famous submarine undertakes a voyage in 20,000 Leagues Under the Sea. Home base for the cruise in Fantasyland”

(Text from Reverse side of Postcard)

This postcard is a larger size than the one immediately above and is from much later as the card above is from the 1970’s whilst this one is from the 1980’s (it was in fact posted in August 1988). If you look closely you will see that the plating around the front of the submarine is different on the two submarines depicted her and above.

The submarine itself is of course based on the design of the submarine used in the Walt Disney live action feature film called ‘20,000 Leagues Under the Sea’, which was released in 1954.

10/09/2016

ROMA

Gradini

(ROME STEPS)

Published by

RAPHAEL TUCK & SONS

“CONNOISSEUR” POSTCARD SERIES 2528

This is a nice simple painting depicting ladies in national costume sitting down and working on steps located in Rome. The card was published by an English company and was sold in the UK, this particular card being posted from Blackpool in 1903 (31^st August).   

10/09/2016

I AM THE ONE WHO KNOCKS

BREAKING BAD

Published by

PYRAMID INTERNATIONAL

Ref: PC52113

A modern postcard from my Television collection which features the main character from the highly popular television series ‘Breaking Bad’. This is one of those programmes which has become what is called a ‘Box Set Series’, because so many people now watch the series via multiple episode viewing sessions. Unusually this is a series I have not actually watched myself – maybe I need to get the DVD box sets myself.