13/06/2018

LADYBIRD BOOK COVER POSTCARDS

From the boxed set of 100 Ladybird Book Covers

Used on the front with a Royal Mail ‘Ladybird Books’ Stamp 2017

Cancelled with a special AUTUMN STAMPEX 2017 special hand stamp.

This is another selection of the postcards which I had a ladybird stamp applied to and cancelled first day of issue at the last STAMPEX show of 2017. I had a number of these done and I think these are quite attractive and made for some great souvenirs.    

13/06/2018

APPEL DU

18 JUIN 1940

EN HOMMAGE A CHARLES DE GAULLE

PREMIER RESISTANT

ET A LA RESISTANCE FRANCAISE

“Call of

June 18, 1940

In tribute to Charles de Gaulle

First resistant

And French resistance”

Artwork by

CLAUDE BURET

Published by

JEAN MATHIOT

NAVILIAT

Ref: Carte N. 90/02

Issued 1990

I have a few postcards designs by the French postcard artist Claude Buret, who I consider to be one of the better skilled of the French artists producing postcard designs during the 1980’s and 1990’s, when he was at his height. This design here fits nicely into my military collection as the broadcast to France from London by Charles de Gaulle is considered by those who took part in the French resistance movement as integral to their story.

REVERSE SIDE OF ABOVE POSTCARD

Each individual copy of this card was individually printed with a separate issue number – this one is No 159. This is a standard reverse type print layout for many of the French limited- edition specialist postcard artist issues.

13/06/2018

HANK WILLIAMS: LOST HIGHWAY

HIS LIFE, HIS LEGEND, HIS MUSIC…

LITTLE SHUBERT THEATRE

Published by

GO-CARD

POSTCARD ADVERTISING

USA

Another free ‘Go-Card’ rack postcard from America. This one is for a musical I had not heard of before seeing this card. Information on the reverse side of the card ( see below ) informs me that the Little Shubert Theatre is in New York. I like music themed postcards and I think this might be the first Hank Williams themed one I have added to my collection.

REVERSE SIDE OF ABOVE POSTCARD

Lots of information here.

12/06/2018

THAILAND

 8 Baht BLACK GIANT SQUIRREL stamp

Official stamp card

This squirrel stamp (SG 1565) was issued in 1991 and was the highest valued stamp from a set of four titled ‘Mammals’. This is the only one I have but I suspect there are similar cards for the other three mammals from the other stamps in the set (Large Indian Civit, Banded Linsang and Asiatic Golden Cat).

I suspect this has been cancelled first day of issue, but without more details I cannot confirm this.

12/06/2018

FISCHOTTER

(FISH OTTER)

ZOOLOGISCHER GARTEN ZURICH

(Zoological Gardens)

Published by

BERINGER & PAMPALUCHI

ZURICH

Someone has taken this nice zoo postcard and applied to the front of it the Switzerland 1967 ‘PRO JUVENTUTE’ [Children’s Fund] animals 50c + 20c Otter stamp (SG J220 my 2004 Stanley Gibbons stamps of the world catalogue incorrectly shows this as being a 50c + 10c value instead of the correct + 20c. My Michel Europa Katalog West 1989/90 correctly shows this as a 50c + 20c value) and had it cancelled with a first day of issue pictorial Roe Deer (and animal which appears on the first stamp in this set) special hand stamp dated 1^st December 1967. A nice usage which creates a maxi-card worth considerably more than just the postcard on its own or the stamp on its own.

12/06/2018

LATRABJARG

THE MOST WESTERLY POINT IN EUROPE

Most westerly point in Iceland.

Inhabited by the Puffin

Printed and Published by

LITBRA H.F. – REYKJAVIK, ICELAND

Ref: Copyright No. 2878

For me it was the image of the puffin in the oval shaped photograph bottom centre that caught my ‘Wildlife’ collectors eye, but it was also nice to turn this card over and find it had been posted from Iceland (to Canada, so how it got back to the UK and into my collection I don’t know).

REVERSE SIDE OF ABOVE POSTCARD

This has been used with the 1970 issued 12k ‘Anniversary of the United Nations’ stamp (SG 480). This has been cancelled with machine roller cancel for Reykjavik dated 24^th July 1971.

12/06/2018

FINLAND

POSTAGE PRE-PAID POSTAL STATIONERY POST CARD

Artist

Asser Jaaro

Photograph (cover)

Heikki Mustonen

Published by

Posti

(The Official Finnish postal authority)

V. SOLDAN-BROFELDT – painter (and only female in this group)

J. AHO – author and journalist (nominated for Nobel prize in literature 12 times)

J. JARNEFELT – painter and art professor

J. SIBELIUS – composer and violinist

P. HALONEN – painter

J.H. ERKKO – poet, journalist and playright

I picked up this pre-paid postal stationery card at Stampex for 50p from a dealer’s cheap box. I like this type of item although I will admit I knew none of the names of the people depicted. A little work on the internet has shown me that in Finland at least these are famous artists, musicians and writers. Considering this appears to be an official item I could not find it in the Michel postal stationery catalogue. This leaves me with no other information around its issue, but this in no way reduces my liking for this card item.

REVERSE SIDE OF ABOVE POSTCARD

This side also has a nice image of a painter’s board and brushes.

This card would make a nice addition to any ‘Art’ themed collection.

12/06/2018

GREETINGS FROM

WESTON-SUPER-MARE

Published by

PLASTICHROME

By

COLOURPICTURE PUBLISHERS, INC

Norwich

(Made in the USA)

Ref: WHS 902

P41094

(Plastichrome postcards often have two references – here the WHS 902 is the card reference, and any reference number printed in the top or bottom left side corner will be the cards reference number for anyone they were producing the card for, as they often printed cards for other shops, attractions and companies. Then you will find a number beginning with the letter ‘P’, here it is P41094. This is often either top centre or more commonly bottom centre. This is the ‘companies’ unique ‘company reference number’ and one of these will appear on every Plastichrome postcard, regardless of whether there is another reference like the WHS 902 one used here)

This great seaside postcard was posted from Weston-Super-Mare in 1965. The five females depicted were almost certainly models and these images were chosen by the publishers for this postcard. I have looked long and hard at the woman on the far-right side of this postcard and I am near certain this is the American pinup model Betty Page from the 1950’s, someone who was well known for her risqué images. No one is named on this postcard, which is not a surprise as it is just designed to catch the eye of tourists, but I wonder if anyone else looked at this card and thought “That’s Betty Page”, especially as she is far better known in the US than here in the UK. So, the chances of seeing Betty Page, or any of these ladies for that matter, on the beach at Weston-Super-Mare was very, very unlikely, nay impossible. If this is Betty Page - I believe it is, see below - I can't help but wonder if the other women depicted on this postcard are also from America, which I also now strongly suspect is the case! Also, were these too 'risque models', because that fact would make this a fascinating back story for this postcard - and would have been a surprise to anyone buying it back in the 1960's on the beach front here in the UK!

PHOTOGRAPH

My ‘EXHIBIT 1’

Confirmed photograph of the model Betty Page

I give this photograph as my evidence that it is Betty Page on the above postcard. I think she is even wearing the same bikini! This might even have been the same photo-shoot!

Here ends the evidence for the prosecution…

REVERSE SIDE OF ABOVE POSTCARD

See, no models were named in the production of this postcard….

12/06/2018

AT WORK.

GUARDING ONE OF THE ENTRIES IN THE LONDON

TO MANCHESTER AIR RACE,

WORMWORD SCRUBS,

APRIL 1910

Published by

HAMMERSMITH AND FULHAM LIBRARIES

ARCHIVES DEPARTMENT

Ref: 5:5

A smashing example of the type of unusual photographic image that can be found on postcards issued by local library’s and historical archive units all around the country. I have always found libraries, council department offices and Tourist Information centres to be a great source of cards like this.

This one has so much going on in it. For starters it is a photograph I had not seen anywhere else before, and which I doubt has appeared on a postcard before. Then you have the inclusion of the police officer, and you may remember that ‘Police’ is a collection theme of mine, and this is a very good image of an old police uniform being worn on duty. Next up you have the old aeroplane being guarded by the officer. Surely this would fit into any historical aeroplane collection? Last but by no means least you have the connection to that historic flying event the ‘London to Manchester Air Race’, one of the major early aerial competitions in the history of flying here in the UK.

12/06/2018

THE DIALABOLICAL [SIC]

PHONEBOX

Published by

FIDDLER’S GREEN LTD

‘FUN CONSTRUCTION CARDS’

Printed by

Percy Gilkes Printers, Banbury

I have previously depicted a couple of the construction postcards by this company (including a ‘Privy’ I believe!) before. This one is of extra interest because there are people out there who collect telephone boxes on postcards as a theme. There are far more than you might consider. In these times of the mobile phone the old telephone boxes are few and far between, but I can remember a time when they were everywhere, and any walk would have you coming across them. This also means that many view postcards from last few decades of the last century potentially could include them.

This is a great card, but the ‘pun’ in the title is awful, deliberately so I believe.

REVERSE SIDE OF ABOVE POSTCARD

12/06/2018

BONNE FETE

(Happy Birthday)

Published by

PHOTOCHROM

GLACEE 1922

(COUPE d’OR)

A nice French published ‘Happy Birthday’ postcard with children and music notes across the back. I wonder if the notes are any actual piece of music? Is this ‘Happy Birthday’, or at least part of it?

The use of deckle edging places this card in the 1950’s or 1960’s with the design looking more towards the later, indicated again by the hand-written message on the reverse side which is dated 1965.

12/06/2018

STRASBOURG

LA CATHEDRALE

Published by

EDITION SPECIALE “UNIFIX”

Ref: 620

This nice postcard of the Cathedral was posted in 1933 using a nice 20c French ‘Marianne’ definitive stamp. Strasbourg Cathedral, or the Cathedral of Our Lady of Strasbourg (Cathedrale Notre-Dame de Strasbourg) is also known as Strasbourg Minster. It is a Roman Catholic cathedral in the Alsace region of France. The Cathedral is considered one of the finest examples of high, or late Gothic architecture (although parts of it are Romanesque).

Construction commenced in 1015 and was completed around 1439 and until 1874 was the worlds tallest building. The world has moved upwards since then, but the cathedral is still the sixth-tallest church in the world and the highest extant structure built entirely in the Middle Ages.

11/06/2018

BURY ST. EDMUNDS

IMAGES OF SUFFOLK

Published by

J. SALMON LTD (SEVENOAKS)

Ref: 10/31/08/04

“Bury St. Edmunds has a long religious tradition and the abbey was at one time one of the greatest religious establishments in the country. The 14^th century Great Gate leads into the abbey gardens through a single archway which still retains its portcullis”

(Text from reverse side of Postcard)

By chance I have been to Bury St. Edmunds twice in the past few weeks, once for a postcard fair (cards from which have already been posted here) and this past Saturday when we dropped in after our visit to Thetford. On both occasions I saw this Gate, and on Saturday I walked through it into and across the abbey gardens mentioned in the text on the reverse side of this postcard. This postcard, and the one below, I bought as souvenirs of my visit.

BURY ST. EDMUNDS, SUFFOLK

ABBEY GATE

Photograph by

MARK STAPLES

Published by

J. SALMON LTD (SEVENOAKS)

Ref: 2 – 31 – 08 – 04

This postcard is slightly smaller than the above postcard and has been published in the more traditional format of a photograph filling out the entire card and with the location as a text within the photograph. These days postcards have-to appeal to the eye and it has been decided, probably correctly considering the number and their sales, that an image with a white boarder and the location name/text within this boarder is a more attractive and saleable commodity. The top card is in this current popular format.

PHOTOGRAPH

Taken 9^th June 2018

This is my photograph of the same gate as appears on the two postcards above.

Matching your own photographs of places with postcards bought is an interesting side line to any postcard collection.

(although no photograph ever appears to be as good as those on the postcards available)

11/06/2018

HAPPY CAT

By

AP Studio 2017

Published by

ART PRESS

Ref: ZZ5196

Another recent release which again adds proof to my theory that ‘Cat’ themed postcards are currently popular and in vogue again. This is a simple one, but one which caught my eye on the rack when I saw it just over a week ago.

11/06/2018

No1 PLATOON B COMPANY

WALMINGTON-ON-SEA HOME GUARD

(DAD’S ARMY)

Published by

DAD’S ARMY APPRECIATION SOCIETY

Ref: 1

On Saturday I visited the Dad’s Army Museum in Thetford. This is a great little museum packed with bits and pieces and well worth a look for any Dad’s Army fame. At the museum they sell the two sets of Dad’s Army postcards which have been released by the Dad’s Army Appreciation Society. The second set contains four postcards which I did not have (I had bought the first set direct from the Dad’s Army Appreciation Society via their webpage some years ago). I show here the four cards from the second set (although the set is not referenced as a second set on the cards).

This publicity styled photograph depicts the main characters from the home guard unit. The popularity of this classic television series – Dad’s Army – means that postcards like this will always be popular.

REVERSE SIDE OF ABOVE POSTCARD

With the exception, where it is different, of the postcards title and the number in the stamp box beside Captain Mainwaring, the format is the same for each of the four cards displayed here.

No1 PLATOON B COMPANY

WALMINGTON-ON-SEA HOME GUARD

(DAD’S ARMY)

Published by

DAD’S ARMY APPRECIATION SOCIETY

Ref: 2

A different publicity photograph of the main seven characters depicted on the above postcard

DAD’S ARMY

By JIMMY PERRY and DAVID CROFT

Published by

DAD’S ARMY APPRECIATION SOCIETY

Ref: 3

A scene from the series with the main seven character’s and Warden Hodges

DAD’S ARMY

By JIMMY PERRY and DAVID CROFT

Published by

DAD’S ARMY APPRECIATION SOCIETY

Ref: 4

In this photograph Private Walker is missing. I believe this is because this is from one of the series after the sad death of James Beck, who played Walker, in 1973.

PHOTOGRAPH

Taken 9^th June 2018

The Dad’s Army Museum

Thetford

This is my photograph of the outside entrance to this small but cracking museum. The programme is so popular that the museum was quite packed when we attended. It is a free to enter but only open on Saturdays, so it is essential to visit here then if you want to see this display.

If you are wondering why the museum is located here it is because Thetford was the location for the outside filming of the series and the original feature film starring the original television cast.

PHOTOGRAPH

Taken 9^th June 2018

The Dad’s Army Museum

Thetford

The postcard board in the small shop area of the museum

NON-POSTCARD ITEMS

The museum also sells a set of four

Fantasy Banknotes

Which are Dad’s Army themed

I depict one side of each of these below

(there are also some interesting images and bits on the reverse sides as well)

Each note is the correct size, and each slightly smaller than the previous one

11/06/2018

EUNICE GAYSON….. RIP

17^TH March 1928 – 8^TH June 2018

Actress best remembered for playing the character Sylvia Trench in the first two James Bond movies, ‘Dr. No’ and ‘From Russia with Love’. She was the first official Bond girl. She also appeared in television series’ such as ‘The Saint’ and ‘The Avengers’.

I had the pleasure of seeing Eunice Gayson a couple of times at signing events and I have her autograph on a photograph in my collection.

DR NO

James Bond Film Poster

Published by

VINTAGE MAGAZINE Co.

*This postcard was issued in two formats with different reference numbers*

A set of Bond film poster postcards was issued in a packet as a set and these cards were slightly smaller than a series of individually available postcards depicting the same posters. The smaller sized cards are from the packet set whilst the slightly larger cards are from the individually available postcards. I suspect that future collectors will find these reference number anomalies quite confusing if they do not realise the source of the different cards.      

VERSION 1 – smaller size

Ref: JB12

VERSION 2 – larger size

Ref: JB10

REVERSE SIDE OF THE TWO ‘DR NO’ POSTCARDS

Overlaid so that you can see the two reference numbers and the slight difference in size

FROM RUSSIA WITH LOVE

James Bond Film Poster

Published by

VINTAGE MAGAZINE Co.

*This postcard was issued in two formats with different reference numbers*

A set of Bond film poster postcards was issued in a packet as a set and these cards were slightly smaller than a series of individually available postcards depicting the same posters. The smaller sized cards are from the packet set whilst the slightly larger cards are from the individually available postcards. I suspect that future collectors will find these reference number anomalies quite confusing if they do not realise the source of the different cards.      

VERSION 1 – smaller size

Ref: JB1

VERSION 2 – larger size

Ref: JB3

I have overlaid the two different issues so that you can see that the smaller issued card is cut much closer to the film poster text on the left side than the larger version. This difference in issues and the reasons behind why two were available are the type of information I love knowing and which I enjoy passing on so that it is not lost to time.

REVERSE SIDE OF THE TWO ‘DR NO’ POSTCARDS

Overlaid so that you can see the two reference numbers and the slight difference in size

PHOTOGRAPH

Eunice Gayson as Sylvia Trench

In the first two James Bond Movies

10/06/2018

“LOVE IS THE WAY”

LOVING BISHOP MICHAEL CURRY’S

SERMON AT

HARRY & MEGHAN’S WEDDING

19^TH MAY 2018

Published by

SABI KOZ

I hereby give you my entry in the ‘Most Unusual 2018 Royal Wedding’ postcard competition! OK, I made up this competition, but if there was such a thing this postcard would most certainly, and deservedly win. This year I have become a huge fan of the postcard issues of Sabi Koz and I have been posting them here on the webpage. This one must have come out ‘really’ soon after the royal wedding and it was, and still is a highly topical theme. I did not watch the wedding myself, as previously stated I was out picking up my royal wedding stamps, but my wife and daughter did, and I am led to believe that the depicted Bishop’s speech raised an eyebrow or two. So, my congratulations to Sabi for coming up with such a delightful related postcard souvenir.

REVERSE SIDE OF ABOVE POSTCARD

It is nice to see that these cards now have a proper-postcard back instead of the earlier plain backed versions that were originally released. This is a huge improvement and something I have welcomed.

10/06/2018

CELEBRATING 100 YEARS OF

WOMEN’S VOTE

Women from across the country are marching today in London, Belfast, Cardiff and Edinburgh to make a living artwork to mark the 100 years since the first British women won the vote.

So, here are the postcards issued by the National Portrait Gallery for their display on votes for women:

EMMELINE PANKHURST

(1858 – 1928)

Central Press

1908, Gelatin silver print

Published by

NATIONAL PORTRAIT GALLERY

London

This photograph depicts Emmeline Pankhurst giving a speech beside one of the lion statues at the base of Trafalgar Square.

EMMELINE PANKHURST

By

Olive Edis

1920’s

Sepia-toned platinotype on photographer’s card mount

Published by

NATIONAL PORTRAIT GALLERY

London

SURVEILLANCE PHOTOGRAPHS OF MILITANT SUFFRAGETTES

CRIMINAL RECORDS OFFICE

1914

SILVER PRINT MOUNTED ONTO IDENTIFICATION SHEET

Published by

NATIONAL PORTRAIT GALLERY

London

Below I have enlarged the text from the reverse side of this postcard which names the women depicted (it saved me a lot of typing!). When I visited this exhibition at the National Portrait Gallery it was a selection of these photographs which, as an ex-police officer I found fascinating, I can-not condone how they were obtained under today’s standards, quite correctly and rightly, but I understand historically why it was considered necessary at the time.

On the 4^th of June I watched a programme on BBC 1 called ‘SUFFRAGETTES WITH LUCY WORSLEY’ during which some of these police images were displayed. Lucy Worsley then explained that many of these were taken whilst the women were in prison whilst they were out on excises walks around the prison yard. Others were taken at parades and meetings, but nearly all of them were taken without the person’s knowledge (this programme was well worth catching so if you have ‘catch-up TV’ then try and find it).

<< New image with text >>

DAME CHRISTABEL PANKHURST

1880 – 1958

By

ETHEL WRIGHT

1908-1909

OIL ON CANVAS

Published by

NATIONAL PORTRAIT GALLERY

London

This is a smashing painting of Christabel wearing the ribbon of the movement, green white and purple – this is currently being represented by those marching today as each person has been given a scarf in one of these three colours and they are marching in lines abreast to make a long human version of this ribbon down the streets – This painting took centre stage at the National Portrait Galleries small display, but it is such a striking painting, in my opinion, that I was pleased to get to see it.

PHOTOGRAPH

31^ST May 2018

Image taken at the Gallery – with the superb women, dressed as a suffragette, who gave a little, excellent and loud display to visitors.

PHOTOGRAPH

31^ST May 2018

The Christabel Pankhurst painting can be seen on the wall

PHOTOGRAPH

10/06/2018

This photograph shows what I mentioned above with the lines of women marching with the different colour scarves and tops making a visual representation of the three coloured ribbon of the movement for votes for women.  

10/06/2018

SEA HARRIER OF 800 NAVAL SQUADRON

OVER HMS HERMES

Published by

FLEET AIR ARM MUSEUM

ROYAL NAVAL AIR STATION, YEOVILTON,

SOMERSET

Printed by

JUDGES LIMITED, HASTINGS

Ref: C 6466X

I have now almost finished mounting my ‘Falklands War’ display of 160 A4 sheets, I just have two gaps, each on two pages which are mostly complete. I already have the item which will fill one of these (a cloth ‘Vulcan Bomber’ patch for the 30^th anniversary of Operation Blackbuck – the bombing of the runway on the Falkland Islands), but I am still looking out for something small to complete the last page. Unfortunately, this recently acquired postcard is way too big for the remaining gap. Still, it is a nice addition to my war postcard collection.

10/06/2018

NORWICH

POSTCARD FAIR 2016

Design by

John Pulham

Published by

OVERDALE CARDS

Ref: OC26

Another lovely postcard fair advertising postcard fair postcard by John Pulham. This card cost me 50p at the recent Bury St Edmunds Postcard Fair, but I suspect that anyone who paid to attend the Norwich Postcard Fair in 2016 got their copy of this postcard as part of the entry cost.

10/06/2018

MARILYN MONROE

Published by

SANTORO GRAPHICS

(LONDON)

Ref: C225

This is a famous photograph of the actress, although here it has been blown up so that you can only see her face. This was a popular postcard at the time of its release.

10/06/2018

SUFFOLK

‘AVOCETS AND RINGED PLOVER,

HAVERGATE ISLAND  

SEE BRITAIN BY TRAIN

BRITISH RAILWAYS

Published by

NATIONAL RAILWAY MUSEUM

Printed and distributed by

STAR EDITIONS LTD

Ref: SUF002

I have mentioned before how an image on a postcard can fit into more than one collecting theme. This postcard here is an excellent example of this as initially I would have picked this up for my wildlife collection (within which I have a sub-headed section titled ‘Birds’ where this card could also sit), but my eldest son would want this for his ‘Railway’ collection, and others would want it for a general ‘Posters’ collection. Whichever box/collection anyone placed this in I am sure everyone would agree that it is a smashing postcard.