ALICE THROUGH THE PILLAR-BOX AND WHAT SHE FOUND THERE

A PHILATELIC PHANTASY

By

GERALD M. KING

 

This is a very collectible book which contains images of fantasy 'Alice in Wonderland' stamp covers and stamp designs. The interest for me here is that many of these fantasy covers were produced as postcards by Gerald King, and these cards are quite expensive when you can find them.

 

Page from the above book.

The Alice covers depicted here is one of those which I have as a postcard issue. Because of the philatelic connection and the Alice in Wonderland theme this book has become very collectible.   

 

ARTIST'S POSTCARDS - A COMPENDIUM

 

This is a book about how postcards have been used as artistic items and as actual items within pieces of artwork. Some of the individual items depicted in this book are worth 1000's if not hundreds of thousands, but it also depicts some modern postcard releases which came out in the 1980's. This is not your usual postcard book, but it is an interesting read about a different aspect of the postcard world

 

SLOGAN POSTMARK

CATALOGUES

 

COLLECTING SLOGAN POSTMARKS

By

PARSONS & PEACHEY & PEARSON

 

This catalogue gives you all the information you need to know about all the slogan postmarks that were issued up until the end of the 1960’s. For all the early slogans this is the best guide out there.

If you need to know about any of the slogans that came out after the 1960’s, then you need the guides illustrated below. A complete collection, like mine here, is by far the best guide to these fascinating cancels.

 

SLOGAN POSTMARKS OF THE SEVENTIES

 

SLOGAN POSTMARKS OF THE EIGHTIES

 

SLOGAN POSTMARKS OF THE NINETIES

PART 1: THE FIRST FIVE YEARS 1990 - 1994

 

SLOGAN POSTMARKS OF THE NINETIES

PART 2: THE LATTER FIVE YEARS 1995 - 1999 

 

SPECIAL EVENT POSTMARKS OF THE UNITED KINGDOM

By

GEORGE R. PEARSON

This book gives information about all the special postmarks used in the UK since the start of stamp postal history through to 1983. 

Two update books are depicted under the BOOKS 1 tab.

 

PICTURE POSTCARDS AND THEIR PUBLISHERS

By

ANTHONY BYATT

This is the postcard collectors 'bible', possibly the best book ever produced about the postcard publishers of the past. I probably use this book more than any other. If you have any interest in the postcards of the first half of postcard publishing history then you have to have this one. This has been long out of print so unfortunately a copy will probably cost you £30+, unless you are very lucky and find one being sold somewhere cheaper. 

 

DINOSAUR STAMPS OF THE WORLD

I bought this one when it came out and met one of the Authors, Stuart Baldwin who kindly signed my copy for me. Although mostly this depicts stamps there are some covers and two very interesting maxi-cards which I have sought since but still not found copies of.

 

POSTCARDS OF THE FALKLAND ISLANDS 1900 - 1950

This is a specialist book which is a classic book of its type and one used by many collectors of the cards of this small group of islands.  

 

AN EDWARDIAN FAMILY ALBUM

This is a book full of photographs of the period. This is a great source of information to anyone wishing to determine the age or era certain photographic postcards originate from. This is a souce of clothing styles, transport, structures and social history of this era. I have often used this book, and if nothing else the photographs are fascinating 

 

FRANCIS FRITH'S ESSEX

Another local book for my area. This one covers my home county and is packed with postcard images and photographs. Frith issued their own postcards and many of these appear here as well.

 

NEUDIN Catalogue 1983

This French catalogue was issued annually. Originally they were very expensive (this one was 90F, the one depicted below 185F), but each issue was entirely re-written and had new sections added every year and had a listing for the modern cards of that year. For French postcard collectors there are no better catalogues (although obviously they were printed all in French so collectors who do not read French have to overcome this issue - but there is always Google Translate).

The main problem with these catalogues is the cost, even second hand copies can cost a lot - £50+ is not uncommon. This is why I only have two issues myself, but as each and every issue is entirely different in content and images these are a great source of information. If you do find any copies on sale for anything around, or under £20 then pick it up, as I would.      

 

NEUDIN Catalogue 2001

(Hardback copy)

(see information with above book) 

 

THE POSTCARD CENTURY by TOM PHLLIPS

This is one of my favourite books about postcards. It contains 2000 postcard images, all in full colour where appropriate (some are obvioulst B/W cards), and all with their messages hand written on them. Tom is an artist who also collects postcards but with an artists eye towards creating something. So all the 2000 cards are postal used and what he has done is obtain twenty postcards (all used) for every year of the past century. So, you get old and modern postcards contained here. A great book, and a large, thick one.  

 

THE PUBLICATIONS OF ROBERT McDOUGALL

 

S.S. TITANIC PICTURE POSTCARDS AND PHOTOGRAPHS

This was a private publication produced in very small numbers and which was given out by the author to some publication companies and some of his personal contacts. It is a very scarce publication and one which is much sought after by Titanic collectors. Copies very rarely come up for sale (I have seen one copy sell for £200). I was very fortunate to be included in the small number who were sent a copy.  

 

The author kindly signed my copy of this publication 

 

Page from above publication

more older related postcards

 

Page from above publication

The author has also sourced many newspaper cuttings which have been depicted in this exhaustive researched book 

 

Page from above publication

Titanic postcards depicted

 

Page from above book

The author has been to every Titanic connected address and taken pictures which are included in this publication.

 

TITANIC WAKE - WALLACE HARTLEY MEMORIAM TRIBUTE 1997

Privately produced book which was never placed on sale but which copies of which were supplied by the author to parties that he deemed deserved a copy. Very scarce publication copies of which are much sought after by Titanic theme collectors. I was very fortunate that the author kindly sent me copies of his publications because of my writings on Titanic postcards in Picture Postcard Monthly.

 

Page from the above private publication

 

TITANIC BANDMASTER NEWSLETTER

Winter 1999

This is packed with information and has lots of photographs and updates on related postcard issues.

This is also a very rare publication and one which was hard to source when it was first issued back in 1999. 

 

COLLECT AUTOGRAPHS (FRASER'S AUTOGRAPHS)

I have a collection of autographed postcards, mainly film and television stars, but also some sport related and a reasonable World War II pilots and other military personel selection. So, for me a catalogue like this is extremely useful, but a word of warning as the prices in this one are, in my opinion, often too high, but if you know this and can adjust for reality it is still a useful source of information.  

 

A COLLECTOR'S GUIDE TO TELEVISION - Volume 1 THE SIXTIES

By

J. BUSS

This is a scarce book, and will easily cost you £30+ if you can find a copy to buy. It is a privately produced book printed in full colour and illustrated throughout. This is clearly a specialist book and to be honest it has very little postcard content, but it did help me out with details about a MAN FROM U.N.C.L.E. postcard set.

If you are interested in toys, books, records and other TV series related items then this is a must have book, but as stated there is only a minimal amount of postcard information (but I love this book)

 

Signed Edition

 

PICTURES IN THE POST - The Illustrated Letters of Sir Henry Thornhill to his Grandchildren.

Again, this was a charity shop find, which was fascinating to me because a series of postcards was issued depicting some of the illustrated letters contained in this book. Although mainly letters and envelopes are contained within this book it is a delightful read, and the drawings are a really enjoyable view. 

 

NORDHAUSEN - EIN POSTKARTENALBUM

Another of my charity shop finds - it is all in German, but I love the images in this book and I love it for that reason alone.

 

two pages from this book which show how good the illustrations are.

 

PERTWEE'S PROMENADES AND PIERROTS

This is a book all about seaside entertainment in the UK, and it is packed with postcard images from all sorts of seaside resorts up and down the country, including my home town of Southend-on-Sea.

This was a £2 charity shop buy - and was worth every penny

 

REGUS Collectors Guide to BRITISH POST OFFICE ISSUED REGIONAL POST CARDS and COVERS.

The REGUS catalogues were once the main source of information around these post office issued regional postcards (and you may have picked up that there are a number of different catalogues for these cards which were once heavily collected). Several different issues of this particular publication were released over the years, and obviously later issues cover a greater period. These are superb and I use my ones a lot.

 

POSTSECRET By Frank Warren

This is an unusual book about a project where people were aksed to anonymously create a postcard about their secret, what ever that may be. What you end up with is a collection of incredibly creative postcards, hand drawn or painted and hand written, painted, typed or a montage of pictures which in some way relates to the hidden secret the sender has been holding in within themselves. Some of these secrets seem trivial but others are anything but and can even be considered disturbing, but that is part of the reasoning behind the idea. It is a fascinating idea and I really enjoyed viewing all the illustrations contained within it. Obviously you can not obtain any of these, and it is more of an art and social studies styled project rather than a catalogue.... but anything that infuses people to send postcards can not be a bad thing  

 

BURNHAM-ON-CROUCH IN OLD PICTURE POSTCARDS Volume 2

These books are a regular issue down my way and there are books for many different areas around Essex. This one here I picked up in a book sale for £1, otherwise I would probably not have bought it, but if you were from this area, or collected its local history this would be a great book.  

 

ROYAL WEDDING STAMP CATALOGUE

This is in full colour and shows all the stamps which were released around the world for this 1981 wedding, but it also includes the philatelic postcards. I picked this up for £1 at a local stamp club auction and have found it very useful

 

MUFFIN THE MULE

By

ADRIENNE HASLER

Specialist books are a great source of information and as you will have realised I collect television themed postcards and this little privately produced book gave me some excellent information on Muffin the Mule related postcards.

 

I bought my copy direct from the author and she kindly signed my copy

 

One of the philatelic related pages from this book (and I am delighted to say that I have all the depicted items shown here)

 

I'VE LOST MY LITTLE WILLIE! - A Celebration of Comic Postcards

By

Benny Green

This is a very well written history of the comic postcard (also known as the Saucy Seaside Postcard in some cases). It is also a superbly illustrated book, in both black and white and many full colour images. This book nicely places this type of card into a social history perspective. Well worth a read if you collect these cards or not. The introductory chapter gives a basic postcard invention history as well. 

 

POSTCARDS FROM THE FRONT 1914 - 1919

This is a superb book about the postcards of World War 1. It is nicely illustrated throughout, but best of all there is a very useful (although simplified) chapter on the censor marks and cancels used throughout the war.  

 

COLLECTING POSTAL HISTORY (Postmarks cards and covers)

by

Prince Dimitry Kandaouroff (now theres a name!)

 

Very well known and much used book which covers the collecting of all Postal History going right back through the ages. This has a useful 'Maxi-Card' chapter towards the end. There also a lot of black and white and colour images throughout. I like this one and was glad to obtain a copy (I beieve it is long out of print)

 

STANLEY GIBBONS STAMP CATALOGUE – PART 2 – AUSTRIA & HUNGARY – 3rd Edition

I used this catalogue only today (07/04/2018) to confirm that a Great Bustard Hunting stamp from Hungary was not cancelled first day of issue on a maxi-card. These smaller specialised Stamp catalogues are excellent books for first day of issue exact dates (not contained in the larger simplified stamps of the world catalogue(s). Obviously, this is all stamp information, but to a collector like me this is still very useful information. You can also pick up second hand copies, which are old now, for very little money. This one here cost me just 50p, but then it is from 1986. I have a few of these which I bought at the same stamp club auction, all for just 50p each (a couple might even have been cheaper come to think of it!) Clearly the newer, or more recent the edition you obtain, the more information you will be able to access.  

 

STANLEY GIBBONS STAMP CATALOGUE – PART 5 – CZECHOSLOVAKIA & POLAND – 4th Edition (1991)

 

STANLEY GIBBONS STAMP CATALOGUE – PART 10 – RUSSIA – 1981 Edition

 

STANLEY GIBBONS STAMP CATALOGUE – PART 7 – GERMANY – 3rd Edition (1987)

 

STANLEY GIBBONS STAMP CATALOGUE – PART 6 – FRANCE – 2nd Edition (1982)

 

there are of course many other countries covered by other catalogues in this series by Stanley Gibbons (but I only pick up cheap copies otherwise the expense is huge as I dont specialise)

 

JOHN BULL'S FAMOUS CIRCUS - ULSTER HISTORY THROUGH THE POSTCARD 1905 - 1985

This is a fascinating history of how postcards have been used and are connected to the Irish Troubles. As a collector of political cards I find this book fascinating, especially the modern periods it covers. This is another excellent example of how a history book can also be a postcard book.

 

IMAGES D'ARCHIVES DU NORD

A book does not need to be printed in english for me to enjoy looking through its illustrations. I found this French book in a store called 'Gifi' (a store chain in France). It cost me 10 euros, but what fascinating images it contained. I often spend time in France and I love this book of historical postcards, and although it says images, and does contain a few photographs, this is really a collection of postcard images.

They also do books for other areas of France as well, but so far I have not been able to obtain any.  

 

Pages from the above book

 

Pages from the above book

 

NEW YORK IN POSTCARD - 1880 - 1980

This massive, and I mean massive, coffee table sized book is packed with illustrations and is a delight to look through. It cost me £20, but was worth all of that.

 

THE GUINNESS BOOK OF STAMPS

The late James Mackay was a prolific philatelic writer, and a very knowledgeable one. This is a fascinating book which gives readers all the record breakers, firsts, largest, smallest and most valuable philatelic items that exist. Every postcard collector who collects postal used postcards, in my mind, should know some information about the stamps used. This book is a quick way of seperating out facts and feats.     

 

PICTURE POSTCARDS

By

Marian Klamkin

This book was first published in 1974, and it is an early classic publication. My copy is an ex-library copy, but I had looked for one for many years, and it is in extremely good condition. Although the publication has an American tilt there are lots of information on postcards published around the world, especially Europe and the UK. Although a bit dated now this book is still a classic.

 

  

 

FROST - SPECIAL AIRSHIP MAIL AND POSTCARD CATALOG - 2005

I have previously mentioned that I collect Zeppelin and Dornier DOX airmail postcards (and I also have some covers as well). This is the American produced specialised catalogue for all mail carried on these amazing crafts. This gives details of all flights, hand stamps, cachets on postcard and envelope.

I highly recommend this catalogue to anyone collecting this material.  

 

THE BAMFORTH COLLECTION - SAUCY POSTCARDS

This book appeals to both non-collectors and collectors as the saucy postcard is an iconic piece of modern British history. Despite being a general interest book it is packed with full colour illustartions with many chapters based on specific themes. I loved the Film and TV section, and I was delighted that I had nearly all of this sections depicted cards in my collection.

This is a superb and funny read for all. 

 

THE COMPLETE WORKS OF FAGA 1961 - 1985

I am a fanatical collector of FAGA postcards, and this small privately produced catalogue was my bible for many years. The artist FAGA sadly passed away in 1989, so there were not too many years output beyond this catalogue but a supplement for the years 1985 - 1989 was also issued.

I have not posted many FAGA cards on the website as I am worried I will get carried away and just post loads, I like them that much.  

 

A MARITIME HISTORY OF SOUTHAMPTON IN PICTURE POSTCARDS

I love Southampton and have visited there for the towns RMS Titanic history and excellent Maritime Museum - so, when I came across this book in a charity shop (yes, another nice charity shop find) I had to buy it, and, it was also another very cheap addition to my collection.

 

A POSTCARD HISTORY OF THE PASSENGER LINER

Now, this is a book I actively hunted down. It is a cracking book, and is fully illustrated throughout in colour (where the cards were issued as such, and many shipping cards were).

This is a book which would interest not only the collector of ocean liners, but also any non collector who is also interested in these ships. Each ship is individually covered by a postcard and a written history of its time.   

 

SINGAPORE HISTORICAL POSTCARDS

It never ceases to amaze me what books can be found in charity shops. This was another of my charity shop finds, another book which cost just a couple of pounds. This one has the bonus of being in english, not all are, and it is superbly illustrated. Because I love all postcards I can find interesting things in almost any book, and this one is beautifully illustrated.

 

PER ARDUA ASTRA - Aviation auction catalogue

This is not the first of these I have depicted here, but I would like people to know that these auction house catalogues are a superb source of information and knowledge. They are often free and can really help a collector build up their knowledge base - try and pick them up when you can.  

 

Page from the above Auction Catalogue - more zepeelin cards and covers (I have mentioned before that I collect this theme)

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