Science

E.P. RAMSAY, ORNITHOLOGIST, ZOOLOGIST & SYDNEY MUSEUM CURATOR

Five covers were found on eBay, addressed to three members of the Ramsay Family from 1867 to 1874, and they will be described in dated order. The first was addressed to J.S. Ramsay Esqr., Care of J. McNiven, Cardington, Molong. The blue ‘TWO PENCE’ stamp of New South Wales was cancelled with a duplex D/ DE 24/ 67/ SYDNEY found in an incomplete circle and a 3-ringed oval N.S.W. obliterator.

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H.B. SELBY & CO., SCIENTIFIC APPARATUS & LABORATORY EQUIPMENT

his advertising cover for H.B. Selby & Co. at 393 Swanston St., Melbourne has the blue 3d Submarine Telephone Communication to Tasmania stamp postmarked with a roller cancel dated 25 May 38 and is addressed to Difco Laboratory, a Michigan-based manufacturer of microbiology media and supplies in Detroit, USA. The reverse shows a figure of an aneroid barometer (Figure 1). This cover intrigued me, as the Selby company was well

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HORSES’ CONSTITUTION BALLS: F. CUPISS, U.K. & J. YELDHAM, SYDNEY

The illustrated cover had a Trade Mark picture of horses, the name CUPISS at the top, in the middle CONSTITUTION BALLS, and at the bottom, HORSES & CATTLE. John Yeldham was described as the ‘Sole Representative: Australia and New Zealand’ (the latter crossed out) for ‘Francis Cupiss Ltd., England, Makers of the World’s Celebrated Constitution Balls for Horses and Cattle’, and there was a Sydney Box G.P.O. address. The red

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JOSEPH BOSISTO, CHEMIST & M.L.A. RICHMOND, VICTORIA (1824-98)

This 1885 1d dull rose on buff Victoria postcard was mailed out to members of the Richmond Cricket Club as an invitation for the Annual Dinner to be held on Saturday 25 July, 1885 in the Richmond Town Hall, dinner commencing at 7.30 p.m. sharp. Although the card was sent by the Hon. Secretary, Henry Brock, J. Bosisto, Esq., M.L.A., the President of the Club, was to occupy the Chair

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JOHN GEORGE ROBERTSON, BOTANIST, PASTORALIST (1803-1862)

This 1849 O.H.M.S. entire is addressed to John George Robertson Esq, Wando, McKinlays Post, Glenelg. It has a faint red boxed FREE/GEELONG (at upper left) and is signed CJ Latrobe/ Commissioner, at lower left (Figure 1). The reverse has an unframed oval GEELONG/ [crown]/ AU 25/ 1849/ PORT PHILLIP postmark as point of origin, a partial transit oval of MELBOURNE/ [crown]/ AU 27/ (1849) and a weak THE GLENELG/ [crown]/

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POSTCARD to T. AITKEN, VICTORIA PARADE BREWERY, EAST MELBOURNE

This Victorian postcard is an example of the 1876-81 1d “Bell” Post Cards, a variant of the initial issue which had a fine outer frame-line of the ornamental border, for the outer frame-line is thick. It was issued in mid-1878 and this example was postmarked with the duplex MELBOURNE/ 11Y/ SE 27/ 81 and was addressed in bold print to Mr.T. Aitken, Victoria Parade Brewery, East Melbourne (Figure 1). The

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H. P. BROWN, P.M.G.’s DEPT, MELBOURNE: LETTER from ALEC A. ROSENBLUM

The letter was addressed to H.P. Brown Esq., Director-General of Posts and Telegraphs, P.M.G.’s Department, Melbourne, C.2. and it was sent by A.A.Rosenblum, from a P.O. Box, Melbourne. There was a late use of 2d Pictorial stamp of Tasmania, cancelled by a roller postmark of MELBOURNE/ 2 15 PM/ 25 MY/ 1932/ VICTORIA with a slogan ADDRESS MAIL TO / PRIVATE BOX NUMBER/ IT EXPEDITES DELIVERY. The reverse was not

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QUICK, A.C., MARINER/CARTOONIST, CHURCH SQUARE, GUERNSEY, CHANNEL ISLD

This cover was seen on Ebay on sale by a vendor in England, and it was described as follows:  “A scarce long vertically  llustrated cover from a mariner (who was also a ships artist) to his wife in Guernsey.  Franked 4d (pair 1d red swan & single yellow swan stamps of Western Australia, postmarked from Port Headland(s) (sic), correct Port Hedland, OC 12 05 (Figure 1). Perth transit postmark (19 OC) on the

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A.A.A.C. PRESIDENT GREGORY’s LETTER to PROFESSOR WILLIAM HARKNESS

It is not frequent to find on the front of a cover, the proof of documentation of two men, one from Australia and the other from the USA, both of whom made highly significant contributions to their own country, in so many ways. This cover was sent from the Australasian Association for the Advancement of Science (A.A.A.C.) by its President, A.C. Gregory to Professor Harkness, The Observatory, Washington D.C., U.S.

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RICHARD HELMS, ZOOLOGIST & BOTANIST, DEPT. of AGRICULTURE, SYDNEY

The postcard was sent from the Linnean Society of New South Wales, Elizabeth Bay, Sydney as Printed Matter Only, to Richard Helms Esqr., Department of Agriculture, 140 Lower George Street, Sydney. The green ½ penny N.S.W. stamp was canceled WILLIAM STREET/ MY 2 ( )/ 3-5-P.M./03/ N.S.W (Figure 1). Richard Helms, zoologist and botanist, was born on 12 December 1842 at Altona, Hanover, Germany, son of Frederick Helms, Lutheran minister,

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