Advertising Covers

EDWARD WILLIAM COLE, MELBOURNE BOOKSELLER (1832-1918)

Two illustrated covers were found at the same auction site, relating to E.W. Cole and his Book Arcade. The first posted at Melbourne in 1907 shows a stylized rainbow stretching from one clump of palm trees to another, and it lists 16 departments in the store: new books; secondhand books; circulating library; wholesale books; pictures, framing; stationery, fancy goods; music, instruments; house ornaments, glass, china; printing, publishing; photographic studio; toys;

DAVID & GEORGE FOWLER, WHOLESALE GROCERS, LION BRAND FOODS

This multicolored advertising postcard for flour, coffee, tea, custard and plum pudding was posted at Adelaide in 1939 and the green 1d Q.E. Australian stamp was postmarked with a roller cancel (Figure 1). The reverse listed a variety of Lion Brand foods: “The Finest Groceries are Branded LION” and it was sent by D. & J. Fowler, 14 King William Street, Adelaide in Sep 1939 (Figure 2). A picture of

DAVID & JOHN SHEARER, AGRICULTURAL MACHINERY MANUFACTURERS

This advertising cover has a picture of Shearer’s Patent Wrought Steel Plow & Cultivator Shares and warns: “Beware of IMITATIONS, especially UNBRANDED Shares. These shares are often imitated but never duplicated”. The pink 1d South Australia stamp is postmarked MANNUM/ 2 MA 11/ STH AUSTRALIA and it is sent to a firm of Messrs E.H. & L.O PONTT, Bakara, S.A. (Figure 1). The reverse is an advert for David Shearer &

COVER from SYDNEY NURSERYMAN to SAN FRANCISCO NURSERYMAN [U.S.A.]

This colourful double weight cover has six KGV Heads stamps, made up of a pair of the 1d red, two single 1d reds, and 2 singles of the ½d green, making up a total of 5d postage, canceled by two SHIP ROOM/ 11 JUL 1916/ SYDNEY N.S.W plus one same date SYDNEY roller postmarks (Figure 1). The sender is well identified as P.L.C. SHEPHERD & SON, Ltd., Seedsmen, Nurserymen, Florists/

CHARLES COWLES of COWLES & DUNN, GUNSMITH & FIREARMS DEALER

This advertising cover was sent from Cowles & Dunn, Gunmakers and Importers of Ammunition, 72 King Street, Sydney to John M. Evans, Dinner Hill, Peelwood (N.S.W.). The red 1d ‘Roo on Map of Australia’ stamp was cancelled with a roller cancel of SYNEY/ JE 12/ 6-15P N.S.W./ 1913. There was no cancellation on the reverse (Figure 1). There was an enclosed letter dated 11 June 1913, and the advertisement gave

CARLILE’S HOSPICE, MOUNT BUFFALO, VICTORIA

An advertising cover with a sepia picture of a white building showed a group of mostly mounted horsemen. It had a caption of Carlile’s Hospice, Mount Buffalo, 4560 feet. Every Comfort & Convenience. Guides & Horses Always Available. Postal Address: Wandiligong. The postage of 2d was made up of two 1d rose ’Postage’ Victorian stamps which had the duplex postmark of the barred numeral ‘279′ and BRIGHT/ JA 21/ 03/

FREDERICK THOMAS WIMBLE, PRINTER, NEWSPAPER OWNER & POLITICIAN

The cover intrigued me because of what must be an early rendition of an extraterrestrial life-form which appears on a cover, produced by F.T. Wimble & Co., Printer’s Furnishers, &c, 87 Clarence St. Sydney, (their only address at the time). The extraterrestrial figure is accompanied by an admonition “Keep Your Eye On Your Pocket and Save Money by Purchasing Goods from F.T. Wimple & Co., Sydney” which is “Printed in

FOSTER’S LAGER BEER, BITTER ALE & EXTRA STOUT, MELBOURNE

The advertising cover proudly proclaims three types of Foster’s beer and the pink ‘ONE PENNY’ QV stamp of Victoria is canceled MELBOURNE/ PM/ 3 45/ 24 6 07/ -1-. It is addressed to Proprietor, Ship Hotel, Hobart, Tasmania (Figure 1). On the flap of the reverse there is a red printed The Foster Brewing Company, Proprietary Limited, Rokeby St., Collingwood and there is an arrival postmark of HOBART/ Y/ JE

FITCHETT BROS., PUBLISHERS MELBOURNE to WHITTAKER & CO., LONDON

This advertising cover has a boxed FITCHETT BROTHERS Propriety Limited PUBLISHERS, Managing Director: T. Shaw Fitchett, 167-9 Queen Street, Melbourne, Telephone 1206. It has a lilac 2d ‘Postage’ stamp of Victoria cancelled with a roller MELBOURNE/ JUL 7/ 5 45 PM/ 1908 with a ‘waving flag’ VICTORIA postmark. It is addressed to Messrs Whittaker & Co., 2 White Hart St, Paternoster Sq., London E.C. The reverse was not seen (Figure1).

FIRST AUSTRALIAN MAIL to CROSS AUSTRALIA OVERLAND 1917

Two pictorial covers appeared in the same auction celebrating the event when the Trans- Continental Railway opened and joined the west coast to the east coast of Australia. The first cover was franked with the 1d red KGV head which was postmarked with a machine cancel PERTH/ 24 OCT 17/ WESTERN AUSTRALIA. The pictorial element was quite elaborate with a chain linking 2 ovals, the left oval proclaiming “Linking East