A fairly ordinary looking newspaper wrapper introduced me to an extraordinary man with many facets to his life: apothecary, bankrupt convict, advertising genius, quack, patent medicine merchant and philanthropist. My interest was sparked by 2 newspaper wrappers that appeared on eBay auctions, and little did I suspect where my research would take me. The first wrapper was an example of the 1885-99 ½d Fergusson & Mitchell Victorian wrapper that was
This registered cover uncovers the gullibility of the writer who presumably wanted to increase his height. It is addressed to The Cartilage Company, Rochester, New York, U.S.A. It has three coloured Queensland stamps, the green ‘ONE HALFPENNY’ showing QV in widow’s weeds, and two ‘Four Corners’ stamps, a blue 2d and a brown 3d, for a total cost of 5½d. The stamps are cancelled with FORTITUDE VALLEY/ 21 OC 10/
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.
I admit that I have not found any confirmatory information of an association of Professor Collier Cobb with Australia, but I was impressed with the man and his talents. I also admit that I admire the University of North Carolina and its surrounds, having visited it several times over a period of 10 years, when I was actively associated with it when I was one of the Directors of a
The first cover has a black G.P.O. Registration Label of Melbourne and the blue 2½d and orange 3d stamps of Victoria are cancelled REGISTERED/ 1 30P 15 AU 11/ MELBOURNE. It is addressed to Prof. A. Victor Segno, Inspiration Point, Echo Park, Los Angeles, Calif. U.S.A. Station E. The reverse was not seen (Figure 1). The second cover has a red Flemington Registration Label and the green bantam ½d and the
The ON HER MAJESTY’S SERVICES cover was sent with a duplex MELBOURNE/ 10 S/ FE 16/ 92 and the VICTORIA obliterator was partially obscuring the DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE/ FRANK STAMP/ VICTORIA. It was sent to Dr. C.B. Plowright, King’s Lynn, Norfolk, England. The sender was identified by the printed Department of Agriculture, Melbourne 16/ 2/92. The reverse was not seen (Figure 1). Charles Bagge Plowright was born at King’s Lynn
The cover was addressed to The Dean, The Faculty of Medicine, The University of Edinburgh, Scotland. It had the ½d bicolour orange and mauve‘Tablet’ and the green ‘TWO PENCE Sideface’ stamps of Tasmania, cancelled with DELORAINE/ JU 22/ 94 and the numeral ‘25′, second allocation. The reverse had a transit Launceston (Figure 1). An enquiry of the Centre for Research Collections of the University of Edinburgh revealed that Sir Thomas
What is the likelihood of finding information concerning J. Smith MD, the addressee on a Victorian cover of more than 100 years ago? Well the address of Sydney University certainly helped. The front of the cover bears two stamps, the first being the two pence lilac Robinson second contract horizontally laid paper (SG 69, Scott 47a) plus the four pence pale dull rose Robinson second contract vertically laid paper (SG
This entire was sent per “Fatima” to The Trustees of the Estate of the late John Borthwick Gilchrist Esqre decd, care ofWm Brackenridge Esqre, 16 Bartlett’s Buildings, Holborn, London, and there is a manuscript, ‘9th Aug 1852′ in the lower left hand corner, as well as a manuscript ‘8′, showing the cost of carriage (8 pence) by the ship. The New South Wales stamp is a ‘Sydney Views’, but the quality of the scan does
The O.H.M.S. cover had a green 1d KGV Head and a red 2d Anniversary of South Australia stamps cancelled with a BRISBANE/ 8 -PM/ 16 SEP/ 1936/ QLD roller cancel with the slogan SOUTH AUSTRALIA/ CENTENARY CELEBRATIONS/ 1936. It was addressed to Professor A. Steindler, The State University of Iowa, Iowa City, Iowa, United States America and it had the return address for the Royal Commission On The Investigation of