Lanarkshire Philatelic Society

"Society Visit"

"The Caledonian Philatelic Society"

The Lanarkshire Philatelic Society gave a warm welcome to four guests from the Caledonian Philatelic Society (the Caley) on Friday afternoon. The four presented a superb set of displays to members.

Ian Mason, President, displayed a most interesting Postal Biography of a German trader, Hermann Holper – and through the use of many covers addressed to him beginning from his life as an assistant to his father, Theodor Holper, who was a Bookseller. The covers progressed through his working life to the time of his joining the German Army- and followed him to his stay in Field Hospital - and to his eventual return home. The covers each bore German Nazi postmarks and Third Reich symbols. Stamps issued during the war – following the Nazi theme - were also on the covers.

The speaker pointed out that all these covers illustrated how the Postal Service could be used by a State as part of an autocratic propaganda machine.  A truly fascinating display.

The second display was presented by Alan Blakely who, with illustrated envelopes giving propaganda,  postcards, letters, stamps, postmarks, song sheets, biographies and letter headings presented the theme of ‘Temperance’  He began from 1833 when a Temperance Society was founded in Belfast, Maine, USA, and continued with different aspects of the Temperance Movement  - Early support; Halls, Hotels – this included postcards of Temperance Hotels in Lauder, Largs, and Blandford, Dorset) Life Assurance; Organisations – including the Band of Hope; Frances Willard and the Women’s Christian Temperance Union; Quakers and very interesting views of the Navy and Rum!; the Prohibition Period (1920 – 1933) a Song Sheet – ‘Hurrah for the Temperance Pledge’. Also postal material relating to the Independent Order of Rechabites – founded in Manchester in 1835; and the International Order of Good Templars founded in 1903; The Anti-Saloon League’s Fight Against Alcohol – founded in 1895.

George Henshilwood who, in bygone days, was a pupil at Hamilton Grammar School, presented a Variety performance!  A show of the Mulready Advertising Lettersheet; a wonderful display of hand illustrated covers – on many different subjects; and a great display of ‘Bantam’ stamps. These, half the size of the 1p stamp, were used for newspapers and postcards. Queen Victoria’s Golden Jubilee in 1887 was commemorated with special stamp issues and all these were displayed – along with the higher values issued in 1890 and 1892. Also special postmarks used to celebrate the event were viewed.

The final display, by Elizabeth Nairn, gave members an insight into the Migration history of New Zealand - and the development of relationships with the Maoris. The islands were first discovered by the Dutch explorer Abel Tasman in 1642 – and in 1773 were annexed by Captain James Cook for King George III. In 1840 the Treaty of Waitangi was signed by the British Crown and Maori Chiefs thus cementing a slowly growing relationship. Stamps were issued from 1855 with Queen Victoria’s head – and gradually Maori symbols appeared in the border of the stamps. Over the years Maori symbols, artefacts, culture, crafts, tattoos and personalities were illustrated on the stamps. In 1987 the Maori Language Act declared Maori as the official language of New Zealand – in Maori ‘Aotearoa’  – ‘Land of the Long White Cloud’  and the Maori names of areas of the country began to appear also. In 1997 the words of a Maori Christmas Carol appeared on a set of stamps – and in 2017 English words with the comparable Maori word appeared on a stamp issue. An interesting display of the developing relationship with the existing natives of the country.

George Jamieson gave warm thanks for such an entertaining evening presented by the four guests.

Our next meeting in the Caledonian Bowling Club, Motherwell Road, Hamilton, is on Friday, 17^th March, 2023, at 7:30pm when ‘Two Good Doctors’ – Doctors Dow and Liddell – will present their display ‘Perthshire’. 

Anyone with an interest in stamps, postal history, postcards etc is very welcome to attend.

(Bantam Stamps)

17.5mm x 14mm

In Public Domain