The 10th anniversary commemorated by Canada
The Canadian stamp issue commemorating the 10th anniversary of ICAO takes its roots back in the discussions and negotiations related to ICAO’s franking and postal privileges.
At its 5th Session of the Assembly, held in Montreal from 5 to 18 June 1951, the International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO) adopted resolution A5-13 by which the Council, the governing body of ICAO composed of 21 Member States at that time, was invited to try to reach an agreement with the Government of Canada for the granting of franking or other postal privileges, expecting some economy in the cost of mailing official correspondence.
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Complimentary folder presenting Canada Scott #354 designed by Walter Lohse. |
Prior to that, a suggestion for a similar arrangement had been made in the first draft of the Headquarters agreement presented on 24 March 1948 by ICAO to the Canadian Government. Section 13 of that draft reads as follows: "Pending any general arrangement concerning the establishment of a postal service of the United Nations and Specialized Agencies, the appropriate Canadian Authorities shall issue special stamps for the use of the Organization."
The above suggestion was based on the experience gained prior to the Second World War by the League of Nations and the International Labour Office (ILO) in Switzerland. Arrangements had also been concluded between the Government of Switzerland and a few Agencies concerning the use of stamps with an overprint corresponding to the Organization concerned.
After the adoption of Resolution 454(V) by the General Assembly of the United Nations (UN) on 16 November 1950, the signing of an agreement between the USA and the UN on 28 March 1951 permitted the United Nations Postal Administration to go into operation; the first stamp was released on United Nations Day, i.e., 24 October 1951.
On 7 August 1951, ICAO's Assembly resolution was submitted to the Canadian Post Office Department, which felt that it could not undertake to extend franking privileges to ICAO, as the postal law and regulations restricted such privileges to senators, members of parliament and to federal government departments.
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Canada – 1 June 195510th Anniversary of ICAO Lower-left block of 4 stamps with marginal inscriptions |
On 12 December 1951, as it was felt that the original submission had not been clearly stipulated, ICAO requested that the question be reconsidered by the Post Office Department, along the lines of arrangements between the Swiss Government and various international organizations, i.e., the use of national stamps with an overprint, stamps to be sold, used or unused, to philatelists for their collections exclusively. Again, the Post Office expressed serious objections to the proposed arrangements and recalled that the primary object of producing postage stamps was to prepay postage and that philatelic use should be merely incidental.
In the meantime, a resolution was adopted by the Economic and Social Council of the United Nations (ECOSOC) requesting the Specialized Agencies to submit any proposal which may be made by them concerning postal activities to the Secretary General of the UN for consultation with the Universal Postal Union (UPU). As this resolution did not prohibit ICAO from concluding an agreement with the Canadian Authorities, discussions were taken up in 1953 with them on re-examining the question of issuing stamps with an ICAO overprint or special stamps. In November 1953, the Canadian Post Office indicated that it could not turn over any portion of the proceeds resulting from the sale of ICAO stamps issued for purely philatelic purposes; it was nevertheless prepared to overprint stamps of its normal issues for ICAO prepayment of postage and was also ready to mark special dates such as the tenth anniversary of the Organization's existence in Canada by the issue of a special stamp for general use which could be overprinted for use by ICAO or philatelic interests.
On 12 January 1954, a specific committee on postal matters was created at ICAO to make recommendations on the above issues. This committee felt that the estimate of the revenue that might be expected by ICAO from philatelic sales might not be sufficient to make the project worthwhile. The committee assessed the probable philatelic demand for ICAO service stamps taking into consideration the main factors affecting this demand, i.e., the selling price, the number of different denominations, the introduction of new issues, the philatelic interest and the marketing channels. Moreover, it was felt that the issue of an ICAO commemorative stamp might provide a suitable opportunity for stimulating philatelic interest, as well as apprising the results of philatelic sales for an overprinted commemorative stamp (trial scheme); ICAO would act as a stamp dealer to sell the overprinted stamps at prices it considered suitable. In considering this matter, the ICAO Council did not accept the offer of the Postmaster General to arrange for overprinting of regular issues of Canadian postage stamps, as it should not engage in philatelic sales as an accessory means of financing; this recommendation brought an end to the discussions related to stamp overprinting and franking privileges for ICAO.
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First draft submittedby Maurice St.Onge |
However, as compensation, the suggestion made by the Post Office to issue a commemorative stamp was positively received at ICAO; a stamp could be considered for the 10th anniversary of the inception of the Organization in August 1955, rather than the tenth anniversary of the Provisional Organization's installation in Canada (June 1945). It was later suggested that the first day of issue coincide with the second day of ICAO's 9th Session of the Assembly, i.e., 1 June 1955.
On 27 April 1954, the ICAO Secretary General invited staff members to submit suitable suggestions and designs (for the United Nations Postal Administration and the Canadian Post Office). According to Staff Notice SN/27, a competition was organized among members of the ICAO Secretariat, with three awards of $50, $25 and $10 granted for the best entries based on their quality and originality.
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Second draft submittedby Maurice St.Onge |
The ICAO special committee on postal matters evaluated twelve designs submitted by five competitors; Mr. Maurice St.Onge, a Cartographic Draftsman in the Aeronautical Charts Section of ICAO, was granted the first prize of $50 for the design (see first draft). On the basis of the three best designs submitted by ICAO, the Post Office commissioned an artist to submit his ideas on how the subject should be handled.
The resulting design was redrafted by Mr. St.Onge (see second draft), to avoid presenting too many similarities with the Canadian stamp Scott #343 (Northern Gannet in flight); it is to be noted that the word organisation was spelled in English with the letter S (British spelling), which was an error as ICAO's official name had always been spelled with the letter Z.
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Canada – 1 April 1954Northern Gannet Scott #343 |
On the initiative of Mr. Karl E. Lohse, the Chief of ICAO's Aeronautical Charts Section, his brother Walter Lohse, Art Director of the Gazette Printing Company Limited in Montréal, reworked the draft and completed the design for the final issue. Born in Liège, Belgium in January 1897, Walter Lohse began his career as a civil engineer, but discovered later that he was a better artist than an engineer. He came to Canada in 1930 and joined in 1942, as Assistant Art Director, The Gazette, a large printing company in Montréal, Canada. The design of the stamp was submitted as a solution to reconcile several requirements that had proven difficult to blend harmoniously in the earlier stage of its development.
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Draft submittedby Walter Lohse 30 December 1954 |
It is to be noted that, in the draft designs, the dove carries a branch of olive trees (not retained in the final design). The symbol of peace carried by the olive tree goes back to the Greek mythology. Athena, the patron goddess of Athens, created the olive tree that remained sacred to her. In a contest for the patron ship of Athens with Poseidon, the god of the sea, she gave the olive as the most profitable gift to the inhabitants of the city, while Poseidon gave the horse. The gods decreed unanimously that peace was more profitable than war, and awarded Athena the prize; hence, the olive tree became Athena’s tree for the Greeks. As a symbol of peace, a wreath of crossed olive branches is part of the UN and ICAO emblems. Moreover, oil extracted from the olive is well known for its smoothing properties.
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Neat Autograph by Walter Lohse, Designer of the Stamp |
The message conveyed by the Canadian stamp is in perfect harmony with the aims and objectives outlined in the Chicago Convention (i.e., ICAO's Charter), stating that ICAO would be the world's aviation regulatory authority creating and preserving friendship and understanding among nations and peoples. Finally, this Canadian stamp paid tribute to ICAO's work towards improvement of safety and regularity in international air transport during the first ten years of its existence. First Day Covers for this issue were cancelled by mechanical cancellation with Pitney Bowes equipment. More information about the stamp can be found by clicking on the following link: Canada - 10th Anniversary of ICAO. Additional information on the design can be found at Footnote 13.
Private designers issued over fifty different first day covers with the Canadian stamp. Many of those covers are shown hereafter; the cachet makers are provided whenever identified. The official city of the postmark is OTTAWA in Ontario; however, this page also displays covers which bear postmarks of unofficial cities, i.e., others that Ottawa.
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Caneco Envelopes Company cachet; Two shades of blue; Back view of the International Aviation Building, 1080 University Street, occupied by ICAO from 1947 to 1975. Cancel at Ottawa, Ontario. (See footnotes 1 and 15)
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Insert printed by Caneco Envelopes Company presenting the stamp issue and first day cover. |
Logo of Caneco Envelopes Company printed on the back. It is to be noted that some of the covers with the above cachet do not have the Caneco logo printed on the back. |
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Caneco Envelopes Company cachet. Registered. Cancel at Ottawa, Ontaria. |
Caneco Envelopes Company cachet. Cancel at Montréal P.Q., Québec.
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Caneco Envelopes Company cachet. Cover sent via AIR MAIL. Cancel at Ottawa, Ontaria. |
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Caneco Envelopes Company cachet. Cancel at Montréal, Québec. |
Caneco Envelopes Company cachet. Cancel at Brownburg, Québec. |
Caneco Envelopes Company cachet. Cancel at Place d’Armes, Montréal, Québec. Autographed by Walter Loshe, designer of the stamp.
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Middlesex Stamp Circle (Club) cachet; Coat of Arms; Map of Canada; Peace Tower in Ottawa; Brown and Green. Cancel at Ottawa, Ontario (Type 1).
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Middlesex Stamp Circle (Club) cachet; Coat of Arms; Map of Canada; Peace Tower in Ottawa; Brown and Green. Cancel at London, Ontario (Type 1).
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Middlesex Stamp Circle (Club) cachet; Coat of Arms; Map of Canada; Peace Tower in Ottawa; Brown and Green. Cancel at London, Ontario (Type 2).
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Grover thermal cachet (raised printing); Red and Black. Cancel at Walkerville, Windsor, Ont.
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Grover litho (flat) printing cachet; Red and Black. Cancel at Ottawa, Ont. |
Grover litho (flat) printing cachet; Red and Black. Cancel at Windsor, Ont. |
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Grover thermal cachet (raised printing); Red and Black. Cancel at Sub.No8, Windsor, Ont.
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Grover thermal cachet (raised printing); Red and Black. Cancel at Sandwich Station, Windsor, Ont.
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Unknown cachet – Totem Pole Design – Cancel at Vancouver, British Columbia. (See footnote 8)
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Overseas Mailers cachet (Hand-painted), multicoloured; Convair B-36. This design is symbolic of the conversion of military aircraft to civilian transport use after WWII.
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Philatelic Supply multicoloured cachet. Cancel at Ottawa, Ontario. |
Philatelic Supply multicoloured cachet. Cancel at Hamilton, Ontario. |
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Philatelic Supply multicoloured cachet. Cancel at Port Burwell, Ontario. |
Philatelic Supply multicoloured cachet. Cancel at London, Ontario. |
Philatelic Supply multicoloured cachet. Cancel at Saskatoon, Saskatchewan.
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Philatelic Supply multicoloured cachet. Cancel at Regina, Saskatchewan. |
Philatelic Supply multicoloured cachet. Cancel at Edmonton SUB No 1, Alberta. |
Philatelic Supply multicoloured cachet. Cancel at Edmonton Terminal “A”, Alberta.
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Philatelic Supply multicoloured cachet. Cancel at Ancaster, Ontario.
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Philatelic Supply multicoloured cachet. Cancel at Kitchener, Ontario.
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Philatelic Supply multicoloured cachet. Cancel at Ste Anne de Bellevue, Québec. |
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Philatelic Supply multicoloured cachet. Cancel at Vancouver, British Colombia. |
Philatelic Supply multicoloured cachet. Cancel at Victoria, British Colombia. |
Philatelic Supply multicoloured cachet, with red sunlight added. Cancel at Kelowna, British Columbia.
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Velvatone flocked cachet (Type 1); Designed by A.W. Dargis; Purple and Apple Green. (See footnote 2)
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Velvatone flocked cachet (Type 1); Designed by A.W. Dargis; Purple and Dark Green (See footnote 2)
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Velvatone flocked cachet (Type 2); Designed by A.W. Dargis; Red/Brown and Apple Green. (See footnote 2)
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H&E type A with logo cachet (thermal ink, raised cachet); Designed by Hearl Grasiadei; Green and Brown. Cancel at Ottawa, Ontario. (See footnote 3)
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H&E type A with logo cachet (thermal ink, raised cachet), Green and Brown; Variety with colour shifting during printing. Cancel at Ottawa, Ontario. (See footnote 3) |
H&E type A with logo cachet (thermal ink, raised cachet); Designed by Hearl Grasiadei; Green and Brown. Cancel at New Waterford, Nova Scotia. (See footnote 3)
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H&E type A with logo cachet (thermal ink, raised cachet); Designed by Hearl Grasiadei; Green and Brown. Cancel at New Westminster, British Columbia. (See footnote 3)
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H&E type A with logo cachet (thermal ink, raised cachet); Designed by Hearl Grasiadei; Green and Brown. Cancel at Hamilton, Ontario. (See footnote 3)
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H&E type A with logo cachet (thermal ink, raised cachet); Designed by Hearl Grasiadei; Green and Brown. Cancel at Woodstock, Ontario. (See footnote 3)
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H&E type B no logo cachet (thermal ink raised cachet). The H. & E. logo that is usually printed below the lines at the bottom is missing. Green and Brown. Cancel at Ottawa, Ontario. (See footnote 3)
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H&E type B no logo cachet (thermal ink, raised cachet). The H. & E. logo that is usually printed below the lines at the bottom is missing. Green and Brown. Cancel at Vancouver, British Columbia. (See footnote 3)
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Jacoby type A cachet; Blue/turquoise and Red; Designer: R.K. Smith; Lockheed L-1049C Super Constellation; Northern Gannet or Morus Bassanus in flight. Cancel at Winnipeg, Manitoba (See footnote 4)
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Jacoby type A cachet; Blue/turquoise and Red; Designer: R.K. Smith; Lockheed L-1049C Super Constellation; Northern Gannet or Morus Bassanus in flight. Cancel at Ottawa, Ontario (See footnote 4)
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Jacoby type A cachet; Autographed by Designer: R.K. Smith. Cancel at Kitchener, Ontario. (See footnote 4)
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Jacoby type A cachet. Cancel at Hamilton, Ontario. (See footnote 4)
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Jacoby Type A cachet; Medium Turquoise and Red; Lockheed L-1049C Super Constellation; Northern Gannet or Morus Bassanus in flight. Cancel at London, Ontario. (See footnote 4)
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Jacoby Type A cachet; Grey & Red-brown; Lockheed L-1049C Super Constellation; Northern Gannet or Morus Bassanus in flight Cancel at Ottawa, Ontario. (See footnote 4)
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Jacoby Type A cachet; Grey & Red-brown; Lockheed L-1049C Super Constellation; Northern Gannet or Morus Bassanus in flight Cancel at Hamilton, Ontario. (See footnote 4)
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Jacoby Type A cachet; Grey & Red-brown; Lockheed L-1049C Super Constellation; Northern Gannet or Morus Bassanus in flight Cancel at Wheatley, Ontario. (See footnote 4)
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Jacoby Type A cachet; Grey & Red-brown; Lockheed L-1049C Super Constellation; Northern Gannet or Morus Bassanus in flight Cancel at Vancouver, British Columbia. (See footnote 4)
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Jacoby Type A cachet; Grey & Red-brown; Lockheed L-1049C Super Constellation; Northern Gannet or Morus Bassanus in flight Cancel at Perth, New Brunswick (See footnote 4) |
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Jacoby Type A cachet; Grey & Red-brown; Lockheed L-1049C Super Constellation; Northern Gannet or Morus Bassanus in flight Cancel at Saint John Lancaster, New Brunswick. (See footnote 4)
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Jacoby Type A cachet; Grey & Red-brown; Lockheed L-1049C Super Constellation; Northern Gannet or Morus Bassanus in flight Cancel at Montmagny, Québec. (See footnote 4) |
Jacoby Type B cachet (no dates 1945-1955); Medium Turquoise and Red; Lockheed L-1049C Super Constellation; Northern Gannet or Morus Bassanus in flight. Cancel at Ottawa, Ontario. (See footnotes 4 and 17)
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ArtCraft General Purpose Industry cachet (type A); Black; Shield bearing the quartered arms of Ontario, Quebec, Nova Scotia and New Brunswick; Maple leaf; Industrial view of Canada. Cancel at Ottawa.
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ArtCraft General Purpose Industry cachet (type A); Black; Shield bearing the quartered arms of Ontario, Quebec, Nova Scotia and New Brunswick; Maple leaf; Industrial view of Canada. Cancel at Taber, Alberta.
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ArtCraft General Purpose Industry cachet (type A). Cancel at Digby, Nova Scotia.
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ArtCraft General Purpose Industry cachet (type A). Cancel at Camrose, Alberta.
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ArtCraft General Purpose Industry cachet (type A). Cancel at Ste Rose, Quebec. |
ArtCraft General Purpose Hand-Tinted Industry cachet (type A); Coloured (maple leaf in light green and coat of arms in rose); Shield bearing the quartered arms of Ontario, Quebec, Nova Scotia and New Brunswick; Maple leaf; Industrial view of Canada.
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ArtCraft General Purpose Parliament cachet (type B); Parliament Hill in Ottawa with the distinctive Peace Tower; The Red Ensign, a red flag with the Union Jack in the upper-right corner; Shield bearing the quartered arms of Ontario, Quebec, Nova Scotia and New Brunswick.
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Cancel at Toronto Station, Ontario. |
Canada Post Office Replacement Cachet. See Footnote 11.
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ArtCraft Type 1A black cachet; ICAO Council in Session, on the 10th floor of the International Aviation Building, 1080 University Street. Cancel at Ottawa.
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ArtCraft Type 1B blue cachet; ICAO Council in Session, on the 10th floor of the International Aviation Building, 1080 University Street. Cancel at Ottawa, Ontario. |
ArtCraft Type 1B blue cachet; ICAO Council in Session. Cancel at Hamilton, Ontario. |
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ArtCraft Cachet showing the United Nations Council in Session. |
American cachet maker Cachet Craft; Ken Boll designer. Brown cachet. See Footnote 18.
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American cachet maker Cachet Craft; Ken Boll designer. Red cachet. See Footnote 18.
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Stanley Stamp Co. General Purpose cachet (light blue), illustrating the arms of Canada. |
Stanley Stamp Co. General Purpose cachet (light brown), illustrating the arms of Canada.
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Unknown cachet illustrating the coat of arms of Canada (a little flattened). |
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Unknown cachet. |
Canadian Postage Stamps cachet, showing the red ensign and a maple leaf – Cancel at Kincardine, Ontario.
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C. George Type A cachet; Douglas DC-6, Blue and Red raised print.
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Unknown cachet; Green Maple Leave. |
First day issue on service cover sent by the Canadian Bank Note Company, Ottawa. The latter company printed the stamp of this issue.
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ArtCraft cachet – Honouring UNESCO (Picture showing people Listening to UNESCO Educational Radio Broadcast). |
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H&E / UEL Calgary (Universal Engravers Limited) cachet; Blue; Sketch of an airplane with ICA acronym, the last letter of ICAO is to be found from the concentric circles. Note that the letters H E are printed on the rudder of the aircraft. Cancel at Ottawa, Ontario.
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H&E / UEL Calgary (Universal Engravers Limited) cachet; Blue; Sketch of an airplane with ICA acronym, the last letter of ICAO is to be found from the concentric circles. Note that the letters H E are printed on the rudder of the aircraft. Cancel at Victoria, British Columbia.
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H&E / UEL Calgary (Universal Engravers Limited) cachet; Blue Cancel at Calgary, Alberta. |
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H&E / UEL Calgary (Universal Engravers Limited) cachet; Blue Cancel at Vancouver, British Columbia.
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H&E / UEL Calgary (Universal Engravers Limited) cachet; Blue; Variety: Missing UEL logo; Sketch of an airplane with ICA acronym, the last letter of ICAO is to be found from the concentric circles. Note that the letters H E are printed on the rudder of the aircraft. Cancel at Calgary, Alberta
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H&E / UEL Calgary (Universal Engravers Limited) cachet; Blue; Variety: Missing UEL logo; Sketch of an airplane with ICA acronym, the last letter of ICAO is to be found from the concentric circles. Note that the letters H E are printed on the rudder of the aircraft. Cancel at Ottawa, Ontario.
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Personal cachet; Red and Blue; Lockheed Constellation. Cancel at Ottawa, Ontario.
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Personal cachet; Red and Blue; Lockheed Constellation. Cancel at Point Edward, Ontario.
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Personal cachet; Red and Blue; Lockheed Constellation. Cancel at Kincardine, Ontario.
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Personal cachet; Red and Blue; Lockheed Constellation. Cancel at Toronto, Ontario.
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Personal cachet; Red and Blue; Lockheed Constellation. Cancel at Kitchener, Ontario.
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Personal cachet; Red and Blue; Lockheed Constellation. Cancel at Toronto Air Mail Section, Ontario.
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Personal cachet; Red and Blue; Lockheed Constellation. Cancel at Agincourt, Ontario. Agincourt is situated in Toronto Metropolitan Municipality.
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Maple Leaf cachet; Blue and Red. Cancel at Ottawa,
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Maple Leaf cachet; Blue and Red. Cancel at Edmonton, Alberta. Cover addressed to the designer of the cachet H.T. Wevill, stamp dealer in Edmonton.
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Maple Leaf cachet; Blue and Red. Cancel at Sub.No1, Edmonton, Alberta.
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Unknown cachet; Blue and Red. |
Chateau Laurier cachet; Hotel in Ottawa, ONT, part of the Hotel System of the Canadian National Railways. |
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First day issue on service cover sent by Max Goldman cover. Cancel at Montréal – Place d’Armes, Québec. (See footnote 9)
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Blue/Gray cachet. A.W. Gray & Associates Inc. is a surety insurance agency located in British Columbia.
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First day issue on service cover sent by Coal Sellers Co. (at Vancouver) cover. Cancel at Ottawa. |
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Fluck cachet, Black; Lockheed 18-10 Lodestar delivered to TransCanada Air Lines (TCA) in January 1941 and converted to model 18-08A in 1942; registered CF-TCV in Canada; Map with the border between USA and Canada. Cancel at Ottawa.
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Fluck cachet, Black; Lockheed 18-10 Lodestar delivered to TransCanada Air Lines (TCA) in January 1941 and converted to model 18-08A in 1942; registered CF-TCV in Canada; Map with the border between the USA and Canada. Cancel at Halifax. |
Fluck cachet, Black/Blue; Lockheed 18-10 Lodestar delivered to TransCanada Air Lines (TCA) in January 1941 and converted to model 18-08A in 1942; registered CF-TCV in Canada; Map with the border between the USA and Canada. Cancel at Halifax.
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Fluck cachet, Blue; Lockheed 18-10 Lodestar delivered to TransCanada Air Lines (TCA) in January 1941 and converted to model 18-08A in 1942; registered CF-TCV in Canada; Map with the border between the USA and Canada. Cancel at Halifax. |
Cachet Craft cachet (Ken Boll design; see Footnote 18); Douglas DC-3; Magenta and Blue; Initial UN emblem as used for the lapel pin designed for the United Nations Conference on International Organization (UNCIO) held in San Francisco in 1945.
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Van Dahl General Purpose cachet (Type 3); Blue and gold; Crown of covers surrounding the earth centred on North America. Cancel at Ottawa, Ontario
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Van Dahl General Purpose cachet (Type 3). Cancel at North Bend, British Columbia.
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First day issue on service cover sent by The London Assurance cachet. |
House of Commons green stamp; Slogan postmark. |
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Elizabeth II – ArtCraft Cachet |
No cachet – Cancel at Jarvis, Ontario |
First day issue on service cover sent by The Bell Telephone Company of Canada
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Cancel at Bolton, Ontario |
First Day Cover – Red Hand-Stamp |
Roessler General Purpose Black Coat of Arms Cachet. The cachet illustrates the coat of arms of Canada, as per Canada Special Delivery Stamp (10-cent green), issued on 16 September 1946. The laurel and olive branches symbolize Victory and Peace.
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First day issue on service cover sent by the Lloyminster Hospital, Saskatchewan Unknown Add-on cachet – Lockheed L-749 Constellation aircraft of Trans World Airlines (TWA) – Large size cover (No.10)
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Unknown Add-on cachet – Douglas DC-4 Argonaut aircraft of BOAC. See Footnote 12. |
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First day issue on service cover sent by the Canadian Philatelic Society of Toronto – Cancel at Toronto, Ontario – Large size cover (No.10)
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Cancel at Calgary, Alberta
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First Day Cover – Maple leave purple cachet – Cancel at Camrose Alberta
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Cancel at Camrose, Alberta. Camrose is a city in central Alberta, Canada, amid some of the richest farmland in the prairies.
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First day issue on service cover sent by Allan H. Davidson, Burlington, Ontario |
Cancel at Paspébiac, Québec |
Lelner General Purpose Cachet; Cancel at Winnipeg, Manitoba.
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Lelner General Purpose Cachet; Cancel at Winnipeg, Manitoba. |
First day cover. Cancel at Meaford, Ontario. |
First day cover. Cancel at Nelson, British Columbia.
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First day cover. Cancel at Toronto, Ontario.
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JCR (Joseph C. Rosenbaum) cachet; Blue and Brown. (See footnote 7) |
JCR (Joseph C. Rosenbaum) cachet; Blue and Brown. Cancel at London, Ontario. (See footnote 7)
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Colorart Maxi-Card cachet; illustration designed by Artist F. Amele, depicting a dove, and titled: Levelling Off for a Landing.
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Back of the Colorart Card Levelling Off for a Landing. |
Cancel at the temporary post office of the Calgary (Alberta) Exhibition and Stampede. Alberta joined the Canadian Confederation in 1905; 1955 was the Golden Jubilee Year.
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Saskatchewan joined the Canadian Confederation in 1905; 1955 was the Golden Jubilee Year. Cancel at Saskatoon. See Footnote 14.
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Calgary (Alberta) Exhibition and Stampede Advertising Cover.
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Miss Hodson cachet; Red eagle and aircraft, blue elks. Cancel at Ste-Rose, Québec. |
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Unknown black script general-purpose cachet. Cancel at London, Ontario |
ArtCraft Type 2 Black cachet; Pictures of meteorological station and communications service; ICAO emblem; ConvairCV-240. (See footnote 5)
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ArtCraft Type 2 Black cachet; Pictures of meteorological station and communications service; ICAO emblem; ConvairCV-240. Cancel at Ste Rose, Quebec. (See footnote 5)
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First Day Cover; cachet Dewar & Bethune Insurance. Cancel at Ottawa, Ontario. |
Design by J. Hall, Fort William, Ontario, Canada. |
First day issue on service cover sent by Will & Baumer Candle Co. cachet.
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Unknown cachet. Map of America. |
Mail using the ICAO stamp on an airmail cover prepared by the N.P.G. Ltd. Company (front). Cancel dated 23 August 1957. Central Canada Exhibition hand stamp, Ottawa, 23-31 July 1957.
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Mail using the ICAO stamp on an airmail cover prepared by the N.P.G. Ltd. Company (back). |
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Service cover from the University of Alberta in Edmonton. |
C. George Junior III type B cachet on pink cover; Blue and Red.
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C. George Junior III type B cachet; Blue and Red. |
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Ottawa Philatelic Society (OPS) General Purpose cachet (stamped). |
Canada Post cachet |
Sanders Flat Printing cachet; Blue and red; Torch and dove. (See footnote 6)
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Sanders cachet; Green, red, and blue; Map of Canada; Torch and dove (See footnote 6)
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Cancel at R.A.C.F. Station Centralia. (See footnote 10). |
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In addition to the above covers with cachets printed in large runs, some designers made their own hand-drawn and painted covers, which are scarce pieces:
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Ralph Dyer cachets. One of these covers was addressed to Dr. Ross Knoble in Sandusky, Ohio. Note the spelling error in the last name (i.e., Noble). As Ralph Dyer, Dr. Ross M. Knoble produced many colourful hand-painted cachets.
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One-of-a-kind cover. Philatelic Supply multicoloured cachet with additional art embellishments. Cancel at Kitchener, Ontario. On the recto, a blue peace dove and the world map were added, whereas on the back, a Douglas DC-4 aircraft in the clouds was hand painted.
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First Day Cover with cachet by Jack Follows. One-of-a-kind cover. On this totally awesome masterfully hand-drawn and lavishing hand-painted cachet, Jack Follows reminds us of the early days of air travel with his depiction of different vintage aircraft, single-wing and double-wing varieties, as they soar in the bountiful sky, which is punctuated with cotton-white clouds. The add-on cachets by Englishman, Jack Follows (1927-1997) are very popular with collectors. They do not appear in the marketplace very often. Follows was known for his cartoonlike cachets which combined the themes of women, aviation, and comic characters. Each cachet was unique in design.
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(1) Note on the Caneco covers:
ICAO prepared a special cachet (Caneco Envelopes Company design) and first day cover with the stamp issued by Canada.
The then-ICAO Secretary General, Carl Ljungberg, individually signed the printed note sent along with this FDC. There were at least two official distribution lists, with different printed letters made for each.
The ICAO Public Information Office (Mr. Léon Boussard) sent covers to UN officials, diplomats, airline executives, newspapers and other media.
The 9th Session of ICAO Assembly was held in Montréal from 31 May to 13 June 1955.
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(2) Note on the Velvatone covers:
Velvatone cachets were produced by August W. Dargis. The design is applied by a silk-screen printing process. Before the ink dries, a "flocking" material is added, which give the design a "fuzzy" look and feel. It creates a fabric-like texture on the surface designed to explore our sense of touch. Dargis produced his first Velvatone cachet in 1951, and continued to make them until shortly before his death in 2001 at age 87. Since 2003, several Postal Administrations have issued stamps printed on flocked paper.
(3) Note on the above H&E covers:
The text in the cachet (INT. CIVIL AVIATION Organization Conference) is confusing; it seems to refer to the Chicago Conference, for which 1955 would not be a major anniversary. So, it could be considered as an error in the dates. However, it would have been more appropriate not to print the word Conference in this cachet.
Watermarked paper for these covers, with the text on three lines: EARNSCLIFFE / TINEN BOND / - BAG CONTENT CANADA – (the last part is in smaller letters) and an emblem (some sort of shield with the letter B in the centre, at the bottom: three leaves and an arrow, and in the upper part three Lorraine crosses).
The symbol with two horizontal bars on the cross is said to have been used during the First Crusade. However, the standard of Jerusalem with a single bar appears in paintings and sculptures. The Cross of Lorraine was used as a rallying symbol during the siege of the Lorraine town of Nancy in 1477. It became an icon of Joan of Arc (1412-1431). When a part of Lorraine was ceded to Germany after the 1870 war, the cross became a symbol of resistance. During World War II, General Charles de Gaulle (1870-1970) adopted the cross as a symbol of the Free French Forces. The Cross of Lorraine has also been used in the international struggle against tuberculosis.
The contribution of a small Ottawa firm, the H&E Stamp Company, founded by Harold Crick and Earl Graziadei during the 1950s, could easily be considered the high point of Canadian FDC publishing. From its beginning in 1955 until the business closed in 1972, the company operating primarily from Grazieadei’s basement print shop was one of the leaders in the Canadian FDC marketplace.
(4) Note on the Gannet
It is to be noted that the design of the Gannet was taken from the Canadian stamp Sc343 (15-cent Grey, Northern Gannet or Morus Bassanus in flight, issued on 1 April 1954).
The gannet, or northern gannet is a large, long-winged seabird, white except for conspicuous black wing tips and yellowish tinged head. All have a stout appearance, thick, sharply pointed bills, fairly short necks and legs, and wedge-shaped tails. They feed on fish caught by plunge-diving, often from heights of 20-30 m. Summer diet mainly consists of mackerel, herring and capelin; winter foods are poorly known. Northern gannets are confined to the North Atlantic. They breed in dense colonies (6 in Canada) usually on steep sea cliffs, rock stacks or cliff tops, mainly on islands. Northern gannets are good parents. The seabirds’ mate for life lay just one egg a year and dutifully feed and protect their chick until it leaves the nest in September.
(5) Note on the ArtCraft Type 2 cachet:
The upper picture in the cachet depicts a meteorological station in Switzerland taken in the early 1950s, with a Convair CV-240 in the background. Built in 1937 3,571 metres up in the Jungfraujoch, the Sphinx Observatory, is maintained by the Swiss Aeronautical Meteorological Service and symbolizes the vigilance of the world’s aviation meteorology networks over international air transport. Observations were made at that time between 6 in the morning and 7 at night. The Sphinx observatory at Swiss Alps is the highest-altitude construction in Europe.
The lower picture in the cachet shows a Monitor Control Unit (Communications Service), which provides facilities for an instructor to monitor any selected or all operating circuits in the complete trainer; a tape recorder either records anyone selected circuit or may inject any prefabricated instructional material into any selected or all circuits in the system. The Monitor Control Unit was part of a Synthetic Air Traffic Communications Trainer, displayed at ICAO headquarters during the Personnel Licensing Division (held from 22 January to 14 February 1952) and designed by the US Civil Aeronautics Administration and ICAO, could be shipped to any section of the world where ICAO training assistance teams (within the framework of the UN Expanded Programme for Technical Assistance) would train local personnel in the operation of modern aerodrome equipment.
(6) Note on the Sanders cachet:
The torch that is depicted on the Sanders cachet was already used on a prior design (see here below) commemorating the United Nations Conference on International Organization (UNCIO) held at San Francisco, CA on 25 April 1945. Delegates from fifty nations, representing over eighty per cent of the world's population, people of every race, religion and continent, gathered at the City of the Golden Gate; all determined to set up an organization which would preserve peace and help build a better world. The United Nations Organization carries the torch for maintaining international peace and security, promoting human rights, fostering social and economic development, protecting the environment, and providing humanitarian aid in cases of famine, natural disaster, and armed conflict.
(Note: On Ebay, this cover has been attributed to Ray Dale Cachetmaker; this is to be confirmed.)
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25 April 1945 - United Nations Conference. United States First Day Cover. First Day of Issue postal cover with stamp and San Francisco postmark. |
(7) Note on the JCR cachet:
Joseph C. Rosenbaum was a stamp dealer in Montréal for three decades beginning in the mid-1930s. His cacheted first day covers were published continuously under the JCR label from 1947 to 1957, then as Rosecraft from 1957 until he sold the business in 1967 to William Assad. His business declined after the introduction official Canada Post FDCs in 1971; the last Rosecraft cachet was produced in 1974. The JCR FDCs set the standard for quality and acceptability for two decades, even to the point that they were used as replacement covers by the Canada Post Office.
(8) Note on Totem Poles:
Carved by First Nations people, totem poles can be found in many coastal communities in British Columbia. They are of spiritual significance to the First Nations people and not only do the totems preserve their art, but they capture the living spirit of the tree to tell the history of their legends and tribal families.
(9) Note on Max Goldman:
Max Goldman (1925-2017) was a Notary of great notoriety for 65 years in Montréal; he was also an avid stamp collector and geography buff.
(10) Note on R.A.C.F. Station Centralia
RCAF Station Centralia was a Royal Canadian Air Force training base located just outside the village of Centralianear Exeter, Ontario, Canada. It became one of the largest training stations in Canada. Flying schools were established across Canada as part of the British Commonwealth Air Training Plan during World War II. Because of increasing tensions between the Soviet Bloc and the West, defence expenditures were increased and the Canadian forces were strengthened. Centralia, along with a number of other stations, underwent major rehabilitation to better accommodate aircrew training. RCAF Station Centralia became the aerodrome's official designation in September 1947. In the late 1960s, the Canadian military was reorganized and eventually unified. The reorganization resulted in many military bases being closed, including Centralia, which closed in July 1966. Functions provided by Centralia were moved to various other stations.
On a background of maple leaves, the shield shown on the cover reflects the royal symbols of Great Britain and France (the three royal lions of England, the royal lion of Scotland, the royal fleurs-de-lis of France and the royal Irish harp of Tara). On the bottom portion of the shield is a branch of three Canadian maple leaves representative of Canadians of all origins. At the foreground, the national flag of the United Kingdom (the Union Jack) is shown.
(11) Note on the Canada Post Office Replacement Cover
The Post Office traditionally supplied these to collectors or dealers who supplied their own cachets for first day cancellations; whenever such covers were damaged in servicing, the Post Office substituted them with replacement covers as a souvenir of the first day of issue event (hence the replacement designation).
(12) Note on the C-4 Argonaut
British Overseas Airways Corporation (BOAC) ordered 22 DC-4M-4s which were delivered between March and November 1949. Bearing the civil registrations G-ALHC to G-ALHP, and G-ALHR to G-ALHY, the new BOAC aircraft were christened with the name Argonaut and individual aircraft sported a name on the side of the nose beginning with the letter “A” once they entered service. During the peak of its service in the early to mid-1950s, the BOAC Argonaut fleet continued passenger operations at full pressure of some seventy to eighty thousand hours a year until the larger Bristol Britannia started to relieve the workload later in the decade.
(13) Note on the design of the stamp
The designers of the Canadian stamp most likely also found their inspiration from the maximum card and the stamp issued for the Peace Conference held in Paris, France, from 29 July to 15 October 1946. The stamp (Prussian green, issued on 29 July 1946) shows woman’s hands releasing a dove that holds an olive branch in its beak. The same symbol of the peace dove with an olive branch had already been used on Scott #294 from France, 1F50 ultramarine, issued on 20 February 1934, designed by Daragnès. The symbolism of the dove with the olive branch was reproduced on the preliminary designs of the Canadian stamp. It is to be noted that the olive branch was not retained in the final draw of the stamp.
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Maximum card and stamp issued for the Peace Conference held in Paris, France, from 29 July to 15 October 1946 |
Dove of Peace (Flying dove carrying an olive branch) – France 20 February 1934 |
(14) Note on the Arms of Saskatchewan
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By a royal warrant on 25 August 1906, King Edward VII granted Saskatchewan's first emblem, the shield of arms, which is now at the centre of the coat of arms granted by the Queen in 1986. The shield of arms displays a red lion (a traditional royal symbol) on a horizontal gold band across the upper third of the shield; three gold wheat sheaves on a green background (symbolizing Saskatchewan's agriculture and resources) occupy the lower two thirds. The heraldic sheaf of wheat has become a generalized symbol of the province.
On 1 September 1905, Saskatchewan became a province of Canada, with the inauguration day held on 4 September. The Province of Saskatchewan celebrated its jubilee 50th anniversary in 1955. A special Philatelic Exhibition was held at Saskatoon from 25 to 30 July 1955.
(15) Note on Lieutenant Colonel Jean Verhaegen
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Major Jean Verhaegen (1898-1968) of the Belgian Air Force was part of the Belgian Delegation to the Chicago Conference in 1944. Viscount Alain du Parc, Minister Plenipotentiary, Belgian Embassy, New York was Chairman of this Delegation.
Jean Verhaegen was promoted to the grade of Lieutenant Colonel of aviation on 20 August 1945. When PICAO came into being in 1945, he became the first Delegate of Belgium to the Council of the Provisional Organization (and later ICAO from 4 April 1947) until 1954. His detailed biography is available hereafter. He was replaced by André Xavier Pirson.
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First Day Cover addressed to the Lieutenant Colonel Jean Verhaegen.
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Special insert of the above cover: “Avec mes compliments”, signed by A.X. Pirson, Representative of Belgium on the Council of ICAO.
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Biography of Jean Verhaegen.
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The Breguet 19 “Reine Élisabeth” of Georges Médaets, Jean Verhaegen and Jean Coppens. |
(16) Note on the ICAO Telephone Directory
The cover page of 17th edition of the ICAO Telephone Directory (December 1955 Edition) reproduces the design of the stamp of this issue.
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(17) Note on the Jacoby covers
These covers with the aircraft and gannet flying in tandem were already in use since the issue of the Canadian 13-cent stamp showing the northern gannet on 1 April 1954. See below.
(18) Note on Ken Boll
In years past, companies such as Cachet Craft were producing some of the most beautiful and sought-after cachets available. One of the favourite cachet makers for Cachet Craft was Kenneth (Ken) Boll. It is that straightforward visual appeal that draws the attention to Boll’s designs for his cachets, all of which have such a classic look and feel. Ken Boll was by far the most prolific designer of Cachet Craft Covers with 500 or so covers signed by him.
Boll has been a favourite cachet maker to collectors for many years, particularly during the long working relationship with Cachet Craft in coordinating his artistic skills for their covers. Boll’s first cachet in the USA was created before the end of WW II, i.e., for the 3-cent Roosevelt stamp issued on 27 June 1945. At that time, he was in uniform and was known as Sgt. Ken Boll.
Boll’s last first day cover for the USA was cancelled on 16 April 1966, i.e., for the Indiana Statehood issue.
On 3 March 1947, he designed the first cachet for a Canadian stamp, i.e., the Alexander Graham Bell issue.
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