Telegraph, Steamships & the Mail - Postal History Sunday

Our last Postal History Sunday of the year!  It's Winter and you don't have anything better to do that have a hot chocolate, put on the fuzzy bunny slippers, curl up in a blanket and read about something that might just be new to you!

Well - even if you DO have something better to do, this Postal History Sunday post is still here for you when you're ready.  It's part of the benefit of asynchronous communication.  And, speaking of types of communication - that's where today's post is taking us!

Today's featured item was mailed in Zurich, Switzerland to Aarau (also in Switzerland) on November 30, 1860.  

This is a blue folded letter sheet with pre-printed content on the inside.  The outside was addressed with a pre-printed label, which is not something I've seen very often from this period in time.  The label was clearly cut from another sheet of paper and somehow glued to the wrapper.

This is another example of "printed matter."  If you'll recall, printed matter could not be sealed - and this item has no wax or other seal on it.  This was done so the postal clerks could check to be sure the rules were followed for the special rates given to this type of mail.  

This rate was 5 rappen (or 5 centimes) for domestic mail in Switzerland.  But, just to show you I don't always find the answers right away - I can't find actual beginning and ending dates for printed matter rates in Switzerland prior to 1862, when the rates were 2 centimes up to 15 grams and 5 centimes up to 60 grams.  At this point, I can only confirm that 5 centimes was a printed matter rate in 1860.  

But, this won't stop me!  I'm always up to learn more and there's a fun story to tell even without that knowledge.

The label states that the contents are a Telegraphic Market Report from Perret, Schutz & Bertsche in New Orleans and Mobile.  The report is mediated or forwarded by Hans Voegeli in Zurich.

The contents, printed on the other side of this piece of paper are in German and are shown below (you can click on the image to see a larger version):

My rough translation follows:

The reports of impending signs in the European money market interacted here, and prices are accordingly (various numbers) the political turmoil in the country is generally very demanding and may have contributed to your results.

We note Liverpool Middling
Freight: to Liverpool
Course: London nominal
Weekly feeds up to and including 60,000 bale today
Sells for the week up to and including 42,000 bales today
shipments of the week: to Liverpool 36,000 bales

The uncertain status of the exchange rate paralyzed the market,and caused further pressure on prices so that they can be regarded as nominal.
The rivers are on the rise and shipping is back in full swing. 

There are all kinds of interesting tidbits of information in this short report that most likely is referencing bales of cotton.  Clearly, the news of the tensions between the states was worthy of mention to all who might be interested in the economic impact.  And, limitations to transport of cotton (low river levels on the Mississippi especially) would also be pertinent information to those who might be interested in cotton that came via New Orleans.

For those who might be interested - the process of loading large cotton bales onto the paddle wheel steamers on the Mississippi was quite a process.  Sometimes implementing a chute to drop bales from the surrounding bluffs down to the river level.  This article by historian, Rufus Ward, gives a nice summary.

More to this Story - How the Information Got to Switzerland

I would like to call your attention to two things printed on this item:

1. Telegraphischer Markt Bericht on the front
   
2. per Anglo-Saxon at the top of the market report (letter side of the sheet)
   

The telegraph system in the United States rapidly expanded beginning in the 1840s centering initially around Washington, D.C.  New Orleans was linked into the network as early as July of 1848, when a line via Mobile (Alabama), Macon (Georgia) and Richmond (Virginia) had its final section connected between Macon and Montgomery (Alabama).  By the time we reach 1860, there appears to be a second line that runs north towards Natchez (Mississippi) from New Orleans.

Above was an unattributed piece of artwork available for prints by North Wind Press. 

The reference to New Orleans and Mobile makes it entirely likely that this market report was initially sent to New York (most likely) by telegraph, where the message was printed and put into a letter that was sent to Switzerland for Hans Voegeli in Zurich.

At the time this was sent, telegraph services were covered by companies in the "Six Nation's Alliance" of 1857. Essentially, it was an agreement between telegraph companies to allow monopolies for services within the areas each controlled.  By the time we get to 1866 (and the year the trans-Atlantic cable was active), only Western Union remained.

The letter created from the information wired from New Orleans traveled via normal mail services via the mail packet (steamship) Anglo-Saxon.  This ship was an Allen Line steamer that ran from Quebec to Derry (northern Ireland) and Liverpool (England).  Once Mr. Voegeli got this report in the mail he had it printed out, labels affixed, and mailed to his clients using printed matter mailing rates.

Demise of the Anglo-Saxon

photo taken from: "Wreck of the immigrant vessel "Anglo-Saxon" off Newfoundland, April 27, 1863, artist's impression, detail," House Divided: The Civil War Research Engine at Dickinson College

Two and half years later, the Anglo-Saxon was lost in wreck off the coast of Newfoundland (April 27, 1863). The steamer was headed from Liverpool to Quebec when it got lost in a heavy fog.  The ship ran aground in Clam Cove, four miles north of Cape Race.  After hitting the rocks, it rapidly broke apart.  Two hundred thirty-seven of the 445 aboard were lost.  And, as a side note, none of the mail survived the wreck. 

However, I bring this up to point out the many directions a person can take postal history.  If I were inclined to do so and persistent enough to do it, I could hunt for mail carried by the Anglo-Saxon on its last voyage prior to this accident.  I could look for items carried on its first voyage.  I could look for mail items that were sent or received by persons who were known to have survived this accident.  It is possible I could find other items that reference this event as well.  

Postal history - it's an opportunity to explore the stories that interest you as they connect to an item you can have resting in front of you.  That's a big part of what I enjoy about this hobby.

Thank you again for joining me for Postal History Sunday.  I hope you learned something new and stayed warm and comfortable while doing so.  Have a good rest of the day and I hope your coming week treats you well!

The Steamer that Didn't - Postal History Sunday

It is time, once again, to put on the comfortable shoes or slippers, get a warm beverage to enjoy (but keep it away from the paper collectibles and the keyboard!) and learn something different - and maybe - new!  It's Postal History Sunday on the Genuine Faux Farm blog.
 

Postal History Sundays started on the blog (in August 2020) when I took a moment and just shared some of what a person like me, who enjoys postal artifacts, likes to study.  I actually had two different ideas for today's post and I went with the one that felt the most fun to write at the time because this particular envelope, mailed in 1864 meets many of the criteria I shared in that first blog.

First of all - it's pretty clean and decent looking for something that is 156 years old - so that's a plus.  The markings are pretty clear and I can read each of them, which means I can piece the journey this letter took in the mail services.  And... it just so happens there is a story hidden within the details of this cover.  That makes it a winner in my book!

Mail from the United States to Prussia 1864

At the time this letter was written, Germany was a group of loosely connected states that were moving rapidly towards a more unified government in the 1860s.  As a postal historian, this holds a significance to me because there was more than one postal service to consider for mail being sent to various parts of what we would now identify as Germany.  That story is complex enough for multiple books on the subject, so I'll leave it at that for now.

Prussia negotiated a mail treaty with the United States in 1852 that arranged for mail to travel from the United States to Prussia via ships that would sail to Southampton (United Kingdom).  Mail would then be sent across the English Channel to Ostende, Belgium and run by rail to Aachen (Prussia).  The cost of mail sent via this agreement was initially 30 cents per half ounce of weight, but this was decreased to 28 cents by the time this letter was mailed.  

If you look carefully, there is a 24 cent stamp, a 3 cent stamp and a 1 cent stamp - effectively paying 28 cents in postage.

At the bottom left are the words: "via Prussian Closed Mail."  The whole idea of closed mail was that the mailbag this item rode in would NOT be opened once the United States sealed the bag until it arrived in Prussian territory.  Even though it saw time in the United Kingdom and Belgium, there will be no markings on this letter to tell us that.  We only know this is the case because that was the agreement between nations at the time.

Hey!  That's Too Long!

Someone in Waynesboro, Pennsylvania got this to the post office in time for the clerk there to mark the letter with an October 11 postmark.  The letter probably got to New York on October 12, which was too late to send the letter on the next sailing from Boston on October 12 - so they held on to it for the Saturday mail sailing from New York on October 15.  If only they could have seen the future - they would have mailed this letter just one day earlier!

The foreign mail clerk put the New York exchange marking with the October 15 date on the letter (in red) and put it in the mailbag - waiting until Saturday's departure.

And, now, we have a big gap in time before the letter is removed from the mailbag and it has a new marking put on it.

"Aachen 11 11 Franco" - red ink inside of a rectangle, top center of the envelope

This was put on the letter in the city of Aachen (Prussia), showing a date of November 11.  If you will recall "Franco" means Prussia recognized this item as "paid."

But - November 11?  That's almost a full month.  A normal time difference would be closer to two weeks.  What happened?

The Winds Did Blow

The ship leaving with the mails from New York that Saturday was the Saxonia, built in Scotland in 1857 and in service as a mail steamer for the Hamburg-American Line since 1858.  On its previous trip in August, it had crossed the Atlantic from New York to Southampton in eleven days.  In fact, most of its eastbound voyages took 11 or 12 days.  As they departed on the 15th of October, there was little reason to think this would be any different.

But, they didn't have radar and tropical storm forecasts in 1864.

At the time, Atlantic hurricanes were only recorded if there was landfall in a populated area or if there was ship damage to report when one was encountered at sea. Only five tropical storms were recorded in 1864, and one of them caught the Saxonia while at sea.

By the time a typical tropical storm gets to the northern sea lanes where ships like Saxonia sailed, it is probable that they would no longer be rated as a hurricane.  But, they still could cause significant damage.  

Image from: José Fernández-Partagás and Henry F. Diaz (1995a). A Reconstruction of Historical Tropical Cyclone Frequency in the Atlantic from Documentary and other Historical Sources 1851-1880 Part 1: 1851-1870. Boulder, Colorado: Climate Diagnostics Center, National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration. Retrieved Dec 19, 2020.

The fifth recorded storm of the year was noted to be active from October 22 to October 24 and would have gone right into the path of the Saxonia, probably catching up to her as she steamed eastward.  The ship was damaged in the storm and limped into Southampton on December 10 and the Prussian Closed Mail bags were then taken across the English Channel by a channel steamer and to Ostende before getting to Aachen.

The passengers and mail bound for Hamburg were transferred to the Bavaria, another Hamburg-America Line steamship, arriving at Hamburg on November 11.  It would be interesting to find another postal artifact that went via Hamburg, rather than Aachen, but rode on the same ship!

And now you know how a 12 day voyage ended up taking 26 days to complete - another example of the things you can learn on a Postal History Sunday.

Thanks for joining me.  Have a great remainder of the weekend and a fine week.

Not What They Seem VI

This is the sixth in a series of posts that explore postal history items that are not entirely what they should be.  This post last edited Dec 16, 2020 

The first five installments of this series focused on postal history items featuring the 24 cent 1861 US stamp.  The good news for all of those, except for the first, was that I was able to identify the problem either prior to a purchase OR I was allowed to return the item for a refund.  Here is a case where I paid for the learning privilege (the item is still in my possession).  The good news is that I did not pay much for this piece of postal history, so the price of learning was not too steep.

Mail from London to Stockholm - 1 shilling paid
Over the last few years, I have been attempting to learn more about mail between Western European nations just prior to the UPU (1850-1875).  Part of my ground rules for this endeavor is that I look for nice looking items that properly pay rates and cost an average of $25 each (I have allowed myself to extend this limit a bit more as I learn).  This gives me the chance to study actual items and learn how to make sense of them with less risk of... well, this.

Was 1 shilling enough to get to Stockholm?

The obvious potential short-coming of this approach is that I am typically only exposed to the most common items.  However, I find this to be a strength because I am learning rapidly what standard mails for this period look like.  As a result, I am now much better at recognizing two things:

1. When something might be illustrating a different aspect of mail handling for the time that could be very interesting.
2. When something is "not right" with an item.

The problem?  I am not always certain which of these two things I am observing!

Verso of the cover above.

What is this item supposed to be?
The piece of letter mail shown above was mailed in London on June 16, 1862 and arrived in Stockholm, Sweden on June 22 of the same year.  The postmarks document a stop in Hamburg on June 18 and a weak postmark on the front seems to read June 20.

The route for this mail, starting in London, shows the letter crossing the channel to Ostende, Belgium.  Belgian railways would carry the item across the country so it could enter Prussia at Aachen.  Prussian railways would then carry this item to Hamburg.

The Hamburg mail service would receive the item and then transfer it to the Danish mail office in Hamburg who would then give it to the Royal Swedish post office in Hamburg.  The Royal Danish postal service would then transit the letter through their territory to Helsingborg.  From there, crossing the Oresund from Helsingfors (Denmark) to Helsingborg (Sweden).  At that point, the letter likely followed the coast East and North to Stockholm using overland conveyance.

The front of the cover shows markings for London (June 16) and a very faint marking just under the stamps that is likely the Helsingborg marking (June 20).  The back shows markings for Hamburg's mail office (the oval) and the Swedish mail office (rectangle).  It is possible some of the blurred markings are the Royal Danish mail service markings.  And, finally, there is a receiving mark in Stockholm (circular marking over the rectangular marking).

The "P" in an oval is a British marking indicating the item was prepaid to the destination.  The red "10" looks a bit like a "W" over the spot where the "P" in the oval resides.  This is the amount in pence being passed on to the Hamburg Office from the British post (the British kept 4 pence handing over a halfpenny to the Belgians for their work).  Of the ten pence passed to the Hamburg office, another halfpenny was given to the Belgians and Hamburg kept 3 1/2 pence for their own mail services.  The remainder (6 pence) was passed on to the Scandinavians in the form of 5 silbergroschen (the "5" on the front).

I have no idea how Sweden and Denmark accounted for their services with that remaining amount and Moubray's book doesn't seem to say.  

While it is great to have all of this knowledge AND it is even better that the markings on this cover so nicely fit with the expected processes and payments for mail going via this route - it has one major flaw.  Maybe you caught it already.

Total postage due was 1 shilling 2 pence (14 pence).

There are only enough stamps for 1 shilling on this cover.  Uh oh.

In short, this is a genuine example of the 1 shilling 2 pence rate to Sweden.  But, there appear to be two one penny stamps missing that were once located at the top right.

Alas.

What is wrong with this item?

1. The postage is underpaid, but it appears to have markings for a paid item.

The British rate for prepaid mail via the Belgium to Hamburg route was 1 shilling 2 pence for every half ounce of weight.  This was the normal route for mail to Stockholm UNLESS the sender indicated a different mail route.  The rate started on August 1 of 1852 and lasted until Dec 31, 1862.  

When you find an item that clearly has too little postage to cover the postage rate and it was still treated as unpaid, you have a few options:

• the postal clerk made an error
• the sender paid for the remaining amount in cash and the clerk opted to not put stamps on it (maybe they were in a rush to get it into the mail stream)
• at one time, there was enough stamps to pay the postage, but they have fallen off.
  

2. There are shadows at the upper right that are the right size and shape for 2 additional stamps.

Over time, I have learned that I should assume that THIS is the case first.  Water activated adhesives on these stamps could release if exposed to moisture over time (it is over 150 years old, you know).  It is also possible that the stamps were never very well attached, coming off at some point over the years.

The other two options are certainly possible and many experts have pointed to examples of each case.  However, I like to see corroborating evidence that supports the claim.  This cover can make no such claim.  It is clear that there were two stamps at the top right of the envelope at one point in time.  Likely two one penny stamps.

Conclusion:
This is a genuine cover with no modifications made.  However, two stamps have fallen off at some point after it was processed as a paid item.

My mistake was not being certain of the rate for a prepaid item via this route to Sweden.  I was much more familiar with the rate structure from 1865 to 1875.  I took a shot with a guess and I was wrong.

Live and learn!

Wrong Solution - Postal History Sunday

 

Welcome to Postal History Sunday, the blog post where we encourage you to learn something new and allow Rob to share a hobby he very much enjoys with you. Put on the fluffy slippers and pet Fluffy the cat!  Get a hot chocolate or some hot tea, but keep it away from the paper collectibles (and your keyboard)!  And, let's see where today's post takes us.

-----------------------------------

It is likely that most people who read this blog may recall the anthrax poisonings in 2001 that were a result of letters mailed via the postal system to targeted individuals or groups.  One of the responses at the time was for the postal service to begin irradiation of the mail in an effort to kill the anthrax spores.  That irradiation process often changed the paper, darkening it and making it more brittle - and plastics were often impacted significantly.  

I recall this because stamp and postal history collectors were very concerned about mailing items to and from each other - most opting to use other courier services.  Why?  Well, we collect paper items that we don't want damaged and we usually ship them in mylar sleeves.  Not a good combination for irradiated mail!

Killing Germs in the Mail - 1800s Style

In true form for me - I told you that story so I could tell you about this one!

The envelope shown below has two slits cut into the envelope.  These same slits also cut into the enclosed letter.  You can see the slits by looking for the white paper I placed through the holes so they are more easily visible.

A fairly common practice in the first half of the 1800s was something postal historians refer to as "disinfected mail."  Incoming letters that may have traveled from or through areas that were identified as "unhealthy" or were in mailbags on a ship that was identified as carrying a disease were often (but not always) put through a process to prevent the mail from carrying that disease any further.  Sometimes, a post office would simply just put ALL of its incoming mail through a disinfection process.

Each piece of mail was punctured, slit or cut in some fashion to allow either a fumigant or a vinegar mixture to access the interior of the item.  Where larger volumes of mail were involved, tools were developed to aid in the processing prior to disinfection.

For example, the paddle shown above (collection of the Smithsonian Postal Museum) was used in the United States to open up mail for fumigation with burning sulfur.  I am sure it was not enjoyable to receive a letter punched full of holes and smelling of sulfur, but that was the price people paid for the sense that something was being done to control the spread of disease.   

Some of the first examples of disinfected mail can be traced back to the 1400s when the Republics of Venice and Ragusa "perfumed" the mail from the Levant (we would now call it the Middle East) with sweet smelling herbs and flowers.  But, by the time we reach the 1850s and 1860s the practice of mail disinfection was in decline, but not unheard of.

Enter Cholera

As trade and travel increased between Europe and India, the opportunity for the spread of cholera increased.  What people did not fully understand until 1885 was that cholera spread occurred when a person ingested something that was contaminated with the feces of an infected individual.  However, contaminated water was, in fact, identified as the likely culprit in 1855 by a British physician (John Snow), but the debate raged on for a time after that.  

It turns out, the best solution would have been to secure clean water sources, provide sanitation services, and maintain food safety procedures of some kind.  And, in fact, improvements in clean water and sanitary systems in subsequent years would help much of Europe to better handle later pandemics as the century progressed.

As is often the case, a good preliminary solution was likely going to be quarantine and travel restriction.  But, that is rarely popular - especially when it was bad for business.  So, some locations returned to the disinfection of mail to show that something (even if it was deemed to be likely to be ineffective) was being done.

The item above was mailed in September of 1855 from Milan to Parma (Italy).  The Third Cholera Pandemic (1852-1860) was just coming off its peak and the nearby city of Ferrara (east of Parma) still provides data for scientists to analyze today.  Clearly, the spread of cholera was on the minds of the people in this region - and for good reason. 

If you look carefully, you can find two disinfection slits that look very much like a person pushed a blade downwards from top to bottom of the letter to allow the fumigant to enter the sealed folded letter.  Because there is no staining, it is unlikely a liquid solution was used on this item.

The folded letter shown above initially got my attention because of the red marking that reads "Dopo la partenza," which means "after departure."  It actually made its way into a blog post about markings that showed an item was too late for the mails that were leaving that day.  The disinfection slits were just icing on the cake for me!  It's always good to have more than one point of interest.

The last item was mailed from the United States to Rome in 1866, during the Fourth Cholera Pandemic (1863-75). 

This time only a single slit can be found in the envelope, though a second one could have been on the left hand side.  We will never know because the left hand side has been reduced - probably to get rid of a ragged and damaged edge on the envelope.  Initially mailed to Rome, this item was forwarded to Genzano (SE of Rome) where 15 centesimi were due for the forwarding service - see the red 15?   It is likely that the fumigation occurred at Genzano since there are not records indicating that Rome, itself, was disinfecting mail at this time.

And Now You Know

And now you know a little better why I enjoy postal history.  It opens up a window... or a door... to the story that surrounds each item.  Sometimes the story it tells leads to events of global consequence - such as the Cholera Pandemics.  Other times, they just tell a personal story for a person who lived a life just like ours.

I wonder what story we'll explore next week?

Why Did You Pick That? - Postal History Sunday

It's Postal History Sunday time!

This week, we'll answer another question that has been asked.  It is related to last week's question, but it is much more direct.  I was asked:

"Why do you like to collect postal history from the 1860s, in particular?  What got you started?"

It Started With What I Knew and Understood

I credit my Mom with planting the seeds that led me to where I am in the hobby right now.  Some of my first memories are having her cut or tear some of the prettier stamps off of the incoming mail and giving them to me.  I had a small, pocket sized notebook and I would paste them into the book - drawing around them with crayolas.  I usually did a good job of avoiding coloring ON them.  Some of the first stamps I had in that book were the "Beautification of America" issue of 1969 and the Moon Landing issue of the same year.

Eventually, I learned how stamps were 'supposed' to be collected and I happily participated in the hobby with the extremely limited budget a kid might have for such things.  At the time, it was all about the stamps.  And, at the time, it was mostly about United States stamps for all of the normal reasons.  I had some knowledge of the people, places and events that were on the stamps.  I could read the words on the stamps.  This gave me a lever that allowed me to exercise my curiosity and comfortably expand my knowledge with various trips to the library.

I mean, how many 9-year-olds at the time knew who Sam Rayburn was (Speaker of the House on and off from 1940-1961)?  He was on a stamp (1962 - 4 cents) so I knew of him - but I won't pretend that I fully understood what a "Speaker of the House" was.

I learned about the National Parks because they were depicted on stamps.  In fact, the two stamps shown on the envelope near the top of this post were two on my "maybe someday I'll own one of those expensive stamps" list.

(note: neither of those stamps are actually all that expensive - but to an 8-year-old....)

Curiosity and Awareness

I had a healthy curiosity and interest in learning, so you shouldn't be surprised that I learned what I could about the stamps the United States had issued over the years.  I became aware of some of the earliest stamps.  In fact, even the least expensive 'stamp albums' you could buy for displaying your collection would include a few pictures of some of these stamp issues.  

At the time, I thought they did that just to frustrate the collector with their own inability to actually see those items in person - much less acquire one of them.  At other times, I might have thought that 'perhaps someday' I could find one of those.  But, usually, I knew it was just a pipe dream.

The 2 cent "Black Jack" from 1863 (shown above) was pictured in nearly every album.  The larger than usual image of Andrew Jackson would boldly stare back at you, challenging you to find a copy to put on that spot.  It's an image that became easy for me (and numerous other young collectors) to recognize over time, so you can imagine what it might be like when a kid who has only seen the grainy picture in an album or a catalogue would react when they actually saw one in person!

So - when did I first see a Black Jack in person?  

Tammy's grandfather had an accumulation of stamps from all over the world and I think he was glad that there was another stamp collector looking to join the family.  Sadly, it was not until he had passed away that I dug through a box of old US stamps that had been in his possession and found my first (and second) copies of the Black Jack.  

There he was.  The Black Jack.  Times two.

You Like Them, But How Do You Afford Them?

I was fortunate that I was able to acquire some very early stamps through family, though I must admit that most of the more expensive ones were not the nicest copies (I was NOT complaining).  But, you see, now I was exposed to the artistry of the early engraved stamps.  The fine lattice work on stamps like the 24 cent 1861 issue shown above was amazing - as far as I was concerned.  In fact, I found one of those in the box I talked about as well.  Well... a piece of it was missing.  But, you get the idea.

But, now what?  If I wanted to focus on the early stuff, it would cost money.  Was there a way I could participate without breaking the bank?

To make a long story short, the answer took a while to evolve.  But, I found that you could often acquire a piece of postal history with certain stamps on them that were actually cheaper than the same stamps off of a cover!  Please note that this is NOT always true, but it is often true.  I also became aware that the very earliest US postage stamps seemed to consistently require the most money, but once you got to the 1861 series, things started showing up at prices I could consider.

As my knowledge grew, I found my focus was refined to postal history that featured the 24 cent 1861 stamp.  I liked the color.  I liked the design.  And I very much liked the postal history.

Once I brought what I wanted to collect into focus, it was easier to consider spending more money for one thing instead of spending the same amount for a WHOLE bunch of everything.  So, in a way, focusing the collection was a way to participate and still protect myself from feeling hopeless (I'll never be able to afford that sort of thing) or overspending.  It also gave me ground rules for selling things that did not fit so I had a bit more to spend on the things I wanted.   

And it just so happened that I picked a period in time where the history was rich with complexity and interest - and so was the postal history.  Stamps made their appearance in the 1840s.  Mail was becoming a viable option for persons other than businesses or the elite during the 1850s to 1870s.  All sorts of change - and all kinds of opportunities for me to explore and learn!

Expanding Back Out a Little

As is the case in so many collectible fields, there is expensive and there is "are you kidding me?"  What normally happens to a collector with a fine focus is that they are able to pick up what they can until they reach their limits for price.  At that point, you can either quit altogether, win the lottery, find a way to save up, or you can find another topic area or two.  In my case, I finally found my way to European mail in the 1850s, 60s and 70s.  Things like the item above mailed from France to England in 1864.

I'd like to say I figured it out quickly, but I didn't.  I actually felt a little lost for a time.  I can be forgiven, because my hobby usually goes completely on hold during the growing season (with the exception of postal history blogs - we hope).  So, my progress with these things tends to be focused on winter months (there's another way to control costs!).  But, the logical connection of collecting mail that traveled in the 1860s from the US to other countries (mostly Europe) meant I already had some knowledge to get started.

So once again, it started with what I knew and understood and my curiosity and desire to learn is leading me forward from the edges of what I know to other things.

Thank you for joining me for Postal History Sunday.  Keep the questions coming!  And, I hope you have a fine rest of the weekend and at least a tolerable week!

Letter Mail: Papal States of Italy

The postal history of Italy during the process of unification is either a headache or a pleasure depending on my mood.  If I am looking for an opportunity to work with nice neat boxes and categories, this isn't it.  On the other hand, if I take a long view that I enjoy complex puzzles and learning different histories in ways that go beyond the surface description, I can't ask for much better.

The other thing that appeals to me about postal history of the Roman States is the simple fact that I never thought I would even see these stamps, much less be the caretaker for postal artifacts bearing them.  As a youth, at least one, if not two, of these designs would show up in albums or other philatelic publications.  It turns out that some of the more "common" examples of postal history bearing these stamps are quite affordable and readily available if you are so inclined.  Nonetheless, I still get a bit of a thrill looking at these because I do still have the 'kid' in me that is surprised to be looking at them in person!

Monetary System:

1 scudo = 100 bajocchi
As of July 1866
1 baj = 5 centesimi (Kingdom currency)

"Distances" in the Papal States
The postal reforms put in place by Cardinal Tosti in 1844 broke the Papal States into three "distances" (you can think of them as districts or regions).  Postal historians, such as Mentaschi and Matha seem to prefer the term "distances," so I will adhere to that for consistency.

• 1st Distance: Umbria and Lazio/Latium
  
• 2nd Distance: the Marches
• 3rd Distance: Romagna

From the perspective of the Papal State postal system, Romagne was always the "3rd Distance," just as Umbria and Lazio was the "1st Distance."  These were the labels that could be used to determine postal rates.  Of course, these distances were numbered in a way that considered Rome the center - so it was, obviously, in the 1st Distance.

Rayons in Umbria and Lazio/Latium

The 1st Distance was further broken down into three rays (or rayons or directions).  I prefer to use the word rayons as it is consistent with the term also used in Swiss, Belgian, Dutch and German postal history.  Essentially a rayon is a method of assigning a distance component to the postage required for a mailing.  The 1st rayon was closest to the Marches and Romagne, so it would be the shortest travel to get to either of the other "distances" in the Papal States.

To understand a little better why these rayons were designated as they are here, view the amended map below that shows some of the major cities and the major transportation routes.

It should be no surprise that nearly all roads led to Rome.  This, perhaps also explains the term "direction" to identify the rayons in Lazio and Umbria (the 1st Distance) if you consider the transportation options leaving Rome.  It also makes sense that mail from Ancona in the Marches would cost less if it could stop in the first rayon at Feligno, than it would if it had to go to Rome and then Viterbo (3rd rayon).

Postal Departments
The Papal postal services were divided into smaller postal departments.  The line map here was derived from a period Stieler Atlas as the source (ca 1850).  A person should not consider these maps definitive as they are merely derived from a mapmakers rendering of regions that may not reflect how the postal services defined their postal departments.  I suspect there exist postal documents that clearly delineate these postal administrations and I hope to find them eventually.  However, for the purposes of my limited collection, these maps are sufficient.

One exception that I note from Mentaschi's book is the inclusion of Tivoli in the 3rd rayon to the southeast.  However, most maps put Tivoli in the Roman district.  I am fairly certain that Mentaschi has read enough of the primary postal documents to know when the postal districts might diverge from the mapped districts.

Internal Letter Rate within a Papal Distance

Effective rate period:  Mentaschi cites the issue date of the Roman State postage stamps (January 1, 1852) and mentions the 1844 Tosti reforms.  As of this moment, I have NOT dug further to determine if the rates actually changed at the point of stamp issue or if they are a continuation of Tosti with no modifications.  Unfortunately, the various resources at my disposal all seem to provide different start dates for the internal rates - so I will again go with Mentaschi's dates as I understand them.

The end date for rates have more to do with the political changes leading up to and as a result of the War of 1859 and the Italian Risorgimento (unification).  For the most part, we'll just say things change in 1859 and address the specifics if I should happen to find material that highlight the transitional period to the Kindgom of Italy.

Letter Rates within a Papal Distance

	Rate	Unit
within postal department	1 bajocco	6 denari (7.1 grams)
with adjacent postal dept	2 bajocchi	6 denari
with non-contiguous dept	3 bajocchi	6 denari
only in 1st Distance
between postal departments that must go through Roman department	4 bajocchi	6 denari
enclaves in Neapolitan Kingdom
treat as 3rd rayon in 1st distance

To clarify the rates, take a look at the postal departments in the Marches (the 2nd Distance - shown above).  Once again, these boundaries are approximations to the actual postal departments of the time.

If someone in Fermo wanted to mail a standard weight letter to someone else in Fermo, they would pay 1 bajocchi in postage.  That is a rate within the postal department or post office.

If someone in Fermo wanted to mail a standard weight letter to someone in Macerata or Ascoli, they would pay 2 bajocchi because the letter must be sent to an adjacent postal department.

If that same individual in Fermo wanted to send something to Ancona, Camerino or Urbino/Pesaro, they would have to pay 3 bajocchi because the postal departments are not contiguous (they do not share a border).

But, in all cases, the letter does not leave the Marches.

The exception to the rule was for non-contiguous postal departments in the 1st Distance.  If the letter had to travel via Rome, it cost an extra bajocchi (4 bajocchi per 6 denari).  This effectively removed the 3 baj rate possibility from postal departments such as Velletri since any non-contiguous postal department was going to require going through the Roman department.

Mail Between Romagne and the Marches

If everything were this simple, we would not have to write a blog to outline all of the postage rates in the Papal States.

The rate of letters between Romagne and the Marches (the 3rd and 2nd Distances) was 4 bajocchi for every 6 denari.

I am unaware of any exceptions for border mail at this time.

Letter Rate between the Marches & Romagne

	Rate	Unit
Between 2nd & 3rd Distances	4 bajocchi	6 denari

Mail to and from Umbria and Lazio/Latium

Things get a bit more complicated when mail entered or left the 1st Distance from one of the other two distances.   However, there are a great many similarities to other agreements, such as the one between Sardinia and Austria that combined a distance calculation from each side of the border to determine the final rate.  In fact, if you consider the first rate in the table below, it is very similar to the 4 bajocchi rate between the Marches and Romagne.  In this case, it is simply mail between the Marches and Umbria.  As we move out of Umbria and into the other rayons, we add a bajocco per rayon.  If we have mail to or from Romagne, we add another bajocco. 

Letter Rates from/to First Distance

	Rate	Unit
between 1st Rayon & Marches	4 bajocchi	6 denari (7.1 grams)
between 2nd Rayon & Marches	5 bajocchi	6 denari
between 3rd Rayon & Marches	6 bajocchi	6 denari
between 1st Rayon & Romagne	5 bajocchi	6 denari
between 2nd Rayon & Romagne	6 bajocchi	6 denari
between 3rd Rayon & Romagne	7 bajocchi	6 denari

Examples of Letter Mail within a Postal Department (Local Letter)

Below is an example of a single sheet item mailed within its own postal administration. The item has been folded outward to show the back side where the 1 baj adhesive was placed and the "Jesi" marking struck to tie it to the lettersheet.  The "prices current" content is for the period dated July 16 to 31, 1854 and was sent out by the Jesi municipality on August 1.  The destination, Rosora, is also in Ancona province, approximately 25 km WSW of Jesi (also Iesi).  Ancona was a part of the Marches, bordering the Adriatic Sea.

Jesi to Rosora, Province of Ancona - 1 baj due

Unpaid letters were still franked with postage stamps - however, they were placed on the VERSO of the item in question.  The numeral "1" on the front indicated that 1 bajocco was due. 

What is unclear to me is that the item was sent FROM Jesi to Rosara, then it seems that the stamp was applied and marked at the point of postal origin.  Was the practice to put the adhesive on the back and expect payment at the destination for that stamp or something else?

San Ginesio to S. Elpidio via Macerata - 1 baj due?

A second item with similar characteristics is datelined (in the letter) as being written Aug 18, 1852 in San Ginesio (Province of Macerata).   The red San Ginesio marking confirms that it entered the postal service at that location. There is a Macerata August 19 marking on the front and the 1 baj adhesive is tied by a straight-line Macerata postmark.  The addressee appears to be in S. Elpidio which appears to be in the Province of Fermo, further supported by the "Fermo" notation at the bottom.

Address side of San Ginesio to S. Elpidio item

This item technically crossed to another province, so you could argue that it should have cost 2 bajocchi.  But, this is likely one of those times where the postal boundaries may not match the political boundaries.  Sant'Elpidio a Mare is located on the north side of the Tenne River and is extremely close to the political border between the Fermo and Macerata districts.  From a pure transportation perspective, it might have made more sense to include Sant'Elpidio with the Macerata postal department.

We do get another clue here with the cancellation of the stamp having a Macerata marking.  Once again, we have "1" bajocco due with the stamp on the reverse of the item.

prices current

Printed Matter Rates   

At this time, "printed papers" could be sent for a half bajocco per sheet or 1 bajocco per ounce if there were more than one sheet.  This rate applied for any distance within the Papal States.

The first item shown above is a "prices current," which listed prices for common commodities such as grains and meats.  A prices current list often qualified for printed matter rates.    In this case, only the price of wheat (grano) is shown, which makes me wonder if this was a version of the price guidelines the French provided for bakeries in the mid-1800s.

As is the case for things like drop letters and circulars in the United States, it is not always clear which rate is being applied to a given item if it qualifies both as a printed matter item and a local letter.  But, since it is a single sheet and it is sent within a postal department - we can assume it was sent as a local letter rate item.

Registered Mail

Registered mail costs were calculated by dividing the postage cost in half.  So, an item that required 6 bajocchi in postage would require 3 additional bajocchi to pay for the registration fee.  The handling of insurance for registered items depended on local regulations and procedures.  That sounds like an interesting area for a specialist to pursue - but not me!

Examples of Letter Mail from/to the First Distance 

3rd Distance to 2nd Rayon of 1st Distance

Romagna (3rd Distance) was about as far from Rome (1st Distance) as one could get in the Papal States.  What follows is an 1857 example of a letter sent from Cento (Province Ferrara in Romagna) via Bolgona (Province Bologna in Romagna) to Rome (Roman Province in Latium / Patrimony of St Peter).  

Rome was in the 2nd Rayon of the 1st Distance.  Cento was in the 3rd Distance. The rate per 6 denari was 6 bajocchi. 

6 baj rate from Romagna to Rome

The letter was treated as fully paid by the 6 baj stamp tied to the letter by a straight-line Cento marking in blue, matching the circular Cento marking dated June 22.  The item went from there to Bologna (June 22, 1857) and headed to Rome, where it arrived three days later according to the backstamp.  The Roma postal service indicated that an item was paid in full and no further postage was to be collected by placing a diagonal slash across the front of the piece of mail.

2nd Distance to 2nd Rayon of 1st Distance

The second item was mailed in Fermo (August 11) and bound for Rome (August 13) in 1855.  Ten baj were used to pre-pay this item from the Marches to the Patrimony.  Once again, a diagonal slash indicates that Rome considered the item paid in full.

Double 5 baj rate from the Marches to Rome

Rome resided in the 2nd Rayon of the 1st Distance.  Fermo was in the Marches or the 2nd Distance.  Therefore, a simple, single-rate letter would cost 5 bajocchi.  Apparently, this item had a weight that was greater than 6 denari and no more than 12 denari, so it was rated as a double weight letter.  Ten bajocchi prepaid the letter correctly for its successful travels.

Administrations in Romagne

For the sake of completeness, I include what I understand the postal administrations in Romagne to be in the 1850s.  As with the other maps, they may not perfectly reflect the actual areas covered by each office.

Internal Letter Rates from January 1864 to 1870

At this time, all districts other than the Patrimony of Rome had become part of the Kingdom of Italy.  The letter rate within the Patrimony was simplified to:

• letter in Rome: 1 bajocco
• letter outside of Rome: 2 bajocchi

Mail to the Marches and Romagne became a bit more difficult because Rome refused to negotiate a postal agreement with the new Kingdom of Italy.  As a result, mail to these locations could only be paid to the border and the recipient would then have to pay for the remainder of the cost to get from that border to the destination.  A future post will explore that situation.

Below is an example of a letter sent within the Viterbo Province for the 2 baj rate.  The item in question is only a wrapper with the content page(s) removed prior to my acquisition.

2 baj rate for letter outside of Rome

A partial Viterbo postal marking dated November 6, 1864 is on the front and a nice Civitacastellana marking is on the verso (dated Nov 8, 1864).  The official marking reads "Governo Pontificio Segretoriagle della Provincia di Viterbo"  which indicates the letter is from the Papal Government official titled the Secretary of the Province of Viterbo.  Civitacastellano is about 40km Southeast from Viterbo, but the eventual destination was actually Southwest of Civitacastellano.  Castel Sant Elia is still a small commune (between 2000 and 3000 residents) and this wrapper likely held some sort of official correspondence.

2 baj rate East of Rome

The second example of the 2 baj rate is from the "Gonfaloniere" of the city of Ceprano, located on the border of Latium and the Neapolitan Provinces.  A Rome-Ceprano ambulant marking is dated the same (Sep 12, 1865) as the Ceprano marking on the front.  There is also a Frosinone backstamp, likely indicating this is where the item got off of the train heading towards Rome.  Ripi appears to be the intended destination (between Ceprano and Frosinone).

verso showing postmarks

Resources:

Mentaschi, Mario -  Lire, Soldi, Crazie, Grana e Bajocchi (published by Vaccari in 2003).

     This book is in Italian with some translation to English at the chapter introductions.  This book expands on the exhibit with reasonable amounts of helpful text to explain political situations, rates and routes.

Vatican Philatelic Society
     It's a slow loading page for me at least.  There are some decent introductory materials there, but again it is not intended to have a focus for the period I am most interested in.  A Vatican area collector will probably enjoy the site.

Mario Mentaschi Exhibit
     The exhibit shown here appears to be a 1989 version.  

 Postal Tariffs of the Italian Area: 1850-1985 Colin Pilkington, ed. for Fil-Italia Handbooks, 1985
     While this book has what seems like solid information regarding rates from the General Postal Union on, it left me wondering about accuracy with earlier rates.  There seems to be more solid ground with the Kingdom of Italy rates starting in 1863, though it glosses entirely over any foreign rates prior to GPU/UPU.  The Italian State rate sections  suffer from over-simplification of the territories and timelines and the explanations for the internal rates of the Papal States are misleading.

Richard Frajola's "World" collection of postal history
     This is a thoroughly enjoyable exhibit showing material from 1840-1860 with a focus on internal letter rates.  As is true with most exhibits, there are cited dates, rates and routes, but the sources are not usually referenced. 

Additional resources to consider:

David D'Allessandris was kind enough to suggest additional resources:   

...explanation of rates published in English by Susan and Stephen Luster?  I think it was published in Mare Nostrum, the journal of the US branch of the Italy and Colonies Study Circle.  I think it agrees with the rates you list.  The full list of postal departments is in "Cancellations of the Papal States" by Alfonso Burgisser 

The Fil-Italia Interpretation:

• Within the same administration:  1 baj per sheet
• Between adjoining administrations: 2 baj per sheet
• Administrations in same district, not adjoining: 3 baj per sheet 
• Between adjoining districts: 4 baj per sheet
• Non-adjoining districts (Romagna to Patrimony): 5 baj per sheet

Clearly, this is accurate in the first three lines (district as distance).

The fourth line is accurate for mail between Romagna and the Marches.

The final line fails to capture the reality of mail to and from the 1st Distance (Patrimony).  

Mentaschi's Exhibit Interpretation:
Mentaschi's exhibit seems to indicate that price was based on 7.5 grams weight rather than by the sheet.  In reality, the weight was 7.1 grams (6 denari) which he makes clear in his book.  As a fellow exhibitor, I realize we sometimes make allowances for the audience.  Also, the exhibit is old enough in comparison to the book that changes could have been made as he learned more about his own subject.

Mentaschi sets the rate period starting January 1, 1852 (another generic source claims 1851).  The exhibit also mentions Cardinal Tosti's 1844 postal reform.

The exhibit led me to believe that each distance would have rayons in it, so there could have been rates much higher than 7 bajocchi - say for something from Ferrara to Civitavecchia.  So, while I could still calculate many rates correctly with that understanding, it would fail with a smaller subset.  Happily the book finally made it clear to me that the rayons only applied to the 1st Distance.

Looking at material in Richard Frajola's "World" collection of postal history, Frajola also cites the per sheet rate AND an Oct 1, 1852 start date.

I have viewed another exhibit that featured Papal States material and found their application of rates to be inconsistent, so I will not cite it here.

===================================================

My first time posting on this topic was in January of 2018 - at the time I made it clear that I was only putting my notes in the post so I could have ready access to them.  I then republished in November/December of 2019, expressing my confusion with the differences in Fil-Italia and the Mentaschi exhibit.  Since then, I have acquired Mentaschi's book and a few more postal history examples (and viewed several others).  

I feel comfortable that the rendering is now fairly accurate and I will consult with some postal history acquaintances who have more expertise in the subject to be sure I've got it right.

Last Update: 12/12/2020

Open Questions

1. Weight versus by the sheet

I tend to believe Mentaschi's interpretation that mail was by the 6 denari weight increment - especially given the nature of mail being sealed with wax to prevent easy inspection.  But the exception of the 1 baj printed matter rate for single sheets indicates that the measurement by sheet was probably in force at some point in the Papal States.  This is further supported by Neapolitan and Sicilian rates that appear to have been rated by the sheet and half sheet.

I wonder if it is possible that the initial implementation of Tosti's reform was by the sheet in 1844 and changed in the early 50s?  This would be consistent with changes made by other postal systems.  It would also be consistent with the Papal States' agreement to be part of the Austrian/Italian Postal League in 1852, which calculated rates by a combination of weight and distance.

2. Effective Dates

I have three different effective start dates for the internal mail rate period and have yet to find a resource that clarifies this for me.  The end dates are specific to the region as control of Romagne, the Marches and Umbria transitioned from the Papacy to independent provisional governments and thence to Sardinian postal services and finally the Kingdom of Italy.  

Many of those dates exist in Mentaschi's book and, of course, many are not hard dates - with transition periods where things were in flux.  I'll hunt for more specific dates at the point it feels like it is worthwhile for me to do so - when I find an item closer to where knowing those dates is important.

3. Where were stamps applied and canceled when something was sent 'postage due?'

I have only seen examples for the 1 baj local rate where the 1 baj due is noted on the front and the 1 baj stamp is placed on the back.  It would be interesting to come to a full understanding of the process those sorts of letters went through.  How was payment received and how did the stamps reflect that process?

4. List of Postal Departments and Department boundaries

I suspect there exist plenty of government and postal documents that would answer this question for me.  My motivation to hunt it down probably would come from more examples like the Sant'Elpidio item in my collection.  

5. Detailed portrayal of rayons in 1st Distance

This is similar to the above question.  As long as items I encounter fit my current interpretation, there is little need to pursue this further unless I were writing a definitive piece.  Happily, my current understanding gives me sufficient detail to be able to recognize the exceptions for when it might not fit.  Once I encounter them, I can research with a specific target in mind.

Columbians Paying Post for Packages

Like so many collectors of U.S. stamps, I always held the 1893 Columbian issue up as something I would love to obtain a complete set of someday.  And, if you know these stamps, you know that this is a tall order once you get into the dollar value Columbians.  Over time, my interest has moved towards postal history, which means we can typically take the dollar value Columbians completely off the table if you want examples properly paying a contemporary postage rate.

Happily, this does not hold true with other Columbians - especially when you consider the Otis Clapp package fronts appearing in the market at this point in time.

Above is a package front addressed to Otis Clapp & Son of Providence, Rhode Island.  Total postage is 45 cents, including a 30 cent and 6 cent Columbian issue stamp.

Unfortunately, the mute cancels are smudged and unreadable.  Since there is no return address on this package piece we cannot ascertain where it was mailed from, nor can we be absolutely certain as to the year it was mailed.  However, it is a fairly safe bet that this item was mailed in 1893 simply because the 1cent and 2 cent issues are from the 1890-93 definitive series and a new series of these was issued in 1894.  The stamps with most common use (such as these low value stamps) tend to make their appearance on postal history items closer to their dates of issue than higher denominations.

Internal Fourth-Class Mail 1879-1912

Since these are package fronts, we cannot be certain, but it is a good, educated guess, that the contents fit the definition of fourth-class mail.  Essentially, anything that was not classified as first, second or third class mail fell into this final class of items that could be sent via the postal service.  This included various merchandise, including the types of materials Otis Clapp and Son might ship out or receive. 

The rate was very simple - 1 cent for every ounce up to 4 pounds and was effective from May 1, 1879 to December 31, 1912.  Thus, the item above would have weighed 45 ounces (2 lbs 13 oz)

A similar, third-class mail rate was 1 cent for every 2 ounces and was applied to all types of printed matter packages, such as books, circulars and newspapers.  It too, had a 4 pound limit, which eliminates it as a possibility for the package front shown above.  Since that is likely the case, this is almost certainly a fourth-class rate example.

The item shown above is franked only by a 15 cent Columbian stamp and is likely an example of a 15 ounce package mailed at the fourth-class rate.  However, we cannot rule out the possibility that this was printed matter carried in a wrapper - and it could have been a third-class rate.  We'll never know for certain, and that's just the way things are sometimes!

Unlike the first item, we have no other stamps to help us determine a likely year of mailing and just like the first item, we have no postmarks that will help us.  However, a quick history of the J. Ellwood Lee Company gives us an idea that, perhaps, we should not be surprised by a contemporary use of Columbian issue stamps from them.

J. Ellwood Lee Co

The J Ellwood Lee Company of Conshohockem, Pennsylvannia was a well-known supplier of medical supplies, such as rubber gloves, ligatures, rubber tubing, as well as other medical equipment.  John Ellwood Lee was born in 1860 and started the business in the attic of his parents home in 1883.  By the time the Columbian Exposition came around (the time when the Columbian stampes were issued) in 1893 his company was quite well established.  J Ellwood Lee Company won five gold medals against international competition at the fair.  The company's involvement in the exposition doesn't make it hard to see why Columbian issue stamps might be on some of their mailings.

This article on the Pennsylvania Heritage site can provide more detail on J Ellwood Lee if you find that interesting. 

Oddly enough, Johnson & Johnson (yes, that Johnson & Johnson) purchased J. Ellwood Lee Company in 1905, placing Ellwood Lee onto its board of directors. 

Supposing this package held rubber tubing (not a bad guess giving Otis Clapp & Son's activities), 15 ounces could have held a decent bit of tubing.  Below is an invoice (that I do not own) that was on an online auction site.

The invoice shows an 1894 purchase of reels of silk - presumably used for stitches.  Given Otis Clapp & Son's focus as a pharmaceutical business and the advertising on the front, I think it more likely that this was, in fact, some sort of rubber tubing.

Above is an item that bears 51 cents in postage to carry a package that must have weighed three pounds and three ounces of weight.  Unlike the other two, this one was sent from Otis Clapp & Son to a customer in St Louis, Missouri - the Antikamnia Chemical Company.

Once again, we have a 1 cent stamp from the 1890-93 definitive issue that encourages me to believe that this, too, is an 1893-94 mailing.

Antikamnia Chemical Company

The Antikamnia Chemical Company (est 1890) was known for its powder and tablet products to reduce pain.  The main ingredient, acetanilid, was sometimes mixed by this company with other active ingredients such as codeine, heroin and quinine.  The initial efficacy of acetanilid rested on a single German study of 24 patients, but the company is known for prolific advertising to maintain sales even after running afoul of the Pure Food and Drug Act of 1906.  More may be read here: Fiedler, William C. (1979). "Antikamnia: The Story of a Pseudo-ethical Pharmaceutical". Pharmacy in History. 21 (2): 59–72

The bookmark shown above is not in my possession and was found as an offering on Etsy.  A person could also find advertising covers for this firm.

Otis Clapp & Son

Otis Clapp first opened his retail homeopathic pharmacy in 1840 and the company Otis Clapp & Son was still operating until it was purchased in 2008.  Oddly enough, you can find the company advertising various homeopathic remedies over a long span of time AND you can find it listed as a publishing company.

By all accounts, Otis was a remarkable individual, serving in the Massachusetts House of Representatives, is listed as a founder for M.I.T., the Boston Female Medical College and an orphanage.   His son, was also quite remarkable.  Dr. J Wilkinson Clapp was as professor of pharmacy at the Boston University Medical School and put emphasis on research.  A decent outline of the history can be found at the Sue Young Histories site.  Sadly, the old Otis Clapp company site with the company history has been taken down.

Apparently, Otis Clapp bottles are a fairly popular collectors item.  These bottles were found on the Antiques Navigator site. 

What I find interesting in all of this is the connections these three pieces of postal history make within the medical and pharmaceuticals fields.  Clearly, Otis Clapp & Company was populated by exceptional people and the early stories surrounding that company are generally positive.  Similarly, J Ellwood Lee was seen in a good light - even by employees well after he could have been excused from personal interaction with the workers.  In both cases, the primary players saw significant success.

On the other hand, the founders of the Antikamnia Chemical Company could be said to have found financial success, but there is some question about the ethics and quality that went along with it all.  It could be interesting to uncover how Clapp and Lee might have felt about Antikamnia. 

Perhaps we should get back to the postal history stuff now?

Why the Ugly Cancellations?

The postal markings available to us on these parcel fronts are far from helpful to the postal historian.  However, they did the job they were intended to do - deface the postage stamps so they could not be re-used.  

Most third and fourth class mail items were struck with cancellation devices that did not include a date and sometimes did not even indicate a city/town of origin.  In the fine book by Beecher and Wawrukiewicz (US Domestic Postal Rates, 1872-1999, 2nd ed.), they suggest that these 'mute' cancels purposefully eliminated the date to not call attention to the speed of delivery of this type of mail.  We need to remember that all sorts of things were being mailed in fourth-class.  Sometimes an item would simply have a mailing tag tied to it.  With all of the different sizes and shapes, shipping could provide some interesting puzzle for the postal service.  It is no wonder that it might take longer and it is understandable that they did not want to give customers any additional ammunition to complain about the speed of delivery.

As far as the quality of the strikes are concerned, we can also surmise that the package surface was rarely as stable as a flat letter on a solid surface would be.  It does not take much of an experience with a stamping device to figure out exactly how hard it is to get a clean strike on an unevenly supported surface.