The history of Canadian airmail (and aviation) picks up a few weeks after Peck and Mather’s June 24, 1918 flight. 1918 was a wonderful year for Canada’s fledgling ventures into the brave new world of airmail delivery. The potential for this new method of mail delivery was not lost on postmasters in Canada, including 2 who helped pioneer airmail in the western provinces.
A few weeks after the first flight from Montreal to Toronto, Alberta claimed three aviation 1sts:
Canada’s first civilian airmail flight
first airmail flight by a female pilot
the first airmail flight to happen in western Canada.
Enter the Postmasters
Katherine Stinson in Overland car, Edmonton, Alberta.”, 1916, (CU155537) by McDermid Studio. Courtesy of Collection, Libraries and Cultural Resources Digital Collections, University of Calgary.
Probably signing for mail to be delivered by air. L-R: Katherine Stinson; Police Chief Alfred Cuddy; G. C. King; Nat Christie, general manager of Calgary Exhibition and Stampede. A. Cuddy appointed Commissioner Alberta Provincial Police in 1918. See PA-293-43.
“George Clift King, Calgary, Alberta.”, [ca. 1920], (CU1198368) by Unknown. Courtesy of Glenbow Library and Archives Collection, Libraries and Cultural Resources Digital Collections, University of Calgary.
Calgary, Alberta postmaster George King and Edmonton Exhibition manager, Bill Stark, planned an airmail delivery to take off from the Calgary Industrial Exhibition and fly to the Edmonton Exhibition fair grounds on July 9, 1918. Edmonton postmaster G. S. Armstrong, and Calgary Ex manager Nat Christie were on hand to help with the venture. The airmail flight was a substitute for the annual crowd pleasing fireworks. In 1916, the government of Canada prohibited their use, because of wartime restrictions. The Edmonton Ex board of directors were casting around looking for an event to replace the fireworks.
“TheEdmonton Exhibition Associationhadsixteenhundreddollars setasideforfireworks.TheboardfounditcouldhireKatherineStinsontoflyherCurtissbi-planeupfromTexasfor thesamemoney.SoMissStinsonwashiredtosubstitute herairplaneforthemissingfireworks.” The Edmonton story : the life and times of Edmonton, Alberta, Tony Cashman 1956, page 279.
They chose one of the most popular pilots of the era – American Katherine Stinson. She was already a legend in flying circles and had visited Canada previously for flying exhibitions. She was a guaranteed popular draw for any air show. It’s not clear at what point the decision was made to include an airmail delivery during her visit, but plans were coordinated and the added event was advertised.
The incredible Katherine Stinson
“Katherine Stinson, Edmonton, Alberta.”, 1916, (CU178508) by McDermid Studio. Courtesy of Glenbow Library and Archives Collection, Libraries and Cultural Resources Digital Collections, University of Calgary.
Stinson was incredible, in every sense of the word. She started barnstorming as a way to raise money to finance music studies in Europe, and help launch a career as a concert pianist. But aviation stole her away. She fell deeply in love with flying and never looked back.
Katherine Stinson, nicknamed the “schoolgirl pilot”, was the 4th female pilot to gain a flying certificate in the US (July 13, 1912 Aero Club of America Pilot’s Certificate No. 48). She convinced Max Lillie to train her at his flight school in Chicago, soloing in just 4.5 hours. In later years, she would confess that her solo flight wasn’t as easy as it appeared:
Katherine remained calm and safely landed, with no injury to either herself or the airplane. She went on to set records that included being 1st pilot in the US to fly at night, 1st female to fly in Japan and Canada, 1st female to deliver airmail in US as well as nonstop distance records, to name a handful of her achievements.
Stinson’s love affair with flying seemed to have infected her entire family. Her younger sister Marjorie, went on to be the 9th woman to a gain US pilot’s license and had a storied career in aviation herself. Brother Edward also became a pilot, and noted aircraft designer. Along with her mother Emma, Katherine set up the Stinson Aviation Company as well as a flying school and municipal airport in Texas, which is the 2nd oldest, continuously used airfield in the USA. The family helped shape American and Canadian aviation history.
Curtiss Stinson-Special
“Katherine Stinson flying biplane, Edmonton, Alberta.”, From an earlier airshow in 1916, (CU180665) by Byron-May Company Limited. Courtesy of Glenbow Library and Archives Collection, Libraries and Cultural Resources Digital Collections, University of Calgary.
Wingspan: 9.75 m
Length: 6.91 m
Powerplant: 1x Curtiss OXX-6 V8 engine (75 kW)
Maximum Speed: 165 km/h
Cruise Speed: 112 km/h
Range: 1000 km
Katherine began her flying career in a Wright B Flyer. By 1918 she was using a modified Curtis biplane, the same model Captain Peck flew in his June airmail flight. The Curtiss Aeroplane and Motor Company customized the 2 seater Curtiss Jenny-4 (renamed the Curtiss Stinson-Special) for Stinson. Among the changes was turning it into a nimble single seater. It was in the Stinson-Special that Katherine flew for the Alberta airmail demonstration.
The flight was coordinated by postmaster George King and Calgary Industrial Exhibition’s manager Nat Christie on the Calgary end and for Edmonton, W. J. Stark, Edmonton Exhibition manager and G. S. Armstrong, postmaster. The plan was to have Stinson take off in the early afternoon of July 9, 1918 with a mailbag holding 259 letters, each bearing a special purple cancel reading “Aeroplane Mail Service, July 9, 1918, Calgary, Alberta”.
This proof cancel is part of the Glenbow Museum holdings.
The flight was a publicity stunt, much like the Montreal to Toronto one was. Part entertainment and part proving aircraft could be modified for commercial uses. Stinson was a shrewd choice. Her “schoolgirl” appearance was a wholesome antidote to the horrors of the war still raging in Europe.
Katherine Stinson Night AT EDMONTON EXHIBITION
Everybody turn outline
SATURDAY NIGHT
and pay a much deserved tribute to the little girl who added a brilliant chapter to Western Canadian History last Tuesday when she carried 259 regularly posted letters over the first AERIAL MAIL ROUTE into Edmonton.
A RECEPTION will be given to Miss Stinson by the Public after her flight on Saturday Night.
Edmonton Ex advertisement for Katherine Stinson Night Photographer: NAPOTA/Tony Cashman Courtesy City of Edmonton Archives Reference code: CA EDM MS-56-EA-10-3181-4-3
Follow the trains
The best route was the simplest, Stinson would follow the Canadian Pacific Rail tracks that ran from Calgary to Edmonton. Once over the city, Stinson would make her way to the Edmonton Exhibition grounds (now Borden Park) and hand over the mailbag in a nonstop flight.
CPR telegraphs that dotted the route readied to send flash reports on Stinson’s progress. Stark and Christie arranged for updates to be posted around the fair grounds so the eager public could be kept up to date.
Katherine arrived at the Exhibition grounds in the morning, anticipating a 12:00 takeoff and arrival in Edmonton before 3:00. Mechanics who were preparing the airplane realised the engine needed more “tuning up” than anticipated and the flight was delayed. According to a July 9, 1918 Calgary Herald report, the engine was not the same one used during Stinson’s aerial displays in Calgary. It was decided to use a different engine, the one used extensively during her US long distance flights. This decision would prove to be problematic during the first stages of the trip.
Finally at 12:30, everything was ready. Stinson dressed in her flying clothes, did a final visual check of the airplane and climbed into the cockpit, grasping a copy of her planned route on a page torn from a school notebook. George King handed off the mail bag and by 12:45, everything was in place. The crowd was moved back and the propeller was swung and the engine roared into life. Stinson bumped along the ground, mechanics following closely, holding the wingtips as she guided the Special to takeoff position. Mechanics noticed a few more issues with the engine and performed a few adjustments, once again delaying the flight.
Miss Stinson receiving mail from Calgary postmaster, G. C. King, for first aerial service mail flight in Western Canada, Calgary to Edmonton, Alberta.
At 1:03 pm, Katherine took off and headed to Edmonton.
“When final preparations were made for the start about 12:30 o’clock it was found that minor adjustments had to be made and the actual start did not take place until 1.03 o’clock this afternoon. After making a graceful skim along the open prairie the aeroplane rose gradually from the ground and headed southeast on circular flight in order to gain altitude. After circling to the north-eastern outskirts of the city, Miss Stinson turned her plane and headed due north. The crowd remained at the starting grounds until the hum of the engine ceases and the dark object gradually disappeared in the misty air.” Calgary Herald Newspaper July 9, 1918
“Miss Katherine Stinson, air pilot, Calgary, Alberta.”, 1918-07-08, (CU186187) by Ring, W. V.. Courtesy of Glenbow Library and Archives Collection, Libraries and Cultural Resources Digital Collections, University of Calgary.
“Katherine Stinson ready to leave with first aerial service mail, Calgary, Alberta.”, 1918-07-09, (CU1122712) by Ring, —?. Courtesy of Glenbow Library and Archives Collection, Libraries and Cultural Resources Digital Collections, University of Calgary.
“Sightseeing aircraft at Calgary, Alberta.”, 1916, (CU183872) by Unknown. Courtesy of Glenbow Library and Archives Collection, Libraries and Cultural Resources Digital Collections, University of Calgary.
“Court May sitting in Katherine Stinson’s airplane, Edmonton, Alberta.”, 1916, (CU178425) by Byron-May Company Limited. Courtesy of Glenbow Library and Archives Collection, Libraries and Cultural Resources Digital Collections, University of Calgary.
“Katherine Stinson’s airplane, Calgary Exhibition and Stampede, Calgary, Alberta.”, 1919-08, (CU182284) by Ring, W. V.. Courtesy of Glenbow Library and Archives Collection, Libraries and Cultural Resources Digital Collections, University of Calgary.
Flight in jeopardy
Stinson settled in for the 315 km (196 miles) journey, which was expected to take approximately 2 hrs. In 1918, that same trip, according to the Edmonton Journal would take nearly 2 days to drive. She was making good time when she was hit with more engine troubles, just outside of Calgary, 11 km (7 miles) north of the Exhibition grounds. Katherine was forced to make an emergency landing on a farm in Beddington, near what is now the northwest tip of the Calgary International Airport.
Word was sent to the organisers who rushed mechanics to the farm. Luckily the problem was quickly diagnosed as a lose bolt that interfered with the fuel flow to the engine. It took a several hours to repair, and by this time the Edmonton Grandstand was already filling up with people eager to watch Stinson’s historic landing. By 5:55 pm, the Stinson-Special rumbled back to life. Katherine was determined to make the nonstop flight, and make an entrance that would be remembered. She turned the airplane south to the Calgary Exhibition fields, circled the field and turned north once again. She planned to land in time for the 8 pm evening Grandstand performance. (Calgary Herald Sunday Magazine p14, Jul 6, 1986.)
The flight was hours behind schedule and now the wind had picked up, buffeting Stinson’s plane about in the sky. As she flew past each town and village along the route, CPR telegraph operators tapped out quick reports for the anxious organisers. Despite all the setbacks, Katherine was making steady progress towards Edmonton.
Each town sent a report off as they watched Stinson fly past. First Balzc and then Airdrie. The winds continued, but she kept flying north. Crossfield, Carstairs. Didsbury, Olds, Bowden and Innisfail joined in the watch, excited to share this moment. And Red Deer had their chance to report, slightly saddened that Katherine had to turn down their earlier invitation to land there on her way to Edmonton. Next came reports from Lacombe and Morningside. Exhibition attendees rushed to read the latest bulletins, as they were posted. And finally the last reports came in from Ponoka, Wetaskiwin, Millet and Leduc. When she flew over Leduc Katherine was less than 40 km from her final destination. The crowds were growing, waiting, straining to hear the tell tale sound of the Curtiss V8 engine.
Edmonton … at last
“Here she comes!” shouted a thousand voices, and many times that number of necks were craned upwards, and twice as many again of eyes stared into the grey-blue depths of the southern sky. Far away, looking like some great bird, but approaching with the speed and steadiness which differentiated it from any bird, was what at first was little more than a mere speck in the heavens. As it drew near it assumed the familiar shape of an aeroplane. Then the outstretched wings of a biplane was discernable and the up-curling rudder, marked with a big red cross. Edmonton Bulletin July 9, 1918
Clippings from July 9 Calgary Herald report
G. S. Armstrong, postmaster, left; W. J. Stark, Edmonton Exhibition manager, right.
Katherine Stinson in Overland car, Edmonton, Alberta.”, 1916, (CU155537) by McDermid Studio. Courtesy of Collection, Libraries and Cultural Resources Digital Collections, University of Calgary.
When the airplane was spotted, there was a race among the organisers to see who could reach it first. Everyone piled into cars and barreled out onto the temporary landing strip to greet a happy and relieved Katherine Stinson. Although he didn’t reach the plane first, Calgary’s postmaster (and former mayor) George Armstrong took possession of His Majesty’s mailbag. The flight had taken 2 hours and 5 min, travelling at an average speed of 96 mph. Despite the engine issues and the wind, Katherine Stinson had successfully flown the first civilian airmail delivery in Canada.
And not a stamp in sight
What happened to the covers? The majority of them have disappeared into the mists of time. People shoved them into drawers, threw them out, lost them. According to aerophilately.ca some 20 covers are known to still exist:
More than twenty covers (i.e. pieces of mail) from Stinson’s July 9 1918 flight have survived, almost all of which are now in the hands of collectors. Five are ordinary postal envelopes; one is a folded map sealed with red legal stickers; most of the others are folded letterheads, also sealed with red stickers Katherine Stinson’s Flights in Canada- (aerophilately.ca) p. 11
There may be covers lurking in attics and old boxes of family archives, but they rarely, if ever pop up for auction.
As far as stamps, well, neither the USA nor Canada has seen fit to honour this pioneering aviator with a stamp of her own. I scoured the archives looking and found none. There have been a number of commemorative covers and cachets but no stamps. In 2006, a special cover was issued to commemorate the Alberta Aviation Museum’s completion of a (non-flying) replica of the Curtiss Stinson-Special. The covers were numbered (259 issued) and included a replica of the original cancel with a 2006 date substituted, rather than 1918.
Aside from the above mentioned cover, collectors can search for postcards (some signed) and photos. As for philatelic collectables, both Fleetwood and Colorado released covers dedicated to Stinson. Both were issued as part of a larger set on aviation pioneers.
It’s time for a stamp smackdown – Moomins vs Pooh! Which is better?
The Poll
[totalpoll id=”53025″]
Cartoon characters are popular stamp themes. So much so, you could have an entire collection devoted to nothing but cute bears and fantasy creatures. And if a person decided to specialise, I suspect they could have an impressive little album of just Winnie the Pooh and Moomins. A lot of ink has been spilt creating Pooh & Moomin stamps. I have friends who have, shall we say, strong opinions on the Moomin vs Pooh issue. Our conversations can occasionally go off the rails and we find ourselves debating stamp topics – which is better Paddington or Pooh. Pooh or Moomins, Godzilla or Reptilicus? Its time settle the more urgent of the conundrums – Pooh Bear or Moomins?
While both show up on stamps from around the world, I’ve narrowed down the representative list to four countries. In this corner Finland & Japan, representing MOOMINS and in the opposing corner UK & Japan showing equally strong support for POOH. In a spoiler entry, Canada will make a guest appearance.
Why these countries?
Finland is an obvious choice because that is the Moomin homeland. Royal Mail is a strong contender for this competition, with their sole contribution to the Pooh pantheon. Although Pooh traces his origins to the Canadian wilderness (hence Canada’s appearance), he owes his literary legacy to British writer A.A. Milne (and his son). And finally Japan made the cut because they are prolific designers of both Moomins & Disney characters and they supply a bit of balance to the mix.
Use the poll at the top of the page to pick Moomin or Pooh and get ready for the ultimate stamp smackdown!
MOOMINS
All the characters are the work of Finnish writer Tove Jansson.
Let’s start with the birthplace of Moomins – Finland. As expected, they’ve issued quite a few delightful sets. A virtual colony of Moomin stamps have been created by Finland’s post office and it was hard to whittle the list to just a few.
These booklets from 2000 and 2015, by designer Pirkko Vahtero were top of my list.
The bonus on the first set was the booklet cover featuring a map of where the Moomins live.
These 8 stamps offer snippets of Moomin life and the illustrations are marvelous.
In 2020 our Moomin friends reappeared on a souvenir sheet titled Our Sea. James Zambra took over design duties for this water protection initiative with the cooperation of John Nurminen Foundation.
Each stamp featured the Moomins & friends taking care of the Baltic Sea, which is part of their home. While not as vibrant as the previous two sets, it was a standout for both message and design simplicity. Often less is more effective in conveying a message.
We could spend a delightful day pottering around Finland with the Moomins, but we’ll have to hold the list at one more. In 2017 the Moomins did a bit of Time Traveling courtesy designers Ari Lakaniemi and Susanna Rumpu. Released to celebrate the grand opening of the Moomin Museum, the 5 stamp set looks at the Moomins throughout their long history. It showcased old and newer illustrations to show how the Moomins have changed over the decades.
Of all the Moomin stamps, the 2017 one featuring High Grade Coffee is my favourite. So many details are packed into this small square. Here’s a big view to examine:
Moomins, coffee & stamps! The trifecta.
Japan enters the Moomin competition with these 2021 sheets by designer Yoshikawa Ayumi 吉川 亜有美.
The next set used Hitomi Nakamaru’s 中丸 ひとみ 2015 design. Nakamaru’s simpler, cleaner selvedge served to show off the unusual stamp shapes.
I especially enjoy the use of Moomins for the coloured “traffic lights” instead of the traditional dots, something you’ll see in all the Japanese Moomin stamps. Hitomi’s next Moomin stamps were the 2018 series. It hit all the right notes with both round stamp shapes and nice little selvedge details.
It’s a little busier feeling than Hitomi’s earlier work, but is still attractive.
Japan has issued more than these examples, but like Finland, a line needs to be drawn, or we could be here all day discussing the merits of Finnish design vs Japanese design. Although they are using the same characters and basic illustrations, each country brings a different style of artwork, especially to the background bits. They offer excellent samples to support the Moomin case.
WINNIE THE POOH
The Winnie the Pooh juggernaut is a force unto itself. With over 300 stamps from around the world, it was difficult to decide where to start. Pooh’s Canadian origin story won out.
If you aren’t aware of it, the little bear with a passion for honey was originally Canadian. A.A. Milne wrote a series of tales featuring a bear, from the London Zoo, named Winnie. Winnie was mascot for the The Fort Garry Horse in WW1. When they shipped out from Canada to the UK, she went with them. When the unit left for the front she was given to the London Zoo, where she remained the rest of her life. The original illustrations by E. H. Shepard are my favourite depictions of the bear. In 1961, Disney took over the image rights and most are more familiar with the their depiction than Shepard’s originals.
The above 1996 souvenir sheet by artist Wai Poon, stirred up a bit of controversy in Canada when released. The inclusion of the Disney Theme Park, (part of a joint promotion with Disney Corporation and Canada Post) in both the selvedge and one of the stamps was deemed “too commercial” by some who viewed Winnie as a Canadian icon. Regardless, it was a hugely popular issue. The first stamp in the set shows the original Winnie being fed by the soldier who rescued her (Harry Colebourn). Winnie was named for Colebourn’s hometown Winnipeg by the way. The third image remains true to Shepard’s original illustrations and the last uses Disney’s illustration. A nice composition showing the evolution of Pooh.
Despite Pooh’s English literary origins, Royal Mail has only issued one series dedicated to the bear. Their 2010 EUROPA set – Children’s Books – Winnie The Pooh by Studio David Hillman captured the A.A. Milne spirit rather than the Disneyfied version. They used Shepard’s beloved and now classic artwork for this 10 stamp series.
The hallmark of the set is Shepard’s uncomplicated artistry. Hillman let’s Shepard’s images tell the story without unnecessary added graphics, much like the original book illustrations. Sometimes less is better.
Japan, on the other hand, has celebrated the Bear & his pals many times over the years. Pooh’s most recent appearance was this year’s (2023) new release so it’s a perfect starting point. The country’s passion for Disney popped up with a June release by 丸山 智 Satoshi Maruyama.
Satoshi’s use of soft pastels created a gentle, almost velvety feel to the 10 stamps. The sheet acts as a combination of Spring in Japan and Disney whimsy. Once again, Japan Post has fun with the “stop lights” and uses Pooh head silhouettes instead of the traditional dots.
2013 saw this 20 stamp set that included a few fun non-philatelic stickers. Japan Post’s prolific designer Hitomi Nakamaru’s 中丸 ひとみ Pooh and his pals was much livelier than Satoshi’s set. The inclusion of the 100 Acre Wood as the centre piece on the first sheet was a nice touch. And if you can look at the second set and not start humming the Winnie the Pooh song, you are a stronger person than I.
Nakamaru also applied his talents to Japan’s 2015 Disney Characters 2 set. The first sheet was devoted to Pooh and it harkened back to an earlier, less polished Disney’s depiction, one I far prefer because it is closer to the original Shepard designs. I’m not sure, but this sheet seems to use 1961 illustrations, the first from Disney. It is difficult to “redo” the same characters over and over, but Nakamaru brought a fresh feel to the bear. The honeycomb layout was a clever nod to Pooh’s favourite food and created an uncluttered, but delightful addition to the Pooh stamp family.
Of all the Japanese designs, I think this one captures Pooh’s innocence the best.
So now, it’s time to vote – Moomins or Pooh and his friends? Which is your favourite? It’s up to you to settle this debate. You can use this shortcut to go back up to the poll. If you’d like to see more “stamp smackdowns” drop me a note.
No series on Canadian airmail would be complete without a nod to both Canada’s first successful flight and Canadian designed airplane the Silver Dart. This aircraft established the career of one of the country’s great pioneers of Canadian aviation, John Alexander Douglas McCurdy (JAD McCurdy). The project to build this small plane was put together by the Aerial Experiment Association (AEA), who counted among it’s members the legendary American aviation great Glen Curtiss (1878-1930), JAD McCurdy (1886-1961), Alexander Graham Bell (1847-1922) (yes of telephone fame), Frederick W. “Casey” Baldwin (1882-1948), and Thomas Selfridge (1882-1908) and financed by Bell’s wife Mabel Gardiner Hubbard Bell (1857-1923).
On a cold February day, a small group of people towed a fragile biplane out onto the frozen Bras d’Or Lake in Nova Scotia, and readied it for it’s inaugural Canadian flight. John McCurdy, who also designed the Silver Dart, sat behind the wheel of the pusher aircraft. He must have said a prayer before he accelerated down the ice and hoped for success. Composed of bamboo, wood, steel tubes, tape and no brakes, it was as much a matter of faith as it was reliance on the design and the team’s build skills, that the plane would fly and not immediately crash to earth.
So, on February 23, 1909, JAD McCurdy flew into history with the the first officially recognised flight to take place in the entire British Empire, not just Canada.
Cast of Characters
Towing the Silver Dart out to the lake Silver Dart aircraft of the Aerial Experimental Association Credit: Library and Archives Canada / PA-122520 Restrictions on use: Nil Copyright: Expired
The Silver Dart was the final of 4 aircraft designs by the Aerial Experiment Association. Alexander Bell formed the company and was one of the driving forces, supplying both funds (via his wife), inspiration and leadership. As early as 1891–92, Bell was experimenting with flight and on Sept. 30, 1907, in an effort to foster the advancement of flight, formed the AEA along with Baldwin, Curtiss, McCurdy and Selfridge. Each of the four younger members would be assigned the role of primary designer for one of the four experimental aircraft.
Thomas Etholen Selfridge was a US army Lieutenant who was lead designer on the first airplane, the Red Wing (also called Aerodrome #1). Frederick W. Baldwin was picked to fly the prototype and successfully flew for 20 seconds, covering 97 m (318 feet). The flight took place March 12, 1908 near Hammondsport, New York, where AEA had setup a workshop. On it’s second flight, the tail detached and crashed on takeoff.
Toronto born Frederick Walker “Casey” Baldwin was a graduate of the University of Toronto (1906), with degrees in electrical and mechanical engineering. He was classmates with McCurdy, another Canadian and it was on a visit to McCurdy’s home in Baddeck, Nova Scotia where he was invited by fellow Baddeck resident Bell to join the AEA. This started Baldwin’s long association with Bell, that included becoming superintendent of Bell Labs. He was the chief engineer for AEA and was the designer of the second airplane, the White Wing (Aerodrome #2).
Selfridge with his Red Wing 1908. The Alexander Graham Bell and the Aerial Experiment Association Photograph Collection/The Museum of Flight
While he never had a chance to fly his own design, the Red Wing, Selfridge did pilot the AEA’s second airplane the White Wing (Aerodrome #2) twice, becoming the 1st US military officer to fly on May 19,1908. This time Selfridge was flying Baldwin’s design. It flew for about 100 feet in distance, on it’s maiden flight. By the time Selfridge reported back to military duty later in in the summer, he managed a handful of flights with the White Wing, with the longest lasting 1 minute and 30 seconds. It’s final flight on May 23, 1908, ended in a crash landing, with pilot McCurdy walking away unscathed but the White Wing was a write off.
It was the White Wing that landed the AEA in a bit of legal trouble with the notoriously litigious Wright Brothers. The Brothers claimed patent infringement over the White Wing’s aileron design (used to control the airplane’s maneuverability). This was part of a long running legal battle between Glen Curtiss and the Wrights over his refusal to pay for the right to use the patented design.
Baldwin’s White Wing aircraft May 19, 1908 The Alexander Graham Bell and the Aerial Experiment Association Photograph Collection/The Museum of Flight
Selfridge didn’t live to see the Silver Dart (Aerodrome #4) fly. He was back on active duty at Fort Myer when Orville Wright arrived to demonstrate the capabilities of the1908 Wright Military Flyer. The Lieutenant managed to wrangle an invitation to ride along as passenger on September 17, 1908. It was this flight that created two more unfortunate firsts for Selfridge. On the fifth lap around Fort Myer, the Wight Flyer suffered a catastrophic malfunction when the right-hand propeller broke off and the plane plummeted to the ground.
Orville Wright was seriously injured and hospitalised for 7 weeks. Selfridge was not so lucky. He suffered a terrible skull facture and died a few hours later. Selfridge was fated go down in history as the first passenger victim of an air crash. It was also because of his death that the US military instituted a helmet policy for all air crew. After an investigation into the crash, it was generally believed Selfridge would have survived if his head had been protected.
Glen Curtis flying the June Bug, July 4, 1908 Library of Congress, Washington, D.C. (neg. no. LC-USZ62-59026)
Despite losing such a valuable member, the AEA continued with their experiments, moving onto their 3rd design. Glenn Curtiss was the “propulsion expert” for AEA, in short he designed and built the engines. Aviator, designer, mechanic, Curtiss went on to become one of the great names in American aviation. He designed some of the most recognisable and reliable aircrafts over the coming decides, including the Curtiss Canuck, flown by Captain Peck in 1918 for Canada’s first airmail delivery, and Katherine Stinson’s modified Jenny, which she flew for her 1918 Alberta airmail flight.
Curtiss’ water cooled V8, 65 hp, engine used by the Silver Dart
The June Bug (Aerodrome #3) was Curtiss’ child from start to finish. Built on the successes (and failures) of the Red and White Wings the Bug was wildly successful.
Like the two previous Aircraft, this was powered by the Curtiss engine, and retained the distinctive curved wings. This time four ailerons were fitted, and the tail surfaces were improved by being made into a biplane structure. Flown by Curtiss himself and by J.A. McCurdy who like Baldwin was a Canadian, the June Bug proved itself far superior to the two earlier aircraft. Some 30 flights were made, the most notable being one of 2 miles (3.2km) on 29 August. P. 26, Pioneers of Aviation, Christopher Chant.
It was this airplane that won the Scientific American Trophy for successfully staying aloft for a kilometer- a very long distance at the time. It had to be publicly observed to win this prize, to ensure no disputes arose over the award. Bell and the AEA documented much of their work, and invited spectators to observe many of their flights, so it was easily proven. It stayed aloft for 1 km or 0.6 miles on July 4, 1908, The June Bug was modified for the AEA’s experimental twin-pontoon floatplane tests and renamed The Loon (Aerodrome #3-A). It’s not often discussed in accounts of the AEA experiments, but greatly aided in Curtiss’ future experiments with sea planes, such as the Curtiss Model E Flying Boat in 1911.
From left to Right: Glenn Curtiss, JAD McCurdy, Alexander Graham Bell, Casey Baldwin, Lt. Thomas Selfridge.
Silver Dart in Flight 1909 Photograph of the Aerial Experiment Association’s Aerodrome No. 4 “Silver Dart” aircraft, piloted by John A. D. McCurdy, in flight over the ice at Baddeck Bay, Nova Scotia, March 8, 1909. The Alexander Graham Bell and the Aerial Experiment Association Photograph Collection (2018-10-01-B), Box 1, Folder 3
The Silver Dart prepares for flight
Like it’s predecessors, the Silver Dart (Aerodrome #4) was built and tested at the AEA workshop in NY. McCurdy was the principle designer for the Aerodrome #4. He was also selected as pilot for the Canadian flight.
The youngest of the group, McCurdy graduated from the University of Toronto in 1907 with a degree in mechanical engineering. At 23 years of age, it’s unlikely McCurdy envisioned where his association with the AEA would take him. He went on to become the first Canadian to earn a pilot’s license, established the first flying school in Canada, helped establish the Canadian Aeroplanes Ltd in Toronto, which built airplanes during WW1, flew the first Florida to Cuba flight, become Assistant Director General of aircraft production during WW2, Lieutenant Governor of Nova Scotia, honorary Commodore of the RCAF, established the Reid Aircraft Company (maintaining a long, creative relationship with Curtiss) and is regarded as the father of the Canadian air force.
Although Bell gets the bulk of credit for the Silver Dart, it was a group effort, with McCurdy responsible for much of the final design. But Bell should be recognised for his pivotal role in encouraging his 4 designers and pushing the three survivors towards what would become legendary careers:
It was always Bell’s intention to have each of his four young engineers have a chance to design an aircraft. By the time McCurdy got to the Silver Dart he was able to incorporate the improvements from the previous planes, notably the aileron, the first water-cooled aircraft engine and the silvery “dope” used to waterproof the wings. The Silver Dart and the Dawn of Flight in Canada | The Canadian Encyclopedia
Fabrication workshop – assembly of Silver Dart July 5, 1909 Baddeck, Nova Scotia Credit: Library and Archives Canada / PA-122719 Restrictions on use: Nil Copyright: Expired
The Silver Dart (like the previous designs) was a pusher type aircraft, which means the engine and propeller sat behind the pilot and “pushed” the airplane through the air. Slightly larger than the June Bug, it’s wingspan was 15 m (49 ft 1 in) and 12 m (39 ft 4 in) long and 2.9 m (9 ft 7 in) high. Without crew, it weighted 277 kg (610 lb). In optimal conditions, it could reach a maximum 69 km/h (43 mph) and reach a height of 21.4 m (70 ft). A single water cooled Curtis V-8 65 HP engine powered the plane. It’s name, by the way, came from the sturdy, silver coloured balloon fabric used to cover the wings.
McCurdy at the wheel of the Silver Dart 1909.
After a number of test flights in NY, AEA was ready to head across the border to Canada. They dismantled the Dart and loaded it onto a train heading to Nova Scotia. The flight was nearly derailed by border issues when the Dart was held up at customs. It took the intervention of the Premier of Nova Scotia to get the freight moving again and on it’s way to Baddeck.
About those tetrahedral kites …
In an curious side note, prior to it’s flight in Nova Scotia, the Silver Dart’s Curtiss engine was tested in the Cygnet II (Aerodrome #5), one of Bell’s pet projects, a peculiar tetrahedral kite. Early experiments with the Cygnet I were successful. Nicknamed the Ugly Duckling, the Cygnet’s wings were composed of 3,393 separate cells, which acted like thousands of kites bound together.
The first and only flight took place December 6,1907 and was achieved by towing the engineless Cygnet I by boat until it took off, exactly like a kite. Test pilot Selfridge soared 51 m (168 ft) into the air, but found the kite extremely difficult to control. The wind pull was tremendous once it was aloft. Selfridge’s flight was the first official “heavier-than-air flight” recorded in Canada. It ended in a near miss for Selfridge when he crashed onto the lake, destroying the Cygnet.
McCurdy “flew” the Cygnet II but never managed to get any lift. The overall design was too impractical and unwieldy for a 65 HP engine. The tests were abandoned when the Silver Dart assembly was completed; the engine was removed from the Cygnet II and returned to the Dart. Bell managed one more Ugly Duckling design – the Cygnet III and tested it March 1912. Despite being equipped with the more powerful French Gnome Gamma 70 HP engine, the Cygnet never got more than a foot off the ground, forcing Bell to abandon the design once and for all.
The AEA gathered February 23, 1909 at the work shed on Bell’s property and prepped for the flight. Bell and his wife watched as the Silver Dart was pulled across the ice for it’s Canadian flight. The day was turning into a community event. A school holiday was declared in Baddeck and businesses closed shop so locals could gather at the lake and watch. It turned into an impressive crowd of a couple hundred locals waiting for the first British Empire flight. If successful, the Bells had a celebration prepared, complete with a guest book for locals to sign to prove they had been in attendance for such a newsworthy event.
Pilot McCurdy made sure the Dart was facing into the wind to improve lift and clambered aboard. So many things could go wrong – a strong gust of wind, engine failure, structural collapse … It was always risky. The engine started and McCurdy quickly started down the ice covered lake. As the crowd held their breath, the delicate craft danced across the the ice and slowly lifted off.
Just like being on a high …
McCurdy was airborne. Decades after the flight, McCurdy was quoted as saying flying the Dart “was just like being on a high”. He climbed to 30 feet and flew around the lake hitting speeds up to 65 km per hr. To the people of Baddeck, it must have been magical. They were watching history in progress. The excitement on the ground was tremendous, with the crowd shouting out joyous, raucous cheers. After flying 800 m (.49 miles) McCurdy brought the Silver Dart back to earth, to a tumultuous celebration.
Silver Dart 1909 in flight over the lake
Towing the Silver Dart into position
McCurdy seated and ready to fly
In late January 1909, the men disassembled Silver Dart and shipped it to Baddeck by train. On Feb. 23, the aircraft was ready for its Canadian audition. It was towed onto the snow-free ice at Baddeck Bay, with McCurdy at the controls and the entire village watching. After an aborted first attempt due to a broken fuel line, the fragile aircraft slid along the ice and lifted nine metres into the brilliant, bone-chilling winter air, much to the spectators’ absolute astonishment. It flew for 800 metres at 65 kilometres per hour—the first successful flight of a flying machine in Canada. An ecstatic Bell sent telegrams to the news centres of the world announcing their achievement. A Century Aloft: The Rise Of The Silver Dart – Legion Magazine
The Silver Dart went on to complete quite a number of successful flights, including one with a passenger on August 2, 1909. How many is a bit of a question – some reports say 46 and others up to 200. It met its sad end at the army base in Petawawa, Ontario where McCurdy was demonstrating the airplane’s abilities before military officials. On it’s last demonstration, the Silver Dart’s wheel became stuck in the sandy surface during landing, and was sent crashing forward. It was a write off.
An apocryphal tale makes the rounds that military officials, after witnessing the crash, quickly declared that the crash proved aircraft had no place in modern warfare. But the RCAF has a more mundane and plausible explanation about the halt in future flights: “Militia Department officials and officers who witnessed some of these flights were not impressed. It was decided to await the outcome of similar tests and experiments which were being conducted in Britain.”
And with that crash, the Silver Dart experiment ended. AEA dissolved shortly afterwards, with each member pursuing different projects. The Aerial Experiment Association was already in it’s death throws by March 1909, when Glen Curtiss embarked on a more ambitious and far more commercial plan under his new Herring-Curtiss Company (later renamed Curtiss Aeroplane and Motor Company in 1910). This move by Curtiss put a strain on the AEA association, especially with Bell who saw the venture as more a “co-operative scientific association” not ruled by profit making concerns. So 1909 saw both their greatest success and their end.
But what about the stamps?
Two stamps have been issued by Canada Post to celebrate this landmark flight. One in 1959 for the 50th anniversary and the second in 2009 for the 100th anniversary.
1959 Canada Post stamp 50th Anniversary of Silver Dart’s Flight
The 1959 stamp, featuring delta winged jets and the Silver Dart doing a fly past. It was designed and engraved by Donald J. Mitchell (E), Harvey Thomas Prosser and Yves Baril (E). Its unclear who engraved the jets and who engraved the Dart, but the style differences are noticeable. Overall the stamp is a decent design, typical of the late 1950s and early 60s. Never one of my favourite designs, but the engraving of the Silver Dart really is exquisite. It captures the bowed wings and delicate frame nicely. As bonus if you examine the biplane closely, you can see McCurdy in the pilot’s seat.
2009 Canada Post stamp Silver Dart’s flight 100th anniversary stamp
The 2009 100th anniversary stamp captures McCurdy flying just above the heads of his fellow AEA members. Designers Crystal Oicle and Dennis Page of Trampoline Marketing Agency used an illustration by Michael Little to capture that memorable day on the lake. The back of the sheet includes a few bonus photos of the flight and a brief write up of the event. Although technically not an airmail flight or airmail stamps, the AEA and the Silver Dart set the stage for future airmail experiments, earning a place in the Canadian Airmail pantheon.
The next article will cover Katherine Stinson’s 1918 Alberta airmail delivery.
Bibliography
Many of the details and photos for this article came courtesy Archives Canada and the Alexander Graham Bell and the Aerial Experiment Association Collection/The Museum of Flight.
The following sources were also very useful in constructing the timeline of each build:
One of my great passions is airmails & pioneer flights, especially Canadian airmail. If you look at the airmail articles on Bitter Grounds, you’ll see a bit of a bias towards Canada. While many grew up with stories about dragons and magical wardrobes, I grew up with tales of bush pilots and aviation heroes. That’s a by-product of being part of an air force family and growing up in a community that depended, in part, on the local air base. You tend to unconsciously absorb the stories told over and over. Just imagine my sheer delight when I discovered I could combine my love of stamps with aviation. Bliss, pure bliss!
Lately I’ve been paging through my Canadian airmail collection (with a side trip through my Argentina collection – don’t ask, I’m not sure how that happened either) and re-reading articles I’ve posted. That’s when it struck me, I’ve never done an overview of all Canadian airmails and semi-officials. So, I sat down and immediately drafted out a multipart series before the idea vanished. The series will cover pioneer flights, all official and semi-official airmail stamps and bits and pieces of history to tell the story of a young country’s airmail past. The series starts with the first official airmail delivery in 1918.
A brief explanation of Canadian airmail – official vs semi-official
Canada issued both official and semi-official airmail stamps. The first official stamp C1 (Unitrade catalogue numbering) was issued September 21, 1928. However, that wasn’t the first Canadian airmail stamp. Early mail deliveries to remote mining camps and communities across northern Canada were carried out by small privately owned bush pilot companies. The post office authorised these companies to print their own stamps, the semi-official issues, to help defray the costs of delivering mail. Bush planes didn’t have a lot of cargo space, so this was an incentive to carry mail.
Curtiss HS-2L flying boats Laurentide Air Service Courtesy of National Aviation Museum, 1491
And this is where it gets a bit tricky. The earliest semi-official was issued by a flying club (the Aero Club of Canada in 1918), not the government. UNITRADE lists this small set of stamps as Air Club and Special Flights – CLP1 to CLP7, so 7 stamps. The first from private commercial airlines, as opposed to aero clubs, weren’t issued until 1924 when Laurentide Air Service began a route from Haileybury, Ontario to Rouyn/Angliers, Quebec. In total, Canada produced 9 official airmail stamps (C1 – C9), 4 Air Post Special Delivery stamps (CE1 – CE4) and 52 semi-officials (CL1 – CL52). Canada Post also issued over 50 Air Letters (pre-printed postal letters, also called Aerograms & Air Sheet Letters) (UA1 – UA54). My number on this set is a bit vague because I’m referencing three different books, which count them differently.
Aero Club of Canada 1918Laurentide CL1 Canada
Canadian airmail – the first delivery
Canada’s first official airmail delivery took place June 24, 1918, prior to the issuance of any stamps to commemorate the event. No stamp was issued, but a cancel was created. The flight was a publicity stunt, sponsored by the Aerial League of the British Empire, who were eager to promote the idea of using aircraft for civilian purposes like mail delivery. In 1918, it was still a novel idea and being tested around the world.
The Canadian Post Master General authorised a special cancel for this event which read “Inaugural Service via aerial mail – Montreal 23.6.18”. The flight was supposed to take off on the 23, but bad weather caused a brief postponement.
Canadian Archives has a cover with the cancel, and I have ordered a digital copy. I won’t get my hands on it for awhile, but I’ll be sure to post it when I do. FYI: thanks to donations, I’m able to start ordering digital copies of photos and documents from archives around the world, so thank you. Please keep up the donations, they are making a difference.
RAF Captain Brian Peck and Corporal C. W. Mathers were picked for the flight from Montreal, Quebec to Toronto, Canada, along with about 121 letters, and some illicit cargo.
June 24, 1918 1st Canadian airmail flight, Montreal to Toronto
Curtiss JN-4 Canuck flown by RAF Captain Brian Peck and Corporal E.W. Mathers.
Credit: Ingenium | Ken Molson Fonds (KM-04584) Archives Canada
It was a big deal in Montreal, with home town boy Peck’s mother, the city’s Mayor and Postmaster in attendance. Mrs. Peck (on the left) carried the mail bag to the airplane, even stopping for a photo to commemorate the event, which naturally was heavily covered in all the papers. In a curious side note, Toronto didn’t seem to be aware the flight was planned. Looking through various newspapers, from the day, dredged up some fascinating articles quoting both the Toronto Postmaster and Mayor as knowing nothing about the inaugural flight.
As late as the evening before the flight, Toronto’s Mayor and Postmaster both denied any such flight was happening, despite the fact there was a letter heading to Toronto from the Mayor of Montreal for Mayor Church. Seems like there was either a communication glitch, or someone forgot to tell Toronto.
Mayor Church and W.E. Lemon, Postmaster, Know Nothing of the Matter.
Toronto officials have no information regarding the opening of a “royal aerial mail service” between Toronto and Montreal, a story concerning which, dated Montreal, was published in Saturday in the Toronto evening papers. …
Wm. E. Lemon, Toronto postmaster said to The World last night that he had received no notification of the starting of an areal mail service, but it was possible such an arrangement had been made by the postal authorities in Montreal. The Toronto World Sunday, June 23, 1918
The article goes on to quote Mayor Tommy Church as denying any knowledge of the flight beyond what he had read in the papers the night before.
Montreal Gazette Musée canadien de l’histoire, Archives institutionnelles Canadian Museum of History, Institutional archives
Toronto World Newspaper denying airmail service
Captain Peck, in middle
Original mail bag used on flight
Whiskey galore & a bit of hedge hopping
The two seat Curtiss JN-4 Canuck wasn’t equipped for cargo so the bag of letters sat on Mathers’ lap for the flight. Oh and the illicit cargo? It was Old Mull scotch whiskey which caused a few issues during the fight. I read varying accounts of a case, a couple of cases and a full crate of whiskey being stowed on board. Regardless the amount, it caused a bit of a weight issue for the aircraft.
Why the whisky? Ontario was pretty much a “dry” place during WW1, when the government, in a fit of patriotic fervour, decided to institute prohibition across the province. Quebec, being Quebec said “NON” to any such nonsense and booze was freely available. So, it’s not a stretch to believe part of the flights purpose was to fly in a cargo of whiskey to Toronto.
The excess weight caused issues, forcing the crew to fly low to the ground. The Canuck was capable of rising to 3,350 m (11,000 ft.), but because of the cargo, it was only able to reach around 40ft, skirting tree lines as it buzzed along the Canadian countryside. The excess weight also meant Peck and Mathers couldn’t make it to their planned re-fueling stop in Deseronto, Ontario. They ran short of fuel about 50 km east of their target and were forced to land at Camp Barriefield, now called CFB Kingston, Ontario.
Barriefield was not an airbase, which meant no airplane fuel was available. Determined to continue on with the flight, a decision was made to fill the tank with regular gas and aim for Deseronto. It must have been a nail biter of a flight, but they made it. The waiting crew in Deseronto drained the gas, and replaced it with proper fuel, causing a short delay, but soon the flight was ready to resume.
The flight ends
Peck and Mathers took off again and headed for Toronto, with both the mail bag and of course the scotch, because no airman worth their salt would leave a crate of whiskey behind. They continued their low altitude flight all the way to Leaside, Toronto landing at 4:55 p.m.
The flight took a little over 6 hours to complete, including the 2 refueling stops. When they safely landed, Peck and Mathers climbed out of the airplane to a round of congratulator handshakes and back pats for completing this historic flight.
Captain Peck took possession of the mail bag and personally completed delivery by driving it to the nearest post office. It was officially handed over to postal officials at 6:07 p.m. Among the letters were ones for both Church and Lemon, who duly acknowledged the flight in a follow-up newspaper interview that day.
I have duly received this evening at 6:50 p.m. by special mail service, at my house, the splendid letter you [the Mayor of Montreal] were good enough to write me on this auspicious occasion of the inaugural … first air mail service ever operated in Canada; for which accept my sincere thanks. The Toronto World Newspaper June 24, 1918
Mathers drove off in a separate car with the precious cargo of whiskey, ensuring its safe delivery as well.
Headlines & letters
Toronto World Newspaper Announcing 1st Airmail Flight Montreal Gazette newspaper headlines Musée canadien de l’histoire, Archives institutionnelles Canadian Museum of History
Mail tag attached to parcel sent by Aerial Club on flight Musée canadien de l’histoire, Archives institutionnelles – Canadian Museum of History, Institutional archivesLetter to Peck’s Mother
Musée canadien des civilisations, Numérisation des archives – Canadian Museum of Civilization, Archive ScanBack of letter cancels Letter to Peck’s Mother
Musée canadien des civilisations, Numérisation des archives – Canadian Museum of Civilization, Archive
And so ended Canada’s first official airmail flight with both mail and whiskey delivered to their destinations. Canada Post eventually commemorated the flight, sort of.
Curtis JN-4 Canuck airplane c 1918. Painting by Robert William Bradford
This November 10, 1980 stamp was part of a multi part series featuring aircraft flown in Canada. Based on an original painting by Robert William Bradford, the stamp is sometimes refered to as the “First Aerial Mail” commemorative. None of the write ups of the original painting mention the first flight or Captain Peck. Nor does the Unitrade catalogue, so at best, this is an unofficial portrait of the flight.
Final thoughts & comments on Canadian airmail
I used a number of sources for this article – including Archives Canada, the War Museum of Canada, Unitrade Canada, Sanabria The World Airmail Catalogue, and WEBB’s Postal Stationery Catalogue of Canada and Newfoundland (5th ed). As well, archives of the Toronto World newspaper the Canadian Museum of History were also invaluable.
The next article will cover the first airmail flight in Alberta + the first female pilot to deliver mail – a double header! The great American pilot Katherine Stinson made Canadian history a few weeks after the Montreal to Toronto flight completed. This will be a while in the making. It takes time to properly research and write each article.
The 2023 EUROPA CEPT stamps are going to be a curious mix. The original theme, Underwater Fauna & Flora, was moved to 2024 after the EUROPA committee decided on an abrupt change to the program when Russia invaded Ukraine last year. The new theme stresses peace and cooperation among nations:
Following the decision of the Extraordinary PostEurop Board of Directors meeting held on 25 April 2022, the 2023 EUROPA Stamp theme will be “PEACE – the highest value of humanity” as proposed by Ukrposhta in order “to show solidarity with Ukraine and to promote the universal value for all humanity – peace”. Apr. 29, 2022 News Release
Not all countries will participate, which isn’t unusual. But seeing those who normally contribute and choose not to, will be interesting. This is one of the most overtly political themes EUROPA has picked since its 1956 inception. Some countries won’t issue the new PEACE stamp because of the late change in theme and prefer to stick with their set program. As well, there will be countries who opt not to take a stand and ignore the 2023 release altogether because they either don’t wish to appear to be supporting Ukraine or criticizing Russia. As belligerent states, neither Russia nor Belarus will be participating, but it’s unlikely they would even if they hadn’t been excluded.
EUROPA 2023 Peace Knot
Although peace has been a motif in previous issues, this is Post EUROP’s first strong, political stand against war. It takes the ideal of “peaceful cooperation” further to “PEACE – the highest value of humanity“. A common design, voted on by the committee, will be used by all participating EUROPA countries to stress solidarity with Ukraine.
The stamp was designed by Luxembourg based designers Linda Bos and Runa Egilsdottir. The theme explores how delicate peace is and how it should be the highest value humanity works towards.
PEACE the highest value of humanity
The world needs a new Peace symbol, uniting all nations.
Cultural differences perchance a barrier for a state of Peace. If only mankind could respect each other’s differences by understanding their significance and responding to them with consideration, the world would be a better place.
According to the special jury’s opinion, the winning design motif reflects the idea of the 2023 EUROPA competition in the most appropriate way. It’s a successful attempt to create a new sign representing peace on the basis of European centuries-old visual motif of a knot, symbol of infinite unity, friendship and love. This universal sign is also a perfect philatelic representation in relation with the celebrations of the 30th anniversary of PostEurop in 2023. ADC’s Peace symbol voted to appear on the 2023 Europa stamps in over 50 countries. – A Designers’ Collective
While some countries will issue just the single stamp with Bos and Eglisdottir’s design, others have designed companion stamps to expand on the theme of peace and cooperation. And some, like Belgium have used the souvenir sheet to further explore the theme.
If you’d like notification when this page is updated, sign up for my weekly newsletter. It’s free and usually comes out Sunday nights, although I am easily distracted and it will occasionally appear on Monday instead. It includes all updated countries & links to new articles.
It’s free & includes all updated countries & links to new articles.
Åland
2 stamps, FDC, cancel
offset
Stamp one:
The stamp illustrates a sunrise over Åland granite cliffs symbolising hope and new beginnings. The sun and its rays form the well-known peace sign, which has maritime roots. The symbol is based upon the letters N and D in the nautical flag alphabet. The letters stand for nuclear disarmament. Europa, Peace II -mint – Åland Stamps (alandstamps.com)
Stamp one artist: Sofia Pusa
This is Sofia’s first stamp. From her website:
The Åland Islands are demilitarized since 1856 and neutralized since 1921. This special status has given Åland the nickname “the islands of peace”. The final illustration depicts sunrise over red granite cliffs of the Åland archipelago. Together, the sun and its reflection form the peace sign. Sunrise is symbolic of hope, growth and new beginnings.
Gerald Holtom’s peace sign from 1958 was originally commissioned for a nuclear disarmament campaign. The symbol has naval roots, representing flag semaphore signals for the initials N and D, Nuclear Disarmament. The origin of the peace sign inspired the illustration for the first day cover whereas the flowers in the illustrations draw on the nature of Åland archipelago. Åland Post (sofiapusa.com)
Designers Peace knot: Linda Bos / Runa Egilsdottir, Esch-sur-Alzette
Designer for the set: Johanna Finne
Release date: May 9, 2023.
Andorra (Sp)
1 stamp, cancel
offset
Designers Peace knot: Linda Bos / Runa Egilsdottir, Esch-sur-Alzette
Release date: May 9, 2023
Armenia
Austria
1 stamp, cancel
Designers Peace knot: Linda Bos / Runa Egilsdottir, Esch-sur-Alzette Design: Marion Füllerer
Release date: May 5, 2023
Azerbaijan
2 stamps, souvenir sheet, sheets of 8
Designers Peace knot: Linda Bos / Runa Egilsdottir, Esch-sur-Alzette Designer: Orkhan Garayev Baku based artist Garayev has designed over 90 stamps for Azerbaijan, including this year’s thought provoking companion to the EUROPA Peace knot. I couldn’t find a website for Mr Garayev, but did find his Instagram page which has proven to be a rich resource for anyone who admires his work.
Peace is a concept of societal friendship and harmony in the absence of hostility and violence. In a social sense, peace is commonly used to mean a lack of conflict (such as war) and freedom from fear of violence between individuals or groups. .Throughout history, leaders have used peacemaking and diplomacy to establish a type of behavioral restraint that has resulted in the establishment of regional peace or economic growth through various forms of agreements or peace treaties. Such behavioral restraint has often resulted in the reduced conflict, greater economic interactivity, and consequently substantial prosperity. NEW – Europa 2023 PEACE | Stamps | 2023 | Gibraltar Philatelic Bureau (gibraltar-stamps.com)
Designer: Stephen Perera
Designers Peace knot: Linda Bos / Runa Egilsdottir, Esch-sur-Alzette
One of the motifs is a shared one used by all participating postal service.
Designers: Stamp one: Linda Bos and Runa Egilsdottir, A Designers’ Collective
Luxembourg artists Bos and Egilsdottir’s design is influenced by the traditional Celtic Love Knot. Their artwork will be featured on all participating EUROPA entries for 2023.
Stamp two: Martin Brandt Hansen Greenlandic born artist Martin Brandt Hansen was picked to create this year’s EUROPA stamp for Tusass Greenland.
Release date: May 30, 2023
Guernsey
6 stamps – more images coming
“The concept for the Guernsey stamps is everyone on earth being at peace with each other and they have been designed so that the symbols of peace on earth are being viewed from space.” Bridget Yabsley, head of philatelic at Guernsey Post
56p: The dove has been a symbol of peace and innocence for thousands of years in many different cultures and is depicted with arms embracing the world.
79p: The handshake is a symbol of friendship and harmony.
87p: The astronauts are non-gender with no political/racial bias; they embrace one another to represent peace and harmony.
£1.21: The EUROPA winning stamp design represents and depicts the theme. It was inspired by the Celtic Love Knot symbol, with interlocking hearts. The colour palette illustrates all the nations in the world.
£1.39: In the 1950s, a symbol was designed for the Campaign for Nuclear Disarmament (CND), a group at the forefront of the peace movement in the UK. It has become an almost universal peace symbol used in many different versions worldwide.
£1.50: The world depicting environmental elements all living in harmony and peace.
Designers Peace knot: Linda Bos / Runa Egilsdottir, Esch-sur-Alzette
Release date: May 10, 2023
Hungary
2 stamps, souvenir sheet of 4, FDC, cancel
offset
The Hungarian design features a girl hugging a dove, the symbol of peace and freedom. The girl’s smile and embrace together express that peace and reconciliation between people strengthen relationships and communities. HUNGARIAN STAMPS 14/2023
Designers Peace knot: Linda Bos / Runa Egilsdottir, Esch-sur-Alzette Designer: Boglárka Nádi
Release date: May 9, 2023
Ireland
2 stamps, FDC, cancel, 2 sheets of 8
lithography
Designers Peace knot: Linda Bos / Runa Egilsdottir, Esch-sur-Alzette
Designer: Ailbhe Phelan
Designers Peace knot: Linda Bos / Runa Egilsdottir, Esch-sur-Alzette
Release date: May 9, 2023
Jersey
2 stamps, souvenir sheet
lithography
Jersey artist Ron Mills created the first stamp: “The three ideals of love, unity and hope are represented in the design by the hands of a woman, a man and a child, blended to create the shape of a dove. The smaller child’s hand, used to represent the dove’s tail feathers, signifies hope for the future of mankind.” Jersey Post Apr. 5, 2023 press release.
Designers Peace knot: Linda Bos / Runa Egilsdottir, Esch-sur-Alzette
Designer: Ron Mills Ron Mills’ artwork will be familiar to collectors of Jersey stamps. He also designed 2022 100 Years of the Jersey Island Cricket Club, Jèrriais, the Traditional Language of Jersey and the Harvest of the Sea Post and Goes
Release date: May 9, 2023
Kosovo
1 stamp, souvenir sheet, FDC, cancel
offset
Kosovo opted to issue a unique stamp and didn’t use the Peace Knot design. No designer was listed.
Designer: Kosovo Post
Release date: May 9, 2023
Latvia
2 stamps, FDC, cancel, 2 sheets of 10
Designers Peace knot: Linda Bos / Runa Egilsdottir, Esch-sur-Alzette
Designer: Indrek Ilves
Hopeful Liechtenstein’s competition entry designed by Isabella Gassner under the title “Hopeful”… will be issued at the same time as a second commemorative stamp.
Their motive is to renew the hope for peace. The colorful motif depicts a child carrying the fragile earth as a balloon while holding a lollipop in his other hand, symbolizing the taste of peace. The girl looks into a peaceful future, where a colorful rainbow and a dove of peace are waiting for her. 2nd stamp issue of 09 May / 05 June 2023 (philatelie.li)
Designers Peace knot: Linda Bos / Runa Egilsdottir, Esch-sur-Alzette
Designer: Isabella Gassner
Release date: May 9, 2023
Lithuania
1 stamp, FDC, cancel, sheets of 10
Designers Peace knot: Linda Bos / Runa Egilsdottir, Esch-sur-Alzette
Release date: May 9, 2023
Luxembourg
1 stamp, FDC, cancel
high-resolution offset
Designers Peace Knot: Linda Bos / Runa Egilsdottir, Esch-sur-Alzette
Designers Peace knot: Linda Bos / Runa Egilsdottir, Esch-sur-Alzette
Designer: Romana Pehar
Release date: May 9, 2023
Netherlands
1 stamp, prestige booklet, FDC, cancel, sheet of 6
lithography
Designers Peace knot: Linda Bos / Runa Egilsdottir, Esch-sur-Alzette
Designer: Bart de Haas
… graphic designer Bart de Haas … incorporated the design motif of Post Luxembourg into the Dutch stamps and gave it his own twist with, among other things, the typography and the interpretation of the sheet edge. The use of the work of other designers was not difficult with this motif, says De Haas. “Commissioned by PostNL, I had also made a proposal for the design motif. Our entry and that of Post Luxembourg were very similar. They both had a predominantly graphic character, with the same principles as connection, multicoloredness and universal values. There were also similarities in the design language, such as the diagonal orientation with infinite knots, hands and heart shapes. Even the color palette was almost the same.” Vrede, de hoogste waarde van de mensheid (eerstedagenvelop nr. 861) (postnl.nl)
Release date: May 9, 2023
North Macedonia
2 stamps, 2 sheets of 9
offset lithography
Designers Peace knot: Linda Bos / Runa Egilsdottir, Esch-sur-Alzette
Designers Peace knot: Linda Bos / Runa Egilsdottir, Esch-sur-Alzette Designer: Undesign/Helder Soares
Souvenir sheet artist: Pedro Ferreira
Release date: May 9, 2023
Romania
2 stamps, 2 mini sheets of 4, souvenir sheet of 8, 2 full sheets of 32, souvenir folder, FDC, cancel
offset
The concept brings together the image of the sunflower, symbol of Flower Power, representing the peace movement of the 1960s as a protest against the Vietnam War, and the universal messenger and symbol of peace: the dove. The yellow petals of the sunflower are personified as doves, which in a directed action extract the seeds of the flower to create the image of an earth globe. The bright yellow of the doves’ plumage symbolically emanates the light of the beneficent sun. Europa 2023 PEACE – The Highest Value of Humanity – Romfilatelia – O lume intr-un timbru
Designers Peace knot: Linda Bos / Runa Egilsdottir, Esch-sur-Alzette Designer: Mihai Criste
Release date: May 9, 2023
San Marino
1 stamp, sheets of 12, cancel
offset
Designers Peace knot: Linda Bos / Runa Egilsdottir, Esch-sur-Alzette
Release date: May 9, 2023
Serbia
2 stamps, FDC, cancel, 2 sheets of 8
The motif on the second stamp of the issue is a vision of peace as the highest value of humanity, as an original artistic solution of every postal operator, so the motif on the 120 dinar stamp and the FDC envelope is the White dove of peace, an artistic solution by the world-famous artists from Serbia, the Zamurović brothers. The white dove is a universally recognizable symbol of peace that emerges with an olive branch from the dark forest, symbolizing all the security challenges of modern humanity, bringing hope that global peace, as a universal and highest human value, is still possible. Commemorative editions – 2023 – eFilatelia (posta.rs)
Designers Peace knot: Linda Bos / Runa Egilsdottir, Esch-sur-Alzette
Designer: Daniela Olejníková
Release date: May 9, 2023
Spain
1 stamp, FDC, cancel
Designers Peace knot: Linda Bos / Runa Egilsdottir, Esch-sur-Alzette
Release date: May 9, 2023
Sweden
5 stamps, FDC, cancel
offset
Designers Peace knot: Linda Bos / Runa Egilsdottir, Esch-sur-Alzette Typography: Carina Länk Design domestic stamps: Jesús Verona
Verona is a book illustrator based in Stockholm. He uses a combination of pen, pencil and computer techniques to create his artwork. Previous stamps include 2020 Active Leisure and 2014 Among Berries and Leaves.
Release date: April 27, 2023
Switzerland
2 stamps, FDC, cancel
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the olive branch, a cross-cultural symbol of peace that goes back many centuries. The complementary colour composition of the hand-drawn illustration gives the branch a special vibrancy. The hands holding it aloft with their combined strength are an emblem of our collective effort to achieve a better world, and the stamp symbolizes the importance of peace as the highest value of humanity. EUROPA – Peace: the highest value of humanity | Swiss Post
Designers Peace knot: Linda Bos / Runa Egilsdottir, Esch-sur-Alzette Designer Olive branch: Elisa Debora Hofmann, Binz
Release date: May 2, 2023
Türkiye
1 stamp, FDC, cancel
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Designers Peace knot: Linda Bos / Runa Egilsdottir, Esch-sur-Alzette
Release date: May 9, 2023
Ukraine
2 stamps, sheets of 6, postcard, FDC, cancel
Peace, Victory, Ukraine
For every Ukrainian today, not only Peace, but also Victory is extremely important – these are the values for which we are fighting each on our own front. Ukrainian defenders are regaining our territories on the battlefield, and the rest of Ukrainians on the information field are fighting for independence, national identity, European values. This was the leitmotif for the Ukrainian postage stamp by Maria Suslova, which depicts a girl with a dove. This work took 2nd place in the PostEurop competition. “Peace is the highest value of humanity”: Ukrposhta announces the release of a new postage stamp
Designers Peace knot: Linda Bos / Runa Egilsdottir, Esch-sur-Alzette Designer: Maria Suslova
Release date:
Vatican
2 stamps
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More images coming of cancel and FDC
First image shows Pope Francis holding a Ukrainian flag
Designers Peace knot: Linda Bos / Runa Egilsdottir, Esch-sur-Alzette
Designer Pope Francis: Vatican Post
This post on comfort food & comfort food on stamps started as a newsletter article last week. And came about because of a bout of work avoidance on my part. Just toss the offer of pizza, wine and a good old monster movie my way, and I’ll cheerfully abandon my devotion to writing about stamps. Yes, I’m a bit shameless that way. Instead of writing about the planned topic, I wandered off to have a laugh with some friends. I took my tablet with me, thinking I’d write the newsletter there, but well, the best laid plans are easily discarded when an enjoyable conversation and a bit of wine is offered. I’ll blame my non-stamp collecting friends for this serious philatelic lapse.
… and the wine
… and the pizza.
Part of last night’s conversation included comfort foods and food on stamps. There are some glorious culinary stamps to collect, or simply drool over. While munching on some left over pizza, I wondered if my favourite comfort foods were represented.
Not sure if the phrase comfort food is a universal one, so I’ll offer up an explanation. Comfort foods are dishes or foods that bring back fond memories and a sense of well-being. They could be meals that trigger memories of family or friends, happy events in your life – anything that gives you a feeling of contentment or safety.
Stamps: Slovenia “Stajerska Sour Soup, Pohorski Pisker (Stew)” 2007, South Korea Jeongol (Stew) 2005, Surinam Brown Bean Soup 2019
For me, many comfort foods are strongly associated with my mom. My earliest memories are being in the kitchen with her, going through our cookbooks and the cupboard, deciding what to make. And one of the best meals she made was her stew – rich with onions and herbs, some garlic and slow cooked meat. It was completed with large chunks potatoes and carrots, and sometimes split peas – all topped with her special fluffy dumplings.
Now I didn’t expect to find a stamp with a stew just like mom made, because it changed with each cooking. But, there are some tasty ones to examine from almost every continent.
That was one of the first meals I remember learning to make. And whenever I smell that combination of herbs, onions and garlic simmering away, I am transported back to the kitchen, standing on my stool learning how to chop up the ingredients. I still remember Mom telling me “some herbs will always make it taste better”.
I suspect stews are a universal comfort food. We used to argue over what a stew is – Mom was a fan of broth so her’s was more like a soup, and mine, in her opinion, more like a ragu or goulash. It was one of those eternal arguments in this house. So much so, we made a rule: whoever made the stew, made the rules about how much broth there would be.
Japan Goulash Soup 2019, Hungary Goulash 2019, Malaysia Spring Roll & Lotus Root Soup 2017
Comfort food can be anything from an aromatic Turkish coffee with cardamom to a rich stew, Biryani, noodles or gingerbread cookies. There are no limits.
Türkiye (Turkey) Turkish Coffee Culture 2020, Canada Gingerbread Cookies 2012
Whatever triggers good memories fits this category.
Now comes the fun part of this article. I want to hear about your comfort foods. I’d love to hear what you love the most and why. Chocolate? Biryani? Congee? Spice cookies? Is it a special memory or event, or does the smell simply surround you with a feeling of well-being. I am going to collect stories for an article on what makes something a comfort food and showcase the stamps that celebrate them. With your help, we can put out an excellent post.
Use this contact form to send me your comfort food & why you love it.
[contact-form to=”contact@bittergrounds.com” subject=”Comfort foods”][contact-field label=”What name do you want me to use?” type=”name” required=”1″][contact-field label=”Where are you from? ” type=”text” required=”1″][contact-field label=”Message” type=”textarea” required=”1″][/contact-form]
I’ll find stamps to match your comfort food, unless you have a specific one in mind. If so, include the year and country in your message. Even if I can’t find the perfect stamp, your help will make this an article to celebrate.
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