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.
Argentina 2021 stamps may not be plentiful, but Correo Argentino makes up for that in quality.
Three celebrations kick off the 2021 issuing year, starting with the amazing Astor Piazzolla. Renowned composer and musician, Piazzolo is honoured with a cover & special postmark to commemorate his birth. From there Argentina moves onto a pioneer flight & a bicentennial for the National police force. I’m not happy with the size of the stamp images I was able to round up, so look for updates later in the year.
But now, the subject that is nearest and dearest to my heart – pioneer flights. One stamp excites me. And I mean, REALLY EXCITES ME. It’s the 100th anniversary of flight across Andes by Adrienne Bolland.
Image courtesy Air France
Adrienne Bolland was hired by aircraft designer René Caudron, originally as office staff. Her spirit & incorrigible sense of adventure led Cauldron to move her from the office to flying aircraft. In 1921, he sent her to South America to showcase his Caudron G.3, a WW1 era reconnaissance airplane.
Crossing the Andes was not part of the plan
Bolland made the decision to fly across the Andes while on the ship bound for Argentina (along with 2 Caudron biplanes). It was a “seat of her pants” plan and a dangerous one. Only one other pilot had successfully made the trip, Argentine Army Lieutenant Luis Cenobio Candelaria in 1918. He achieved this in a Morane-Saulnier Parasol and, in my opinion, doesn’t get the attention he so richly deserves. These were true pioneer flights by trail blazing pilots.
How amazing a pilot was she? Bolland flew across the Andes without a map, or a compass to guide her and only 40 hours flight time under her belt. The reliable Caudron travelled at 50 km (80 mph) per hour, and flew to 7,000 metres (22,965.8793 ft) over the Aconcagua, in an open cockpit. She was a woman of determination, grit and talent.
Correo Argentino has issued a stamp, FDC and an information booklet that I’d love to get my hands on for my pioneer aviation collection. Argentina has done a great job in designing the set.
Here’s a video from Air France celebrating Adrienne Bolland’s career. Narration is in French, but really, it doesn’t matter. You get to see some smashing visuals of her fight across the Andes.
Oh and a little known fact about Mme Bolland, she set a world record for the number of loops in an airplane – 212 loopings in 72 minutes. I feel airsick just thinking about it.
1920 Image courtesy Bibliothèque Nationale De France
Argentina 2021 stamps for March
100 years of Astor Piazzolla (1921 – 1992) Argentine tango composer, bandoneon player, and arranger
1 cover, cancel
Note: Cancel must be purchased & affixed separately
Treat yourself to Astor Piazzolla at the Montreal Jazz Festival: Adiós Nonino
Release date: March 11, 2021
Argentina 2021 stamps for April
Adrienne Bolland (1895-1975) Centenary of the first crossing of the Andes by a female pilot
1 stamp, Information booklet, FDC
I am currently searching for a supersized scan of all three items.
Frenchwoman Adrienne Bolland crossed the Andes mountain range on April 1, 1921. She was only 21 years old, and had just 40 hours of flight time. Her feat would make her an aviation legend and a source of inspiration for her successors. “Aviation, like so many other practices, was historically reserved for men. However, there were and are women who have been able to overcome with courage and success the limits established in the different eras,” explained Vanina Busniuk. Correo Argentino presented a commemorative postage stamp for the centenary of the first crossing of the Andes made by a female pilot | Argentine Mail
France previously honoured Bolland with a stamp, Pilot Adrienne Bolland First Woman to Cross Andes (1895-1975), in 2005
Release date: April 5, 2021
Bicentenary of the Argentine Federal Police
1 stamp, FDC, cancel, information booklet
I am currently searching for a supersized scan of all four items.
Limited to a run of 200.
Release date: April 19, 2021
May
Giant Anteater – fauna and flora
2 stamps, sheet of 16, FDC, 16 page information folder
Release date: May 31, 2021
June Argentina 2021 stamps
America UPAEP- Tourism
2 stamps, sheet of 16, FDC, 16 page information folder
El Impenetrable National Park – Chaco Province and Los Alerces National Park – Chubut Province
Release date: June 7, 2021
Bicentennial of death of General Martín Miguel de Güemes
stamp, FDC, souvenir folder
Release date: June 17, 2021
Tribute to Ernesto Sábato, author
1 stamp
Release date: June 24, 2021
July
Rio Grande, Tierra del Fuego, Centenary
1 stamp
Release date: July 12, 2021
200th Anniversary of the Province of Buenos Aires
8 stamps, souvenir sheet
Release date: July 26, 2021
August Releases
200 years of the University of Buenos Aires
1 stamp
Release date: August 12, 2021
90 years of diplomatic relations Argentina-Bulgaria – joint issue
2 stamps, cover
Release date: August 30, 2021
September
100 years of the death of Doctor Dardo Rocha
stamp, Post card
Apologies for the poor size quality. It’s an interesting postcard filled with lots of details to examine. Trying to source a better one.
Release date: Sept. 6, 2021
Fray Mamerto Esquiu
graphic cover
Release date: Sept. 6, 2021
250 years of the appointment of the first postman Bruno Ramirez
unstamped cover, cancel
Postman Day celebrates Ramirez’s appointment to the position in Buenos Aires on September 14, 1771
When the QR code directs the user to a page with 6 Christmas carols and traditional songs composed by Argentine musicians.
The six audiovisual pieces that make up the video were produced and provided by the governments of Tierra del Fuego, Salta, Santa Fe, San Juan, La Rioja and Catamarca, in a great joint effort. Each piece embodies the culture of each region, and invites us to contemplate its particularities; to immerse ourselves in their music, their landscapes, their customs, their stories and their traditions. Correo Argentino press release Friday, December 24, 2021
Release date: December 22, 2021
If you enjoyed the article about Adrienne Bolland, here’s another pioneer aviation tale:
Slovenia 2021 stamps offer up familiar themes of wildlife, aviation and, of course, the lunar new year. This year is a bonanza year for aviation collectors, with post offices around the world marking a number of 100-year anniversaries. Slovenia will be offering a tribute to inventor & engineer Valentin Matija Živic in late fall.
A stamp that should create interest in Canada is the next issue in the Slovenes around the World series. This year, Canada is celebrated. Approx. 40,470 Canadians proudly claim Slovenian heritage. There are quite a few easily recognized names in the list of Slovenians who make Canada home, including world class figure skater Elvis Stojko and 12 NHL hockey players. Slovenian Canadians | The Canadian Encyclopedia
If you are a looking for a new area to explore, I’d recommend popping over to the Slovenia Post’s website. They have a lot of useful information and an easy-to-use format. The English version of the Slovenian post office is excellent. Plenty to keep a new collector happy. After wading through over 180 post office websites, Slovenia Post was a breath of fresh air. They include a lot of details, including cancels (post marks), FDC information and designers.
This listing includes links to stamp designers when I was able to find them. Happily, for me, Slovenia seems to love its arts and isn’t shy about promoting the designers.
Click on the thumbnails to see larger versions of each stamp.
UPDATE: March 15, 2021
I’ve begun to include postcards issued by Slovenia. They produce some fun, interesting ones and are worth looking at. Hope you enjoy them as much as I do.
Slovenia 2021 stamps for January
Blasius Kozenn – 200th Anniversary of the Birth
Blaž Kocen, geographer and cartographer,
200th anniversary of his birth &150th anniversary of his death
1 stamp, 1 FDC
POSTMARK PLACE: Ponikva
Designer: Borut Bončina
Previous stamps include last year’s 90th Anniversary of the Execution of the Heroes of Bazovica and 2019’s Franjo Malgaj the first Slovene to arrive in Carinthia in 1918.
Release date: Jan 28, 2021
Love
1 stamp – heart shaped, 1 FDC
POSTMARK PLACE: Maribor
In some parts of the world and some social environments, conditions are still far from being ideal and we are still witnessing cases of rejection, intolerance and other phenomena that attempt to push homosexual love and the whole LGBT movement to the margins of society, or even out of it altogether. For this reason, the stamp design in the characteristic colours of the LGBT flag aims to draw attention to our tolerant encounters with human relationships of different kinds. From Slovenia Post
Berk’s previous stamp designed include 10 years -1988 Liberation of Slovenia, Bozidar Jakac Slovenian artist, 2002 Valentine’s stamp and 2020’s Contemporary Arts and Crafts Metal Work and Gastronomy – Šelinka from the Karst Region.
Release date: Jan 28, 2021
Lunar New Year – Year of the Ox
1 stamp, 1 FDC
POSTMARK PLACE: Maribor
Designer: Maja Tomažič
Some of Marat Design’s previous issues include 2020 Prominent Personalities – Hugo Wolf, 2019 Year of the Pig, 2018 Slovenia Ballet, and Superstition and Magic in Slovenia in 2018.
Release date: Jan 28, 2021
ARCHITECTURE IN SLOVENIA Meksika Building in Ljubljana
1926‒27 (Vladimir Šubic)
Continuing series celebrating Slovenia architecture
1 stamp, miniature sheet and FDC
POSTMARK PLACE: Meksika
Designer: Robert Žvokelj, DAK
Previous stamps in the series by Žvokelj includes the 2018 and 2020 Architecture in Slovenia issue
Release date: Jan 28, 2021
CONTEMPORARY ARTS AND CRAFTS IN SLOVENIA
Contemporary lacemaking
1 stamp, FDC
POSTMARK PLACE: Prvidan
… Tina Koder Grajzar, a native of Idrija, the centre of Slovene lacemaking, … dedicates herself above all to the creation of contemporary lace jewellery. Her focus is not so much on the technique itself, which allows her to maintain the identity of her products with the predominant use of the narrow-tape style (also known as the Idrija style), as on the creation of modern patterns, in other words design. An example of this is the necklace featured on the present stamp. Slovenia Post Office
Designer: Pavla Bonča
Previous stamp designs include 2020’s International Year of Plant Health
Release date: Jan 28, 2021
200th anniversary of the Congress of Laibach
Post Mark 200th anniversary
1 stamp, FDC
Designer: villa creativa
Previous designs include 2020’s FIS Ski Flying World Championships
Release date: Jan 28, 2021
Slovenia 2021 stamps March 2021
TOURISM – Dolenjska
wellness tourism
1 stamp, FDC, cancel
Designer: Matjaž Učakar
Release date: March 12, 2021
FIRST SLOVENE INVENTORS WITH PATENTS Ivan Bajde (1855–1920) – clavi harp/ piano harp
1 stamp, Miniature sheet, FDC, cancel
Designer: villa creativa
Release date: March 12, 2021
FLORA – SPONTANEOUS SHRUBS
Wayfarer (Viburnum lantana),
false lauren (Viburnum tinus),
snowball bush (Viburnum opulus ‘Roseum’),
3 stamps + miniature sheet of 1 stamp, FDC, cancel
Designer: Zlatko Drčar
Release date: March 12, 2021
100 years of rock climbing in Slovenia
1 POSTCARD
Designer: villa creativa
Release date: March 12, 2021
60th Anniversary – Reading Badges
1 POSTCARD
Designer: villa creativa
Release date: March 12, 2021
Slovenia 2021 stamps May 2021
E U R O PA 2021 – Endangered wild animals
2 stamps + sheetlets, FDC, cancel
wild cat & kivji petelin
Designer: Maja Tomažič
Release date: May 28, 2021
European Congress of Mathematics
1 stamp, cover, cancel
Designer: Marko Prah
Release date: May 28, 2021
SLOVENIA – EUROPEAN REGION OF GASTRONOMY 2021
1 stamp, FDC, cancel
Designer: Edi Berk
Photographer: Tomo Jeseničnik
Release date: May 28, 2021
Fortunat Bergant and his works, 300th anniversary of his birth
5 stamps, FDC, cancel
He was born on 6 July 1721 in Mekinja, but the family soon moved to nearby Kamnik. We still know relatively little about his early years and creation today. His works are scattered throughout Slovenia and beyond our borders – in Carinthia, in Places like in Croatia (Sinac, Otočac), Hungary and Italy. Among the painter’s greatest achievements of this period can surely be the stay in Rome and the schooling of the “Scuoli del Nudo” there, which was managed by the renowned “Accademia di San Luca”, at which in 1756 and 1758 he received the first prize for drawing male acts. Land of brands – Fortunat Bergant and his works – Volbenk Danijel baron Erberg (dezelaznamk.si)
Volbenk Danijel Baron Erberg
Mary Ana Baroness Erberg
Abbot Leopold Buset
Birdman
Prestar (Didn’t translate well)
Designer: Robert Žvokelj Photographer: Janko Dermastja, National Gallery
Release date: May 28, 2021
July
Summer Olympics, Tokyo – climbing & sailing
2 stamps, FDC, cancel
Designer: Robert Žvokelj
Release date: July 12, 2021
Gold Earrings from the Školarice Site (Late 3rd/Early 4th Century AD)
1 stamp, FDC, cancel
On the hillside above today’s Ankara road hub, one of the more affluent families from the Trieste or Aquileian agra built a Roman villa in the mid-first century. The management of the villa lasted until the middle of the fifth century, when it was destroyed by fire…
The site called Školarice was discovered and researched in 2002, before the construction of a motorway junction. It is the most extensive complex of roman villa with its own burial site in the Slovenian part of Istria. Land of brands – EUROMED POSTAL – Handmade Jewellery of the Mediterranean (dezelaznamk.si)
Kavčnik Homestead, Zavodnje nad Šoštanjem
Series: Farmhouses of Slovenia
1 stamp, miniature sheet
Designer: Marko Prah
Release date: Release date: November 12, 2021
Dr. Melita Pivec-Stele, librarian and historian 1894-1973 Series: Slovene female scientists
1 stamp, FDC, cancel
Designer: Edi Berk
Release date: Nov. 12. 2021
The beginnings of systematic experimentation with model aircraft – Valentin Matija Živic
Series: Pioneer and milestones of Slovene aviation
1 stamp, FDC, cancel
Designer: Robert Žvokelj
Release date: Nov. 12, 2021
Slovenes in Canada
Series: Slovenes around the world
1 stamp, FDC, cancel
Designer: Zadruga.traparij
Release date: Nov. 12, 2021
Christmas 2021
2 stamps, 2 folders of 12 stamps
B – Birth of Christ
C – three kings
Designers: Zadruga Traparij & Villa Creativa
Release date: Nov. 12, 2021
New Year
2 stamps, 1 FDC, cancel, folder of 12 stamps
Designer: Pavla Bonča (greeting card) & Zala Perčič (fireworks)
Release date: Nov. 12, 2021
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Don’t forget to look at the growing list of 2021 releases from around the world –
Some of the Australia 2021 stamps have been announced. Yes, it’s that time of year when post offices around the world tease out upcoming releases. Australia Post’s stamps for Jan and Feb offer tradition, history, creatures, and home comforts. One set will appeal to aviation, airmail, Australian history, and militaria fans around the world. As of this articles publication date (Dec 29, 2020), none of the stamps listed are for sale yet, but check Australia Post office closer to release dates Stamps – Sending (auspost.com.au).
*Small edits to clean up the introduction were made on June 26, 2021. I removed some ramblings and tightened up the content.
Lunar New Year Jan 8, 2021
It’s now expected that post offices will issue a Chinese New Year, or Lunar New Year, stamp and Australia Post’s Christmas Island stamps don’t disappoint. Of all the Lunar New Year stamps I’ve seen this set will go down as my favourite.
Sydney, Australia based artist Chrissy Lau designed the series, and when I wandered through her site, I realised I’ve seen her art before. She designed Guernsey Islands Year of the Rat stamp series last year. Check out her distinctive style on her website: Chrissy Lau | Artist Illustrator | Portfolio.
Australia Post also has a full Chinese zodiac souvenir sheet displaying all the animals and years they are associated with. It would round out a Lunar New Year collection.
Souvenir keeper showing entire Chinese zodiac
Interested in seeing more Lunar New Year stamps from around the world? Check my page on Year of the Ox stamps.
Now on with the rest of 2021 Australian stamps.
Australia 2021 stamps January
5 Home comforts with Memorable Moments
5 stamps, cancel
$1.10 Bunnies showing stuffed toy rabbits
$1.10 Thank You
$1.10 Balloons showing colourful heart balloons
$1.10 Heart showing a heart graphic
$2.20 Blossoms
Designers Keith Downes and Sonai Young, Australia Post Design Studio
Release date: Jan. 25, 2021
Happy Birthday
Happy Birthday to you
Available for a personalised birthday greeting. Australia Post allows people to pre-order the stamp and birthday cover with a specific date on the cancel. You choose the birthdate of your choice and it will bear the appropriate date on the cancel.
Special order started Jan. 11, 2021
February
100 Years of the RAAF Feb 9, 2021
2 stamps, FDC, FD postal cancel, booklets, maxi cards, post cards
Designers: Jamie and Leanne Tufrey
Previous designs include 2014 Centenary of Military Aviation & Submarines
Release date: Feb. 9, 2021
Front Line Heroes
Healthcare workers
Paramedic and aged care worker
ADF and police services
Postal and delivery services
Teacher and supermarket worker
5 stamps (se-tenant), FDC gummed/minisheet/blank, FD cancel, stamp pack, mini sheet, 5 maxicards, se-tenant booklet of 10, gutter strip of 10, cheques
Designer: Sonia Young, Australia Post Design Illustrator: Robert Elliott
Release date: Feb. 16, 2021
Ramsar Wetlands
Ramsar Convention on Wetlands of International Importance, signed on 2 February 1971, and of
which Australia is a co-founder.
Australian Post Stamp Bulletin #370
Edith Dircksey Cowan OBE (1861–1932), a long-time social justice campaigner, was part of a
push for greater civic rights for women, following World War I. In 1920, legislation was finally
passed that ended the legal barrier to women serving in the Western Australian Parliament.
Australian Post Stamp Bulletin #370
Designer: Lisa Christensen, Three Branches Design
Release date: March 2, 2021
Quokka numismatic cover
1 stamp, FDC, FD postal cancel, coin
More information to come
Release date: March 10, 2021
Perth Stamp & Coin Show
Special cancels & limited-edition PNC card
Release date: March 12 -14, 2021
Dreaming Down Under numismatic cover
1 stamp, FDC, FD postal cancel, coin
More information to come
Release date: March 16, 2021
HMAS Cerberus – 150 years
HMVS Cerberus arrived in Port Phillip Bay, on 9 April 1871. The British-built Cerberus was commissioned as a coastal defence ship to safeguard Melbourne, the Australian colonies’ largest and wealthiest city in the late
19th century.
Australian Post Stamp Bulletin #370
I want to thank everyone who has dropped me a note and still visited the site, despite the lack of fun content. It's been a bit of a hard slog on this end and the double vision really makes things a bit rough. However, it looks like a diagnosis is on the horizon which means treatment.
In the meantime, I'm going to try and write. If I get things a little wonky, just sigh with me. Its hard to take life seriously when everything is blurry and doubled.
![[Cygnet II kite]](https://bittergrounds.com/wp-content/uploads/Cignet-II-side-view.jpg "A history of Canadian airmail – Silver Dart 8")
