Society News

1. Thu, 06/30/2016 - 13:06

   Christmas Seal Campaign Envelopes

   

   US Christmas Seal Campaign envelopes were used by the American Red Cross, The National Tuberculosis Association, The National TB and Respiratory Disease Association, and the American Lung Association, as well as their affiliates. They were used in annual campaigns for correspondence, publicity and fundraising. The earliest one, 1917, is not listed in Green's Catalog; however, the 1919 is listed and comes in several sizes with and without a window. These early Christmas Seal Campaign envelopes are scarce to rare.

   The first collection has small size envelopes first, followed by larger size ones; both are in approximate chronological order. The second collection is also, roughly, in chronological order, regardless of envelope size. Some, especially the more recent ones, are harder to identify by year but many have clues. An element of a Christmas Seal design may reveal the year of issue, as well as printing on the back of the envelope. The second collection begins with 1959 as Christmas Seals are included on the envelope's illustration where they are in a coat pocket hanging in a closet. These are nice collections, however many varieties exist.

   Individuals and Christmas Seal dealers also created Christmas Seal envelopes which look similar to the official campaign ones, and a few of these are included in the first collection. Some were created with current Christmas Seal designs for, Santa Claus Indiana, first day covers which began in 1936. Others illustrate much older, non current seals. I, John Denune, created a series of them myself in the 1980's. Christmas Seal electrotype images over fifty years old, were reproduced on envelopes which were used for correspondence. Mine are not included here. Click on the pdf below to view two different collections.

   christmas seal printed envelopes.pdf christmas seal printed envelopes-2.pdf
2. Fri, 05/20/2016 - 16:51

   Free Peruvian Tuberculosis Seal Album

   

   Thanks to Juan Carlos for this lovely eight page specialized album.

   Peruvian Christmas Seal Album.pdf
3. Tue, 05/17/2016 - 18:03

   2016 Christmas Seal Collection for a Dignatary

   

   Not since 1933 has the CS&CSS put together a collection like this. Then, a gift for one of the most famous stamp collectors of all time, President Franklin Delano Roosevelt. Read a period article about this event, and view an old publicity photo, both "News" items on this webpage, June, 9th, 2015 and September 19th, 2014.

   We collect year round, but the media is always hungry for stories about Christmas at Christmas time. I hope this gets picked up by the Associated Press. Call me a dreamer, but if I shoot for the stars, maybe I'll hit the moon. Our goal is to increase awareness of our hobby and the important work of the American Lung Association. Stay tuned, as this will happen in late November this year. With the help of CS&CSS members and non members, notably Laura Bell-Rivera who provided the foundation, this collection contains 1907 to date, singles, pairs, blocks and sheets, as required, and was mounted into a new album.

   A separate collection of full sheets of Christmas Seals from 1931 to date has also been included, as well as the flag ship of CS&CSS literature, Green's Catalog, part 1, US National Christmas Seals, the Bible of US Christmas Seal collecting; a printed copy as well as the computer CD edition.

4. Wed, 05/04/2016 - 11:17

   Field Guide to the Cinderella Stamps of Canada, 2nd edition

   

   The Field Guide to the Cinderella Stamps of Canada, 2nd edition, by R. G. Lafreniere is a large full color volume listing over 12,350 Canadian cinderellas including, charity & fundraising seals, events, philatelic exhibitions, advertising poster stamps, propaganda, private courier, strike stamps, fantasies, essays, reprints, forgeries, trading stamps, union dues, security seals, college stamps, air mail etiquettes, and British monarchy stamps.

   This impressive volume exceeded my expectations, much improved over the sold out 1st edition, and would be a lovely addition to your philatelic library. Price is $64 + $10 shipping to Canada, or $18 shipping to USA, or $20 shipping to Europe & Australia.

   This book is available from the author and publisher, R. G. Lafreniere, c/o Bird Bear Press, 1264 Osborne Ave., Verdun, Quebec, Canada H4H 1X5. For more information and a free downloadable checklist visit www.BirdBearPress.com

5. Mon, 05/02/2016 - 15:34

   America First in the News, with special thanks to Timothy McGinnis

   

   Recently Donald Trump announced part of his foreign policy plan; calling it, America First. The phrase, America First, was used patriotically in WW1, and it is reasonable to assume he was using the phrase in this manner. Over 20 years later, in 1940, the America First Committee was formed by Yale Law student, Robert Douglas Stuart. Seals issued by this society are listed in the Mosbaugh All Fund Catalog, Patriotic and Veterans #10, published by the Christmas Seal & Charity Stamp Society. Click on the pdf file below to view an excellent collection of "America First". Nearly all of this material was issued by the America First Committee, with notable exceptions being the 1939 "Ve Vant Var" label and the WW1 era patriotic labels on top of page 8. The America First Committee was one of the foremost non interventionist groups against American entry into WW2. Noted members of the America First Committee included future Peace Corp Director, and George McGovern's Presidential running mate, Sargent Shriver; future President Gerald Ford; and future Supreme Court Justice Potter Stewart. American aviator Charles Lindbergh became a public spokesperson for the America First Committee, and though he expressed sympathy for the plight of the Jews in Germany, he argued that, "... entry into the war would serve them (Jewish people) better (than average Americans)." Lindbergh identified the forces pulling America into war as, "...the British, the Roosevelt administration, and the Jews." But throughout American history most of us have been inspired by our political, and religious freedoms to act as ambassadors of liberty. Though listed as an issue of the America First Committee, CS&CSS member Timothy McGinnis (author of the revised Easter Seal section of the Mosbaugh All Fund Catalog) questioned if the rare "Ve Vant Var" label met the standards of the organization, or if it was issued by an entirely different organization. This label makes fun of a Jewish immigrant accent, and behind the "V" for victory symbol is the Jewish Star of David, implying that Jewish people were promoting American involvement in the war. Of course many were, but this racist label implies that Jewish people weren't worth fighting for. McGinnis uncovered information which confirmed the origin of this seal. California court case People vs. Noble, 3rd Dist April 24th, 1945, detailed how members of the German American Bund, a pro Hitler organization, created and distributed the 1939 "Ve Vant Var" labels. Lindbergh was a poor choice for spokesperson of the America First Committee. Though a national hero at the time, his motive for being opposed to war was tainted by his eugenics beliefs. Eugenics promoted practices that aimed at improving the genetic quality of the human population, and was a philosophy with implications for a racially based social order. The height of this movement is associated with Nazi Germany, and the Holocaust.

   america first collection.pdf
6. Wed, 02/10/2016 - 14:01

   Early Christmas Seal Publicity Items

   

   In the early years, thru the teens, publicity items issued by the Christmas Seal division of the American Red Cross are rare. The first pamphlet illustrated is from 1908 and contains interesting original information on the 1907 drive. The pamphlet was printed by Chas. L. Story of Wilmington Delaware, and states that they were the printer of the first US Christmas Seal in 1907. Story at least printed some of the type one seals. When the first printing ran out a printer in Philadelphia, Theodore Leonhardt & Son, took over seal production. Later, beginning in the early 20's Christmas Seal publicity items expanded into bonds, ink blotters, package inserts, posters, and letterheads. Many different letterheads were issued by region every year. Though 1935 is not a common year for letterheads, the pdf file contains a definitive collection of about 30 different.

   early publicity letterheads.pdf
7. Fri, 01/08/2016 - 09:22

   World Stamp Show NYC 2016

   

   The CS&CSS will be there for the duration of this, once every 10 year in America, international stamp show; booth 1660. We will be handing out lots of free seals, and signing up some new members. Joseph Ward is creating a society exhibit, a frame of rarities, now included on the "Hobby Overview" page of this website. We hope many members will attend and some will submit their Christmas Seal collections for display. A souvenir CS&CSS engraving has been created for the event. Our meeting, The Early History of Christmas Seals, is scheduled on 5-29-2016, at 11am to 12pm; Meeting Room 1E08. For more information on the event, visit http://www.ny2016.org/

8. Fri, 12/04/2015 - 14:13

   Christmas Seal & TB Health Buttons

   

   In the mid 80's Charles Andrews wrote a good book on the subject, which went out of print. However, Christmas Seal Buttons, Pins and Medals of The United States, by Lou Caprario, is the best book ever written on the subject; 100+ pages, full color comb bound for $30.00, or on a computer CD for $8.95 Published by the Christmas Seal & Charity Stamp Society, and available from CS&CSS Catalog Chairman, John Denune, 234 E. Broadway, Granville, OH. 43023. For a complete list of CS&CSS Literature, click on the "Literature" page in the top menu. Caprario's work has outstanding illustrations, and scholarly detail, listing all know varieties. Click on the pdf flie below to view a lovely collection of 160 different early Christmas Seal & TB buttons.

   Christmas Seal Buttons.pdf
9. Thu, 11/12/2015 - 12:49

   Quiz - What is a Christmas Seal?

   

   a) a commerical decorative Christmas poster stamp used on Christmas mail and packages

   b) a tuberculosis or lung charity label issued at Christmas time, as stated in this pamphlet issued in 1976 by the American Lung Association. "...with the help of Green's Catalog... 76 countries with lung association issuing Christmas Seals... it's world-wide!" See pdf below for the entire informative pamphlet.

   c) a fundraising seal which includes the double barred cross, or Cross of Lorraine proposed in 1902 at the international conference on TB in Berlin, as the international symbol of the fight against TB

   d) a tb seal issued by the ALA, or any other Organizational or Constituent Member of the International Union against TB & Lung Disease

   e) an entry in the Christmas Seal contest held at the World Conference on Lung Health, the annual convention of the International Union against TB & Lung Diesase

   f) a seal issued by the ALA or it’s predecessors, since it’s acquisition of a registered trademark for the term in 1987.

   If you choose “f”, you are correct, Christmas Seal® is a registered trademark of the American Lung Association.

    

   Because "Christmas Seal" is part of the name of our Society, we are vitally interested!

   Below is a list of articles and notes from newspapers making reference to "Christmas Seals" before the ALA registered their trademark. The dates range from 1915 to 1982 , a good time range to show how "Christmas Seals" is a generic term. Five of these are from the first year of the seals' issuance (Boys Town, Catholic Charities, HCA, New Mexico Boys Ranch, and Roweton Boys Ranch). I think this is additional evidence of the generic nature of the term, since the organizations used it right from the beginning. four are the earliest reference I've found (Grace, NAACP, Starr, Lutheran Sanatarium Wheat Ridge).

   Commercial Decorative Christmas Seals

   Illustrated is a 1926 generic use of the term "Christmas Seal" by the Mistletoe Seal Company which sold commercial decorative Christmas Seals. These did not have a charitable purpose. One early series of these commercial Christmas Seals were the Santa Claus Post which began in 1908. These are well cataloged in Larry B. Hixon's Santa Post Catalog, edited by Joseph D. Ward, Jr., published by the CS&CSS. Other commercial Christmas Seals followed. Some of these commercial Christmas Seals are difficult to distinguish for actual charitable fundraising seals, particularly Catholic fundraising seals. Quite a few were die cut and have irregular shapes. Attached is a downloadable pdf file which illustrate some commercial Christmas Seals tied on cover. The last page has several Santa Claus Post.

   Patent denied when inventor waited too long

   Patent case, denying patentability because the inventor waited "almost a decade" before filing. Even though it's a patent case, it's relevant to someone waiting 80 years, as the ALA did, to file for a trademark. In that 80 years, many organizations jumped in and used the term. The case is abstracted below.

   In the 1876 case Consolidated Fruit Jar Company  v. Wright, the Consolidated Fruit Jar Company alleged other jar manufacturers were infringing its patent on Mason jars and requested the Court forbid their competitors from selling their versions of the jar. The Court refused, reasoning that, because the Mason jar was not patented for almost a decade after its creation and introduction to the marketplace, the original inventor “acquire[d] no title, and his invention or discovery . . . is lost to him.”

   George Painter, member CS&CSS

   Boys Town - Allen (OK) Advocate 12-8-49 1,1.pdf Catholic Charities - Glens Falls Post-Star 12-5-1921 p9.pdf Grace - Nemaha County (NE) Herald 11-13-31, 2,3.pdf NAACP - California Eagle 12-13-35 5,5.pdf HCA - Catholic Union and Times 12-2-15 5,6.pdf Roweton - Chillicothe Gazette 12-5-68 pp.2,23.pdf New Mexico - Clovis News-Journal 11-30-55 4,3.pdf Starr - Battle Creek Enquirer 11-19-45 8,3.pdf Wheatridge - Brooklyn Standard Union 10-7-23.pdf Christ Child Society, Washington Star 11-26-26, 27,1.pdf Capper Foundation Christmas Seal 11-25-82 1.1.pdf commercial christmas seal tied ons-1.pdf Pictorial Hist of Xmas Seals 1976 Am Lung Assn.pdf
10. Tue, 10/20/2015 - 14:44

    Red Cross Button Checklist

    

    Written in 1934 by Charles Lorenz. US Christmas Seals were issued by the American Red Cross between 1908 and 1919. Varieties of the 1919 Red Cross buttons were used in the 1918 Christmas Seal Campaign

    Red Cross Buttons, by C. Lorenz 1934.pdf

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