Special thanks to Joseph Ward & Rod Stuart, and George Painter for help on this News item. Like many collector groups, the CS&CSS has an Archive. Today, this Archive consists of a complete Seal News reprint, as well as a collection of early articles pertaining to Christmas Seal collecting, and history. Formed in 1931, The CS&CSS's first official organ was Linn's Stamp News, and the "Christmas Seal and Charity Stamps" monthly department served as our official bulletin, and was edited by A. W. C. Brumfield. 1931-1934 issues are included in the Seal News section, available at this website with member login. Fifty cents covered annual dues which included a subscription to Linn's, double the normal Linn's subscription fee. Later, April 4th, 1934 thru February 5th, 1947, The Western Stamp Collector carried the official bulletin of CS&CSS, first called "Charity Review" thru February 1940 before changing it's name to "Official Bulletin of CS&CSS". The official society column published in the WSC was edited by Harold V.B. Voorhis thru 1938 when he was called to serve in WW2. Ben Morris edited the column thru 1945 and passed away while holding the position of editor. Dick Green took over as editor of the WSC column thru February 1947 before splitting off the Western Stamp Collector, and editing "Seal News", first issued on March 1947. I'm searching for a long run of the CS&CSS Western Stamp Collector bulletins, so they can be added to the Seal News section. For a time, The CS&CSS and The Poster Stamp Collectors of America used a combined journal, The Poster Seal Bulletin. The known issues are included in the Seal News section, which are May 1941 thru October 1941, and a part of a 1943, leading me to believe they were issued for several years. The heading or title page lists both organizations and their respective officers. They even had separate Editors. The CS&CSS was so decimated by the war that the planned Society Exhibition, May 6, 1942, in Philadelphia in conjunction with the Pennsylvania TB Society's 50th Anniversary, was in jeopardy. Attendance was expected to be low but some, notably Charles Lorenz anticipated it, and made the event a success. The exhibit that Lorenz put together with members material demonstrated that it was an exceptional event. A report on this May event was published in The Western Stamp Collector, CS&CSS bulletin, June 1942, and is included in the Seal News section. Joseph Ward also wrote a scholarly article on this event published in Spring 2005 Seal News. During the early years the CS&CSS was a very active group with chapters in New York, Chicago, and later adding Missouri, Wisconsin, and Sacramento. The following are highlights of the CS&CSS Archive, as well as early Christmas Seal articles submitted by members. The first article is by Leigh Mitchell Hodges, The Philadelphia North American newspaperman who was instrumental in making the 1907 seal a success. The first Christmas Seal, conceived by Danish Postal worker, Einar Holboll, became a reality in 1904. Emily Bissell picked up his idea from an article she read to save a small TB sanatorium in the state of Delaware. The article, The Christmas Stamp, by Jacob Riis was published in this News section September 2014. Several articles mention the newly formed CS&CSS, while others contain fascinating back stories to events, such as President FDR receiving a Christmas Seal collection from The National Tuberculosis Association; an album put together by members of the CS&CSS. FDR mentioned a prized Christmas Seal item in his collection, a Danish West Indies TB Seal tied on cover. A publicity photo of this event can be seen in the September 2014 News. Many are written by or about early CS&CSS members collections or exhibits. In the June 1933 article, written by Emily Bissell; she responds to a discovery of some 1907 seals at the NTA office; "We regret that discovery of a quantity of these 1907 seals in cleaning up our office has brought us so much unfavorable publicity, causing people to think we are dickering in the seal trade." Bissell's office had offered 5,000 1907 seal for sale. Collectors correctly predicted the price drop from $5/ $7.50 (type 1 & 2) to .50/ .25 a year later. In 1938 the NTA allowed the CS&CSS to give advance notice of the limited edition Christmas Seal souvenir pane, or Deluxe Pane. With 25,000 printed, they were priced at .25.
12-5-07 WIlmington Morning News.pdf
(389.7 KB)
12-9-17 Wilmington Morning News.pdf
(2.48 MB)
12-12-07 Wilmington Morning News.pdf
(2.43 MB)
12-13-07 Philadelphia North American.pdf
(1.65 MB)
12-17-07 The Optimist.pdf
(1.94 MB)
12-18-07 Philadelphia North American.pdf
(1.31 MB)
12-19-07 Philadelphia North American.pdf
(857.23 KB)
12-23-07 Philadelphia North American.pdf
(768.5 KB)
1-3-08 Philadelphia North American.pdf
(2.41 MB)
1908 The Christmas Stamp in America, The Outlook, Priscilla Leonard (Emily Bissell).pdf
(326.95 KB)
12-16-11 Philadelphia Stamp News, The Am Red Cross Stamps by Percy McMann-1.pdf
(601.21 KB)
1911 Charity Stamps that Collectors Seek.pdf
(959.53 KB)
The Christmas Seals, Jacobs Dec. 1912.pdf
(5.09 MB)
cs&css Dec 1929.pdf
(1.05 MB)
CS&CSS 10-10-31 Linns.pdf
(1.17 MB)
CS&CSS Dec 1931.pdf
(758.37 KB)
cs&css 1931 seal exhibits.pdf
(1.83 MB)
cs&css 1932 noted artists.pdf
(1.53 MB)
1932 Christmas Seal Artists.pdf
(894.48 KB)
CS&CSS 1932 xmas seal story- radio broadcast.pdf
(4.54 MB)
cs&css Mar 1933.pdf
(862.02 KB)
cs&css june 1933 NTA discovery.pdf
(1.05 MB)
cs&css Dec 1933 FDR.pdf
(1.13 MB)
wheless, dorsey.pdf
(4.75 MB)
1933, Dec 16, Stamps, Dorsey Wheless.pdf
(153.58 KB)
cs&css Nov 1934 Linns.pdf
(10.59 MB)
cs&css 1934.pdf
(3.95 MB)
cs&css Dec 1934.pdf
(1.42 MB)
article 1934 jacobs.pdf
(6.96 MB)
cs&css Dec 1935.pdf
(1.7 MB)
cs&css 1935 nat coin & hobby.pdf
(1.51 MB)
11-27-36 story of xmas seal. cole-1.pdf
(1.66 MB)
cs&css Aug 1937 WSC.pdf
(2.52 MB)
cs&css un 1938 WSC.pdf
(2.06 MB)
csss Oct 1938 WSC.pdf
(2.18 MB)
article 12-40.pdf
(4.63 MB)
CS&CSS 1942 Story of Xmas Seal, Hodges.pdf
(3.14 MB)
c&cs Mar 1945 WSC.pdf
(389.91 KB)
12-16-56 Lorenz.pdf
(884.46 KB)
article 12-53.pdf
(4.11 MB)
12-1960 Dateline Delaware.pdf
(9.49 MB)
article 6-3-63.pdf
(3.36 MB)
NTA 8-65.pdf
(753.11 KB)
halls of india.pdf
(398.69 KB)
article berlin ontario 5-89.pdf
(3.43 MB)
article 2-95.pdf
(4.69 MB)
modern christmas seals 1995.pdf
(4.68 MB)
federated womens club article.pdf
(739.01 KB)
