Society News

  1. Hall, One of the First Families of Christmas Seals

    Korean TB Christmas Seal Tied On Rosetta Hall postcards with tied Korean Christmas Seals Rosetta Hall postcards with tied Korean Christmas Seals 1932 Korean TB Christmas Seal 1932 (1937 reprint), 1933, and 1934 Korean TB Christmas Seals 1935 (type 1 & 2) and 1936 Korean TB Christmas Seals 1936 Korean TB Christmas Seal Souvenir Sheet 1937, and 1938 Korean TB Christmas Seals 1939 Gutter pair Korean TB Christmas Seal 9th year (1940) Korean TB Christmas Seal Sheet Indian TB Christmas Seal Sheets 1941-49 1946 Indian TB Christmas Seal Souvenir Sheet Indian TB Christmas Seal Greeting Cards Pakistan TB Christmas Seals 1949-51 #1-3

    Dr Sherwood Hall, MD was the son of James and Rosetta Hall, medical missionaries (Methodist Episcopal) to China and Korea. Rosetta was famous in her own rite for founding the first women's medical school in Korea. The Korean and Indian postcards with seals tied on were sent from her (in the USA) to various people including an early seal collector, CS&CSS member, Alice Westphal.

    Dr. Sherwood Hall issued the first Christmas Seals in Korea, India, and Pakistan.

    In 1928 Dr. Sherwood Hall built a TB Sanatarium in Haeju, Hwanghaedo Province of Korea. Hall's first Korean Christmas Seal was issued in 1932. Later reprinted in 1937 with a larger "D" in "AND". Hall's last Korean Christmas Seal issue was in 1940. The first printing with "1940" date is very rare. Only a few escaped destruction by the Japanese occupational government. Supply and demand have made it the most valuable Christmas Seal in the world, and one can expect to pay $1500 for a copy. This Christmas Seal was reissued with "Ninth Year" replacing the date. Hall, accused of being an American spy, was forced to leave the country by the Japanese.

    By Christmas 1941 Hall issued the first Indian TB Christmas Seal. His Indian issues have a similar quaint style to the Korean issues, and similar related material, like Christmas Seal Greeting Cards, and Christmas Seal Souvenir Sheets were used in both countries. The first two Christmas Seals of Pakistan, issued by Hall in 1949 and 1950 appear identical to Indian issues, except the marginal inscription on the sheet includes "Pakistan". Hall's third Pakistani Christmas Seal, issued in 1951 has the same design used in India in 1942 and 1947, but without date.

     

    PDF icon hall korea.pdf PDF icon hall india.pdf PDF icon halls of india.pdf

  2. New Discoveries by member Dave Lowental

    Jefferson County Tuberculosis pin back button, Chest X-Ray 1910 Red Cross Bucyrus Ohio, Monnette Hospital Monnette Public Hospital, Bucyrus, Ohio

    Dave Lowental reports two unlisted items:

    This US TB pin back button, issued by the Jefferson County Anti Tuberculosis Association, encourages the public to be safe, and get a chest x-ray. Those who participated were rewarded with this cool button, There are quite a few different states with a "Jefferson County", but this seems to be from Alabama. Mass x-ray screening campaigns were done from the 1930s to the 1960s, and from the looks of it, I would guess this to be from before WW2.

    Dave also found this lovely Red Cross seal tied on Marion Ohio December 22, 1910. Marion is about 18 miles south of Bucyrus, which was the home of the Monnette Public Hospital. Note that "Monnette" is printed on the red cross. The card was sent by Walter Monnette, undoubtedly a member of the family that endowed the hospital. More info on the hospital here.

  3. Great American Stamp Show 2023

    APS

    It's official! The Christmas Seal & Charity Stamp Society is meeting this Summer in Cleveland at the big annual APS stamp show. There will be a society booth, a display, sample literature, free seals, and a meeting. Hope to see you there.

    August 10-13, 2023. Thurs - Sat 10 am - 6 pm. Sun 10 am to 4 pm.

    Location: Huntington Convention Center of Cleveland. 300 Lakeside Avenue, Cleveland, OH 44113.

    Host Hotel: The Westin Cleveland Downtown. 777 St. Claire Ave. NE, Cleveland, OH 44114

     

    PDF icon Great American Stamp Show 2023.pdf

  4. The Case of the Double Barred Cross - NTA vs Summit County TB

    The Double Barred Cross Kensington Easter TB seal tied on postcard, from the collection of George Painter 1919 US National Christmas Seal #84 1908 Canada Local TB #71 1909 Spain Local TB #1 1910 Philippines TB #11 1911 Sweden TB #8 1913 Norway TB Summit County TB #3011-13

    The double barred cross, or cross of Lorraine was first suggested as the international symbol for the fight against tuberculosis at the 1902 International Conference on TB in Berlin, Germany. This crusader's cross belonged to Godfrey of Bouillon, who in 1099 became the ruler of the Christian state of Jerusalem. The symbol was first used on a fundraising label in 1907-08 by The Kensington Dispensary in Philadelphia, PA., a US local TB seal. Like many early local TB organizations, Kensington was absorbed by our national Christmas seal association; now known as the American Lung Association. In 1919, when our national Christmas Seal society split off from the Red Cross, they became the National TB Association, and have used the double barred cross ever since.

    In 1954 the NTA sued and won against a US Local TB organization, Summit County TB, of Akron, Ohio, for their use of the double barred cross. This symbol for the "Crusade against TB" was, and continues to be used internationally; first use in Canada 1908, Spain 1909, Philippines 1910, Sweden 1911, Norway 1913, and by the late 1920's many countries had adopted it.  To avoid any confusion, here in the US, the double barred cross belongs ONLY to our national Christmas Seal society.

    Illustrated here are the double barred cross, a Kensington TB seal tied on, 1919 NTA Christmas Seal, Early foreign TB seals uses of the double barred cross, and the first three issues of Summit County TB, showing their infringement, and subsequent removal of the double barred cross.

    Special thanks to member George Painter for bringing this case to our attention.

    PDF icon NTA vs Summit County Case of the Double Barred Cross.pdf

  6. Little Known Jewish Cuban TB Issues

    Cuban - Jewish anti tuberculosis fundraising seal Cuban - Jewish anti tuberculosis fundraising seal Cuban - Jewish anti tuberculosis fundraising seal Cuban - Jewish anti tuberculosis fundraising seal Cuban - Jewish anti tuberculosis fundraising seal Cuban - Jewish anti tuberculosis fundraising seal Cuban - Jewish anti tuberculosis fundraising seal Cuban - Jewish anti tuberculosis fundraising seal Cuban - Jewish anti tuberculosis fundraising seal Cuban - Jewish anti tuberculosis fundraising seal

    Green's Cuba TB #'s 70-76, 1939//1952, were issued by the Jewish Anti Tuberculosis Commitee of Cuba (Colonia Hebrea Protectora de los Tuberculosos y Enfermos Mentales), in Havana, and have been greatly undervalued. I know of no dealer who has them for sale. Examining a single seal of this society, a Cuban philatelic expert who had never seen it, asked me how do you know they are Cuban? My only answer was, the larger certificate toward the bottom says, Cuba, and they have been listed in Green's Catalog, under Cuba for a long time.

  7. Kensington Dispensary, Philadelphia, PA

    1907-08 Christmas Seals of Kensington Philadelphia, PA Louis Pasteur

    When I googled "Kensington TB Dispensary", I found marijuana dispensaries. I guess the word, dispensary means something different today, however this word was once associated with tuberculosis; a place where suspected or confirmed tb cases can receive appropriate evaluation, treatment, and monitoring.

    These 1907-08 US local TB Christmas Seals are among the very first TB seals from America. Each displays the double barred cross of Lorraine, the international symbol of the fight against tb, and a quote by Louis Pasteur, "It is within the power of man to banish contageous diseases from the earth." Pasteur was a French chemist and microbiologist renowned for his discoveries of the principles of vaccination, and pasteurization. His research led to breakthroughs in the understanding of the causes and preventions of diseases, including tb, laying down the foundations of hygiene, and public health.

  8. Glass Plates Used in Christmas Seal Production

    1936 US Christmas Seal first plate first plate detail second plate second plate detail third plate third plate detail fourth plate fourth plate detail 1935 Christmas Seal Slogan Block Set 1935 NM Glass Plate 1 detail 1935 NM Glass Plate 1 1935 NM Glass Plate 2 detail 1935 NM Glass Plate 2 1935 NM Glass Plate 3 detail 1935 NM Glass Plate 3 1935 NM Glass Plate 4 detail 1935 NM Glass Plate 4

    These amazing sets of four glass plates were used to create the 1935 and 1936 US Christmas Seal Negative Maker's proofs. NM proofs were created after the artist's work first became a single die proof; a single, or sometimes pair or block of seals surrounded by a large white margin. NM proofs came next, a full pane, usually 100 seals, surrounded by a large white margin. NM proofs were used by all the regional  printers of Christmas Seals to create massive press sheets which were perforated and cut into single panes, and sent to every family in America.

    The other side of these glass plates are expertly touched up to insure solid colors on the final product. Forgive the terrible reflections in these pictures. I imagine most production items like these have been lost to time. I have seen only one or two other sets of glass NM plates from the 1950's.

  9. Final Christmas Seal of Mexico

    2017 & 2018 Mexican TB Christmas seals featuring butterflies.

    2018 was the final TB Christmas Seal issue of Mexico; as of June 2022. Very similar to the 2017 butterfly issue with a new date. Mexican Christmas seals look more like postage stamps than most Christmas seals, finely printed with denominations, and feature many topically appealing, award winning designs. 

     

  10. Dioradin Treatment for Tuberculosis

    Dioradin TB Treatment Stock Certificate

    The antiobiotic cure for TB was developed after WW2, but in 1911 scientists were experimenting with Iodine and Radium, and clained a 30% improvment. A cure would have been worth a fortune, so I'm guessing they sold stock in the idea. But since only 2 coupons are clipped off, perhaps they went broke. Clearly there was no lasting results, but it was a hopeless time for those suffering from the disease, and doctors were willing to try anything. This may be the first, or at least an early, appempt to cure a disease with radiation. 

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