Postal History Corner

Friday, April 15, 2011

Louis St. Laurent

Louis Stephen St. Laurent (1882–1973) was a lawyer, professor, politician and the 12th Prime Minister of Canada from 1948 to 1957. Prime Minister William Lyon Mackenzie King recruited St. Laurent into politics appointing him Minister of Justice in 1942. St. Laurent succeeded King as Liberal Party leader and Prime Minister in 1948. St. Laurent was known as "Uncle Louis", and was ranked #4 on a survey of the first 20 prime ministers of Canada done by Canadian historians.

During his two terms as Prime Minister, St. Laurent's government:

promoted national autonomy with the appointment of the first Canadian-born Governor General, Vincent Massey
welcomed Newfoundland as Canada's the tenth province
initiated projects such as the Trans-Canada Highway and the St. Lawrence Seaway
initiated equalization payments to the provinces
introduced family allowances, unemployment insurance, old-age pensions
provided financial support for universities and created the National Arts Council
oversaw Canada's membership in NATO, sent troops to Korea and peace-keepers to the Suez under UN auspices.

Although his party received the largest number of popular votes in the 1957 federal election, the Liberals won fewer seats than the Progressive Conservatives under John Diefenbaker. St. Laurent was encouraged to either form a minority government or create a coalition majority government with the Co-operative Commonwealth Federation (CCF). St-Laurent, however, resigned as Prime Minister.

St. Laurent Correspondence

The letter below was addressed to Lady Oakes, Nassau, Bahamas. Lady Eunice Oakes was the widow of Sir Harry Oakes, the richest man in Canada, who was murdered in their Bahamas mansion in 1943.

House of Commons hand cancellation, October 27, 1951
Postage was required on mail to foreign destinations
4 cents (G overprinted stamp) preferred surface letter rate to the Bahamas.

St. Laurent initials handstamp in black ink

Embossed on the back of the envelope

The second letter was mailed from the Prime Minister's office to Argentina.

Ottawa "Free" machine cancellation, May 20, 1954 to Rosario, Argentina
5 cent official stamp affixed on top of the word FREE and visible portions of the word on both sides of the stamp handstamped.
5 cents was the preferred surface letter rate to South America (from April 1, 1954)

St. Laurent initials handstamp in blue

Office of the Prime Minister on the back flap

Mme Jeanne St. Laurent (nee Renault)

Louis St. Laurent married Jeanne Renault in 1908. The couple had 5 children. In 1948, Mme St-Laurent became the first spouse of a Prime Minister since 1926, following 22 years of bachelor Prime Ministers.

In the spring of 1949, Prime Minister St. Laurent, his wife Jeanne, and daughter attended a luncheon of the Lady Laurier Club in Vancouver. Mme St. Laurent mailed this thank you note to Mrs. Albert Hill.

Ottawa (House of Commons) to Vancouver, May 6 (probably an inverted 9), 1949
4 cent domestic letter rate
OHMS perfin

Ottawa
May 9, 1949

Dear Mrs. Hill:

My husband and daughter join me in sending warmest thanks for the effective work you did in connection with the arrangements for the luncheon of the Lady Laurier Club, during our recent visit to Vancouver.

With kindest regards,
Yours sincerely

Jeanne R. St. Laurent

Retirement from Politics

In 1958 St. Laurent retired from politics and returned to private life in Quebec City. Even in retirement, he remained the respected elder statesman. This courteous, dignified and humane man continued to retain the esteem and affection of Canadians. Louis Stephen St. Laurent died in July 1973.

On April 8, 1974, Canada Post Office issued a 7 cent definitive postage stamp in honour of Louis St. Laurent. The stamp was an addition to the pen and ink line drawing Prime Minister "Caricature" series.

Canadian Bank Note, April 8, 1974

Thursday, April 14, 2011

Toronto Professional Baseball

1. Toronto Maple Leafs

The Toronto Maple Leafs were a minor league baseball club that played from 1896 to 1967.

Maple Leaf Stadium (opened 1927) was located at the corner of Bathurst and Lakeshore Blvd.

The cover below from the Toronto Maple Leaf Baseball Club was mailed in 1950 to the Postmaster General, Canberra, Australia:

Toronto to Canberra, March 11, 1950
50 cents paying the double weight step to Australia

In 1950, the AAA International League Maple Leafs had a 60 and 90 season. On May 7, 1950, the Maple Leafs made history by playing in Toronto's first ever sporting evening to be played on a Sunday. Almost 18,000 fans watched the home team lose both games of a double header.

1950 Maple Leafs Programme

One of the notable players on the Maple Leafs 1950 squad was 21 year-old right-handed pitcher Steve Ridzik who went on to play 12 major league seasons finishing his career with a 39-38 record.

The team was sold the following year to Jack Kent Cook. Under Cooke's ownership, the Leafs were one of the top franchises of the International League, leading the league in attendance every year from 1952–1956. In 1960, the pennant-winning Leafs won 100 games with a league-record 32 shutouts. Future Baseball Hall of Fame manager Sparky Anderson joined the team in 1960 as a middle infielder. In 1964, at the age of 30, Anderson accepted Cooke's offer to manage the Leafs. Cooke sold the team in 1964. Despite consecutive championship seasons in 1965 and 1966 under another future Baseball Hall of Fame manager Dick Williams, attendance was dropping and team was losing money. At the end of the 1967 season moved to Louisville, Kentucky. Toronto was without professional baseball from 1968–1976.

2. Toronto Blue Jays

Professional baseball returned to Toronto in 1977 with the Blue Jays, an American League expansion team. Roy Hartsfield, pictured on the Texaco advertising card below, was the team's first manager. The card was mailed from Dunedin, Florida, "winter home of the Toronto Blue Jays", a few days before the first pitch was to be thrown at Exhibition Stadium.

Roy Hartsfield was a successful manager at top levels of minor league baseball before he was hired as the first Blue Jays' manager. Hartsfield managed the Jays from 1977 to 1979.

Dunedin to Don Mills, April 1, 1977

The Blue Jays played their first game on April 7, 1977, against the Chicago White Sox ,winning 9-5. Fans will never forget the minor snowstorm that began prior to the game.

1978 Pre-season Mailing

The cover below contained ticket order information for the 1978 season.

Toronto, January 13, 1978
6 cents bulk mail rate

1978 Ticket Prices:

$6.50 for the best seats in the house!

Exhibition Stadium : Home of the Blue Jays 1977 -1989

In 1989, the Blue Jays moved from Exhibition stadium to Skydome, a park with a retractable roof. The next five years would be the most successful in Jays history, culminating in World Series victories in 1992 and 1993.

Canada Post helped celebrate the 25th anniversary of the Blue Jays with the release of a 47 cent commemorative stamp on April 9, 2001.

CL cachet

Toronto to Huntsville, May 22, 2001

47 cents domestic letter rate

3. Major League Baseball All-Star Game 1991

The 1991 Major League Baseball All-Star Game was held on July 9, 1991 at Skydome, Toronto. The American League defeated the National League 4-2.

Colorano "Silk" cachets

Toronto, July 9, 1991

4. World Series Victories : 1992 and 1993

1992

The Toronto Blue Jays won their first World Series championship in 1992, defeating the Atlanta Braves four games to two.

Game 3, October 20, 1992

Game 4, October 21, 1992

Game 5, October 22, 1992

The Blue Jays won the final game of the World Series 4-2 in eleven innings in Atlanta on October 24, 1992.

1993

The Blue Jays triumphed again in 1993, beating the Philadelphia Phillies 4 games to 2. With Toronto ahead three games to two in the Series, Joe Carter hit a game-winning three-run home run in the bottom of the ninth inning of Game 6 to win the series for Toronto.

Game 1, October 16, 1993

Game 2, October 17, 1993

Game 6, October 23, 1993

Joe Carter looking at the incoming ball before hitting his amazing walk-off home run in the bottom of the ninth, October 23, 1993.

Wednesday, April 13, 2011

Canada Post Office
General Purpose Cachets
1949 - 1973

From 1949 to 1973, Canada Post Office produced general purpose cachets to service first day covers. Canada Post Office produced its own first day covers for a variety of reasons which included presentations, replacements for damaged first day covers, and international publicity mailings.

Examples of general purpose cachets are in the National Archives collection and are posted on the Library and Archives website. Five types have been identified in the Archives records.

Type 1 : Crown

The Type 1 cachet made its first appearance with the George VI definitive set issued on November 19, 1949, and was replaced in 1965.

Replacement FDC with insert

Printing Order Numbers

The 1949 cachet did not have a printing order number, but later on such numbers were added to the cachet. Examples are shown below:

P.S. 2-10M-4-11-60

P.S. 2-1--2-62

Type 2 : Canadian Coat of Arms and Flags

The Type 2 cachet featuring the Canadian Coat of Arms and crossed Canadian flags was introduced in late 1965. The cachet was used in 1966 but suspended in 1967 while the Centennial (Type 3) cachet was used to service first day covers during the Centennial year. Usage of the Type 2 cachet resumed for the first part of 1968 until the Type 4 cachet was issued.

October 13, 1965

Different Usages

Addressed to GPO Ottawa (pencil)

Publicity first day cover to Belgium

Canada Post Office used the Type 2 cachet above as well as the newly introduced Type 4 cachet (see below) to service this issue.

Type 3: Centennial Symbol

During the 1967 Centennial year, Canada Post Office used a special Centennial general purpose cachet. Similar to the Type 2 design, the Type 3 had the added elements of the Centennial symbol and text "Centennial Year of Confederation". The Type 3 cachet was only used in 1967.

Replacement First Day Cover to Montreal

Type 4 : Maple Leaf

In May 1968, the Type 2 cachet was replaced with Type 4 which featured a single red maple leaf. The Type 4 was in use until 1971.

The Type 2 cachet was also used for this issue. (See above)

Different Usages

Publicity first day cover to Jamaica

Replacement sent to Vancouver

Type 5 : Maple Sapling

A maple sapling is shown on the Type 5 cachet which was appropriately introduced for the first day of issue of the Maple in Spring stamp, April 14, 1971. Canada Post Office continued using the Type 5 cachet until 1973.

Mosdossy Cachet

A sixth type of Canada Post Office general purpose cachet, used in 1972 and 1973 for international publicity mailings, does not appear to be in the Archives collection. This is a cachet designed by Imre von Mosdossy featuring a map of Canada within which are images representing Canadian cultures, industry, and wildlife. The lettering and outline of the map are embossed in gold colour. Modossy's name is printed in smaller lettering at the bottom of the cachet.

Imre von Mosdossy (1904 - 1995) was born in Budapest . From 1934 to 1942 he designed the decor for many Hungarian exhibitions including the Hungarian Pavilion at the 1939 New York World's Fair. He was senior professor at the Academy of Fine Arts in Budapest. He left Hungary in 1945 and came to Canada via Germany, France and Colombia in 1963. He did portraits of world leaders and interiors for churches. He designed more than 900 postage stamps for various countries, including the 1968 Canadian International Hydrological Decade stamp. (from Hungarian Studies Review)

(See comment below from Imre von Mosdossy's granddaughter)

With "First Day Cover- Jour D'Emission"

FIRST DAY OF ISSUE - JOUR D'EMISSION

Without "First Day Cover- Jour D'Emission"

Rosecraft Commercial Covers Used for Publicity Mailings : 1963-65

In addition to the six types of general purpose cachets for its international publicity mailings, Canada Post Office also used "Rosecraft" commercial first day cover cachets. These can be identified by the distinctive printed addresses and the insert from CPO describing the new issue.

1963

Sir Martin Frobisher