Evening star., 1948-01-18

by human carelessness. We believe
that the best way to put a halt to
such disasters Is by cultivating hui
man carefulness. It Is everybody's
problem and we need everybody's
help"
Collectors who favor the projected
cancellation dies are invited to
write to Mr., Watts, South Building.
Department of Agriculture.
The recently issued two-vollme
United States Commemorative
Stamps of the Twentieth Century"
is the latest and certainly the most
notable of Harry L. Lindquist's pub
ications to come from the pen Of
Max G. Johl. postal and philatelic
historian. Totaling 1873 pages of
text and pictures. the complete work
is as much an imperative require
ment for collectors of American
postage labels as the stamps them
selves.
Mr.. Johl's first volume opens with
the story of the Pan-American series
of 1901-the bicolored steamship, ex-
press train, automobile, Niagara
Falls Bridge, canal locks set which
originally sold at 80 cents for the
lot and now is catalogued at $21.
He then Systematically chronicles
all the commemorative up to and
including the National Parks series
of 1884. In each case he tells the
purpose of the issue, the procedure
adopted for its production, the ar
rangements for its distribution. He
also supplies philatelic data cov-
ering numbers printed, varieties,
special cancellations. etc.
One chapter is devoted to Phi
lately Under Franklin D. Roosevelt"
in which Mr.. Johl gives his personal
version Of the Farley gift sheets,
the Farley Follies and other errors
Of the Roosevelt administration.
With regard to the reprints of the
gift stamps, he sets forth his own
belief that: collectors were salts
fled that the original presentation
sheets were correctly duplicated"-
view certainly not shared by all
persons holding specimens Of the
different printings.
But it is for the facts he has
gathered and offers in his work
and not for his opinions that Mr..
Johls enterprise Is valuable and
significant. His second volume runs
from the Connecticut tercentenary
commemorative of 1885 to the Cipex
pane of 1947. He notes in passing
that every name selected by the
Post Office Department to be hon.
ored in the first Heroes of Peace"
series was included in the list sug-
gested by Michael l.. Eidsness, jr.,
in Stamps Magazine. October H.,
1885. Similarly. he calls attention
to four different shades of the
beautiful Botticelli Pan American
Union stamp of 194O-light red
violet. red violet, deep red violet
and light reddish violet.
Other designs than those eventu.
ally accepted are shown as illustra-
tions to Mr.. Johl's studies. Thus
it develops that the first sketch
for the China commemorative Of
1912 portrayed only Sun Vat Sen
and not Abraham Lincoln; the 20
United Nations stamp Of 1943 origi-
nally was intended to be Sc; the
1c Four FREEDOMS stamp of 1913
was a bas-relief in plaster by Paul
Manship; the flags for the overrun
countries series were copied from
the photographic Once Bulletin
No. 80; the central motif Of the
Florida centennial commemorative
of 1945 was copied from an early
State seal; the composition Of the
Motion Picture commemorative Of
1914 was a wholly imaginary af-
fair, dreamed up" by William A.
Roach of the Bureau of Engraving
and Printing with no other guidance
than a snapshot Of an audience Of
soldiers in the Southwest Pacific
theater listening to a radio broad
cast.
Mr.. Johl has accomplished .
genuine benefaction for United
States collectors. His narrative Is
fascinating reading and as an en-
cyclopedia his two volumes are q
must for American specialists who
really want to know what they are
collecting.