Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1958-04-20
PHlLATELIc NEWS
Pictorial Cancels:
A Progress Report
BY BELMONT FAIRIES
star stamp Editor


lations were bigger and bet
ter last week.
Simple but appropriate de-
signs were applied to covers
OF the Brussels Fair COM
memorative issued in Detroit
THURSDAY and the 25-cent
Paul Revere stamp released
Friday in Boston.
Some OF the technical and
artistic difficulties which
made the Post Office Depart
ment'S first attempt. for the
Gardening stamp. less than
an unqualified success had
been solved. Postal officials
promised further improve
ment before the James Mon
roe stamp is issued April %.
Two types Of first day cam
cclers are used. machine die
hubs prepared by Pitney-
Bowes, Inc. Of Stamford.
Conn. and rubber hand
stamps made by the Baum
garten Co. of 925 Eleventh
street NV. which holds both
Post ONCE and GSA con-
tracts for such equipment.
The original plan was to
place the picture part Of the
cancellation between the date
circle and the killer bars
with the First Day OF Is
sue" inscription. The proved
impossible. since die hubs OF
the necessary size would not
At into the canoeing ma
chimes.
In a laSt-minute shift. the
circular seal Of the Bailey
Hortorium. 10 which postal
officials we're committed. was
reduced in size and placed
above the date circle. The
reduction was too great and
much Of the design detail was
lost.
The rubber handstamps,
with no die hub problem. also
we're reduced in size to per-
NIT cancellation Of blocks
without having the seal fall
partly on the stamps. The
picture was left between the
date circle and killer bars,
however.
When pictorial cancella-
tons were prepared for last
weeks issues postal officials
we're careful TO provide de-
signs simple enough TO serve
the purpoSe-the eccentric
star symbol Of the Brussels
Fair and a pen-and-ink
sketch Of the tower Of Old
North Church, from which
lanterns we're hung to signal
the start OF Paul Revere's IA
nous ride.
Pltney-Bowes artists made
the final simplifled drawings
for the designs. This time
they were larger, though 1t
was still necessary TO place
the date circle and the pic
ture one above the other for
the machine hubs.
At the Baumgarten Co.
here, cancellations we're set
up in metal, using photo
engravings of the Pitney-
Bowes art work, and trans
ferred to bakelite plate and
then to rubber for the hand
stamps. The pictures were
large enough--the size of a
quarter-and simple enough
to avoid loss of detail,
For the James Monroe
stamp next week another
relatively simple design will
be used-the great seal of
the State OF Virginia. Postal
officials hope TO have new
canceling machines at Mon
tross which will handle a
wider die hub, permitting
machine pictorial designs at
least as large as last weeks
rubber handStamps.
Further experiments are
planned TO make the best
possible use Of the additional
space on the die hubs. Some
future cancels may combine
date and place with the pic
torial design. dropping the
traditional date circle en-
tirely. Each first day will be
handled as a new problem.
which should guarantee in
teresting months ahead for
the cover collector.
Mcleod on Advisory Group
Donald r. Mcleod, super
intendent Of the engraving