ORIGIN OF THE CHRISTMAS STAMP
Reproduction From an Original Envelope Bearing One of the Stamps Referred to in This Article.
“What was the origin of the Christmas Stamp?” was a question asked of Red Cross officials scores—doubtless hundreds—of times during the holiday season. This much we knew: On a letter received two years ago from Denmark Mr. Jacob Riis discovered a new and unknown stamp which aroused his curiosity. Inquiries brought its story, which he told a few months later in “The Outlook.” Miss Emily P. Bissell, the able and energetic secretary of the Delaware Red Cross Branch, read the story, and to the Annual Meeting of the Red Cross in 1907 brought a design for our first Christmas Stamp for the benefit of the anti-tuberculosis work, asking permission that the Delaware Branch might experiment with it, and so it had its birth in America. So successful proved the little stamp this past year, it became a national stamp. The story of its sale and success is told elsewhere. But what about its origin? Was it first thought of in Denmark? No one seemed to know. Then came the Tuberculosis Congress, and with it a report on Swedish tuberculosis work. What a surprise it was to find in this interesting pamphlet the origin of the “Charity Stamp,” as it is called, and still more of a surprise—a welcome surprise—to discover that its invention is due to our own “Sanitary Commission”—that precursor of the Red Cross. The Swedish report says: “The honor of having invented the Charity Stamp must be given to America—that land of inventions.” In the year 1862 the first Charity Stamps were sold at a great charity festival in Boston. These stamps, which were called “Sanitary Fair Stamps,” were sold to benefit the wounded in the war then proceeding between the Northern and Southern States. The idea was not adopted in Europe until thirty years later, when in 1892 Portugal produced the first Charity Stamps (private stamps for the Red Cross Society). Since then almost every country in Europe has used them and several hundred different types have been called into existence. Some of those used in Sweden are reproduced in this article. Learning this much from the Swedish report, Red Cross Headquarters began an investigation of its own, and through the librarian of the Boston Public Library was put into communication with Mr. A. W. Batchelder, and through his courtesy received three of the original stamps and a copy of the “American Journal of Philately” January, 1889, which contains an interesting article on “Stamps of the United States Sanitary Fairs,” by J. W. Scott. This article, much of which we quote, is illustrated by a number of these Sanitary Fair Stamps. Thanks to the kindness of Mr. Joseph S. Rich, of New York, who loaned to the Red Cross his collection of these stamps, and to the Surgeon-General’s office, of the United States Army, which photographed them, we were able to reproduce illustrations of many of these stamps.
The following is taken from the American Journal of Philately, January, 1889:
“In conversing with non-philatelic friends we are frequently taunted with the assertion that stamp collecting teaches nothing, commemorates no important events, and, in fact, has none of those claims to recognition which are conceded to the older science of numismatics.
“I wish to call your attention to a neglected series of United States stamps, a collection which will fully vindicate the assertion that stamps do commemorate national events, and in that respect are not one whit behind their venerable competitors, coins. The stamp before us has for its principal design the American Eagle, the bird of all others selected by our forefathers to represent the country. It is a little unfortunate that their knowledge of ornithology did not equal their love of freedom. However, he is now firmly established as the national emblem, and we must take him with all his faults and invest him with sufficient virtues for his honorable position. The bird as represented clasps three arrows in his right and an olive branch in his left claw; above is inscribed ‘Brooklyn Sanitary’ and below ‘Fair Postage.’ Unfortunately, the value is not given, but, perhaps, this was intentional. The stamp is produced by lithography, and printed in green on white paper.
“The stamp itself speaks volumes, and cannot fail to recall the time when our country was torn by internecine strife. Three years of war had filled our homes with mourning, our hospitals with maimed and crippled soldiers, and exhausted the resources of the national Government to relieve their sufferings. It was then that the ladies of the North organized fairs in the different cities to raise money to supply the wounded with comfort and delicacies; to send the convalescent to their homes, and to care for the widows and orphans of the slain.
“The stamp was used in the fair held in the Academy of Music, in Montague Street, Brooklyn, in 1864. But the spacious building was not large enough to contain all the offerings of the people or the attractions provided to tempt the dollars from the pockets of the thousands who filled the various rooms, so a light wooden bridge was erected across the street to a building on the opposite side. One of the most interesting features of the fair was the model post-office, equipped with all the paraphernalia which appertains to that useful institution. Here you could post a letter to any part of the world, provided you placed the necessary number of Uncle Sam’s stamps on it, and one of the fair’s labels to take it to the general post-office. This was not all. If you inquired of the innocent young lady at the window if there was a letter for you, you would certainly get one, for one of the clever lady assistants would write a little note while you waited, rather than have you disappointed, and even if there should be considerable postage due on it, for you certainly would not refuse it on that account, for it might be from your ‘Long Lost Brother,’ or some fair one who had promised to be a sister to you.’ The Brooklyn Fair netted over $400,000.00 for the benefit of the cause. Thus we find the Sanitary Fair Stamps were a source of innocent amusement to the young people, while they turned in considerable cash for the benefit of our wounded heroes, and left behind fragments of history to be gathered up by the Bancrofts of the future, to say nothing of the pleasure they have afforded to a generation of stamp collectors.
“Of the second Brooklyn Fair I have been unable to obtain any particulars other than that afforded by the stamp. The design consists of a foundry cut of an eagle, with ‘Post’ above and ‘Office’ below, which is enclosed in a rectangular frame inscribed, ‘Young Ladies of Brooklyn Bazaar’: a figure five being in each corner. The stamp is typographed in black on buff paper.
“Our next stamp is from New York, and is beautiful in design and elaborate in detail. In the center we have the American Eagle with outstretched neck and upraised wings; he is standing on the United States shield, with flags and stars in the background and national motto above; the inscription is artistically entwined around and reads: ‘Great Central Fair Postage Stamp, U. S. Sanitary Commission,’ with value above and below. The stamps are perforated and of three denominations—10 cents, blue; 20 cents, green; 30 cents, black. They were engraved on steel by the American Bank Note Co. This fair was held in Union Square, New York City, where buildings were erected for the purpose. It was opened from the latter part of April to the end of June, and was presided over by the leaders in society, wealth and beauty of the metropolis. It netted the enormous sum of $1,200,000.
“The next fair I call your attention to was held in the city of Albany. Unfortunately, I have no particulars concerning it except such as relate to the stamps. The first, of elegant design and workmanship, was prepared by Gavit, the well-known engraver of that city, but as the time drew near it was found impossible to have a supply printed in time; the plate was accordingly laid aside and never used. The design is copied from the one-cent blue carriers’ stamp, the well-known eagle on a branch to the left, with ‘Bazaar Post Office’ above, ‘Ten Cents’ below, the whole enclosed in a neat frame. I have seen impressions in scarlet, blue and black on yellow surface paper. The stamp actually used was much smaller, and produced by lithography by the same firm. The design is an eagle on a rock, with ‘Bazaar Post Office’ above and ‘Ten Cents’ below, enclosed in frame of single lines. It was printed in both red and black, and used during the fair. I may add, that, as far as I know, this is the only stamp of the series that has been counterfeited; the false stamp can easily be recognized by the absence of shading around the eagle.
“Our next stamp takes us to Boston, where the most successful fair in the Eastern States was held. It is interesting to note that, while all the stamps issued in New York State took an eagle for the device, those used in New England States were adorned with figures of soldiers or sailors. The stamp before us represents a sailor with a wooden leg, holding the American flag in his right hand; the vignette is crossed by the legend, ‘National Sailors’ Fair,’ on label above ‘Ten’ below ‘Cents.’ They are produced by lithography, printed in light green and cut out by an oval punch with scalloped edges. The fair was held in January, 1864, and realized $147,000 for the cause.
“The next stamp on our list comes from Springfield, Mass., and I have no information other than that supplied by the label itself. The design represents an officer bowing to two ladies, probably welcoming them to the fair, the figure 10, in rather large figures, being between them; in the center above is the inscription, ‘Soldiers’ Fair,’ below, ‘Springfield, Mass.’; figure 10 in the left upper corner, ‘Chubbuck’ in small letters in the lower right corner. It is evidently printed from a wood block in brownish mauve ink in various shades. Not the least interesting part of this stamp is the engraver’s name in the corner, ‘Chubbuck,’ the celebrated engraver of the Brattleboro stamp.
“The last of the series is a remembrance of Stamford, Conn. It represents a soldier on guard, with the name of the town, ‘Stamford,’ in straight line at top; on arched ribbon, ‘Soldiers’ Fair’; below, in straight line, ‘Fifteen Cents.’ It is printed from a wood block in brown ink on white paper. There were many other fairs held throughout the length and breadth of the loyal States, but although I gave special attention to the subject at the time, the above described are all that I have been able to discover. The success of the post-offices at the soldiers’ fairs induced other charitable institutions to adopt like means of raising money, among which may be named the Children’s Aid Society, the Orthodox Jewish Fair, etc., etc., but as they lack the national element, I do not think them worthy of collection; but the series I have described, which is composed of thirteen stamps, all told, and considering the small number, the interest attached to them and the great events they commemorate is well worthy an honored place in the collections of American philatelists.”
So from their origin the Red Cross seems to have a special right to these stamps. Their success will be apt to cause various organizations to desire to copy this idea. This will lead to an unfortunate result. Such repetitions will tire the public and the multiplicity of the stamps will create a lack of interest and destroy their usefulness not only for these other charities, but for the purpose for which they were revived in this country—the anti-tuberculosis work of the American Red Cross. It is to be hoped that our unfortunate American habit of “running a good thing into the ground” will not lead in this case to the destruction of the usefulness of the Red Cross Christmas Stamp by the overproduction of these charity stamps.
Some Charity Stamps of Sweden.
IF YOU ARE NOT A MEMBER,
WOULD YOU NOT LIKE
TO JOIN?
THE CHALLENGE
A Cartoon Appearing in the Philadelphia “Ledger,” Last November.
FUNDS RAISED THROUGH SALE OF RED CROSS CHRISTMAS STAMPS, 1908
AND OBJECTS TO WHICH THEY WILL BE APPLIED
The following is a brief statement of the results of last year’s stamp sale, showing in general terms the manner in which the money raised will be applied. The total fund secured so far as reports at hand show was $138,244.51.
Women and Children at Red Cross Day Camp, New York City.
Amusements at Red Cross Day Camp, Vanderbilt Clinic, New York City.
Kitchen, Red Cross Day Camp, Roof Vanderbilt Clinic, New York City.
Men’s Side. Red Cross Day Camp, Roof Vanderbilt Clinic, New York City.
Morning Examination of Teeth and Finger-nails of Children.