Seaposts of the USA - now available

By Roger Hosking

In the course of the last sixty years, three writers have laid the foundations of our knowledge of the United States Seapost Service.

In 1947 William Kuhnle produced a monograph on the structure and operation of the service. His monograph was not intended for publication, but was made available privately to collectors and others who were interested in the subject.

In the 1960s, the US postal historian Robert Gordon carried out his definitive and pioneering work on the seaposts, putting flesh on the bones that Kuhnle had described, and comprehensively listing the cancellations used. The value of this ground-breaking contribution cannot be over-emphasised.

Then in 1988 the British writer Philip Cockrill published two booklets in which he amplified and updated our knowledge with particular reference to the identification of the various ships which were involved in the service.

Roger Hosking's timely new book serves to correlate, co-ordinate, and above all update everything that has been written in past years in a convenient and readily accessible form, and adds a considerable amount of new information - particularly in the area of tax marks, mis-sents, and other ancillary markings which are perhaps less easily found than the mainstream cancellations.

Seaposts of the USA is an A4 format book and contains 58 illustrations of covers in colour and 200+ postmarks, with a total of 90 pages bound with a gloss laminated cover.

Contents
The Transpacific Seapost (1922 - 1941)
The Porto Rico Seapost (1901 - 1942)
The Canal Zone Seapost (1907 - 1932)
The Buenos Aires Seapost (1926 - 1941)
The Valparaiso Seapost (1928 - 1941)
The Transatlantic Seapost (1891 - 1939)

1. The joint US/German Seapost
2. The US Seapost
3. The joint US/British Seapost (1904 - 1917)
4. The joint US/French Seapost (1912 - 1917)
5. Transatlantic services - mis-sent marks
6. Transatlantic services - tax marks
7. Transatlantic services - ephemera and exotica

Appendix - Supplementary Mail

Postal Markings of the Holyhead & Kingstown Packet

By AD Lovelock

A companion to The Irish Mail by Cyril Kidd covering the period 1860 to 1925, with 100 pages of colour illustrations showing every type of postmark and supplementary mark used in the Irish Sea floating post offices, together with a history of the vessels on the route. An essential reference for the collector's bookshelf!

The postmarks of the floating Post Office on board the various steamers of the City of Dublin Steam Packet Co, which sailed between Holyhead and the Irish harbour of Kingstown (now Dun Laoghaire), have long held a fascination for postal historians. This 120-page book is based upon the collection of Mr Lovelock of which 100 pages feature colour illustrations. Every type of postmark and supplementary mark used in the 65 years of the operation of the Post Office is shown along with many colour illustrations of the steamers, on which they were used. Separate chapters deal with Postal Markings; a history of The City of Dublin Steam Packet Co; and the Post Office contract with the CDSPCo.

TPO Postmarks of Great Britain 1962-1990

By R Stubbs & GP Roberts

The most comprehensive listing available of all GB TPO cancellations of this period, including bag tenders, with illustrations of every mark. Essential for all collectors of this material.

Published 1990 as an update to "TPO Postmarks of the British Isles" by Norman Hill and published in 1962. It chronicles British TPOs during the latter part of the 20th century. Comes with updates.

Ocean Letters - A Sequel

By Roger Hosking

Ocean letters were conceived, introduced, promoted and forgotten in a period of less than forty years of the twentieth century. They are little understood, and constantly confused with ship letters and seaposts. Relatively few have survived, and this makes them difficult to study, however, Roger Hosking an acknowledged expert on matters maritime has taken on the task in the past, which resulted in his book: "An Introduction to Ocean Letters".

Even during this short period of time, considerably more information has come to light, as is often the case when a subject has first been written up and therefore brought to general notice. So in consequence Roger has prepared a valuable addition to the collector of this division of maritime history.

An Introduction to Ocean Letters

By Roger Hosking

Published in 2002 it covers a period of time less than 40 years during the early part of the 20th century in which Ocean Letters were conceived, introduced, promoted and forgotten. The history is recorded here with great care and attention to detail.

The Irish Mail

By Cyril Kidd

A concise history of the rail and sea-borne travelling post offices from England to Ireland from 1850 to 1940 with examples of all known cancellations.

The Irish mail has always been a fascinating subject to study with its Irish connections via the ships at Holyhead as well as its journey through England and Wales to London. Published in 1996 this is an updated version with much more information and illustrations, which had not been previously available when first published.

Travelling Post Offices & Bag Tenders of Great Britain & Ireland

By Allan Harvey

An operational history covering the period from 1839 to 1959, written by a former travelling inspector. Contains a wealth of information for the TPO collector. Provides a comprehensive guide to the TPOs and bag tenders of the British Isles carefully researched over many years and published in 2000

Railways of West Wales

By Chris Whitehead

A copiously illustrated philatelic history of the period from 1854 to 1958 including postmarks, photographs and railway letter stamps, and with particular reference to the Llandyssil railway post office.

Norwegian Railways - Postal Connections and Cancellations

By Eric N Jackson

Covers the development of the railway TPO system in Norway from 1868 to the late 1980s with maps, timetables and illustrations of all the marks used.

Commemorative Last Day Cover of UK TPOs

Complete with insert containing history and notes