Hugh
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What I collect: Occupation Stamps and Postal History, Worldwide; Canada, the UK, France and Germany.
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Post by Hugh on May 19, 2024 14:00:42 GMT
One of my side collections focuses on examples of cross writing. Cross writing is a paper or space saving practice that involves writing text in the normal fashion, then turning the page ninety degrees and writing over top of the earlier text. You can cram a lot more information into a communique. However, the downside is that it's a lot harder to read. So why do it? Well, when it saves money, when it is necessary and when it saves space. In postal history that means a) some used it in the days when postage was determined by weight (and distance), b) some, when it was essential that the weight of the mail be kept to an absolute minimun and c) in the early days (the golden age) of postcards when writing was only allowed on one side and -- especially on a non split-back picture postcard -- there wasn't a lot of room. The practice has long since died out as postal rates changed and the postcard explosion ran its course. But, here are three examples from my collection: 1 - Stampless Cover: This is a great example of someone who was determined to get as much value as he could for the postage. ![](https://i.ibb.co/6gGF9nV/Cross-Writing-Post-A.jpg) ![](https://i.ibb.co/GkCBGwJ/Cross-Writing-Post-B.jpg) ![](https://i.ibb.co/p4tqTFt/Screenshot-2024-05-19-at-8-06-25-AM.jpg) ![](https://i.ibb.co/qRhH2fk/Cross-Writing-SC1.jpg) ![](https://i.ibb.co/4mTRRrZ/Cross-Writing-SC2.jpg) 2 - When it was essential: This is a tiny letter (9x6mm) on tissue paper. Balloon mail from the Seige of Paris in 1870 to, of all places, Yorkshire in England. ![](https://i.ibb.co/B3TBjrN/Cross-Writing-Stamp-Post-1.jpg) ![](https://i.ibb.co/xDQwvz6/Cross-Writing-Stamp-Post-2.jpg) ![](https://i.ibb.co/hXM8JJn/Cross-Writing-Stamp-Post-4.jpg) 3 - Postcard: One of the many, many 'Gruss aus' postcards that were all the rage in Germany in the later years of the 19th century. This one from 1897. ![](https://i.ibb.co/ggGKPqP/Cross-Writing-Postcard-A.jpg) ![](https://i.ibb.co/kGmDnbm/Cross-Writing-Postcard-A-1.jpg) I have about forty other examples, if anyone is interested. I'm always on the lookout. So far, I haven't found any past the 1920's or earlier than 1830. Most are written in English but I have examples in French and German. And, a hint, to read them (it's not easy) tilt the paper. Cheers,
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vikingeck
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What I collect: Samoa, Tobacco theme, Mail in Wartime, anything odd and unusual!
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Post by vikingeck on May 19, 2024 15:24:59 GMT
In postal history that means a) some used it in the days when postage was determined by weight (and distance), 2 - When it was essential: This is a tiny letter (9x6mm) on tissue paper. Balloon mail from the Siege of Paris in 1870 to, of all places, Yorkshire in England. ![](https://i.ibb.co/B3TBjrN/Cross-Writing-Stamp-Post-1.jpg) ![](https://i.ibb.co/xDQwvz6/Cross-Writing-Stamp-Post-2.jpg) GEE hard enough trying to read in English ! this in French is doubly hard. Nice Cover flown out of Paris by Manned balloon (Ballon Monte) date stamped 19th Nov it must have been on one of 3 flights released on the 24th Nov all of which made a good distance NE with steady wind. One even landed in NORWAY 24 novembre 1870 L'Archimède Gare d'Orléans landed Castelré (Pays-Bas) 400 km . 24 novembre 1870 L'Égalité landed Louvain (Belgique) 225 km 24 novembre 1870 La Ville d'Orléans Gare de Nord landed Lifjell (Norvège) 1 246 km Record de dist Is there a back stamp from landing which might confirm which ballon?
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Hugh
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What I collect: Occupation Stamps and Postal History, Worldwide; Canada, the UK, France and Germany.
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Post by Hugh on May 19, 2024 19:12:57 GMT
Nice Cover flown out of Paris by Manned balloon (Ballon Monte) date stamped 19th Nov it must have been on one of 3 flights released on the 24th Nov all of which made a good distance NE with steady wind. One even landed in NORWAY 24 novembre 1870 L'Archimède Gare d'Orléans landed Castelré (Pays-Bas) 400 km . 24 novembre 1870 L'Égalité landed Louvain (Belgique) 225 km 24 novembre 1870 La Ville d'Orléans Gare de Nord landed Lifjell (Norvège) 1 246 km Record de dist Is there a back stamp from landing which might confirm which ballon? Sadly, there is just the merest trace of an arrival cancel. Here is the back of the cover: ![](https://i.ibb.co/qRtgGjh/1870-arrival-cancel.jpg) I ran it through Postmark Reveal www.postmark-reveal.com but it doesn't show much more. There is a hint of some ink on the lower right and maybe on the upper left. ![](https://i.ibb.co/v4wbQkn/Image-2.jpg) ![](https://i.ibb.co/r7TsQkP/Image-3.jpg) ![](https://i.ibb.co/3sfPHnX/Image-4.jpg) ![](https://i.ibb.co/QFyPpBH/Image-5.jpg)
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Hugh
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What I collect: Occupation Stamps and Postal History, Worldwide; Canada, the UK, France and Germany.
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Post by Hugh on May 20, 2024 13:58:47 GMT
Here's a nice cross writing example from 1840. It was written on August 3rd in Brighton the sealed, taken to the post office and paid to destination (red handstamp on the lower right of the cover). There is a Brighton cancel (red, on the other side of the cover) dated August 7, 1840. The Penny Black had been introduced in May. Perhaps there were no stamps avaiable? Someone has helpfully written 'free' in ink on the lower left of the cover. In any event it was then missent to Exeter (red handstamp on the upper right of the cover) and finally, presumably, delivered to it's destination. [Edit: There is an unreadable remnant of another cancel? on the back] I love the almost mathemarical precision of the cross writing in this letter. She's trying very hard to make it easier to read. I've only scanned one page ... it goes on for another two. If anyone wants a full scan let me know. ![](https://i.ibb.co/51nn00N/Cross-Writing-1840.jpg) ![](https://i.ibb.co/zPJsgvv/Cross-Writing-1840-1.jpg) ![](https://i.ibb.co/cc8mTZq/Cross-Writing-1840-2.jpg)
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Hugh
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What I collect: Occupation Stamps and Postal History, Worldwide; Canada, the UK, France and Germany.
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Post by Hugh on May 21, 2024 10:45:39 GMT
Here's another example of cross writing. A registered letter card sent in 1899 from Chefoo (Yantai) addressed in Russian and sent to Heidelberg. A local post / letter card with a Chefoo one cent indicia has been upfranked with Russian Sc. 46, 48, 50 and 51. Chefoo was a treaty port in China with seventeen foreign consulates. ![](https://i.ibb.co/JsQwdGM/CF-CW-Postcard-1.jpg) ![](https://i.ibb.co/qCHMmfB/CF-CW-Postcard-2.jpg)
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vikingeck
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What I collect: Samoa, Tobacco theme, Mail in Wartime, anything odd and unusual!
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Post by vikingeck on May 21, 2024 13:49:38 GMT
Here's another example of cross writing. Chefoo was a treaty port in China with seventeen foreign consulates. ![](https://i.ibb.co/JsQwdGM/CF-CW-Postcard-1.jpg) 17 foreign consulates? I knew there was a decent number from the movie “55 days at Peking” during the Boxer uprising but never figured that many. I could name Britain, Germany, France, Russia, Japan, Italy, Austria , US, but that only puts me halfway 🧐 maybe Netherlands, and Portugal since they had colonies in the Far East ?
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Hugh
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What I collect: Occupation Stamps and Postal History, Worldwide; Canada, the UK, France and Germany.
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Post by Hugh on May 21, 2024 14:23:44 GMT
17 foreign consulates? I knew there was a decent number from the movie “55 days at Peking” during the Boxer uprising but never figured that many. I could name Britain, Germany, France, Russia, Japan, Italy, Austria , US, but that only puts me halfway 🧐
maybe Netherlands, and Portugal since they had colonies in the Far East ? vikingeck You always ask the most interesting questions - smile. The reference to 17 comes from Professor Wikipedia. However, a quick Look at some other sources would add to your list, Belgium, Denmark, Sweden and Thailand. So, since Thailand is on the list, I assume some other non-western countries would be as well … which could bring the list up to 17. This was a trading port. Consulates provided support to travellers, merchants and governments with or without a colony. To be sure the biggies at that time would have been Britain, Germany, Russia and Japan … and the emerging US. The Boxer incidents ère just starting and the Russo-Japanese War was on the horizon. An interesting time, to say the least. And, an interesting postal history.
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vikingeck
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What I collect: Samoa, Tobacco theme, Mail in Wartime, anything odd and unusual!
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Post by vikingeck on May 21, 2024 15:17:08 GMT
Ah well Hugh , at least I never write when l’m cross 😤😡
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Hugh
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What I collect: Occupation Stamps and Postal History, Worldwide; Canada, the UK, France and Germany.
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Post by Hugh on May 22, 2024 16:29:28 GMT
This example of cross writing is almost hypnotic. The handwriting is very precise with wide spaces between the lines. It begins, "[Place] 6 March, 1843 My own dearest Sarah Perhaps it would have been better for me to have thought twice ere I penned my last letter. I am afraid I made you unhappy. But if so, it was not intentional on my part." The underline is not mine, the author of the letter put it in. There is a story here. It sounds like the beginning of a gothic novel by Charlotte Bronte, does it not?. When this letter was written Charlotte Bronte would have been twenty-seven (smile). It was addressed from a place I can't make out. Is this a town or the name of a cottage or estate? ![](https://i.ibb.co/jW2RSvH/Screenshot-2024-05-22-at-12-07-27-PM.png) There is a postmark on the back frrom Chester -- dated the same day as the letter. The cover is addressed to Liverpool. It appears to have an 1841 imperf penny red (SG 8), red-brown on blued paper. It's been obliterated with a black Maltese cross. It goes to show that, even with the new postal rates, some people still used Cross Writing. But, over the next few decades, it becomes decidedly uncommon ... on letters. ![](https://i.ibb.co/4TNVmy2/Penny-Red-Cross-Writing.jpg) ![](https://i.ibb.co/9sqBhN6/Penny-Red-Cross-Writing-4.jpg) ![](https://i.ibb.co/f0y1Nr4/Penny-Red-Cross-Writing-3.jpg)
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vikingeck
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What I collect: Samoa, Tobacco theme, Mail in Wartime, anything odd and unusual!
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Post by vikingeck on May 22, 2024 17:02:54 GMT
Well Hugh, Llanfairfechan is a small town in the county of Conwy in Wales . Population 3,600 the double “Ll “ Is a Welsh consonant pronounced with the tongue against the roof of the mouth and a sort of aspiration as one says the L. Almost a “hhhl..” Llan = church
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Hugh
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What I collect: Occupation Stamps and Postal History, Worldwide; Canada, the UK, France and Germany.
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Post by Hugh on May 22, 2024 17:39:49 GMT
Well Hugh , Llanfairfechan is a small town in the county of Conwy in Wales . Population 3,600 the double “Ll “ Is a Welsh consonant pronounced with the tongue against the roof of the mouth and a sort of aspiration as one says the L. Almost a “hhhl..” Llan = church Thank you. That’s great! And, the Chester postmark would indicate its transit from about 50 miles west … then twenty miles north to Liverpool. i also appreciate the Welsh lesson - smile.
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rod222
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What I collect: Worldwide Stamps, Ephemera and Catalogues
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Post by rod222 on May 22, 2024 20:02:16 GMT
It was addressed from a place I can't make out. Is this a town or the name of a cottage or estate? ![](https://i.ibb.co/jW2RSvH/Screenshot-2024-05-22-at-12-07-27-PM.png) Hugh Llanfairfechan Wales
linkOops sorry, missed the previous reply !
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