Royal Reels: Gambling

Arts and Artists

GERTIE MILLAR, LONDON THEATRE QUEEN & WILLIAM HUMBLE DUDLEY

The postcard has a red 1d ‘Pictorial’ stamp of Tasmania which has a BISHOPSBOURNE/ OC 17/ 05/ TASMANIA postmark. It is addressed to Miss Heyes, “View Bank”,Evandale, Tasmania, and the message is of no special interest (Figure 1). The reverse shows a picture of Gertie Millar who was regarded as a Queen of the London stage, and she was a ‘Gaiety Girl’(Figure 2). Gertie Millar was born in Bradford, Yorkshire,

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GEORGE LEAVIS ALLAN, MUSIC DEALER, PUBLISHER & TEACHER (1826-1897)

Two covers with faint identical background advertising were found, both addressed to Germany and having similar but different travelling post office postmarks, were found. The first had 3 stamps of Victoria, the green-blue ½d ‘bantam’, the green 6d and the pink 1d, cancelled with 2 copies of the double circle ENGLISH MAIL T.P.O./ OUT/ 24 MA 09/ —- postmark. The second’s background advertising was somewhat more legible and advertised Allan

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FRIEDRICH CHARLES KRICHAUFF, STAMP COLLECTOR, PHOTOGRAPHER & ARCHITECT

This unusually addressed cover apparently found its way into the hands of the addressee, F.C. Krichauff, Esq, Stamp Collector, South Australia, in spite of the inadequate address. The ½ anna green embossed stamp from India was up-rated with a blue 2 anna stamp of India, and both were cancelled with the squared circle BOMBAY/ F/ AP 2/ (18)97. The reverse, not seen by me, had Tuticorin, India and Colombo, Ceylon

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FRANK ST. LEGER, CONDUCTOR & PIANO ACCOMPANIST to NELLIE MELBA

This cover was entered on Ebay because of its prominent roller cancel of BRITISH EMPIRE EXHIBITION/ ALWAYS ASK FOR/ AUSTRALIAN PRODUCTS with a circular MELBOURNE/ 24 SE–11-P/ 1924 postmark on the blue 3d KGV Head stamp. It was addressed to Frank St. Leger Esqr., c/o Chicago Civic Opera Assocn, Auditorium Theatre, Chicago Ill. USA. The reverse was not seen (Figure 1). However, the addressee was of much more interest for

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FRANCIS HUMPHREY WILLIAM WOOLRYCH, ARTIST [USA]

This mourning cover postmarked Croydon/ 14 AP 08 10 30 AM/ N.S.W. on the blue-green ½d (Scott #109) and the blue 2d (Scott #111) stamps and was addressed to F. Humphrey Woolrych Esqre/ Artist/ 3855 Hartford St./ St. Louis Mo/ U.S.A. (Figure 1) The reverse was postmarked with a SYDNEY NSW/ AP 14 2-PM/ 1908 roller cancel (Figure 2). The cover had a somewhat unusual, but helpful, feature in that

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F.A. PACKER, HOUSE of ASSEMBLY, HOBART (1839-1902)

This illustrated humorous cover was addressed to F.A. PACKER ESQ, House of Assembly, and was stamped with the 1d sideface which was postmarked with a duplex HOBART/ SE 24/ (18)82. The illustration is quite complex and the key figure is a large plump screaming baby, associated with a basin of boiling water, a candle stick, a book of sketches with one sketch lying on the ground, and the fleeing legs

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ERROL LESLIE THOMSON FLYNN, AUSTRALIAN ACTOR /PLAYBOY (1909-1959) USA]

This unpretentious cover is addressed to Mr. Errol Flynn, c/- Warner Bros Film Studios, Culver City, California, U.S.A. and it bears a copy of the blue 3½d KGVI stamp, postmarked with a roller cancel with a boxed SYDNEY/ 25 OCT/ 1946 and LIFE IS PRECIOUS/ HELP/ TO PREVENT/ ACCIDENTS, a warning unheeded in the actor’s life (Figure 1). Errol was born in Hobart, Tasmania on 20 June 1909 to Theodore

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JANET GAYNOR, AMERICAN FILM STAR, FIRST IMAGE ON AUSTRALIAN T.V. [USA]

This somewhat battered cover was sent to Miss J. Gaynor, C/- United Artists, Hollywood, California and has a roller cancel on the green 1d Queen Elizabeth and the red 2d KGVI stamps, ASHFIELD/ 945 AM/ 19 JUL/ 1941 with the slogan MINIMUM LETTER/ RATE TO U.S.A. 3D/ ADDRESSEE PAYS/ DOUBLE/ DEFICIENCY. In addition there was a delay in sending as shown by the handstruck ASHFIELD/ 22 JL (41)/ N.S.W cancel. The

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JAMES ERSKINE CALDER , SURVEYOR of TASMANIA & SERJEANT-AT-ARMS

The cover is addressed to J. E. Calder Esq, Surveyor General, Hobarton. At the left hand border there is a manuscript ‘Swansea 1861′, and there is a vertical pair of the imperforate slate green Van Diemens Land (1860 printing) canceled with the second allocation BN ‘94′, paying the 4d per ½ oz. inland letter rate. There is a red handstrike of PRE-PAID/ 21 MY 21/ 1861 on arrival at Hobart.

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JAMES CHARLES WILSON NICHOLSON, MUSIC PUBLISHER, NICHOLSON & CO.

Two identical rose on buff Victoria 1885 1d ‘Naish’ Stamp Duty Post Cards issued on 1 January 1885 were posted to the same musical firm, Nicholson & Co. in September and October 1885 with requests for sheet music.  Nicholson was a contemporary of music dealer, George Leavis Allan, but Nicholson is less known to-day.  The first postcard is addressed to Mr. Von Geyer, Nicholson’s & Co., Melbourne and is postmarked

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