Royal Reels: Gambling

Arts and Artists

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

Read More »

J.W. PLOOS VAN AMSTEL & Co., MELBOURNE, SENT to FRANCE

This difficult to date early stampless cover (stated to be 1862 by vendor) was sent from Melbourne to a company in Tarnac near Cognac, France with a manuscript ‘via Marseille’.  It had a black ‘18′ and a red possibly ‘4′ ratings with two additional postmarks, one a boxed red GB ‘diamond’ and the other a red Marseille double circle transit postmark.  The sender was identified by a blue J.W. PLOOS

Read More »

IDA OUTHWAITE, CHILDREN’S BOOKS AUTHOR, ILLUSTRATOR & POET

The postcard has a pink 1d stamp of Victoria which is canceled with a roller postmark MELBOURNE/ VICTORIA/ 1907, and it is addressed to Forest Hill, London S.E.  The message was about New Year greetings (Figure 1). The illustrated side showed 2 koala bears seated on a tree branch in front of the moon and it had the caption ‘Meet me by the moonlight alone’. The initials of the illustrator

Read More »

HERMITAGE HOTEL, MOUNT COOK, TIMARU, NEW ZEALAND, REDIRECT

The red 1d ‘Shield’ stamp of New South Wales is canceled with a roller postmark of MELBOURNE/ 11.JAN.13 and it was addressed to J. Colin Ronald Esqre, Melbourne and is redirected in red ink to G.P.O. AUCKLAND (Figure 1). The reverse shows that it was readdressed to J. Colin Ronald, The Hermitage, Mt Cook Timaru, New Zealand, without any postal marks (Figure 2). The first Hermitage was built in 1884,

Read More »

HEINZ TICHAUER (HENRY TALBOT), FAMOUS AUSTRALIAN PHOTOGRAPHER

This tattered registered Bolivian cover revealed a remarkable history of a Jewish man, born in Germany, interned in England, transported to Australia on His Majesty’s Transport ‘Dunera’, who first became an alien internee in Hay, N.S.W., then an Australian army employee in World War 2, followed by a non-combatant Australian Army private. He became one of four famous immigrant German photographers who shipped to Australia during WW2. Heinz Tichauer became

Read More »

GUSTAVE M. NEYMARK, ARTIST, PARIS, REGISTERED LETTER from SYDNEY

The registered envelope has a single copy of both the blue 2d and green ½d QV stamps of New South Wales which are postmarked with the duplex WILLIAM STREET/ MR 22/ 12-30 P.M./ 99/ N.S. W with the barred numeral ‘697′. In addition there are 2 copies of a large’R’ handstamp and a blue crayon ‘556′, as well as a double ringed red PARIS/ 28 AVRIL/ 99 reception postmark. It

Read More »

GRISHA GOLUBOFF, ANOTHER VIOLIN PRODIGY 1919-2002 [USA]

This redirected cover reveals an interesting glimpse at yet another American violinist prodigy who performed around the world with a short visit to Australia at the age of twenty. It is addressed to Grisha Goluboff Esq. and there is a re-direct label from the downtown Wentworth Hotel Sydney to the Australian Broadcasting Company, Market Street, City with a further re-direct to C/- Australian ( ) Theatres , 51 Castlereagh St.,

Read More »

LADY RODWELL, WIFE of a FORMER GOVERNOR of SOUTHERN RHODESIA

This envelope was addressed to Lady Rodwell, C/o The Forum Club, Grosvenor St., London, W.1, England and was readdressed to 82 Avenue Rd, Regents Park, NW 3. The sender was The Melbourne Little TheatrE. There was a manuscript ‘ALL AIR ROUTE’ and the 1/ 6d ‘Hermes’ air mail stamp was postmarked SHIP MAIL ROOM/ 1-P 8 DE 34/ MELBOURNE as well as by a LONDON arrival postmark. The reverse was not

Read More »

LADY JANE SHELLEY, BOSCOMBE PLACE, RINGWOOD HANTS, ENGLAND

The cover was addressed to Lady Shelley, Boscombe Place, Ringwood-Hants, England, and it has a manuscript ‘per Geelong’ and the purple 6d N.S.W. stamphas two cancellations of the duplex 71/ SP 6/ C/ SYDNEY with a 3-ring oval, vertically placed, N.S.W. obliterator (Figure 1). The reverse had a reception postmark in England at RINGWOOD/ NO 6/ 71 (Figure 2). The Geelong was a P & O ship which between 1860 and 1874 traveled the

Read More »

ROBERT BROUGH & DION BOUCICAULT, COMEDY COMPANY, SHANGHAI

This 1d red New South Wales postcard has an additional red 1d ‘Shield’ stamp added and it is cancelled with a duplex SYDNEY/ MY 3/ (–) PM/ 01/ 41 with the N.S.W obliterator. It is addressed to Allan Hamilton Esqr, The Brough Comedy Coy, Shanghai. It has a double circle SHANGHAI’ 1/ JU 1/ 01/LOCAL POST with an adjacent small single circle ‘34′. There is a manuscript Chinese script along

Read More »