Royal Reels: Gambling

Business

DAVID & JOHN SHEARER, AGRICULTURAL MACHINERY MANUFACTURERS

This advertising cover has a picture of Shearer’s Patent Wrought Steel Plow & Cultivator Shares and warns: “Beware of IMITATIONS, especially UNBRANDED Shares. These shares are often imitated but never duplicated”. The pink 1d South Australia stamp is postmarked MANNUM/ 2 MA 11/ STH AUSTRALIA and it is sent to a firm of Messrs E.H. & L.O PONTT, Bakara, S.A. (Figure 1). The reverse is an advert for David Shearer &

Read More »

HUGO JUNKERS, EARLY GERMAN AERONAUTICAL ENGINEER [GERMANY]

This air mail registered long cover appeared on Ebay and was franked with 3 copies of the 3d green first Australian mail stamp, one 1d green KGV Head and 3 copies of the 2d red KGV Head, postmarked with seven impressions of G.P.O. MELBOURNE/ 3/ 16 JA 31. In addition to the Air Mail vignette, there was an R.6 G.P.O. Melbourne Victoria registration label, as well as interesting advertising matter

Read More »

HUGH VICTOR McKAY, FARMING MACHINERY INVENTOR, & LAND OWNER

The H.V. McKay Pty. Ltd. Famous Farm Implements of Australian Manufacture advertising cover had 3 printed views of horse-drawn farm machinery, and it was addressed to Champion Foundry & Machine Co., 3018 West 21st Place, Chicago, Illinois, USA. The pair of red 1½d KGV head stamps had a SUNSHINE/ ( ) FE 27/ VIC postmark (Figure 1). The reverse had a return address of the company at Sunshine Harvester Works,

Read More »

H.B. SELBY & CO., SCIENTIFIC APPARATUS & LABORATORY EQUIPMENT

his advertising cover for H.B. Selby & Co. at 393 Swanston St., Melbourne has the blue 3d Submarine Telephone Communication to Tasmania stamp postmarked with a roller cancel dated 25 May 38 and is addressed to Difco Laboratory, a Michigan-based manufacturer of microbiology media and supplies in Detroit, USA. The reverse shows a figure of an aneroid barometer (Figure 1). This cover intrigued me, as the Selby company was well

Read More »

GRACE BROS, JOSEPH NEAL & ALBERT EDWARD GRACE: END of an ERA

This advertising cover for Grace Bros, Merchants & Importers, Broadway Glebe, Sydney: The Model Store, was addressed to Germany with two red 1d ‘Shield ‘ stamps of N.S.W., cancelled by Sydney roller postmark Jan 1910, as well as a greenish-blue ½d QV head stamp postmarked by a Sydney c.d.s. (Figure 1). Joseph Neal Grace retailer, was born on 10 September 1859 at Winslow, Buckinghamshire, England, son of John Grace, schoolmaster,

Read More »

GOLDSBOROUGH MORT & CO., WOOLBROKERS, STOCK & STATION AGENTS

This advertising cover for Goldsborough Mort and Company Limited with its illustrated nine sheep gives information concerning this fabled Australian company of wool brokers, stock & station agency, Sydney branch. It has an air mail sticker, the grey 1 shilling six pence Mercury air mail stamp with a roller cancel: LIFE/ IS PRECIOUS/ HELP/ TO PREVENT/ ACCIDENTS and a boxed Sydney December 1949 cancel. It is addressed to The Editor,

Read More »

LOUIS SULLIVAN & Co. LTD, MANUFACTURERS’ CONSIGNEES, COOLGARDIE, W.A.

The cover is illustrated with two hovering angels with the stylistic address on a ‘ribbon’ placed underneath of Louis Sullivan & Co. LTD , Manufacturers’ Consignees, Wine, Spirits and General Merchants, “The Pantheon”, Sylvester St., Coolgardie, W. A. The cover is franked with a pair of grey ‘POSTAGE TWO PENCE’ Swan stamps of Western Australia cancelled with a duplex SHIP MAIL ROOM / 10/ JY 1/ 01/ PERTH W.A. It was

Read More »

JAMES STEDMAN, MANUFACTURER of STEDMAN-HENDERSON’S SWEETS

This comical postcard advertising Henderson’s Sweets, and in particular their popular butterscotch “IT’S AWFU GUID”, was sent without stamps from Sydney on 10 June 1907 to North Sydney. A ‘MORE TO PAY/ 2D’ was applied with 2 copies of the 1d ‘completed design’ green Postage Dues (Figure 1). James Stedman (1840-1913), confectionery manufacturer, was born on 25 December 1840 at Parramatta, N. S. W., son of Henry Stedman, servant, and

Read More »

J. KITCHEN & SONS PTY. LTD., MELBOURNE POSTAL CARD 1931

This used printed to private order postal card is said by the vendor to be “very rare, perhaps two exist” and it was sold at auction AUD 1,100. It was listed as a 1928-36 KGV Oval 1½d brown HG K8 on a bluish advice card. It was addressed to ‘Mr V. Hay, Storekeeper Chelsea (Victoria) and was postmarked MORWELL/ 11 FE 31/ VIC. The item was sold AUD100 above the

Read More »

MALLOCH BROS., W. A. MERCHANTS, IMPORTERS & MANUFACTURERS

Two fine advertising covers of different design have come on the market, a year apart, both concerning the same business. This Western Australia firm, Malloch Bros. was situated at 50-54 William Street, Perth and the front of the first cover showed graphics of two of their farm machinery items, the “Lister” 2-Stand Shearing and Crutching Outfit as well as the Alston Windmills. The cover was postmarked with a faint 1931

Read More »