Chuck Ripper was born in 1929.

His artwork is featured on the stamps of my nation.

Here's a link to his work at Wind River Studios (click)

Chuck designed the wildlife series for the United States Postal Service in 1987.

This is an ArtCraft cachet with the first day of issue cancellation.

Here are some details for you.

Idaho : Pika
Issue Date: June 13, 1987 -  Postmarked June 13 1987
City: Toronto, Canada

  “Capex '87” International Stamp Exhibition, Toronto. North American Wildlife Issue 1987
Stanley Gibbons Catalogue No:2289 
Scott Catalogue No:2319 

Pikas are small mammals related to hares and rabbits. They also are known as conies, rock rabbits, and other local names. They are found in Asia and western North America. Their length ranges from five to 12 inches (12.5-30 cm) and weight from four to 14 ounces (110-400 g). Pikas have short legs, rounded ears, no visible tail, and soft, dense, and usually grayish brown or reddish fur. They live mostly in colonies. Pikas have evolved through surviving winters without hibernating. In the summer they begin to gather grasses and other plants and spread them to dry. The vegetation is piled into stacks for food during the winter.

Chuck is almost 90 years old, going strong and still painting.

Congratulations Chuck !

I received the sad news today about ArtCraft.

ArtCraft will not produce first day covers any longer.

ArtCraft first day covers served stamp collectors for more than 75 years, beginning in 1939 with the New York World's Fair.

I'm predicting a sudden, salubrious escalation in the value of the ArtCraft cachet, all ArtCraft first day covers and ArtCraft portrait cards.

Their departure has indeed signaled the end of an extraordinarily crucial, very important, highly significant and exceedingly meaningful period in time. A mournful signal which will be heard around the world and lamented throughout the multitude of philately.

Leo and Sam August treasured their associations with the world's greatest philatelists. Leo's contributions to our hobby were significant enough to earn the coveted Luft Award and a place in the APS Hall of Fame.

ArtCraft has well-earned it's place in the great chronological record in the history of philately.

Their raised ink, line-engraved intaglio printed cachets are the among the most aesthetic in the world.

ArtCraft cachets were not just beautiful.

They clearly demonstrated and showcased the wonder of human creativity as nothing else could.

For the next few weeks I'll showcase the beautiful ArtCraft collection for you in my blog.

Here's ArtCraft's last First Day Cover

Snowflakes issued October 23, 2015

Let's look at Pennsylvania Toleware.

Toleware is derived from the French tole peinte meaning painted tin.

The first American toleware was produced in Connecticut.

By 1850 the Pennsylvania Dutch community had made toleware a prominent part of their life.

This beautiful intaglio engraved ArtCraft first day cover was issued in Lancaster, Pennsylvania April 19, 1979.

 Here is the attached block of four stamps designed by artist Bradbury Thompson.

 

 The departure of ArtCraft is sad news for stamp collectors and philatelists throughout the world.

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I'd like to thank the American Philatelic Society for honoring me today at the AmeriStamp Exposition in Atlanta , Georgia.

Congress passed legislation known as the Endangered Species Act in 1973.

It was the first federal law passed to protect endangered American wildlife, both plants and animals.

The United States Postal Service honored this great law on June 7th, 1979 with this first day cover recognizing four imperiled plants:

The Hawaiian Wild Broadbean

The Persistent Trillium

The Antioch Dunes Evening Primrose

The Contra Costa Wildflower

 

Artist Frank Waslick designed the block of four 15 cent U.S. stamps featuring endangered flora.

Scott #1786a

And what of our Poilsh dancers ? Arent they extraordianry ? Here they are represented beautifully in the philately of their native country. They're dancing to the music of Stanislaw Moniuszko.

This commemorative stamp was issued on the 100th anniversary of the birth of Moniuszko, September 15, 1972.

Here's the original album page from which the above were examined.

In my continuing series of Art On Stamps, to include costumes, important people and other visual representations, I've provided you with a glimpse below of additional postal creations from Trucial States Sharjah, Ras Alkahaima, Ajman and Dubai in addition to Europe's Poland, Hungary, Dominca, Grenada and Romania.

The two from this sheet that I've examined for you are the 1.85 Riyal Ras Alkahaima Japanese vignette of the Geisha with a flute and the 1970 Romanian Fresco originally mounted upside down on the album page below a few decades ago.

Kitagara Utamaro represented his country powerfully with his artistic vision.

The Trucial State of Ras Alkahaima honors his work on this beautiful stamp from the 1970's.

 The 1.75 Leu Romanian Fresco of 1970 of the Voronet Monastery

Romania 1970 Northern Moldavian Monastery Frescoes

Issue Date : 29 June 1970, Designed by : E. Palade, Printed by : Fabrica de Timbre,Bucharest, Print Process : Lithography, Perforations : 13¼ - The Voronet Monastery in Romania constructed in 1488.

 Here's the Voronet Monastery as it exists this day.

Some Realtors are unscrupulous.

Not all.

Many are forced to belong to a Realtor board because area NAR-affiliated brokers dominate the real estate market and refuse to hire agents unless they become Realtors.

They violate anti-trust laws, burglarize clients homes, lie about property condition , engage in bid rigging and manipulate markets.

Do a FSBO, "For Sale By Owner", when you get ready to sell your home and find a real estate agent that's not affiliated with any Realtor board.

When you buy a home, find a properly licensed real estate broker, and agent, who is not a members of NAR, the National Association of Realtors or any local "Realtor" board.

The National Association of Realtors has been prosecuted by the Department of Justice for violations of the Sherman Antitrust Act.

If you want to see thousands of cases in recent years about dirty Realtors and other "real estate professionals", and the innocent victims and families whose lives they destroyed, click this red button:

Here's a  page of costumes on stamps for you.

Romania, Dahomey, Poland, Ajman, Yemen, Rasal Khaima, Manama., Senegal and Upper Volta are represented from the1970's forward.

I like Thadais Helbing's portrait of Mozart on the 1 Riyal from Manama and the 2F wart hog ceremonial mask from Upper Volta.

In this day we find that many in our nation are an ever-present danger to this country.

Our law-abiding citizens are imperiled.

Violent crimes, drug abuse, domestic strife, unreasonable, unprovoked acts of aggression threaten our cities.

The recent national press targeting police actions, regarding the apprehension of criminals, to a degree that exceeds the bounds of reason or moderation is broadly farcical.

The actions of a few should not subject the upright and morally sound police officers protecting America, serving our courts and the criminal justice system to less than a favorable reception by this nation.

The concept of "Miranda rights" was enshrined in United States law following the 1966 Miranda v. Arizona Supreme Court decision, which found that the Fifth and Sixth Amendment rights of a defendant had been violated during his arrest.

The first two statements are:

1. You have the right to remain silent.
2. Anything you say can and will be used against you in a court of law.

I would respectfully submit, to Congress and our Supreme Court, that line two be amended to read:

2. "Anything you say can and will be used against you, or in your defense, in a court of law."

Otherwise, the second statement, as it now exists in the Miranda Warning, infers that any statement that you make could become prejudicious without a defense option.

The scales of justice are balanced with my revision and it demonstrates that the court stands behind the principal of "innocent until proven guilty".

Think about it.

I had dinner with my pal Stanley Booth tonight.

Stanley spent a healthy part of his life on the road with the Rolling Stones.

He's still a good friend to Mick, Keith, Charlie, Ron, Bill and the others.

Keith Richards and Stanley Booth 1972

Read his book, "The True Adventures of The Rolling Stones"

It's an international best-seller.

Like this one:

We had fun talking about congress, the presidential race, the convoluted laws of the land, and had some damned good laughs.

Stanley's being honored by his friends at the University of Georgia next month in a celebration of his life and work.

I'm very proud to say that he's one of my best friends, and even prouder to be one of his.

Francis James Barraud was born into a family of artists in London on June 16, 1856.

He studied art at the Royal Academy School and in Antwerp.

An accomplished technician, he was a frequent exhibitor at the Royal Academy and throughout the country.

His painting His Master’s Voice brought him world wide fame.

Nipper was a stray dog found by Mark Barraud (Barraud’s brother) in 1884.

He was called Nipper because he a habit of nipping at the back legs of Mark's friends.

Nipper became Francis’ pet three years later when his brother,Mark, died.  

This picture of Nipper was taken about 1890.

On May 31, 1899, Barraud went to the Maiden Lane offices of The Gramophone Company with the intention of borrowing a brass horn to replace the original black horn in the painting.

This is the original painting.

‘His Master’s Voice’ was created before 1899, although in the original painting Nipper is listening to an Edison phonograph.   

Manager William Barry Owen told Barraud that if he would replace the machine with a Berliner disc gramophone he would buy the painting for the Company.

Since then Nipper has been the most famous dog in the world.

This is Barraud's final masterpiece.

Nipper was born in Bristol, England in 1884.

Nipper died of natural causes in 1895 and was buried in Kingston upon Thames in Clarence Street, in a small park surrounded by magnolia trees.

Ajman knows how to make a postage stamp interesting.

The Emirate of Ajman is on the coast of the Persian Gulf.

The post office in Ajman  opened on November 29, 1963.

Ajman issued its first stamps on June 20, 1964.

Here's one of their airmail stamps, issued in 1969, featuring the art of Jean Baptiste Camille Corot, a French painter well known for his landscapes and portraits.

This is Corot's "L'odalisque romaine Marietta" (The Roman Odalisque Marietta) painted in 1843.

And the actual painting.

 Looks like she could carry the male, er uh...mail.

My grandmother owned a dry goods store at 520 South Main Street,
near the corner of South Main Street and Calhoun Avenue, in the same block as the Lorraine Motel.

I played in the parking lot of the Lorraine when I was a small child.

450 Mullberry Street.

There was a sandwich shop behind the motel called Mrs.Drake's
where I could buy sandwiches from a sweet lady in a window who
made them fresh for ten cents.

I detest racism.

It's a disease.

We must find a cure.

My grandmother, Rachel Herzog,
a victim and survivor of the early 20th century
Pogroms that spread to Central Europe,
taught me to understand this and fight it.

Dr.King was more than an evangelist.

He was God's physician searching for a cure.

We must continue his work.

 I was seventeen when this picture was taken at Wooddale High School in 1969.

Geekdom was just starting to become fashionable.

The stupid glasses kept slipping off of my nose.

Visit my new page:

Nudes On Stamps

The world's postal authorities

throughout philatelic history

have used famous painters' nudes on stamps.

 Picasso - Woman Dressing Her Hair - 1954

Listen to my radio show tonight live from

The University of Memphis

 Wil Wheaton is an extraordianry man, a gifted writer and actor.

Wil was asked for advice about evolving and becoming a person.

Here's what he said:

"Probably the hardest thing to do is to accept that, at 13 and probably all the way to 25 or so, you’re constantly changing. What works for you one week may not work at all the next week, and you have to give yourself permission to make mistakes. You have to be kind and gentle with yourself, and just do your best to be the kind of person you want to be around.

• Be kind
• Be honest
• Be honorable
• Work hard
• Always do your best and accept that “your best” varies from day to day
• Be the kind of person you want to be around
• Stand up for yourself
• Stand up for people who are unable to stand up for themselves

Thank you, Wil.

In the 19th Century, when a loved one died, a letter was sent to the family notifying them of the death of their relative.

The letter had a black frame around the outside edges.

The black frame means that someone has died.

Cecelia Clericus was 24 years old when this letter was sent to her brother, Louis, in 1889.

She died June 27, 1889 in Cincinnatti, Ohio from pulmonary tuberculosis, otherwise known as consumption in the 19th century.

Louis was a brilliant artist living in Memphis whose paintings reside in Victorian Village, a section of Memphis with 19th century homes that are listed on the National Historical Register..

The cover was sent from Springfield, Ohio to Memphis, Tennessee enclosed in this envelope, dated May 13, 1889, six weeks before Cecelia passed away

Why ?

Notice the May 13 postmark.

It appears to be addressed by the same person who addressed the mourning cover.

The mourning cover was originally mailed to Louis who had been staying at the Washington Park Hotel in Cincinnati.

This memorial card was enclosed.

And the reverse.

The details of Cecelia's death and interment in Spring Grove Cemetary.

She was very beautiful and too young to die.

Why was the mourning letter enclosed in an envelope dated six weeks before she died ?

Could it possibly have been a polite memorial reminder sent from Spring Grove Cemetery approximately a year after Cecelia's passing and the cancellation date on the envelope an inadvertant error created by the postal clerk, or just an attempt to forward the sad news about Cecelia to Louis ?

The stamps on the covers include Scott #212 1 cent Franklin ultramarine on the Cincinnati mourning cover and Scott #213 2 cent Washington green on the Fransioli / Memphis cover.

From my friend, Heinrich Hahn, President of The Huntsville Philatelic Club

The Guntersblum arrival cancellation below confirms that the cover remained in the Grand Duchy of Hesse which was not a member of the North German Confederation, and that Upper Hesse's mail service was administered by the North German Confederation's postal authorities.

 

 

The stamp on the cover is North German Confederation.

 

The Grand Duchy of Hesse was a member of the German Confederation, however.

 

The dispute between the two dominant member states of the confederation, Austria and Prussia, over which had the right to rule German lands ended in favour of Prussia after the Austro-Prussian War in 1866, and the collapse of the confederation.

 

This resulted in the creation of the North German Confederation, with a number of south German states remaining independent, including the Grand Duchy of Hesse, although allied first with Austria (until 1867) and subsequently with Prussia (until 1871), after which they became a part of the new German Empire.

 

Seems as though, ironically, they had their own Civil War taking place about the same time as the one on our shores.

 

The province address in the lower right, Rheinhessen, was annexed to the Grand Duchy of Hesse in 1815.

 

Hesse finally lost it's independence when it joined the Reich in 1871.

 

The cover's a winner !

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Modest Moussorgsky was a composer whose music can transform your life.

Written in Russia between 1868 and 1873, the masterpiece Boris Godunov is about power and remorse.

The recording with the Chorus of  National Opera of Sophia under the direction of Andre Cluytens fills the air in my house today.

Strains of "Pictures At An Exhibition" can be heard in the opening chorus of Act I.

It was recorded in 1962 and will chill your spine.

The Lotus Flora T-54 Issues of August 4, 1980 are commanding high prices worldwide.

It's setting records for prices realized.

The set of four stamps, Scott #'s 1613-1616 in the first image, catalog in Scott 2014 for $92.50

The Lotus Souvenir sheet, Scott #1617, is at $350, very scarce, and tough to find.

Hammer price exceeeds catalog by a healthy margin for mint never hinged sets.

Find them !

1980 - Chinese Postage Stamp New Lotus Over Water Flower Stamp designed by Chen Xiaocun

Look at the stamp below.

It's the Chinese Golden Monkey.

It commemorates the Year of the Monkey.

It sells in the five figure range now.

China created a stamp collecting frenzy with this gem.

It's 2014 Scott Catalog value is $1800 and usually sells for more at auction.

It was issued by the People's Republic of China on February 15, 1980.

It's known as the T46, it's perforated 11.5 vertically and horizontally.

The standard for describing perforation is the number of holes

(or the "teeth"or perfs of an individual stamp) in a 2-centimeter span.

It's Scott Catalog number is 1586.

Excellent forgeries of this expensive, rare stamp are known to exist.

So watch out !

Mine is real. Here it is.

Today's Elvis' birthday.

He's 81.

I went by his house this morning for cake and ice cream.

There was a nice birthday ceremony honoring him for his fans.

Happy Birthday, Elvis !

This is new to me.

I was unaware that this form of execution was practiced.

Get the kids out of the room.

Here's the link to the video:

Execution by Elephant

Shirley Eaton is the very sexy and incredibly beautiful Jill Masterson in Goldfinger.

I created this fantasy USA Forever postage stamp for her birthday, January 12th, using one of her  portraits, inaugurating a week-long celebration of her life.

This stamp belongs to Shirley.

I saw the film when I was twelve when it opened at the Malco Orpheum in 1964.

Goldfinger is a timeless masterpiece !

Happy Birthday, Shirley !

Love,

David

Since the age of five I've been enamored by, smitten by, affected overwhelmingly by stamp collecting.

Here's a photo from the Commercial Appeal, published on Thanksgiving Day in 1992, of me with a scientific instrument I had recently purchased to use with my hobby.

The VTech electronic viewer was ahead of it's time. It cost as much as a new car.

I'm examining perforations in a stamp from my collection.

Stamp collecting is great ! Get into it !

                               The Commercial Appeal Thanksgiving Day 1992

One of my favorite internet stations is Frisky Radio.

The rhythmic devices the musicians use are mesmerizing.

Spellbinding !

I listen to the station when I work out or need a picker-upper.

You should, too ! It's great !

 The internet stream address is http://stream.friskyradio.com:8000/

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Listen to my radio show tonight from 9pm till midnight central standard time live from

the University of Memphis.

Click the station promo to listen :

The University of Memphis

I remember my wife this day, as I do everyday.

Even 29 years later, I miss her more than I could ever explain.

I will always love you, Rhonda.