A beautifully presented album in very good condition containing postal ephemera with links to the Addingham, W.Yorkshire area, charting the shifts and rapid evolution in British postal history through its inclusion of early Victorian pre stamp items, attention to postal markings, the world’s first adhesive stamps, the Penny Black and the golden age of Edwardian postcards. Included in the collection are:
1. 3 x handcrafted decoupage style postcards with images made from stamps depicting a Far Eastern scene, an image of a cockerel and an image of Mr Micawber with potential links to the local family name Laycock. Together with a handwritten brief history of the village of Addingham.
2. An 1831 cover from Addingham to London with the earliest recorded straight line strike and a red London Arrival back stamp. Rated for a distance of between 170 & 230 miles.
3. An 1840 cover to Knaresborough sent via Otley with very collectable 1d Black Plate 7 Penny with Maltese cross ink mark, clear circular ADDINGHAM handstamp and clear circular OTLEY NO 27 1840 transit handstamp. The contents of the letter agree to settle a bad debt.
4. An 1840 cover to Bradford sent via Otley with 1d Black Plate 3 with Red Maltese Cross, transit hub mark OTLEY DE 2 1840 and ADDINGHAM local name handstamp.
5. Proof sheet of the Addingham undated cancellation c1840 with embossed Post Office Crest.
6. An entire letter sent from Addingham to Selby via Otley with undated namestamp ADDINGHAM in brown.
7. Entire letter from Henry Bland sent July 1st 1843 (who became a preacher in Canada). ADDINGHAM CDS in Black below blue OTLEY receiver stamp and Addingham Maltese Cross.
8. Entire letter from Henry Bland sent April 17th 1844 containing a graphic description of the election of a Church Warden to Addingham which ended in ‘fisticuffs’. Addingham undated name stamp in black and 1d Penny Brown stamp.
9. 1906 ‘Fab’ patchwork card produced by WN Sharpe of Bradford with Edward VII 1/2d pair tied by Addingham small circle CDS. Addressed to London by E Whitaker.
10. A charming filigree poem sent to Susan Monsey/JC Kay, Fairfield Hall, Addingham on Christmas Day. Backstamped Hull, Dec 24th 1851.
11.1848 cover to Bradford. 1d Red Brown tied by 600 in bars. Addingham undated namestamp in red.
12. Entire letter dated 1849 sent from Hull to Bolton Bridge and then forwarded via Otley and Addingham.
13. Proof sheet of the 2 ring Addingam cancellation dated 1863.
14. Two covers dated 1899 and 1908 both addressed to the Little Germany area of Bradford. Single ring Addingham CDS with code letter C. In postal stationary envelopes.
15. 1906 postcard of Scarborough sent from Derby to Addingham and forwarded to Ilkley. Unrecorded ADDINGHAM CDS used as receiving cancellation.
16. Two early 20th c postcards on a leaf titled ‘Lacock Wiltshire’. One sent to Bournemouth and one to Grantham. Green half penny stamps.
PHYSICAL CONDITION : Sturdy hard backed green cloth ‘Utile’ hinged leaf album in very good condition. Contents very good protected by removeable slip off transparent covers.
