Postage Stamps For Propaganda

Press, Volume C, Issue 29679, 24 November 1961, Page 2

Postage Stamps For Propaganda

“Postage stamps are little travellers that take more than one message. They bear what is inside the letter, and s message on the stamp itself,” said Mr S. R. Dacre, to a meeting of the Canterbury Travel Club yesterday. The purpose of postage stamps was now moving away from an adhesive label indicating pre-paid postage, bearing the Royal portrait to indicate the Royal mails with an elaborate background design to prevent forgery. They were now a medium of propaganda, said Mr Dacre. He traced the history of the postage stamp from the early 1800 s in Boston when a wave of forgeries inspired Jacob Perkins to invent a method of printing a complicated background design on banknotes. The same method was used by Perkins when he obtained the contract for printing British postage stamps. “Before the invention of

the postage stamp, it took the day’s wages of a working man to send a letter from London to the borders of Scotland. Roland Hill’s pamphlet on post office reform. and his invention of the stamp were part of the growing desire of people to move from place to place and learn more about each other,” said Mr Dacre. “Stamps are one of the decencies introduced to civilisation in the Victorian era. We think the Victorians were not much good but they made some great improvements. For instance, they gave us suitable clothes for men, after the nasty bright baggy things worn by men in Georgian times.” he said.

Many advances in civilisation, such as the development of the nursing profession, were illustrated on postage stamps. In America first, and later in most other parts of the world, pictorial stamps became popular, and were now used for propaganda purposes. "I much prefer the old stamps with the Queen’s or King's head. They are more true to the original purpose of postage stamps,” said Mr Dacre.

The speaker was thanked by Mrs A. M. Vile. Visitors, who were welcomed by Mrs H. Fraer. included Mrs S. R. Dacre (wife of the speaker). Mrs M. Gee (an executive member) and Mesdames A Carnahan and L. Cockburn, all of the Southland Travel Club. Mrs Donald Watson, of the Dunedin Travel Club, and Mrs A. Conroy and Miss M. Kerr, of Winton. A new member, Mrs J. Hunt, previously of the Southland Travel Club, was welcomed.

Vocal items were given by Mrs Carlene Shapcott. accompanied by Mrs R. S Storie.