By Jim Walker
Early air mail service in the New York area used an assortment of air fields on Long Island. Hazlehurst Field was the one in use at the commencement of Transcontinental Air Mail Service in 1924 and was deemed inadequate due to smoke from city industries and ocean fog.
By Robert G. Rose
Have you ever fantasized, as have I, of forming a collection of United States classic stamps used on covers from New Jersey? If so, the task to put such a collection together would be a real challenge. For unlike its neighboring states with cities such as Boston, New York and Philadelphia, where substantial commercial correspondences were preserved to the later benefit of collectors, there have been no major “finds” of covers from New Jersey bearing postage stamps from the first issue in 1847 and the second issue of 1851-56.
By Ed & Jean Siskin
In the Oct-Nov 1988 issue of La Posta, Tom Clarke wrote an article about a wonderful Revolutionary War cover he had. Dated February 16, 1777, from New Brunswick, New Jersey, it was from a British officer to his brother, the Earl of Lauderdale in Edinburgh, Scotland and discussed, among other things, the recent Battle of Trenton. Tom kindly let me acquire it and for many years it remained one of my favorite covers. Now that it’s moving on to a new owner, it seems appropriate to provide additional documentation of this gem.
By Richard Micchelli
If you were to conduct a detailed review of the 190 Civil War patriotic covers illustrated in NJPH whole nos. issues 100 and 117, or the online exhibit of covers shown at NOJEX, you can begin to see the emergence of some interesting patterns among the covers. An obvious pattern is that there are several different correspondences represented in the illustrated covers.
By Robert G. Rose
On May 23, 1855, the name of the post office in what was then Elizabethtown, was shortened to “Elizabeth.” Prior to that date, and throughout the stampless period, the Elizabethtown post office used a variety of handstamped postmarks, including a large circle with the shortened “Elizabeth” town name which the Coles Book records with an 1853-55 period of use.
by Richard Micchelli & Robert G. Rose
Celebration of the Sesquicentennial of the Civil War is the theme of NOJEX 2011 that will be held at the Crown Plaza Meadowlands Hotel in Secaucus, New Jersey on May 27-29, 2011. The Court of Honor at the Show will feature six frames of Civil War patriotic covers postmarked from a wide variety of New Jersey towns. Several are shown on the pages that follow. This Court of Honor exhibit is part of an extensive collection owned by Richard Micchelli. In 1992, his collection was featured in NJPH as the Society’s 100th issue of its journal.
By Jean Walton
Bordentown, a stop on the stage route between Philadelphia and New York, is wellknown to philatelists for the very rare stage markings which graced its covers in the early days of stage mail. The town, north of Philadelphia and south of Trenton, marked the point at which travelers from New York exchanged their bumpy ride in Jersey stage coaches for steamers which continued down the Delaware to Philadelphia. But is has another claim to fame: in 1817, it became the home to the former King of Naples and King of Spain, Joseph Bonaparte.
By Donald A. Chafetz
This exhibit traces the development of a mail system in Morris County. During the Revolutionary War, General George Washington encamped three times for various lengths of time in the Morristown area. During these encampments, a “temporary” civil post office was established in Morristown and the military postmaster was also present.
Edited by Jean Walton
Attractive illustrated letter sheets from the 1800s are highly collectable and not often seen. Some of the most well-known depicted California mining scenes during the Gold Rush days, or were illustrated sheets used during the Civil War. The earliest, before the use of envelopes, were used as folded letter sheets, and would normally have an attached blank sheet for additional writing space.
by Bennett D. Kitts, Don Ross, Lawrence Clay & Fred Bok
Not long ago an article appeared in the Scouts on Stamps journal (SOSSI) which Gene Fricks brought to our attention – “Treasure Island Continued,” by Bennett D. Kitts.1 It explored the history of this summer post office which existed on a Scout Reservation on Treasure Island, a New Jersey island in the Delaware River below Frenchtown, accessible only by boat.
