Newfoundland Pictorials

1865 Scott 24 2c green "Codfish"
"So thick by the shore that we hardly have been able to row a boat through them." 
1600 Era English Sea Captain

Quick History
It is appropriate that the first Newfoundland pictorial in 1865 celebrated the "Codfish".

Newfoundland Codfishing

Atlantic cod are found in the colder and deeper Northern Atlantic waters, but they were especially abundant off the coast of Newfoundland. Naturally, the Cod, weighing 10-25 lbs (5-12 kilograms), was a very important part of the Newfoundland fishing economy.

Atlantic Cod Landings

Unfortunately, overfishing lead to the collapse of the Newfoundland fisheries industry in 1992. Only now is there some return of commercial cod fishing.

The stamps of Newfoundland have been a mirror to the development and economy of the province through the 1865-1933 years. The stamps highlight the beauty of the natural environment, and the fishing, hunting, logging, and mining industries as they extract the natural resources.

This blog post will examine and celebrate the many lovely stamp pictorials of Newfoundland.

1897 Scott 63 3c ultramarine "Cape Bonavista"

Into the Deep Blue
Both engraved and lithographed, these little beauties of Newfoundland deserve a closer look. I say "little" deliberately, as many of the Newfoundland Pictorials are ~ 25 X 18 mm in size, only about 1/2 of the area of the iconic Canada Bluenose. But, by enlarging the scans presented here, one can enjoy more fully these pieces of miniature art.

A closer look at the Newfoundland Pictorials
100 Cents = 1 Dollar (1866)

1865 Scott 25 5c brown "Harp Seal"

The "Harp Seal", an earless seal,  was also featured on the early 1865 pictorials. The scientific name (Papophilius groenlandicis) means "ice lover from Greenland", and they are found throughout the very northern Atlantic Ocean.

Harp Seals

There is, even today, a commercial seal hunting season in Newfoundland. Fortunately, the Harp Seal is still relatively abundant.

1887 Scott 48 2c red orange "Codfish"

Between 1880-1896, three stamps with  a new "Codfish" design were released. The 2c yellow green, and the 2c green were issued in 1880 and 1896 respectively, while the 2c red orange was produced in 1887. 

1887 Scott 54 5c dark blue "Seal"

Also in 1887, a new dark blue "Seal" design stamp was produced. Additionally, major numbers were given by Scott for the 1880 5c pale blue and the 1894 5c bright blue color variants.  The preceding design for the "Harp Seal" had been criticized for showing "claws" rather than flippers. Apparently, the "Harp Seal" artist had never actually seen a seal.

1897 Scott 64 4c olive green "Caribou Hunting"

Reindeer are known as "Caribou" in North America.

Reindeer (red) and caribou (green) map

Part of the Deer family, Caribou were obviously a source of meat and hides in Newfoundland.

Caribou in Alaska

Still relatively widespread and numerous in parts, my brother, who lives in Fairbanks, Alaska, has participated in many a caribou hunt. ;-)

1897 Scott 65 5c violet "Mining"

Mining was a major resource for the economy of Newfoundland. One can still find Newfoundland mines extracting nickel, iron ore, copper, zinc, cobalt, antimony, and gold.

1897 Scott 66 6c red brown "Logging"

What hard toil! During the winter, the logs were hauled over the snow by sled. Teamsters worked from five in the morning until eight in the evening. They could rest on Sunday. 

1897 Scott 69 12c dark blue "Willow Ptarmigan"

The Willow Ptarmigan is found in Alaska, Northern Scandinavia, Siberia, and Canada, especially Newfoundland. It is considered a game bird.

1897 Scott 70 15c scarlet "Seals"

Seal Oil and hides were produced before the era of the Steamers. By 1850, 25% of the export economy of Newfoundland was seal products. But, by 1900, this had dropped to less than 10%.

1897 Scott 73 35c red 

"Iceberg off St. John's"

10,000 icebergs are calved into the North Atlantic Ocean each year from the tidewater glaciers of West Greenland. The icebergs that appear off the Grand Banks of Newfoundland are from that source.

 1910 Scott 94 9c olive green "Logging Camp"

Paper companies employed up to 9,000 loggers each year.

Bunkhouses were dirty, and privacy was virtually nonexistent with 20-100 workers accommodated, and only a few washbasins and outdoor toilets. If a worker wanted a mattress, he needed to rent one from the company for 25 cents a month.

Food was plentiful, but consisted of beans for breakfast and lunch, and bread, fish, salt beef or pork, pea soup, porridge, and tea.

1910 Scott 95 10c violet black "Paper Mills"

White Pine was used by the lumbering industry, but the forests of Newfoundland also had plenty of pulpwood- balsam fir, white and black spruce, and larch. The mill at Grand Falls, completed in 1909, had an initial daily capacity of 120 tons.

1919 Scott 123 12c orange "Caribou"

The Newfoundland Royal Naval Reserve, founded in 1900, contributed 1000 men to the WW I war efforts.

The 1919 "Trail of the Caribou" issue, 12 stamps, inscribes on each stamp the name of a different action that Newfoundland troops took part in during WW I.

1923 Scott 137 8c dull violet 

"Quidi Vidi, near St. John's"

"Kiddy Viddy" is a historic fishing village - and obviously picturesque! ;-)

1923 Scott 139 10c dark violet

"Humber River Canyon"

The Humber River, which flows to the ocean,  is still one of the leading Atlantic salmon rivers in North America.

1928 Scott 149 5c slate green "Express Train"

The Newfoundland Railway was the longest narrow gauge railway in North America (906 miles) as it crossed the island of Newfoundland between 1898-1988.

1928 Scott 150 6c ultramarine 

"Newfoundland Hotel, St. John's"

The 8-story brick Newfoundland Hotel opened in 1926 in St. John's. From 1939-1949, the 6th floor was home to the Broadcasting Corporation of Newfoundland; and in 1949, ownership of the Hotel was transferred to the Canadian National Railway.

1928 Scott 159 30c olive green

"Grand Falls, Labrador"

The Exploits River is now dammed at Grand Falls for hydroelectric generation. Lovely scene though.

1932 Scott 194 14c intense black

"Newfoundland Dog"

"Newfies" have a water resistant coat and webbed feet. They can weigh as much as 260 lbs, with a span of 6 feet between nose and tail. A gentile giant.

1932 Scott 197 25c gray

"Sealing Fleet"

The sealing fleet out of St. John's encompassed as many as 400 vessels in the early 1800's. To find their catch, they had to enter the ice floes off Newfoundland's north coast. Dangerous work.

1932 Scott 210 24c light blue

"Loading Iron Ore at Bell island"

Bell Island iron ore was shipped from 1895- 1966, and supplied the Sydney, Nova Scotia Steel Mills.

Having spent my childhood in Duluth, Minnesota, with the Iron Range sending its iron ore to the docks in Duluth on the shores of Lake Superior, the scene above is familiar indeed!

1933 Scott 219 9c ultramarine

"The Ships arriving at St. John's"

Sir Humphrey Gilbert was a half-brother to Sir Walter Raleigh, and was an adventurer and explorer during the reign of Queen Elizabeth. He was instrumental in the exploration and colonization of North America, specifically Newfoundland in 1583.

Deep Blue

1932-37 Issue in Deep Blue

It is nice to have a space for every major number for Newfoundland. Deep Blue (Steiner) provides that luxury. ;-)

1923 Scott 138 9c slate green

"Caribou Crossing Lake"

Big Blue

One of the most beautiful scenes every put to stamps- "Caribou Crossing Lake". The stamp is also the second most expensive (CV $20+) of the 1923-24 14 stamp series. Fortunately, it made it into Big Blue. ;-)

1928 Scott 146 2c deep carmine  "Steamship Caribou"

Out of the Blue

I hope you enjoyed the focus on the Newfoundland pictorials- and the stories they tell. ;-)

Note: Newfoundland themed pics and chart appear to be in the public domain.

Like comments!

Newfoundland- The Royal Family on Stamps

1865 Scott 31 24c blue "Queen Victoria"

Quick History
This blog post is a way for me to become better acquainted with the British royal family by reviewing the portrait images found in abundance on Newfoundland stamps. I think it is interesting- and telling- that there are more and varied royal images on the stamps of Newfoundland, than for Great Britain itself. Perhaps because Britain was required to show the reigning monarch on the stamps, rather than other members of the royal family?

Or, could it be the "absence makes the heart grow fonder" phenomena? I've noticed that, when having the quite popular "High Tea" at the Empress Hotel in Victoria, British Columbia, the ritual was more "English" than England itself. ;-)

  

1910 Scott 97 15c gray black "George V"

Into the Deep Blue
I've picked out interesting images on Newfoundland stamps of the royal family to feature here. The focus, though will be on the royal himself/herself, rather than philatelic considerations.

A closer look at the royals through Newfoundland stamps
12 Pence = 1 Shilling
100 Cents = 1 Dollar (1866)

1870 Scott 33 3c vermilion "Victoria"

Alexandrina Victoria (1819-1901) became monarch at age 18 in 1837. Her mother, from Germany, was Princess Victoria of Saxe-Coburg-Saafeld, and her father was Prince Edward, Duke of Kent, and the fourth son of King George III. Yes, it took four sons of King George III in order to find a legitimate progeny. ;-)

Charles Dickens Oliver Twist was likewise published in 1837, and gives a flavor of the times.

The United Kingdom was already a constitutional monarchy, so the queen held little direct power. 

But she was truly a symbol of "Victorian" times, with its stout morality.

She married Prince Albert, her first cousin, at age 21 in 1840. They had nine children (Victoria, Albert Edward < Edward VII>, Alice, Alfred, Helena, Louise, Arthur, Leopold, Beatrice) between 1840-1857.

But her husband Alfred died in 1861 of typhoid fever, and she was devastated. She was age 42. She entered a state of mourning, and wore black for the rest of her life. She blamed Alfred's death on the Prince of Wales ( Edward VII), as the appalled Alfred had just confronted Edward about his philandering ways.

Although Victoria is associated with the apocryphal remark "We are not amused", the reality is her family found her "roaring with laughter" on many occasions.

When she died in 1901, she had reigned for 63 years.

1865 Scott 27 10c black "Prince Albert"

Francis Albert Augustus Charles Emmanuel (1819-1861) was the Prince Consort and husband of Queen Victoria. He was born in the Saxon duchy of Saxe-Coburg-Saalfeld. At age 20, he married his first cousin, and they had nine children.

Prince Albert

Victoria thought him extremely handsome

Albert was a man  of progressive ideas, and he helped lead reforms in university education, welfare, and royal finances. He was especially interested in applied science.

When the Prince of Wales (Edward VII) at age seven was derelict in his daily hour of German and French instruction, Albert caned him. (That was considered normal for a father to do back then.)

After his death in 1861, which caused Victoria to be grief-stricken, Albert's rooms were kept as they were, with linens changed daily.

1897 Scott 81 2c orange

"Edward VII as Prince of Wales"

Albert Edward (1841-1910) was put through a rigorous educational program devised by his father, Prince Albert. But Edward's strengths were his charm and sociability, and diplomatic tact, not his studies. He undertook a tour of North America in 1860. He was immensely popular. (Why is it that Americans are so proud of being monarch free, yet are fascinated by them? ;-) Prayers for the royal family, for the first time since 1776, were said in Trinity Church, New York- a place, BTW, that I visited recently.

Arrangements were made for him to meet Princess Alexandra of Denmark by Victoria and Albert, who had already determined that it would be a good match indeed.

But he was also gaining a reputation as a playboy, and when Prince Albert died in 1861, Victoria blamed Edward for the death. "I never can, or shall, look at him without a shudder."

Victoria denied Edward any active role in governance until 1898.

He was of rather large size, and his Sunday meals consisted of roast beef, roast potatoes, horseradish sauce, and yorkshire pudding. His waist measured 48 inches (122 cm) before his coronation in 1901 at the age of 60.

With his habit of twenty cigarettes and twelve cigars a day, perhaps it is not unusual that he contracted bronchitis, and died in 1910 at the age of 69.

1898 Scott 83 3c orange

"Queen Alexandra as Princess of Wales"

Alexandra Caroline Marie Charlotte Louise Julia (1844-1925) was the Queen Consort as the wife of Edward VII. Her father, Christian, was King of Denmark (reign 1863-1906). Alexandra also married Edward in 1863, the year her father became the Danish king. She was Princess of Wales from 1863-1901. (A long time to wait to become queen ;-)  Edward and Alexandra had six children (Albert Victor- died of influenza in 1892, George (George V), Louise, Victoria, Maud, John).

She became the Queen mother in 1911, when her second and surviving son, George, became king. She devoted her life to charitable causes: among which was Alexandra Rose Day, when artificial roses made by people with disabilities were sold by volunteers for the aid of hospitals.

1899 Scott 85 5c blue

"George V as Duke of York"

George Frederick Ernest Albert (1865-1936) was the first cousin of Tsar Nicholas II of Russia, and Kaiser Wilhelm II of Germany. He was the second son of Edward VII and Alexandra. The first son, Prince Albert Victor, died of influenza and pneumonia in 1892 at the age of 28. (There were lots of rumors about the life of Albert Victor, including homosexuality, and being "Jack the Ripper".)  At any rate, George, as the second son, was not expected to inherit the throne. He spent his early years in the navy under the command of his uncle, Prince Alfred, Duke of Edinburgh in Malta.

When the elder brother died, he (Albert Victor) had been engaged to Princess Victoria Mary ("May") of Teck. A year after Albert Victor's death, George proposed to her!, and they were married in 1893.

York Cottage on the grounds of Sandringham Estate

George, unlike his father who was quite sociable, preferred a more quiet life. George and May, as Duke and Duchess of York, lived an almost middle class existence at York Cottage, residing there off and on from 1893-1926. He loved to work on his stamp collection, and heavily contributed to building the Royal Philatelic Collection. His official biographer took a dim view of his philatelic interests, writing: "He may be all right as a young midshipman and wise old king, but when he was Duke of York, he did nothing at all but kill animals and stick in stamps".

In 1901, George became Prince of Wales, to help prepare him for his role as a future king. 

1901 Scott 84 4c violet

"Queen Mary as Duchess of York"

Victoria Mary Augusta Louise Olga Pauline Claudine Agnes (1867-1953) was a Princess of Teck, in the Kingdom of Wurttemberg, although she actually was born and raised in the United Kingdom.

"May" was the Queen Consort from 1910 through 1936.

They had six children (Edward <Edward VIII>, Albert <George VI>,Mary, Henry, George, John).

The two had a very loving relationship. She helped with his speeches, and her thorough knowledge of history and royalty was an asset to King George V.

For his Silver Jubilee speech, he paid public recognition to her, saying to the speechwriter, "Put the paragraph at the very end, as I cannot trust myself to speak of the Queen when I think of all I owe her".

When George V died in 1936, her first son Edward, Prince of Wales, ascended the throne as Edward VIII.

Mary then became "Her Majesty Queen Mary". But there was trouble  brewing...

1897 Scott 78 1/2c olive green

"Edward VIII as a child"

I believe this is the very first stamp portrait of Edward, first son of George and "May". Edward was King of the United Kingdom from January 20,1936 until his abdication on December 11, 1936. Edward (1894-1972) had been Prince of Wales since his sixteenth birthday, and had been next in line for the throne for 42 years. But he flaunted convention and wished to marry an American socialite who was in the process of her second divorce. Wallis Simpson would never be accepted as queen by the people, and, as Edward was titular head of the Church of England that didn't grant divorces if the spouse was still living...well, it would never do.

BTW, the British media remained silent on all these matters until early December, although knowledge and gossip about the state of affairs was widespread in the U.S.

Causing a constitutional crisis, and refusing to end the relationship, Edward abdicated. He was given the title "Duke of Windsor", shipped off to the far Bahamas as their Governor, and later retired in France.

Perhaps it was for the best. King George V had prophetically said: "After I am dead, the boy will ruin himself in 12 months".

1911 Scott 107 4c violet

Prince Albert (George VI)

For those who have seen the film "The King's Speech", one will know that Albert (1885-1952), the second male in line, was reserved, and had a bad stammer.

He married Lady Elizabeth Bowes-Lyon in 1923 when he was 38.  They had two daughters: Elizabeth- born in 1926 (Elizabeth II), and Margaret, born in 1930.

With Edward VIII's abdication on December 11, 1936, Albert immediately became King.  But the formal coronation did not occur until May 12, 1937. (Edward VIII never had a formal coronation.)

Albert ("Bertie") assumed the name George VI to restore confidence in the monarchy and emphasize continuity with his father

1911 Scott 108 5c ultramarine

"Princess Mary"

The only daughter of George V and Queen Mary, Princess Mary, Princess Royal and Countess of  Harewood (1897-1965), became fluent in French and German, and took a life-long interest in horses.

Fox and Hounds

Princess Mary would ride, along with her husband and Master of the Hunt, Lord Harewood, with the Bramham Moor Hunt. Ah, the good old days of Anthony Trollope novels. ;-)

1911 Scott 109 6c black "Prince Henry"

The third son of George V and Mary, Prince Henry, Duke of Gloucester (1900-1974), was in military service most of his life. He was appointed Governor-General of Australia in 1944.

1911 Scott 110 8c blue "Prince George"

Prince George, Duke of Kent (1902-1942), was the fourth son of George V and Queen Mary. He was in the Royal Navy until 1929. He was reputed to have had many affairs- both women and men- and to have been addicted to morphine and cocaine.

Short Sunderland

Prince George died at 39 when his plane, a R.A.F. Short Sunderland flying boat, crashed in Scotland in 1942.

1911 Scott 111 9c blue violet

"Prince John"

Prince John (1905-1919), the fifth and final son of George V and Mary, was found to have forms of repetitive behavior (autism) and epilepsy by age four. He more or less was kept away from the public eye, and stayed at York cottage under the care of a nanny. His epileptic seizures became worse and he passed away at age 14. Actually, little is known for a fact, because little was ever disclosed.

1911 Scott 113 12c plum

"Duke of Connaught"

Queen Victoria had six daughters and three sons: the youngest son was Prince Arthur (1850-1942). He served some 40 years in the British army, eventually reaching the rank of Field Marshal.. In 1874, he was given the title of Duke of Connaught. He was appointed Governor General of Canada in 1911. This, perhaps, may explain why Newfoundland issued a stamp for him?

1928 Scott 148 4c lilac rose

""Prince of Wales (Edward VIII)

There were other stamps  issued for the Prince of Wales (Edward VIII) by Newfoundland. As the heir apparent, naturally there was more interest in him than his siblings.

There is really, though, little to say that is substantial about him. At this age (34 years old), his main hobby seemed to be bedding married women.

He considered the Bahamas, where he was appointed Governor after the abdication, a "third class British colony".

As celebrities, the Duke and Duchess of Windsor were part of the cafe society of the 1950s in Paris and New York.

Gore Vidal once remarked, on meeting Edward, on the "vacuity" of his thought and conversation.

1932 Scott 192 6c dull blue

"Princess Elizabeth"

In 1932, there is this cute portrait stamp of Princess Elizabeth ("Lilebit") when she was six years old. Why the interest? I can only speculate that, since the Prince of Wales (Edward VIII) was not married, and had no children, Elizabeth, as the first child of the Duke of York, was then third in line.

1932 Scott 208 7c red brown

Duchess of York (Queen Elizabeth)

We have said nothing about Elizabeth Angela Marguerite Bowes-Lyon (1900-2002), the Duchess of York. She, of course, is the mother of Elizabeth II. When her husband unexpectedly became king in 1936, she, in turn, became Queen Elizabeth. She was widowed at age 51 when George VI passed away. Her daughter, Elizabeth II, then assumed the throne. To avoid confusion between the two Elizabeths, she became known as "Queen Elizabeth The Queen Mother".

The smiling "Queen Mum" was always highly popular with the public, and she lived until the ripe old age of 101.

1939 Scott 249 5c violet blue

"George VI and Queen Elizabeth"

On occasion of a royal visit in 1939, Newfoundland released this stamp of George VI and Queen Elizabeth.

The real reason for the visit to Canada and the United States of a reigning British King and Queen was to break down the isolationist tendencies of North Americans. Franklin D. Roosevelt and the King and Queen did indeed forge a friendship. Again, I recommend the film "The Kings Speech" for a great portrayal of that meeting.

1947 Scott 269 4c light blue

"Princess Elizabeth"

Finally, a vignette of Princess Elizabeth in 1947. She married Prince Philip of Greece and Denmark in 1947. He was given the title "Duke of Edinburgh" prior to the marriage. Prince Charles was born in 1948, and Princess Anne in 1950. Elizabeth had to stand in for her father often during this time because of his declining health.

She, of course, became Queen Elizabeth II in 1952 upon the death of her father. She now has reigned for some 62 years, only a little short of Queen Victoria.

Deep Blue

1890 Scott 60 3c slate "Victoria" with shades in Deep Blue

I am showing the 1890 Scott 60 3c slate "Queen Victoria" in Deep Blue. On either side is a Scott 60d slate violet, and a Scott 60b brown lilac shade.

1911  Scott 106 3c red brown 

Prince of Wales (Edward VIII)

Big Blue

Most of the stamps shown for this post have spaces in Big Blue. A few, for reasons of cost, will not have dedicated spaces.

1941 Scott 256 4c blue "Princess Elizabeth"

1938 Portrait, Age 12- Note the crown hovering over her head

Out of the Blue

I know much more about the historical British Royal family- and I hope you enjoyed the excursion too.  And what a pleasure it is to view these Newfoundland stamps!

Note: Pics in this blog post appear to be in the public domain.

Royal Comments?