Thursday, September 24, 2015

Arsdorf–J. P. Kalbfleisch’s Private Cachet

 

Private cachets (or “chops”) are enjoyable, collectible, and fit nicely into my beyond-the-back-of-the-book albums. Think of the pleasure you’ll have finding chops while others pay inflated auction-house prices for often not-so-rare material.  You could specialize in one or a few professions or industries.  Take a look at this list for ideas:  http://www.industrie.lu/

Here’s a new addition from Arsdorf, the village of my maternal ancestors:

 

001a

 

J. P. Kalbfleisch
Tanneur
Arsdorf  Luxembour
g

 

002

Redange to Mertzig [post: Ettelbrück]
19 Sep 1884
5c Allegory (1st ser.) Postal Card

001

Thursday, September 10, 2015

Ephemera from Gemen & Bourg, Luxembourg’s magnificent rose grower


Collectors of Luxembourg postal history encounter a wide range of commercial correspondence from and to the Grand Duchy’s famous rose growers—in particular, Gemen & Bourg, Soupert & Notting, and Ketten Frères. Beginning in the mid-1800s, these firms produced a fine range of promotional postcards, advertising envelopes and other ephemera.

I especially like the example below, seen on a 1926 postal card—a red rose-shaped seal reading Gemen & Bourg, Rosiers & Ognons a. Fleurs – Execution Parfaite de Tous Les Ordres – Luxembourg Grand-Duche.  You’ll find many more.


002a

002

40c/30c Écusson Postal Card
(10c overpaid)
Luxembourg-Limpertsberg, 2 Nov 1926,
to Moustier, Belgium, 4 Nov 1926,
Forwarded
to Frasnes, Belgium

001

Used 349 days earlier than the 17 Oct 1927 frühdatum
in the Luxembourg Handbook.

Alex Sutton, in a Wikipedia article entitled Gemen & Bourg: Luxembourg Rosiéristes (http://www.helpmefind.com/gardening/), provides a delightful brief history of the firm, which I’ve reproduced below.

According to tradition, it was in 1888 that Charles Gemen and his brother-in-law, Melchior Bourg, established Gemen & Bourg in Luxembourg-Limpertsberg. In his research, Raymond Weiller uncovered catalogs dating from at least one year before this that would indicate that Charles Gemen had been in the nursery business before 1888. Melchior was married to Charles' sister, Marie Françoise. He retired in 1896, but the firm continued to be known as Gemen & Bourg.

The nursery comprised about 35 hectares (approximately 76 acres) which made Gemen & Bourg the largest firm of its kind in Luxembourg and one of the most important in Europe. It became known as the largest exporter of roses in the world. Annually, from 1900 to 1914, Gemen & Bourg produced and sold from 2 to 3 million roses. In reality, the number of roses they exported exceeded that number because the firm purchased additional plants from smaller firms.

Unlike Soupert & Notting, Gemen & Bourg were primarily rose-growers and introduced only five of their own hybridized varieties. Among these was a light orange climber called 'Manette Gemen'.

In the Autumn 1887/Spring 1888 catalogue, Charles Gemen presented himself as a horticulturalist-nurseryman. His catalogue listed over 500 roses, 58 fruit trees, other trees of various types and strawberries. The price of the roses varied from 55 centimes (half a franc) to 1,25 francs with the majority of plants being sold for for 60 to 65 centimes. New varieties from 1884 to 1886 were offered at even higher prices which could reach 1.75 francs. There was one exception to this and that was the rose, 'Souvenir de Victor Hugo', a large-flowered Tea rose with blossoms that are a dazzling China pink with yellow centers. This was the most expensive rose in the catalogue at 2 francs! Writer Victor Hugo had passed away in the year before this rose was introduced.

Charles Gemen finally referred to himself as a rosériste for the first time in the 1890-1891 catalogue. By this time, the firm offered 534 varieties of roses. Two years later, this number had more than doubled to over 1,146. Almost thirty years later, and in addition to 2,490 varieties of roses and a considerable number of other flowers, the catalogue from 1926 offered selected seeds of choice and diverse exclusive specialties: seeds for the vegetable garden, seeds of medicinal plants, flower seeds, etc.

Unfortunately, as it happened with Soupert & Notting and other firms, World War II saw the end of Gemen & Bourg.

Tuesday, September 08, 2015

World War 1 Aftermath—Free Frank of the Luxembourg Delegation to the CICFC in 1919

 

 

001

 

The 1918 Armistice led to the creation of new logistics agencies.  Among these were the Commission Interalliée des Chemins de Fer de Campagne des pays rhénans (the CICFC) and the Commission des Chemins de Fer de Campagne d’Alsace-Lorraine.

Lars Böttger, in his recent tome on Luxembourgian WW1 postal history, notes that “[i]n Luxemburg sind mehrere Stempel im Einsatz, die von alliierten Kommissionen stammen. Die Stempel sind alle selten und konnten bisher nur ein bis zwei Mal registriert werden.” (Handbuch zur Besetzung von Luxemburg im 1. Weltkrieg 1914-1918 und der alliierten Besetzung at § II.A.4.5 Alliiete Nebenstempel, p. 100. See also p. 40.)

 

001

 

002

 

The CICFC free frank shown here is on a picture postcard of the Kunst Museum at Trier. The card is dated “Luxembourg le 18 Aout 1919” and addressed to Salettes par Monastier in the Loire. The purple double-ring free frank reads:

C.I.C.F.C. DES PAYS RHÉNANS

Délégation

de Luxembourg

Commandant

H. Poupart

It’s a WW1 postal history treasure!

* * *

A similar free frank (shown below) was used by the Cologne commission:

 

Campagne

 

Campagne

Thursday, September 03, 2015

Marie-Adélaïde Perforation Varieties

 

002a

Beware!  What may be offered as imperforate at the bottom may just be a misperforation, as shown above.  Better to acquire a full margin copy.

 

002b

Here is the result of misperforating the top row—the stamps are truncated at the top.

 

002c

Two perforation rows on the left side.

Marie-Adélaïde Paperfolds

 

001a

 

Double Paperfold

Esch-sur-Alzette
Usines Gelsenkirchen
cds

 

001b

 

Paperfold

Rambrouch cds – 1919

Searching kiloware for cancels can yield unexpected results, as seen here!