Covers to or from the rich or famous.

brickie143 · **Posted:** Sun Jan 30, 2011 18:39:08 pm

Hi! everyone, this fan letter gave me an idea.

I wonder if we could start another thread with world postage stamps on covers, postcards or letters that have been sent to world famous people.

I look forward to seeing others.

Regards Brickie143.

aethelwulf · **Posted:** Sun Jan 30, 2011 18:49:34 pm

For most Hollywood stars there's always covers like this floating around...addressed to the studio is a dead giveaway thats its fan mail, and the stars of the day probably received hundreds a week.

Reminds me of a scene from The Simpsons, Ringo Starr sits in his study surrounded by sacks of mail, determined to write a reply to each one of them in the order they arrived...so the letters he replies to are 30 years old.

Items that were personally sent/received by someone famous obviously command higher prices...its amazing to see a cancelled cheque sell in an auction for $100s of USD because it bears the signature of a star or astronaut or such...but in a sense that is a "real" autograph as opposed to a signed photo that was probably signed a pile at a time to distribute as gifts.

I'll dig through what I have, I know I have a letter sent from Prince Ranier to the National Geographic Society, interestingly marked "Personal".

Global Administrator · **Posted:** Sun Jan 30, 2011 19:08:45 pm

Turned up in an estate last week so no idea of their history. A lovely find. Listed them for sale here -

http://www.stampboards.com/viewtopic.php?f=27&t=24870

7 covers to Lady Olave Baden Powell, "The World's Chief Girl Guide".

From Kenya, Austria, Italy, France and Holland

Global Administrator · **Posted:** Sun Jan 30, 2011 19:17:15 pm

From a piece I wrote in 'Stamp News" 5 years back. Bear in mind ANY 2/3d commem postally used is now double what it was then - even addressed just to John Joe. :mrgreen:

===================

I recently sold a large collection of commercial covers of this 1950s/60s QE2 material to a local dealer A-One Stamps, which contained all the 2/3d values. It was the only complete set of these I can recall seeing in 25 years as a dealer.

The collector had written them all up neatly and in great detail, but had missed one important detail on the one illustrated above. The recipient!

This was a 2/3d Anzac commercially used cover addressed to President Lyndon B. Johnson at the White House, Washington, DC.

Mailed July 1st 1965 from Pyramid Hill Victoria - months after issue date, so it is a clear commercial use. The sender was "Hopefield Estate" in Pyramid Hill Vic according to the backflap.

Pyramid Hill is a small town of around 500 people which is named after an adjacent hill. It is located in a wheat-growing area 252 km north of Melbourne via Bendigo and 18 km north-east of Durham Ox which is located on the Loddon Valley Highway 84 km north of Bendigo.

Who knows that the content of the letter was? Possibly a polite request to withdraw our young troops from the silly and murderous and un-winnable mess in Vietnam - who knows?

The sender's message may well have echoed the Australian government's grovelling slogan of the time: "All The Way with LBJ" ..... or then again perhaps it did not.

Using a new stamp depicting Simpson and his donkey at Gallipoli in 1915, evacuating a dead or wounded soldier from another remote conflict that also had nothing to do with us, may well have been symbolic.

Addressed to a ruling USA President, clearly the value increases over normal commercial use. But by how much? By $150 I'd say! I offered it for $250 on - glenstephens.com/rarity.html and it sold very rapidly.

brickie143 · **Posted:** Sun Jan 30, 2011 20:11:47 pm

Glen I have been reading all your articals only for the past four years and find them very informative .

Thank you for your response it is as always agood read.

Keep them coming people

Regards Brickie143.

quicksingle · **Posted:** Sun Jan 30, 2011 20:14:09 pm

Brickie143,

Nice cover and brilliant idea.
Excellent cancel which is ERD for that type I know.

enoch · **Posted:** Sun Jan 30, 2011 20:17:41 pm

I have one from Johore, Malaya addressed to President Hoover - unfortunately no contents.

Faust · **Posted:** Sun Jan 30, 2011 20:54:28 pm

Here a letter to Brigitte Bardot, from an Australian fan.

Faust

brickie143 · **Posted:** Sun Jan 30, 2011 21:32:31 pm

Hi aethelwulf.
Here's as little story related to signatures but not stamps:
About six months before he died - my wife and I went to a Billy Thorpe concert. My older brother had an original sheet music page for the song Poison Ivy, which was a big hit for Billy and his band the Aztecs in 1964. My wife offered to take it to the concert to see if she could get Billy to sign it for him.
After the concert we indeed got to meet Billy, he was amazed to see it "WOW! have not seen one of those for a LONG time." He signed it and handed it back to my wife and said "There you go it's worth about ten bucks." He then took it back off her and dated it 1964. He handed it back to her, giving her a kiss on the cheek and said (we think in a joke), "There you go love, now it's worth ten thousand bucks."
Of course, if you didn't grow up in Australia or possibly America you wouldn't know who Billy Thorpe was but for those of you who did or are of that 50 - 65 age bracket you will know how very special that private moment with Billy was.
So even to the "stars" signatures but more importantly DATES are just as important.
Regards

Brickie143

Brummie · **Posted:** Sun Jan 30, 2011 21:50:28 pm

You will find a few more at this link started by doug2222usa.

http://www.stampboards.com/viewtopic.php?f=17&t=13415

Billy Thorpe was one of my favourites, he was so cute when he was young. Mind you I was a baby then :roll:

john6625 · **Posted:** Mon Jan 31, 2011 00:43:25 am

I bought this at a small auction recently for no particular reason. When I researched the name 'Victor McLaglan' it seems he won the Best Actor Oscar in 1935 for his part in "The Informer"

He had several brothers and one of them was Kenneth McLaglan who from what I could find out was living in Melbourne around 1935.

Global Administrator · **Posted:** Mon Jan 31, 2011 00:50:10 am

"Actor Hollywood" is nice and vague for an official address!

Where the heck is LACANADA California?

nigelc · **Posted:** Mon Jan 31, 2011 01:04:57 am

La CaÃ±ada is now part of La CaÃ±ada Flintridge in Los Angeles County.

john6625 · **Posted:** Mon Jan 31, 2011 01:05:54 am

Not sure about LA Canada Calif postmark but it arrived there on the 10 sep 35, then onto Los Angeles on the 14 Sep 35. I suspect by the 'missent' handstamp that it went to the wrong place.

nigelc · **Posted:** Mon Jan 31, 2011 01:19:54 am

I found this quote about Victor McLaglen's home in La Canada:

"One thought about Victor McLaglen:

I was born in his beautiful mansion that he built in the 20's . It is in La Canada...there is so much history about the estate that I don't know....He had a wide array of animals..There was a carriage house...summer house... gardener cottage....all which surround the large brick home. I lived there from 1955-1986....much has changed over the years.

â€” heidi schmidt"

john6625 · **Posted:** Mon Jan 31, 2011 02:36:07 am

Thanks for the info Nigel, seems to explain the La Canada handstamp. He seemed to have lived a very exciting life. In his early years boxing was his passion but acting paid the bills.

Old Yeti · **Posted:** Mon Jan 31, 2011 05:32:51 am

I have this cover:

I think it's addressed to this Lady (from Wikipedia):

Quote:

Marie Dorothy "Pete" Hartwig (August 1, 1906 - December 31, 2001) was an American professor of physical education at the University of Michigan, the university's first associate director of athletics for women, and a lifelong advocate for education, women's sports, and intercollegiate athletics. She was the second woman inducted into the University of Michigan Athletic Hall of Honor. Hartwig was for many years an instructor and lecturer in physical education at U-M and in the School of Education. In 1968, she was promoted to associate professor, and she became a full professor in 1969. She was acting director of physical education for women from 1968-1970, when the men's and women's departments were merged

She may have been in Munich in relation to the upcoming Munich Olympics. Maybe some of our American Members may be able to confirm this information and add to it?

thanks

alex

fordcortina · **Posted:** Mon Jan 31, 2011 06:08:30 am

This is one of mine to Alec Guinness. As a side note my grandfather was his friend & barber for many years.

manfaefife · **Posted:** Mon Jan 31, 2011 09:56:29 am

This one probably only counts as semi-famous. It's a postcard sent by Mary Lord Harrison, 2nd wife of US President Benjamin Harrison, I say semi-famous as she married him after he left the White House, and this was written after he died.

Eric Casagrande · **Posted:** Mon Jan 31, 2011 10:05:40 am

fordcortina wrote:

This is one of mine to Alec Guinness. As a side note my grandfather was his friend & barber for many years.

Ahhh ... someone who likes 'Guinness'.

manfaefife · **Posted:** Mon Jan 31, 2011 10:26:26 am

This one will probably be obscure to most unless your of a certain vintage. The cover and letter is from US Novelist Fannie Hurst, written to Mr & Mrs Beatty Balestier, Beatty being the brother in law of Rudyard Kipling. Now the letter is 3 pages long but the first page has Fannie mentioning "Stef" who is Viljhalmer Stefansson, the Arctic Explorer, who she was very friendly with. I also have several letters from Stefansson to the Balestiers. Now also on the first page Fannie mentions Bob Davis, he was a publisher and Dan Frohman, he was a theatrical producer who went on to be a movie mogul, all written and signed with a red fountain pen, a bit of a trademark of hers.

brickie143 · **Posted:** Mon Jan 31, 2011 20:52:46 pm

So far very nice. I wonder has anyone something sent to or from one of the Beatles or maybe Elvis? Would love to see something from / to them.

Brickie 143

manfaefife · **Posted:** Wed Feb 16, 2011 11:51:20 am

Here's one I assume Fan Mail to Actress Deanna Durban, and as a bonus its an Opened By Examiner cover.

gavin-h · **Posted:** Wed Feb 16, 2011 23:35:28 pm

manfaefife wrote:

Here's one I assume Fan Mail to Actress Deanna Durban, and as a bonus its an Opened By Examiner cover.

Bet you got that from Buckacover :idea:

manfaefife · **Posted:** Wed Feb 16, 2011 23:41:36 pm

Nah it's not one I would have bought individually, was in a box lot from a local stamp auction, though among hundreds of common and garden USA stuff.

europhil · **Posted:** Thu Feb 17, 2011 01:11:05 am

A friend (in the US) has a one frame exhibit of mail addressed
to Deanna Durbin.

manfaefife · **Posted:** Thu Feb 17, 2011 03:32:00 am

Jay email me if your friend would like this one, gratis.

europhil · **Posted:** Fri Feb 18, 2011 10:49:50 am

A public thank you to Donald (manfaefife) for his kind offer,
which has been accepted.

Armarantine78 · **Posted:** Sun Feb 20, 2011 18:31:37 pm

I picked this up for a $1AUD.

Ana Aslan (born 1 January 1897, in BrÄƒila -died 20 May 1988, in Bucharest) was a Romanian biologist and physician of Armenian origin. She is considered to be a founding figure of gerontology and geriatrics in Romania. In 1952, under the leadership of Prof. Dr. Ana Aslan, the Geriatric Institute in Bucharest was founded. This Institute was the first of its kind in Romania and was recognized by the World Health Organization.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ana_Aslan

honza · **Posted:** Sun Feb 20, 2011 21:33:27 pm

I saw this cover recently and saw it was addressed to an author and poet. Thinking she might be famous I bought it but alas have not found out anything more about her.

Inside, however, was a complete letter from the English composer Algernon Ashton, asking the lady if he might set some of her poems to music. Ashton was born in Durham and was quite famous in the late 19th century for romantic compositions in the Germanic style.

I am thinking of putting it into auction. Any ideas which would be most suitable?

jjarmstrong47 · **Posted:** Sun Feb 20, 2011 23:19:28 pm

Hi Brickie143
Don't be surprised if there are a lot of older Americans who remember Thorpie. I was in Dallas in September 1979 playing at the State Fair. We visited the local record shop, called Peaches if I remember rightly, which at the time was the biggest record shop in the world, an amazing place. Around the outside of the store they had ten foot square reproductions of the store's ten top picks of the week. To get your album up there meant you were really something. We were there the week after Thorpie had played a sell out concert to thirty thousand people and for the first time ever, Peaches put up the same record in all ten squares - Billy Thorpe's Album of the Sun. At the time, people in Australia didn't even know he was still playing, let alone touring America.

jjarmstrong47 · **Posted:** Sun Feb 20, 2011 23:30:05 pm

These are fairly common. The red envelopes contained official reports from the podestas, or local government areas. All were addressed to Mussolini and according to books I've read, he was obsessed with detail so he probably read most of them.

colinscovers · **Posted:** Mon Feb 21, 2011 05:44:42 am

Covers to the royal family are harder to find than covers from them. This is one addressed to Her Majesty The Queen (Victoria) at Osborne. It was posted at Dover December 8th 1852. I am told it is possibly from King Leopold of Belgium who was her uncle. I have yet to prove this but show the seal to see if anybody can help.

Colin

jumet · **Posted:** Mon Feb 21, 2011 06:03:38 am

Colin: Nice cover. I don't think it's Leopold's handwriting however. Perhaps it's from him, but addressed by someone else?

brickie143 · **Posted:** Mon Feb 21, 2011 21:46:40 pm

Hi! colinscovers
I think that cover is very impressive

Brickie143.

Browny · **Posted:** Tue Feb 22, 2011 16:38:36 pm

Here's one of my all time favourite covers.
( I've posted it previously in another thread a few years back but thought it a worthy addition to this one!)

Sir Douglas Mawson:

tjrmovieman · **Posted:** Fri Feb 25, 2011 13:01:58 pm

Hey Don - thanks for the Deanna Durbin cover - got it today. I've a lot of fan mail and have written a few philatelic articles on them in US Philatelic publications.

Here is a link to a Deanna Durbin one that got published in the RAF POW association page.

http://www.rafinfo.org.uk/rafexpow/

tom

tjrmovieman · **Posted:** Fri Feb 25, 2011 13:12:01 pm

Love the B. Bardot cover - nice colors and franking and addressed to Rank Studios

tom

quicksingle · **Posted:** Sun Feb 27, 2011 03:42:34 am

Hi all,

A cover addressed to the singer Gene Autry

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gene_Autry

tjrmovieman · **Posted:** Sun Feb 27, 2011 15:57:03 pm

Neill

Nice Autry Cover - good and colorful

tom

nightwatchman · **Posted:** Tue Mar 29, 2011 21:49:32 pm

Could this be the Yul Brynner from The King & I :?:

Australia: 16 March 1959 Queen Victoria Buildings
Baker & Moloney of the Royal Arcade Sydney producers of Royal FDCS :?:

admin · **Posted:** Wed Mar 30, 2011 01:00:19 am

Yul owned Manoir de Cricqueboeuf in France,

"Abbaye de Bois-Aubry" is the site in France where his tomb is.

tooler · **Posted:** Wed Mar 30, 2011 01:29:52 am

FDR, before he became President.

nightwatchman · **Posted:** Sat Apr 02, 2011 16:09:42 pm

*

Australia: 15 April 1936 to Maurice Chevalier
Melbourne Vic to Culver City CA

cutbulls · **Posted:** Sun Apr 03, 2011 00:16:19 am

Got this from a garage sale in Canberra, the guy must have worked in Hawke's office, should be famous to any aussie over 30

Brummie · **Posted:** Sun Apr 03, 2011 10:42:24 am

Another Gene Autry censored cover, I just bought for 40cents, not obvious as the postmark is hiding the Autry.

tjrmovieman · **Posted:** Sun Apr 03, 2011 15:39:21 pm

nightwatchman wrote:

Could this be the Yul Brynner from The King & I :?:

Australia: 16 March 1959 Queen Victoria Buildings
Baker & Moloney of the Royal Arcade Sydney producers of Royal FDCS :?:

Yes it is the Yul - he lived in Paris for many yrs and I have a few covers to him

tjrmovieman · **Posted:** Sun Apr 03, 2011 15:41:20 pm

Brummie wrote:

Another Gene Autry censored cover, I just bought for 40cents, not obvious as the postmark is hiding the Autry.

Autrys are nice - best to get them addressed to him as a Sgt in the air force

tjrmovieman · **Posted:** Sun Apr 03, 2011 15:43:24 pm

nightwatchman wrote:

*

Australia: 15 April 1936 to Maurice Chevalier
Melbourne Vic to Culver City CA

Another neat item for the fan mail collector - neat, clean cover and not a common star to get mail to

AFCBGeorge · **Posted:** Tue Apr 05, 2011 09:11:59 am

Found this today; no idea if it reached her but interesting all the same!


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