Jusqu-a Airmail Markings- A Study Ian Mcqueen Link -
Ian McQueen's study on jusqu'a airmail markings provides valuable insights into the history, usage, and significance of these fascinating postal markings. The complexity and variety of jusqu'a markings, combined with their limited availability, make them highly prized among philatelists. As a result, McQueen's research serves as a significant contribution to the field of philately, enhancing our understanding of airmail history and the role of postal services during World War I.
The original was released as a comb-bound reference guide packed with comprehensive illustrations. It broke down the structural typographies, ink variations, and historical Universal Postal Union (UPU) regulations governing these markings. 2. The Massive Supplement (1995)
True postal history pieces show a direct correlation between the stamps affixed and the partial-air rate of the era. Cross-reference the postage with historical tariff tables to ensure it is not a philatelic creation.
In conclusion, Jusqu’à Airmail Markings is a definitive work of forensic postal history. Ian McQueen achieves something rare: he takes the most ephemeral of postal ephemera—a small rubber-stamped instruction—and reveals it as a primary source for economic history, technological diplomacy, and the sheer human effort to make the world smaller. After reading McQueen, one can never look at a vintage airmail envelope the same way again. The Jusqu’à marking is no longer a minor curiosity; it is a silent witness to an era when every mile flown was an achievement, and every “as far as” was a promise hedged against the unknown. For the serious aerophilatelist or the student of interwar infrastructure, McQueen’s study remains the essential, unrivalled guide.
For those inspired to start a collection based on this theme, Ian McQueen’s work offers a ready-made exhibit framework: Jusqu-a Airmail Markings- A Study Ian McQueen
Because many of these stamps were applied in haste, clear, fully legible strikes of the jusqu'à text are much more valuable than faint or partial inkings. Conclusion
The true legacy of McQueen’s study is its impact on the valuation of postal history covers. A seemingly ordinary envelope from the 1930s with a sloppy, purple ink stamp saying "Jusqu'à Casablanca" might look like a flawed item to an untrained eye. Thanks to McQueen, collectors and auction houses recognize it as a scarce, highly desirable artifact of aviation and postal bureaucracy. It documents a precise moment when global logistics pushed up against the boundaries of technological capability.
No study is perfect. Modern scholars have noted that McQueen focused heavily on British Imperial routes (London-centric) and largely ignored "Jusqu’a" markings used within South America or on German Lufthansa routes. Additionally, his study stops abruptly at the outbreak of WWII in 1939.
For collectors, McQueen’s work transformed "Jusqu’à" marks from mere auxiliary strikes into a complex field of study. Their presence provides a "map" of a letter's transit, revealing: Postal Rates: Evidence of how much the sender was willing to pay. Transport History: Ian McQueen's study on jusqu'a airmail markings provides
The sender paid for airmail, but the air service only covered a portion of the journey.
In the foreword, McQueen modestly stated that his intention was not to produce a complete or exhaustive catalogue, but rather to and to provide help to collectors who had begun showing interest in this neglected field. He hoped that the study would stimulate further research and that readers would contribute corrections and new discoveries.
South American or European mail often utilized high-speed transatlantic air routes but reverted to standard rail delivery once reaching the United States mainland.
Are you looking to of this specific book? The original was released as a comb-bound reference
While not a price list, McQueen’s scarcity ratings (Rare, Very Scarce, Common) are the basis for all modern pricing. A cover with a Jusqu’à Saigon marking (rated ‘Extremely Rare’ by McQueen) recently sold at a David Feldman auction for over €4,000. A common Jusqu’à Natal on a late 1930s cover might bring $150-$300.
Are you looking for a specific Jusqu’à marking identified by Ian McQueen? Do you have a cover you believe is referenced in his study? Contact your local philatelic society or post a scan in the Airmail Collectors’ Club forum for authentication assistance.
Before reliable trans-Atlantic flight, mail was often flown to New York ("Jusqu’à New York") and then sent by rail across the US or by ship to South America. War-Time Disruptions: