University Health Network - Academy of Medicine Collection
Category
Archival
Infectious Diseases
Public Health
Tuberculosis
Classification
Archival, Publications
Infectious Diseases
Public Health
Tuberculosis
Accession Number
1976.37.1 a-r
Description
A box containing 18 packets of stamps depicting various subjects and some with Christmas greetings; (a) contains one stamp, portrait of Trudeau (1848-1915) and a red Cross of Lorraine in the upper right-hand corner; (b) has one TB stamp pasted onto paper, a portrait of Einar Holboell (a Danish post…
A box containing 18 packets of stamps depicting various subjects and some with Christmas greetings; (a) contains one stamp, portrait of Trudeau (1848-1915) and a red Cross of Lorraine in the upper right-hand corner; (b) has one TB stamp pasted onto paper, a portrait of Einar Holboell (a Danish postmaster); (c) packet contains two Red Cross stamps, with a Christmas greeting; (d) has one stamp pasted onto paper, portraying an angel with a torch, shield with the Cross of Lorraine; (e) contains one stamp with a lakeside scene, sailboat, etc., and the Red Cross symbol; (f) is a packet containing two stamps, portraying a team of horses and a buggy, Christmas greeting, Red Cross symbol; (g) contains one stamp on a white background, showing two children singing, Christmas greeting; (h) packet contains five stamps (one on background), portraying three black silhouettes, two pulling a log and one playing a flute, Christmas greeting; (i) has one stamp on background portraying a red church in a winter setting, season's greetings, cancelled; (j) packet contains 5 stamps, one on background, portrays a girl mailing a letter; (k) packet contains two stamps, one on background, shows Santa Claus, four candles, season's greetings; (l) contains four stamps portraying a town crier and greetings; (m) has two stamps with three wise men following the Star of Bethlehem, greetings; (n) packet contains 5 stamps (one on background), portraying a mother with two children lighting a candle in the window, greetings; (o) contains six stamps portraying deer jumping, Christmas greetings; (p) has one stamp showing Santa with his reindeer in the sky, greetings; (q) contains three stamps, portrays the bust of an angel and a large Cross of Lorraine in the upper left-hand corner; (r) packet contains nine stamps, three children singing, Christmas greetings.
Number Of Parts
18
Part Names
a-r - packets - Size: Length 2.5 cm x Width 2.0 cm
Provenance
Acquired from the Academy of Medicine; from the Dr. Jabez H. Elliot private collection.
Dr. Jabez H. Elliot; "Seals and Tubercles," by C.M. Godfrey, Academy Bulletin, Vol. 40 No. 3, Dec. 1966; CD #4.
Research Facts
In 1904 a Danish postal clerk originated the idea of selling decorative penny seals to raise money to build a hospital for tuberculous children. The double-barred cross of Lorraine, decided on as the emblem for the T. B. associations throughout the world in 1903, was used by many countries on their anti-tuberculous seals. This cross has a short upper bar and a longer lower bar.
The first American seal issued in 1907 was a combined effort of the local associations and the American Red Cross. For this reason the red cross appeared on the American seals until 1919 when both the red cross and the double-barred cross were used together. In 1920 the Red Cross withdrew from the partnership in Christmas seal sales and the seals after this bore a double-barred cross emblem alone with both bars being of equal length.
The first Canadian seal seems to have been issued in 1908 and also showed the red cross. In 1918 the double-barred cross was used on Canadian seals. The Canadians and Americans utilized similar crosses but all other countries continued to utilize the true cross of Lorraine. From 1922 to 1926 the cross was dropped from Canadian seals because of pressure from certain sources for seals without any identification in order that they might more readily be sold. From 1926 on the cross appears. In 1927 the Canadian Tuberculosis Association adopted the principle of a single yearly Christmas seal to be used by all associations.
The Academy collection of Christmas seals while far from complete gives excellent examples of those seals used by the Muskoka Hospital, The Toronto Free Hospital and the Queen Mary Hospital. Seals from other countries form part of this collection.
Exhibit History
Used in Exhibition at Academy of Medicine, Dec. 1966.