Canal Zone First Day Scrapbook

For a period of time, the Canal Zone Postal Service sent out cards announcing new issues and other philatelically significant events. I have manged to collect about 40% of these, and have created a notebook displaying the announcement card, some sort of first day cancellation, and something else. That something else was in a CZ lot that I purchased recently and consists of clippings from Linn's or other stamp newspapers about the issue in question. Not just first days but also other anniversary issues and commemorative events. Unfortunately the previous collector used cello tape in some areas, but otherwise this turns out to be a very engaging display. While this scan is grey, I used several colors of backing paper to break up monotony.

These clippings are fun to read as they sometimes describe the events the stamp commemorates, sometimes are a direct re-wording of the announcement card, and, like the Thatcher Ferry Bridge lawsuit involving Harris, are news about the stamps themselves.

Here is one page that has all three elements. I wish I could scan all the pages for you, and I wish it weren't blurry.

Nice!

Say, what newpaper is the clipping from?

These were all pretty anonymous in that there were no banners or other identification. However, based on various bits of evidence, such as ads on the reverse or similarity of font to articles of known sources, I assume most of the clippings are from Linn's or such stamp-related papers. While I was compiling this, I thought of asking if there were an index for these publications in which I could actually find a date for these articles. There are one or two I cannot place chronologically and such a resource would help. Dave

A handsome stamp.



Goethals replaced Stevens as chief engineer of the Panama Canal. It would seem that Goethals really got cracking so that the canal was finished under schedule and under budget.