Stamps From My Grandfather

I have some stamps that I got from my grandfather many years ago. They are in tiny envelopes with a story about the stamp enclosed with it. They are from H.E.Harris & co. Copyright 1933? Can anyone tell me the history behind them? I didn't have much luck searching the internet. Any information would be helpful.

1933 was an interesting year in stamps. can you put scans up of your stamps? otherwise go to your local library and look in the Scott catalogs. there are 6 volumes listing all countries, and if your stamps are USA then look in volume 1 or the US specialized catalog.

H(enry) E(llis) Harris was a Boston stamp dealer, who for many years ran the largest volume approval business in the U.S. It was Harris' company that supplied the stamps for the Capt. Tim Healy stamp albums. I suspect that the envelopes you mention contained approval selections with some background info about the stamps on the envelope. If you have a scanner, put a scan or two up and you'll be sure to get more comments. I think Harris memorabilia is attractive and desirable, although not valuable. Below is are two scans of a 1928 Harris Christmas greeting that the company used as a stuffer for a cover it prepared to commemorated the 25th anniversary of the Wright Bros flight on December 17th, 1903.

Don

Oh what a nice cover and insert! Thanks for sharing.

Thanks. Christmas greetings such as the above would not be seen in our contemporary culture, both from the standpoint of political correctness and lack of just plain old courtesy. These examples are from a society, time period and culture long gone, regrettably.

To return to the original post, I would like to mention that one still finds, from time to time, examples of H.E. Harris' business practices, including the glassine envelopes mentioned by thimango.

Don

It is not "politically correct" today. It was "politically incorrect" before.