Usmc Labels

As an "old Marine" I pick up some selected USMC-related philatelic items from time to time. One of my acquisitions is the Marine Corps cinderellas illustrated below.

I have tried to find the source of these labels for quite awhile now with no luck. I am hoping some forum members might have some insights concerning their origin.

Illustrated first, is the set of poster stamps issued, I believe, prior to the U.S. entry into WW II. I have a set of five of these, plus another three different, but later, in the same style, featuring the Women's Marine Corps Reserve, established in 1943. The latter are on covers dated 1943. Both the USMC and Women's Marine Corps labels look like they might have been recruiting items.

My questions are:

1. Who produced these labels Somewhere online, I have read a letter signed by BrigGen. Robert Denig transmitting a set of the USMC labels to a collector. The letter was dated, I believe, in 1941, before America's entry into the war. I have since learned that Gen Denig came out of retirement during the war to head the Corps' Public Relations Office. Apparently, his specialty was journalism.

2. How were they distributed? By request to Headquarters, Marine Corps only, or out of local recruiting offices, or both.

3. Does anyone else have addition examples of either the pre-WW II set or the of the 1943 Women's Marine Corps Reserve set?

4. Does anyone have what I believe are the pre-WW II labels on cover?

Many thanks.

Don

Here is a December 1941 advertisement from the Poster Stamp Publishing Company.

Just another company capitalizing on the war effort.

There were several other companies that produced various labels during WWII.

Here is some reference for other WWII poster stamps of the era.

http://alphabetilately.org/Cisfor/PSB/06-6-5.html

http://alphabetilately.org/Cisfor/PSB/06-6-6.html

http://alphabetilately.org/Cisfor/PSB/07-1-2.html

http://alphabetilately.org/Cisfor/PSB/07-1-3.html

http://alphabetilately.org/Cisfor/PSB/07-4-3.html

http://alphabetilately.org/Cisfor/PSB/09-4-1.html

That cover addressed to Elwin Muzzey of Hollis Depot, NH is quite appropriate to carry the "Fly with the US Marines" poster stamp considering his background:

Great info! Thanks for the links.

Don

wt1, thanks for the extra info!

While I am very appreciative of the replies and information about these USMC cinderellas, I am going to restate a question or two that did not get answered.

It appears from Timm's post and links to the Poster Stamp Bulletin that The Poster Stamp Publishing Co., of Chicago, IL, printed and sold the earlier set of USMC labels. There is, however, no information on who commissioned them. I assume that the Poster Stamp Publishing Co., did not take the initiative to print these. Approval of the design and authority to print the labels must have come from the Marine Corps. Any ideas on this assumption?

If it was the Marine Corps who commissioned the labels, it must have been for as a recruiting/public relations vehicle, and there must have been a distribution plan. Any ideas or information on this aspect?

Then there is the issue of the Women's Marine Corp Reserve labels. Similarities in design, certainly, but I did not see any reference to their printing in subsequent issues of the Poster Stamp Bulletin. Same questions here -- did the Marine Corps commission them and how were they distributed?

Many thanks.

Don

Poster stamps were very popular world wide during the 1920's through the 1950's and in some countries beyond the 1950's.

In the United States there was an organization call the "Poster Stamp Society." Many designs originated through the society and made it to market.

I am sorry to say it but your Marines poster stamps are NOT authorized or commissioned by the United States Marine corps or any other branch of the military. The poster stamps are Private in origin.

The Military branches were far to busy with the war effort at the time and sort of looked the other way when it came to this sort of commercialism. Beside, all of these poster stamps were free advertising for the military. There is some material going as far back as the civil war.

Here is reverence to Civil War material:
https://goscf.com/t/21459&SearchTerms=civil,war

Timm:

Again, many thanks for the info. No need to be sorry.

From what you are saying, then, the distribution of these labels was solely by purchase from the Poster Stamp Publishing Company?

Don

I have been researching these and similar items to update the Mosbaugh Catalogue Volume 1 Patriotic and Veteran Seals of which I am the editor. I have never found anything that says otherwise.

Well unless new information comes along, I'll accept your answer and more on to another set I have questions about.

Thanks.

Don