Canada: Small Queens: Montreal Gazette Printings, 1888-1889

This cover just arrived, an inexpensive ebay purchase. I thought is was the more common #41, but it turned out to be the last Montreal printing, #41a, done at the Montreal Gazette Building in late 1888 and early 1889. It is the distinct carmine red color. What also is interesting is that it has a very sharp 3 O'clock guide dot, which is usually difficult to see or is completely obscured by the design.

Nice crisp cover BeeSee

Robert

Very nice cover BeeSee and interesting to finally see a 3 o'clock guide dot - Thanks

Thanks Robert and Renden. I just measured the perforations, and they are the correct 12 x 12.25 for this printing.

A bit of history on this Small Queen printing:

In 1870 a fire badly damages the press room in the British American Bank Note Company plant in Ottawa.

In 1871, the plant is moved from Ottawa to Montreal, into the newly built City and District Savings Bank building, at the south-east corner of St. James St. and St. John St. (now rue St. Jacques and rue St. Jean.) Ironically the previous building on that site, which was torn down, housed the Montreal Gazette before they moved down the street.

In 1888, a planned move from Montreal back to Ottawa is delayed, as a portion of the new Wellington Street building collapses during construction. However, the lease for Montreal plant had expired near the end of the year. A temporary location was found at the Montreal Gazette (newspaper) Building, at the south-west corner of St. James Street and St. Francois Xavier Street. The printing press operated there, on the fourth floor, from about September 1888 to March 1889. The Montreal Gazette was then owned by Thomas and Richard White, who also had business interests in the BABNC.



I would really love to get a cover with a Montreal cancel!

Here is a 1889 usage of the Montreal Gazette printing, from Port Elgin, Ontario.

BeeSee - Really nice findings indeed

Your specimens are good reference for the shades of the Gazette printing. Would you happen to have or know about other resources for shades of the Gazette printings?

Thank you for all your marvelous and informative posts in general concerning the SQ issues - I have been reading my eyes sore - and it has been really helpful in my new endeavor with these classical beauties

Bee See, very nice info but I think you get your street wrong, it was at the corner of Craig st. and St-Francçois Xavier , now Craig is name St-Antoine

also east is right on the map and north on top

The old Gazette on St-Antoine is now the Westin Hotel , we just call it Gazette here not Montreal Gazette , "La Gazette" in Québecois ( an improoved French ,, )

I just finish to work 12 hours, I hope I get it right ....

Thanks for the corrections Area66. Of course it is Craig Street. My old age is really creeping up I think!

My first paying job was delivering the Gazette as a boy in Pointe Claire in the early 70's.

Blaamand, I got most of my information from the BNAPS archives online. I posted some of the links here (which you may have seen).

https://goscf.com/t/48905#473862

I am sure there is more information in the book CANADA'S POSTAGE STAMPS OF THE SMALL QUEEN ERA 1870-1897. It is supposed to be the latest and greatest on the small queens. I do not have a copy yet, it is on my wish list, but is quite expensive ($150 Cdn).

Here is the link:
http://www.greenefoundation.ca/books.htm#books

Thanks a lot Brian. You are correct - I have already visited most of these 'Small Queen' threads several times already - excellent

I was just wondering if anyone has something made up / presentation of shades and how to identify the Gazette printings in particular. Reason for asking is that I am making my new setup in my Canada album so I considering what to give room for or not. Wondering if I should include dedicated space for Gazette printings (?) and go beyond Unitrade... For now I do not think I will include them unless I find some more info on how to identify them. The SQ book seems a bit heavy for my budget right now

Jon, Montreal gazette printings were done only for the 1c, 2c, 3c and 5c. The 1c and 5c DO NOT get a Unitrade number because the colour cannot distinguish the difference. The 2c has a distinct blue-green shade and the 3c has a distinct Carmine shade.

One thing to note is that all Montreal Gazette printings are perf 12 x 12.25 (or 12.25 x 12).

However, 12 x 12.25 does not guarantee a Gazette printing. This perforation was also used as early as 1885, and also in 1896-97.

So no easy answers for the 1c and 5c

Thanks Brian - that is very useful, info copied into my notes.

I do get a little confused tough - because I found this image in my write-up (copied from another forum):

So was the 10c also printed in the Gazette building - or not ?

Jon, I have very few 10c small queens, so little knowledge. However according to Unitrade, there were no 1888-1889 Montreal Gazette printings - based on the chart on page 55 of the 2016 edition.

I have sent you additional information in an email.

@Brian - PM received, much appreciated

Does anybody else have info whether or not the 10 cent was ever printed at the Gazette building?

I cannot find any evidence of a 10c Montreal Gazette printing in my archives. Maybe GJP will chime in .

Here is an example of the 2c Gazette printing, Unitrade 36d. It has the distinct blue-green shade and is perf 12 x 12.25. You can also see the partial AP (8)9 date.



For comparison I scanned with it Unitrade #36 (green), perf 12 x 12.

On my IPS monitor the shades are quite apparent, though on others they may look different.