So You Think You Have A Big Stamp Collection.

Kasimir Bileski (Info from Saskatoon Stamp Centre)

One of the greatest stamps dealers in Canadian philatelic history. one of the best-known names in the stamp industry throughout North America for most of the 20th century.

On October 5, 1950 he bought the famous 2¢ on Laid paper (Scott #32)
On September 9, 1959, Bileski announced the original discovery of the Seaway Invert error, one of the most spectacular Canadian errors.


he bought two complete imperforate sheets of the 1898 Map stamp...Something like the one below..But 2 of them.


Here is a partial look at his collection...WOW..I wish.



Robert

Robert, unless I am badly mistaken, I believe he edited the Unitrade catalog at some point

Peter

You maybe right Peter..He was a huge influence on stamp collections in Canada and other Countries...Kinda looks like my basement, but smaller.

Robert

I was a customer of Mr. Bileski. Always very fine condition stamps, often something quite unusual. Very useful additions to my collection.

One of Bileski's well known projects was the commissioning of a set of prints by the famous Polish-American graphic artist, Arthur Szyk (pronounced like the razor company, Schick)of New Canaan, Connecticut. In about 1947 Bileski commissioned Szyk to produce a series of art prints which were to be sold on a subscription basis, and were designed to be used as the frontispiece for stamp albums. Unfortunately, Szyk passed away in 1951, after only about 10 or 12 were completed. Most were for a single country, but one was for airmail stamps. To say they were stunningly beautiful would be an understatement, you really have to see them for yourself how incredibly detailed they are. The jpg image of the Great Britain one shown here does not do it justice. I have two copies of this one: one is framed and hangs on my dining room wall ( they truly are works of art), and the other, signed by the artist, proudly sits in the front of Volume I of my GB collection. I have two or three other prints from the series, which I bought as a lot, that includes the ones for France and China. Another example of Bileski's great legacy for collectors in North America

I see Mr Szyk's First Edition lithographs selling for $300. Here is France:

https://www.abebooks.com/servlet/Bo...C7-8QAvD_BwE

Israel:

https://www.abebooks.com/servlet/Bo...CFTIQAvD_BwE

Regular prints can be had for $15.

https://www.truegether.com/listing....C4_gQAvD_BwE

I was never aware of these. Quite stunning.

Wow! That photo is of some stamp collection!

Looks like my office. And not in a good way.

rogdcam...Your first 2 links seen to be broken.

Imagine how Bileski's wife felt about the organized clutter..?

Wish I could have spent an hour to sit down and talk to him...Has anyone met him, talked to him..?

Robert

In my earlier collecting days, Israel was one of my interests. At some point I picked up a group of the Szyk Title pages for ISrael, thinking I would dress up my albums. Here is an example.




The image is cropped. Actual size is 10" w x 15.5" tall.

I think think these are quite attractive.

Mike
SIP Life member

Very nice, thanks for sharing

He even had a separate stamp house on his property to house his stamp business stock. See https://goscf.com/t/26085
Bileski's Canada plate block catalogue is the best reference on the subject.

He is my cousin-235 times removed.

When I was younger and not interested in stamps, I went up to this gentleman's attic..He has 6 old library card holders full of single stamp in cards and other boxes...Wish I looked harder at the time..wow

Every evening Charles carefully put away his stamp albums.

Love those old library card holders. I have a couple small ones (two-drawer), but every time I go to an antique mall, look for one of the big ones like that.