Official Handwritten
Communication. From Director of Telegraphs and Posts F.F. Steenackers
to Engineering Director of Telegraphic Service Mercadier, on 69 x 45mm blue
flimsy with usual small handwriting, tiny adherence on back at top right,
usual folds and tiny paper breaks associated with rolling into a tube and
strapping onto a pigeonVERY FINE. AN EXTREMELY RARE OFFICIAL HANDWRITTEN COMMUNICATION BETWEEN TWO MEMBERS OF THE FRENCH POSTAL SERVICE.
The letter is written in a combination of letters and code.
For the first month after the siege of Paris began, small handwritten messages carried by pigeons were the only means of communicating with Paris. It was very inefficient because the messages had to be transcribed in very small handwriting so the pigeons could carry them. The Germans often shot down the pigeons so that the message failed to reach Paris. To compensate, the French first began sending multiple copies of the same message with different pigeons. But the problems of having to produce multiple copies by hand in such small writing with one message per flimsy, coupled with the public's demand to communicate with the Parisians forced the French to find ways to increase the quantity of messages sent to Paris. Subsequent lots illustrate the more efficient means of transmitting news and messages by pigeons.
Illustrated in "Memoir of the Photographic & Administrative Section of the Service of Dispatching by Carrier Pigeons During the Siege of Paris 1870-71", as translated by George W. Angers. The caption below reads "There were very few of these manuscripted messages and they are extremely rare."
Signed Bolaffi. With 1990 Bolaffi certificate. (Image)
Photographic Reproduction.
Two pages of Official Dispatch with letter dated Feb. 1, 1871, the last
day of the pigeon post, written by Jules Simon with exceptional content
referring to battles in Bordeaux and regret over the surrender of Paris on
Jan. 28,on 64 x 86mm poster board frame, large break in reproduction at
bottom clear of text, otherwise Extremely Fine, a rare last day usage with
great content (Image)
Photo-Micrography Carried by
Pigeon into Paris. Six pages of typed text on one 21 x 23mm piece of
ultra-thin paper, each page with Dagron & Co. handstamp and "Depeches per
Pigeons", faults incl. large pieces out of two pages (to be expected from
this extremely fragile paper)FINE. A WONDERFUL POSTAL ARTIFACT OF THE FRANCO-PRUSSIAN WAR.
Dagron, a Parisian resident, found a means of reducing the size of the dispatches further to enable the pigeons to carry more information per trip. He left Paris on Nov. 12 in the Balloon "Niepce" that was shot at by the Prussians. When his balloon finally landed, he and his fellow passengers evaded pursuing Prussian soldiers on foot. Dagron arrived at Tours on Nov. 21 and began work immediately.
With 1990 Bolaffi certificate (Image)
Pigeon Dispatch Reply
Card. Front with usual 5c Green (23, Yvert No. 20) tied by "Cloyes S.
Le Loir Dec. 15 1870" double circle datestamp, reverse with 20c Blue and
80c Carmine (33 and 36, Yvert Nos. 29 and 32) with blue ms. and tied by
blue 30 Aut. 1873 double-circle datestamps, card with printed text
instructing recipient to complete eight columns with the first four
relating to the sender and the recipient and the last four yes or
noEXTREMELY FINE. A RARE "DEPECHE-REPONSE" PRE-PRINTED CARD FROM THE SIEGE OF PARIS.
By order of Nov. 10, 1870, dispatch-reply cards were distributed by Parisian post offices for citizens to include with their letters that were carried by balloon. The senders had to affix 5c in postage to the front and 1fr in postage to the reverse, and fully complete the eight columns -- addressee, sender, and yes or no answers to four questions. The recipient was then supposed to write their response to the sender on the reverse and deliver it to a post-office. The cards were then supposed to be sent for processing at Clermont-Ferrand, but were probably processed elsewhere. Their messages were transcribed and microphotographed and sent to Paris by carrier pigeon, and the cards allegedly destroyed. This card, however, was not deliverable, and remained in the French "dead letter office" until August 30, 1873 when it was returned to the sender in Paris. It may be unique.
Illustrated in Bofarull (p.38). Signed Bolaffi. With 1990 Bolaffi certificate (Image)
Pigeon Dispatch Reply
Card. Used in place of the blue receipt form, without stamps but with
bold "14" in six-pointed star of dots cancelEXTREMELY FINE PIGEON DISPATCH REPLY CARD. INCREDIBLY RARE AS MOST WERE DESTROYED.
The card is accompaned by a Ballon Monte cover with 20c Blue (33), tied by six-pointed star of dots cancel, "Jan. 7, 1871" double circle datestamp to Carmaux (carried on the "Duquesne") (Image)
Pigeon Dispatch Reply
Card. Used in place of blue receipt, without stamps but with trace of
circular datestamp, with original stampless cover with two-line hs and
"Feb. 11, 1871" circular datestamp in which it was delivered to the
recipient, EXTREMELY FINE PIGEON DISPATCH REPLY CARD. INCREDIBLY RARE AS MOST WERE DESTROYED.
The pigeon service officially ended on Feb. 1, 1871, this was delivered on Feb. 11, probably due to the huge backlog of untranscribed mail. (Image)
Pigeon Post from England to
Paris. Stampless folded letter written in French, datelined "London,
November 11, 1870" on thin tissue paper, British Post Office label with
well-struck "Notting Hill Catebo De. 21, 1870" circular datestamp and ms.
"Per Pigeon Post" in pencil, faults incl. cover with large splits
along foldsVERY FINE APPEARANCE. AN EXCEPTIONALY RARE FOLDED LETTER FROM ENGLAND TO PARIS CARRIED BY PIGEON POST.
Signed Bolaffi. With photocopy of 1990 Bolaffi certificate (Image)