The Stanley B. Ashbrook Cup is awarded to authors of articles, books, or other studies concerning United States postal history from the Colonial Period to 1894. This year it is presented to Fred Gregory for his book, Hawaii Foreign Mail to 1870.
Fred began his studies of Hawaiian philately in the late 1970s, and the initial fruits of over thirty years of study are presented in the magnificent three-volume set published last year by the Philatelic Foundation. This will be the standard reference work on Hawaiian postal history for decades to come.
In his work, Fred weaves the three complicated threads of Hawaiian history, changing transcontinental routes and shifting postal rates into a compelling story of Hawaiian postal evolution. Because Hawaii’s postal history was closely tied to the U.S. postal system, much insight into our transcontinental rates and routes is also contained in the work.
Lavishly illustrated with cover illustrations, the book also contains many tables that clarify the sometimes bewildering array of composite postal rates. No fewer than seventeen appendices provide extensive cover censuses, postmark illustrations, rate information and, most importantly, a listing of vessel arrival and departures from 1800 to 1870. This last appendix, which fills most of Volume III, is essential in identifying which ship might have carried a cover to or from Hawaii, and represents a staggering amount of archival research.
All philatelists with even a passing interest in Hawaiian postal history now have a thoroughly researched and illustrated source to consult for authoritative information.
The Dr. Carroll Chase Cup is awarded to authors of articles, books, or other studies concerning United States stamps issued prior to 1894. This year the Chase Cup is presented to Mr. James E. Kloetzel for his sustained effort in improving and modernizing the Scott Specialized Catalog of U.S. Stamps and Covers.
Between 1994, when he joined Amos Press, and 2012, when he retired, Jim Kloetzel contributed profoundly to the improvement and modernization of the Scott Specialized Catalogue of United States Stamps and Covers. Not since John Luff and Jim Hatcher has any individual made such a substantial contribution to this key resource, on which so much of our hobby depends.
Among many other achievements, Kloetzel was instrumental in making major improvements in the listings for Confederate postmaster provisional stamps (2000), the listings for Carrier and Local stamps (2001) and for the types of the 3¢ 1851-57 stamp (2008). The addition of color stamp images to the catalog, and the development of entirely new sections devoted to essays and proofs, U.S. Registry Exchange Labels 1883-1911, and a new subsection covering the use of U.S. stamps and postal stationery within the seceded independent states, all took place under his supervision.
His years of dedicated service as Section Editor of The Cover Corner for The Chronicle and as Chairman of the Society’s Cup Awards Committee have benefited all members. We are thankful for the gifts of his talent and dedication.
This prize, awarded annually by the Section Editors of the Chronicle of the U.S. Classic Postal Issues, recognizes the David D’Alessandris’ wide-ranging and richly-annotated survey article “Mail Between the United States and Newfoundland” (Chronicle 236, November 2012), examining letter-post correspondence between the United States and Newfoundland (in both directions) from the pre-stamp beginnings up to the Universal Postal Union. In the course of a broad and sweeping analysis, the article presents some fascinating and colorful covers, a useful map and a tabular representation of the highly complex rate components that characterized these mails, all in the process of explaining postal markings and handling practices that until now have mystified most collectors.
Dwayne O. Littauer has been active in all areas of organized philately for over twenty-five years. His interest in philately began forty years ago as a youth when he made his own album pages for United States stamps and grocery store trading stamps. He soon learned about printed stamp albums and the proper way to mount stamps. By then, he had become interested in both United States and German mint stamps. The cost of classic mint stamps forced Dwayne to consider used stamps and, fortunately for philately, he reasoned that the original covers would be more interesting to him than the stamps. He decided to combine his interest in United States and German stamps by collecting covers between the two countries. Eventually he expanded his collecting interests to include all foreign mail to and from the United States before the U.P.U./G.P.U. began, focusing on transatlantic steamship mails 1838 – 1875.
Dwayne began exhibiting his United States – German transatlantic mail first, winning international gold and large gold medals in 2001 and 2006 and the Grand Award at Texpex 2006. His United States – France transatlantic mail exhibit was begun later, but it won a Grand Award earlier, also at Texpex, in 2002. As before, this exhibit also won a gold and a large gold internationally in 2005 and 2007. In 2009, Littauer began winning gold medals with his United States – United Kingdom transatlantic mail exhibit. As with his two earlier exhibits, this newest exhibit has also won an international gold medal, this time at Indipex 2011 in New Delhi. It is only a matter of time before it also wins a Grand Award domestically. Not surprisingly, Dwayne has been an American Philatelic Society (APS) accredited philatelic judge since 1991.
While doing thorough research for his transatlantic mail exhibits, Littauer has shared his knowledge in articles and other print media. His topics have included the Anglo-Prussian convention, part-paid Prussian closed mail, and the twelve cent Bremen-Hamburg rate to Oldenburg. The Chronicle of the U.S. Classic Postal Issues has been his favored journal. He is currently the section editor of the Foreign Mail section, after having been the assistant editor for many years.
Littauer has held important positions in philatelic organizations over the last three decades, particularly the U.S Philatelic Classics Society (USPCS). In 1988 he founded the very popular exhibition photocopy service for the USPCS and operated it until 1990 when he became a society director and treasurer. Dwayne served as treasurer for twenty-two years. Other treasurers have served the classics society with distinction, but it is safe to say Littauer was one of the best, converting many of the financial records to electronic documents, publishing and monitoring annual budgets, as well as a host of other meaningful metrics. He is currently vice-president of the society. Littauer received the society’s Susan M. McDonald Award in 2007 and the Tracy Simpson Award in 2005.
Also on the national level, Dwayne chaired the election ethics committee for the APS in 2007-2008. He is currently a member of their finance committee.
On the local level, Dwayne has held positions in the Crescent City Stamp Club of New Orleans, including president and director. He has been chairman of their Special Events Committee since 2005, which is responsible for organizing and holding the annual event in New Orleans fondly known as The Happening.
Dwayne has given numerous talks at APS shows and local stamp clubs on various foreign mail topics. When he is not speaking, judging, or analyzing a cover, Dwayne is probably practicing law at The Kullman Firm in New Orleans, which specializes in employment law.
Today, it is with pleasure that the U.S. Philatelic Classics Society acknowledges the exceptional contributions to philately by Dwayne O. Littauer by honoring him as a Distinguished Philatelist