: It provides a comprehensive, illustrated listing of different Jusqu'à handstamps and related air-cancel marks from around the world. The Supplement
originally published in 1993, is considered the definitive ground-breaking research on the subject.
Text enclosed in rectangular frames, common in European transit offices like Paris, Zurich, and Amsterdam. Jusqu-a Airmail Markings- A Study Ian McQueen
If you search for “Jusqu-a Airmail Markings- A Study Ian McQueen” in auction databases or philatelic libraries, you are likely looking for one of three things: the original spiral-bound study, a reference to its content, or a cover authenticated by its methodology.
In the 1930s and 1940s, air routes were limited, expensive and often unreliable. A letter might be flown from London to Brindisi in Italy, but then be transferred to a ship for the crossing to Egypt or beyond. The sender could pay a reduced rate for “air as far as Brindisi, then surface”, and the postal administration would apply a Jusqu’à marking to show that the airmail etiquette had been honoured only as far as the agreed point. As Ian McQueen himself wrote, “These are the cachets that were employed to show how a letter could be sent by air only ‘as far as’ a certain terminal point for the airmail, where it would be transferred to a surface routing, and where it would often have an air cancel marking applied”. : It provides a comprehensive, illustrated listing of
However, if the air service did not extend all the way to the destination, or if the sender only paid a partial airmail surcharge, the originating post office had to signal where the air transit should cease. Without a clear marking, an intermediary post office might mistakenly forward the item by air without receiving financial compensation, violating UPU conventions. Logistics of the Air-to-Surface Transfer
McQueen's study reveals that jusqu'a airmail markings were primarily used on mail sent during World War I, particularly between 1914 and 1918. The distribution of these markings was largely limited to areas where airpower played a significant role in military operations, such as: If you search for “Jusqu-a Airmail Markings- A
(e.g., Jusqu'à Karachi or Jusqu'à Singapore )
The study begins with an introduction to airmail markings and their significance in postal history. McQueen then provides an in-depth examination of the "Jusqu'a" markings, including their origins, usage, and variations. The book is richly illustrated with high-quality images of postal items, markings, and other relevant materials, which helps to facilitate understanding and identification.
At its core, a Jusqu'a marking is a specific type of postal handstamp applied to mail. Originating primarily from the French word for "up to," these markings were used to indicate exactly how far an envelope or package would travel by air.
The Universal Postal Union regulations dictated that postal authorities could not pocket airmail surcharges for services they did not actually provide. If a letter was paid to go by air all the way to its destination, but the air route terminated early, the post office of origin or a transit exchange office applied a handstamp. This handstamp struck through or amended the original "Par Avion / By Air Mail" label, explicitly stating the termination point of the flight. Common variations included: