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Image Not Available for Craft - Maritime History in Stamps
Craft - Maritime History in Stamps
Image Not Available for Craft - Maritime History in Stamps

Craft - Maritime History in Stamps

Compiled by
Date1920-1950
Object number00050638
NameStamp album
MediumPaper, ink, leather
DimensionsOverall: 298 x 260 x 50 mm
ClassificationsToys, games and souvenirs
Credit LineANMM Collection Gift from Captain C D Dykes
DescriptionThis stamp album was named 'Craft - Maritime History in Stamps' and assembled by Commander Frederick Ross James RAN. It contains stamps featuring vessels accompanied by handwritten descriptions of the maritime craft depicted on the stamps. The stamps depict diverse types of maritime craft from a diverse range of states and countries including Bermuda, the Cook Islands, Newfoundland, Malta, New Zealand, Chile, Italy, Denmark, India, Canada, the Falkland Islands, Liberia, Hawaii, Cayman Islands, Russia, Germany, Gibraltar, Japan, Jamaica, the United States, Australia, Italy and Yugoslavia. The album is divided into the following categories with an explanation of the type of vessels in the following categories; Craft, Primitive Craft, Ancient Craft, Medieval Ships, The Sailing Ship, The Steam Ship, Ships of War, The Laymans Guide, Book of References.HistoryFrederick Ross James was born in 1903 in Melbourne. He joined the RAN as a cadet midshipman in 1917. He began compiling this album of maritime stamps when he was a young midshipman in the early 1920s, when serving aboard an Australian naval vessel, possibly HMAS ENCOUNTER in New Guinea waters. (Note the service records of Frederick Ross James do not list a posting to HMAS ENCOUNTER). According to the account given to Captain Dykes, midshipman James had failed to write up his midshipman's journal and asked the ship's postman to collect a set of local stamps depicting the Lakotai double hulled canoe while ashore. When he received them he stuck them in his journal and wrote up the story of the craft, after consulting an encyclopaedia. Expecting to be reprimanded by his naval superiors for his midshipman's report, he was actually commended for showing initiative. Thus he began collecting maritime stamps depicting maritime craft of various kinds. The result of his hobby is this beautiful album.SignificanceThis unique stamp album documents the passion Commander James had for stamps depicting maritime craft of all kinds from all over the world. His excellent penmanship and the detailed notations associated with each category of stamp illustrate the care and time taken when developing the album.