Heldring in Venedig

PH-AKR 'Rietvink'. This DC-2 aircraft carried the letter from Bandoeng to Amsterdam Schiphol

In the 1930s the world became increasingly smaller by the introduction of regular flights between every possible destination. The aircraft industry could barely keep pace with the ever demanding airlines, which asked for safe, less noisy, air-pressured cabins and larger aircraft. Comfort and luxury were key words for 1930s passenger airlines. But aircraft were of more use than only transporting passengers: they became a very important means of transporting freight and mail. Especially the last category could be transported in large quantities. For the first time in history Dutch inhabitants of the Indies (West and East) could communicate with their relatives in the Netherlands without having to wait six or more weeks for an answer. In addition to this the leading Dutch airline (KLM) improved her service every year. In the early 1930s it took more than ten days for a KLM aircraft to fly from Bandoeng to Amsterdam. In the late 1930s new modern (American) DC-3 aircraft could make the journey in a time span of only two days! That's what you call progress!

Letter departed Bandoeng on the 2nd of August 1935 and was probably forwarded from Amsterdam to Venice on the 20th of August. Attractive stamping of the square 12 1/2c Queen Wilhelmina 'Kreisler' and the 30c Seegers' lonely ship stamp.

This letter departed Paroengkoeda (now Parungkuda) on the 2nd of August 1936. First you might think that it arrived in Amsterdam on the 20th of the same month. A longer than usual travel time, isn't that a bit odd? With the introduction of the modern DC-2 flying machines a journey from the Indies to the Netherlands took only 5 days in the summer of 1935...so first thing what came to my mind was an engine failure. They often occurred in these days.

After a while though I wasn't so sure anymore: I looked the flight up in TSchroots' great airmail encyclopedia and read that the DC-2 'Rietvink' departed Bandoeng on the 3rd of August and arrived accordingly to its flight schedule in Amsterdam on the 8th. No engine failure whatsoever, just a lazy philatelist which jumped to conclusions too quickly.       

It think we might have been tricked by the Amsterdam postmark. This 'pseudo-arrival' postmark is probably only an indication of the time and day on which the letter was forwarded to Venice (and since you're probably more shrewd as I am, you might have guessed that already).

'Forwarding postmark' Amsterdam Central Station?

The sender of the letter was not aware of Mr Heldring's departure to Italy - obviously - so Mr Biesenbach's of Paroengkoeda letter was at the mercy of the postal services now. In these days you could still rely on such an forwarding immaculate service. The European postal agencies quickly forwarded his letter to Venice. It arrived there only two days later on the 22nd of August.

Close-up of the two stamps and postmarks

Now two questions come to mind:

• What is the reason of the 18-day gap between the send date and forwarding date?  Did it took Heldring's family so long to forward the letter to him from their home address in Amsterdam? Or did Mr Biesenbach's letter linger in the Javanese forests for some time before reaching Bandoeng? Or...? 
• What were Mr Heldring businesses in Kaprun and Venice? His wife (or assistant) first wrote down the wrong address (Hotel Kesselfall, Kaprun) before correcting it into the more famous Grünewald Hotel in Venice. I think the 'corrector' was perfectly aware of Mr Heldring's travel schedule. He appears to me as an important man. Moreover, his name rung a bell when my eyes met this cover. In fact, in the end I bought the cover because of this name and not because of it's attractive stamping and neat postmarks.

Ernst Heldring - Dutch entrepreneur

Much Dutchmen probably don't remember his name, and if they do they remember his name because of his son. The addressee - Ernst Heldring - nevertheless was a famous and very influential individual during the first half of the last century. Born in 1871, he was educated at the Public School of Trade in Amsterdam during the 1880s. Within 10 years he had established good contacts with the Dutch Indies where he was responsible for numerous (industrial) initiatives, such as the the construction of a harbour in Sabang and a new ship route which connected Java to Japan. He started this last venture in 1902 after having becoming president of the prestigious Royal Dutch Steamboat Company (KNSM) in 1899. Perhaps more important for philatelists is his function as president of the Royal Dutch West India Mail (KWIM) between 1912 and 1928. By that time people called him a proper shipowner ('reder' in Dutch) and in the Netherlands with its long history of trade and ships such a function meant (and still means) influence and prestige. Soon he became known as the Viceroy of Amsterdam. He made it into the upper class of Dutch society. 

Ernst Heldring on the roof of his house (De Lairessestraat 96). Viceroy of Amsterdam.

In the 1930s Heldring occupied numerous functions, most of them commissionerships, at the Dutch National Bank, the Hoogovens and the Dutch Trade Company. Most notably for our letter tracing process could have been the position he held at the Holland Bank for the Mediterranean in the mid thirties. Which sort of other business could possible distract you from simmering Italian summers.... 

For the sake of all of us, he had the extraordinary gift to keep his diary up to date. So here are some notes of his own hand, written in September 1935 which will tell you his real activities in the summer of 1935.

~

Gisteravond thuisgekomen van 4 weken vacantie in Beieren, Oostenrijk en Italië met Jet als reisgezelle. We hadden prachtig weer, behalve in de bergen, waar we ons voornemen tochten te maken moesten opgeven, toen we voldoende getraind waren. De laatste 8 à 9 dagen brachten we te Venetië, Padua en Verona, Brescia, Bergamo en Milaan door. Venetië is een oude bekende, die ik gaarne terugzie. Ditmaal was er in het Palazzo Pisaro een prachtige tentoonstelling van werken van Titiaan, waar zijn meesterschap in portretkunst, het coloriet en de compositie, doch ook zijn tekortschieten in geestelijke diepte - geheel overeenkomstig zijn tijd en omgeving - gedemonstreerd werden. Ditmaal bezocht ik ook het oud-Romaansche, half-Byzantijnsche kerkje te Torcello op een afgelegen lagune-eiland. Heel mooi. De Giotto's en Mantegna's te Padua waren een verrukking bij het weerzien na 30 jaren, zoo ook Verona. De musea in beide steden, vooral dat te Padua, vond ik uitmuntend gereorganiseerd. Te Brescia waren we slechts een paar uur tusschen 2 treinen, wegens slagregen grootendeels in een café. Het oude Bergamo op den berg gelegen met zijn door kerken en loggia's omgeven piazza is een juweel.

~

Translation:

Yesterday I returned after having spend 4 weeks of holidays in Bavaria, Austria and Italy with Jet as my travel companion. The weather was great, except in the mountains, where we had to give up our intention of making walks after sufficient training. The last 8/9 days we stayed in Venice, Padua, Verona, Brescia, Bergama and Milan. Venice is like an old acquaintance, whom I very much like to visit again. This time there was a beautiful exposition of pieces of Titian, where his mastery in portrait art, of colorite and composition, but also his under performance in philosophy- which perfectly corresponds to his age and surroundings - was demonstrated. I visited the old and small Romanic, half Byzantine church of Torcello as well this time, which stands on a remote island in the lagoon. Very pretty. To see  the paintings of Giotto and Mantegna again in Padua was a sheer delight after 30 years. The same applies to Verona. I found that the museums in both cities were very well organized, especially in Padua. Since we had to switch trains in Brescia, we had only a couple of hours to visit this city. (Unfortunately) We had to take shelter in a cafe because of a downpour. The ancient city of Bergamo situated on its mountain and its piazza surrounded by churches and loggia's is a gem.

So Mr Heldring was not for business in Italy and Austria: he enjoyed a lengthy holiday there! One mystery solved.

   

Sparkling tiara's on Curaçao stamps

Last but not least in this series of studying Wilhelmina's tiara's, we will cross the Atlantic to the Dutch Caribbean. Although all stamps during Wilhelmina's reign carry the name 'Curaçao', they were used on the other Dutch Antilles as well (Aruba and Bonaire and St. Maarten, St. Eustatius and Saba). We will see that most designs match the Dutch Indies stamps, starting with the Veth 1903 series. By 1916 the new series by Seegers and Harting was introduced:

NVPH 64 - 1915 - Queen Wilhelmina 22 1/2c

NVPH 68 - 1916 - Queen Wilhelmina 50c

I always felt these designs suited the Dutch possessions in the Caribbean much better than the Dutch Indies territories. This 'feeling' might result from the fact that the Seegers' design only displays an empty horizon and a lonely ship. When thinking of the Dutch Indies I always imagine mighty volcano's and inaccessible mountain ranges which are draped in dense tropical forests. The Dutch Antilles on the other hand remind me of small windswept islands exposed to hurricanes, the sea and whatever more. The Seegers' 'lonely ship' design nears this feeling the closest, but Harting's design with its plain palm trees does invoke this same 'barren' atmosphere. Only when you try very hard, you will uncover the mystic mountain ranges of the Indies:

Detail of NVPH 68 with focus on the mountain ranges

When we continue we will see Cheffer's Jubilee design of 1923 again, which I decided not to review here again - see this post for his design.. Unlike the Dutch Indies however, the colony of Curaçao decided to grant these stamps a second life as definitive series by slightly altering the frame. It appeared between 1928 and 1930:

NVPH 89 - 1930 - Queen Wilhelmina 6c

I don't know if this design does the trick: I find myself somewhat puzzled by the three ships. I think that Mr Seegers tried reworking the frame, but he pushed the design too far by engraving three seemingly random ships below the queen in my modest opinion. I think it would have better suited the stamp to have only one ship displayed or a combination between the outline of an island and a single ship -  or even better: no display of ships at all. 

NVPH 126 - 1936 - Queen Wilhelmina 6c

Next comes a stamp which was only used on the Dutch Antilles and in Suriname, since the Dutch Indies had their own iconic square Kreisler stamps. Of course I do not want to suggest that this stamp is inferior to Kreisler's design, but I have to admit it is a bit dull ... On the other hand the designer - Mr Mees -  chose to depict Wilhelmina with a veil. This really makes her a bit magical and quite exotic. A remarkable choice and therefore the design will get my stamp of approval nevertheless. Wilhelmina seems to wear three strands of pearls on a plain tiara. I seriously doubt if Wilhelmina ever possessed a jewel of this kind.

NVPH 138 - 1938 - Queen Wilhelmina 1 1/2c

We will end with the ruby jubilee stamps which were a shared issue between the Netherlands, Suriname, Curaçao and the Dutch Indies. Mr Koch made a fine drawing of Queen Wilhelmina with the massive Wedding Gift Tiara which was so quickly dismantled after Juliana became our queen in 1948. A very stylized stamp.

Sparkling tiara's on Dutch Indies stamps

In my previous post I wrote about the various tiara's worn by Queen Wilhelmina which appear on Dutch stamps. Now time has come to do the same for Dutch colonial stamps (Curaçao and the Dutch Indies). While some colonial series share resemblances with Dutch stamps and are based on the same photographs, various series belong solely to the colonies. They really give you a more exotic impression when compared to the quite frugal Dutch designs. We will commence with the Dutch Indies.

Veth 1903

The first Dutch Indian series of Wilhelmina was designed by Jan Veth and introduced in 1903. Veth was also responsible for the definitive 1924-1930 series which was used in the Netherlands. His 1903 Indies design was even more attractive than his Dutch series in my opinion. Have a look at this 10c overprint variety:

NVPH 88 - 1908 - Queen Wilhelmina 10c 'Buiten Bezit' overprint

Even with the heavy postmark and obtrusive overprint the stamp still possesses a simple grace. The overprint 'Buiten Bezit' indicates that this stamp was meant for post offices in the Dutch Indies which were not located on the isle of Java. Since this island was the first real colonial property of the Netherlands, officials used the term 'Buiten Bezit' (~ outer possessions) for the numerous other islands, especially Sumatra, Celebes and Borneo.  

Queen Wilhelmina 1897 photograph

I'm convinced Mr Veth used the photograph above for his design, the same photograph which was used for the Dutch 1899 Mouchon 'Fur Collar' stamps. Wilhelmina wore her Württemberg Ornate Pearl Tiara on that occasion but I have to admit Veth didn't succeed in engraving this tiara. He has turned it into a rather clumsy diadem on his stamps. 

NVPH D26 - 1911 - Queen Wilhelmina 1g 'Dienst.' overprint

The stamp above belongs to the same series, but is larger in size (together with the 2 1/2g) and is embellished with two Olympic gods (Hermes and Ceres) and two ships in its frame. A very handsome design, although this particular one is gravely ruined by the 'Dienst' overprint. 'Dienst' stamps are officials.

Seegers and Harting 1913

NVPH 120 - 1914 - Wilhelmina 20c

In the early 1910s H. Seegers designed a new series of stamps, to be used in the Dutch Indies, Curacao and Suriname. A plain engraving showing Wilhelmina en profil and a lonely ship was used for the lower values up to 50c. From 50c onwards a more elaborate and a larger stamp was used, designed by D. Harting (see below). I daresay both designers used the 1897 photograph again (15 years after it was made...) and Harting obviously did a better job. Wilhelmina's ear on Mr Seegers' stamp is simply too grotesque.  

NVPH 132 - 1913 - Queen Wilhelmina 1g

What I do like when looking at Harting's stamp is the very exotic though elegant framework. Much attention has been given to design the denomination and country designation, which makes me think of this stamp as a particularly charming one.     

Jubilee 1923

NVPH 162 - 1923 - Queen Wilhelmina 20c

In 1923 Wilhelmina had reigned for 25 years: a jubilee which the P.T.T. did not miss. In the Netherlands and the colonies series of stamps were issued which commemorated her achievement. The colonial stamps differed a great deal from the Dutch series, which was designed in art deco style. The stamp above though can be described as very conservative and '19th centurish', but was apparently deemed perfectly apt for the Dutch colonies associated with all their opulence and richness. We see a heavily illuminated frame surrounding Wilhelmina who wears a grand diadem. You could almost imagine that this diadem should be called the 'pearl of the Indies' when taking its gigantic proportions into consideration. Not frugal at all and very un-Dutch. On top of this she wears an eye-catching necklace. 

1923 photograph by H. Deutmann

In the archives I found the photo on which the series was based. Cheffer made the excellent engraving, whilst Seegers resorted to the framework. He probably hadn't forgot his clumsy ear (nor had the P.T.T.), but he made it up by lovely adorning this series. Wilhelmina wears the so-called Wedding Gift Tiara. Because of its gigantic proportions her daughter - queen Juliana - had dismantled the parure when she became queen. Maybe she thought it a too opulent display for the Netherlands, especially after we lost the Indies in 1949.  

Kreisler 1934

NVPH 196 - 1934 - Queen Wilhelmina 12 1/2c

To complete the Indies diadem tour, we cannot exclude Kreisler's magnificent 1934 Wilhelmina series. Why magnificent? Well, he dared to present the P.T.T. with a square stamp design. That was a first and a gamble. Moreover, his design consists out of a very humble but at the same time proud depiction of the queen within a neat though elegant framework. This and the combination of native art with two important Dutch elements (shipping & infrastructure) makes the stamp truly iconic. Where the 1923 jubilee series overwhelms you a bit too heavily, this stamp does not make any presumptions. That's quite an achievement, since Wilhelmina is depicted with her Wedding Gift Tiara again. Kreisler didn't make this diadem look preposterous though (a feeling which I got with the jubilee series), since the diadem softly sinks away in her hair. Very refined.