George V Postal Stationery

Does anyone know who designed the frames for the 1/2d. and 1 d. Downey Heads that appear on GB postal stationery of c1911 (i.e. not the stamps of the same period, but the prepaid postcards and letter cards)?

Apparently only four names are involved with this issue (stamps and stationery)... Downey, Mackennal, Eve and Harrison. Mackennal and Eve did the frames for a proposed set of definitives (but only the ½d and 1d being used with the Downey head). Some Mackennal and Eve frames were later used in the next definitive set with the profile head. The 1911 ½d postal stationery (book post wrapper and postcard) has in the design what I call a "stick with a winged head and snakes around" which is also used, slightly altered, in the five pence frame which is attributed to Eve. I think it safe to assume the 1911 postal stationery frames were a result of the efforts of Eve and Mackennal.

A wet day and by coincidence I was looking into this. I thought I recognised the "rod with snakes" it is still used as the symbol of doctors etc, it's the "rod of the Greek god of medicine Asclepius" the non-venomous snakes were used in the ritual of healing and were encouraged in the Greek temples devoted to this god. Hippocrates was the father of Greek medicine and the symbol is associatted with him and the Hippocratic oath which doctors still take. Enough of that!
The Downey head image on postal stationery appears clearer than that on postage stamps, I thought it was a diff engraving but in fact it is about 1/2mm larger-makes all the diff! How did they make it bigger? Agree that it looks like Eve's work. The Downey head was used for a lot longer on Postal Stationery than on postage stamps, one the "Printed Matter" card was not issued till 1918 (there was no real need before that because there was no specific cheaper printed matter rate).Don't think it could have been enlarged photographically, they didn't have the technology yet.

Interesting stuff...for a wet day... so I found this online extract (unknown month 1911) from THE LONDON PHILATELIST which was the monthly journal of the Royal Philatelic Society, London. It is quoted as it appears online. I believe I have, somewhere, the entire early issues of this monthly journal so I may find the article with perhaps a bit more to add...

THE Postmaster-General stated, on May 12 and 18, in the House of Commons, " that George V postage stamps of several denominations, including the |d. and id. and postcards and letter-cards bearing the new stamps, would, he anticipated, be placed on sale on the day of His Majesty's Coronation. The new adhesive stamps of other denominations and also other articles of stamp stationery would be issued as soon as possible after-wards. Most of them had been designed by the distinguished Australian artist, Mr. Bertram Mackennal, and some by a designer of great ability, Mr. Eve, and he trusted the public would regard them as an improvement in appearance of the issues that had preceded them. The new issue of stamps would bear the denominations of the stamps, both in words and figures.
The postcards and letter-cards would be issued at their face value. It was intended to effect an improvement in the perforation both in stamps and letter-cards, and to put on stamps in the form of rolls, for the convenience of persons using automatic machines."

These important announcements are apparently definite as to the forth-coming new issue, whose advent is awaited with so much interest and
curiosity !

...also... I understand that the designer William Pitcher did designs for the George v postcard and wrappers stamps but I think it might have been for the profile head issue although essays of his designs exist with the Downey Head insert.

A very old thread, but to avoid someone in the future reads this and thinks any of the following is accurate:




This is a common error. It has nothing to do with the rod of Aesculapius. The latter has just one snake and is not winged. However, someone somewhere down the line lost the plot and started using the caduceus as rod of Aesculapius. Still, we are talking about transmission off post, so the intended item should be easy to identify.

It is a caduceus, the staff of Mercury (Hermes). The connection between this messenger of the gods and a postage stamp, I hope, does not require an explanation.