Little bits of history through the post …… letters without envelopes

The continuing series on first day issues, and the history behind them.

Now, this is the last of the series and I have to concede that this story is not about first day issues.

That said the four letters were amongst the collection which our Stella had acquired, and may even have arrived in the same batch as some of the envelopes which have already appeared on the blog.

And while the four do not carry eye catching stamps or colourful “first day envelopes” I rather think they more interesting.

For each is actually just one page of paper which has been folded to form an envelope, containing the message inside and the address on the front, and for added security a wax seal had been attached, which effectively closed the letter and of course was proof it hadn’t been opened.

None of the four carried a postage stamp, although three of the four has a post mark which offer up a location and a date, which in turn indicates that one was sent in July 1849 and another in July 1852.

They were all written in French and one begins “Citoyen”.

In the fulness of time I will scan the message side and share with anyone who can read French.

For now I will just reflect on how once upon a time similar letters would have been sent through Britain in the same postal way, which of course opens up the opportunity for people with far more “posty history” to add a contribution.

Location; France

Pictures;letters without envelopes, mid 19th century, from the collection of Stella Simpson