Jusqu-a Airmail Markings- A Study Ian Mcqueen ~upd~ Info
For a postal historian, a "Jusqu-à" mark is more than ink on paper; it is a map of a letter's journey. McQueen’s work allows collectors to:
McQueen’s work (published circa 1970s–80s, often in the Airpost Journal or as a private monograph) relies heavily on European auction catalogs and a few major collections. It underrepresents markings from South America (e.g., Argentina used Hasta equivalents) and Asia. Later scholars, such as Jean-Pierre Mangin and the Société d’Études Aéropostales , have expanded McQueen’s listings, but his core typology remains intact. Jusqu-a Airmail Markings- A Study Ian McQueen
Ian McQueen’s Jusqu’à Airmail Markings: A Study is an indispensable tool for the serious airmail collector. By systematically cataloging these hybrid routing instructions, McQueen preserved a brief but fascinating period when air travel was an add-on, not the default. His work demonstrates how even a narrow postal marking can illuminate broader histories of technology, commerce, and bureaucracy. For a postal historian, a "Jusqu-à" mark is
Forgeries are rampant in early airmail. Fakers often add a "Jusqu’a" stamp to a mundane cover to inflate its value. McQueen cataloged the specific dies (the metal cuts used to make the handstamps). By comparing the wear pattern, spacing, and font flaws in his book, a collector can prove a marking was applied in the 1930s, not the 1970s. Later scholars, such as Jean-Pierre Mangin and the
Collectors of auxiliary markings consider this an "invaluable" and "essential" resource, though it can be difficult to obtain today.