Jusqu’à Airmail Markings (A Study) by Ian McQueen is a seminal philatelic reference work that explores the specialized field of "jusqu'à" (French for "as far as") markings. These postal handstamps indicate that a piece of mail was carried by air only for a portion of its journey, after which it was transferred to surface transport for final delivery. Publication History and Editions
The study was originally published in the early 1990s and has since been updated with supplemental material:
Original Edition (1993): Published by W.A. Page in Dartford, this initial release contained 109 pages and was typically issued as a spiral or comb-bound paperback.
Supplement (1995): Just two years later, a major supplement was released (pages 110–273). This addition was significantly larger than the original book, reflecting the rapid growth of information in this previously neglected field.
Combined Volumes: Some later editions or copies found at retailers like AbeBooks or specialized philatelic sites like Phila Art may offer Volumes I and II bound together. Core Content and Research
Ian McQueen's work is credited with being a "ground-breaking" resource for aerophilatelists. Key features of the study include:
Identification of Designs: It catalogs various marking types, including two to six solid red or black bars, cross cancellations, and specific text-based handstamps used to obliterate original airmail instructions.
Location and Period Studies: By analyzing the designs and colors of these markings, the book helps collectors identify the specific locations and timeframes in which the mail was diverted from air service.
Global Scope: It lists known markings by country, providing reference numbers for each and describing the "jusqu'à" cancels used worldwide.
Collectors of auxiliary markings consider this an "invaluable" and "essential" resource, though it can be difficult to obtain today.
Ian McQueen’s Jusqu’à Airmail Markings: A Study (1993, 1995 Supplement) provides a comprehensive, foundational analysis of non-standardized postal markings indicating that airmail, due to service limitations, was completed by surface transport. Published by W.A. Page, this work, which includes an extensive 1995 supplement, transformed the study of these "as far as" markings into a key area of aerophilately. For more details, visit Academia.edu
Ian McQueen's "Jusqu'à" Airmail Markings: A Study is the definitive guide to 20th-century postal instructions that directed mail to be carried by air only until a specific destination. The book is an essential tool for aerophilatelists, offering a classification system, historical context for 1930s-1950s air routes, and a rarity guide for valuing and authenticating covers.
Ian McQueen’s Jusqu'à Airmail Markings: A Study (1993) and its 1995 supplement are considered essential reference works for aerophilatelists, documenting "partially flown" mail covers. The study acts as a comprehensive guide to worldwide "Jusqu'à" markings, which indicate the point at which mail transferred from air to surface transport. For more details, visit airindiacollector.com. Jusqu-a Airmail Markings- A Study Ian McQueen
Books by Ian McQueen (Author of Telling Tales About Dementia)
Ian McQueen’s "Jusqu’à Airmail Markings: A Study" (1993) and its 1995 supplement are essential, comprehensive reference works documenting postal markings that indicate the limit of airmail service. The studies catalog various handstamps and "mute" bars used to show where mail transitioned to surface transport, providing crucial context for philatelists interpreting complex, non-standardized routing. Learn more about the study from www.academia.edu
Ian McQueen’s Jusqu’à" Airmail Markings: A Study is widely considered the definitive reference for postal historians and airmail collectors specializing in the "Jusqu’à" (meaning "until" or "as far as") markings of the 20th century. The Definitive Guide to "Jusqu'à" Markings
The book serves as a meticulous catalog of the specialized instructional markings used by postal authorities to indicate where airmail transport ended and surface transport began. These markings—typically in the form of handstamped boxed or unboxed text—were essential during the mid-20th century to prevent the "over-carriage" of mail beyond the point for which the airmail fee had been paid. Key Strengths of the Study Comprehensive Classification:
McQueen provides an exhaustive listing of known "Jusqu’à" markings from across the globe, categorizing them by country, city, and specific physical characteristics. Historical Context: Beyond a mere list, the study explains the Universal Postal Union (UPU)
regulations that governed these markings, providing collectors with the "why" behind the strikes found on their covers. Identification Aids:
The book includes numerous illustrations and measurements, making it the primary tool for authenticating rare markings or identifying common ones.
It covers the classic era of airmail development, particularly the 1930s through the 1960s, a period of rapidly shifting airline routes and complex postal rates. Verdict for Collectors If you are serious about aerophilately postal history
, this book is indispensable. While it is a technical "study" rather than a narrative history, McQueen’s clear organization makes it accessible for anyone trying to understand the journey of a specific airmail cover. It remains the "gold standard" for this niche, often cited in auction catalogs and expertizing certificates.
Are you looking to identify a specific marking on a cover, or are you considering adding this book to your reference library?
In the world of aerophilately (the study of airmail), "Jusqu'à Airmail Markings"
refers to a specific type of instructional mark found on historical covers. The term "jusqu'à" is French for "as far as" or "until," and these markings were used to indicate that a piece of mail was only to be carried by air for a portion of its journey. The Purpose of Jusqu'à Markings Jusqu’à Airmail Markings (A Study) by Ian McQueen
When a sender requested airmail service (often by using an "Air Mail" etiquette or stamp), the postal service might only be able to fulfill that request for part of the route due to limited flight paths or insufficient postage. The Marking
: Postal workers would apply a "Jusqu'à" handstamp or use parallel bars to "cancel" the airmail instruction for the remainder of the trip. The Translation : A mark might effectively say, "Airmail
(up to) London," meaning from London onwards, the letter would travel by train or ship. Historical Significance
: These marks are rare and highly sought after by collectors because they tell a precise story of logistics, showing exactly where a letter transitioned from air to surface transport. Ian McQueen’s "A Study"
Ian McQueen is a renowned philatelic author who specialized in these often-overlooked auxiliary markings. His book, "Jusqu'à Airmail Markings: A Study,"
originally published in 1993, is considered the definitive ground-breaking research on the subject.
: It provides a comprehensive, illustrated listing of different Jusqu'à handstamps and related air-cancel marks from around the world. The Supplement
: In 1995, McQueen published a supplement that was actually longer than the original study (163 pages vs. 109 pages), reflecting a massive influx of new information from collectors who had discovered new markings after his first volume. Other Works : McQueen also wrote Airmail Directional Handstamps (A Study) , which covers wider "directional" markings.
These studies are essential for any postal historian trying to "deconstruct" a cover to understand why a letter took the path it did. You can find used copies of his works on specialty sites like Are you looking to identify a specific marking on a piece of mail you currently have?
Title: Navigating the Skies: An Overview of "Jusqu'à Airmail Markings - A Study" by Ian McQueen
In the specialized world of aerophilately, few topics are as visually distinct and historically significant as the evolution of airmail markings. Among the essential literature on this subject is "Jusqu'à Airmail Markings: A Study" by Ian McQueen. This work serves as a critical reference for collectors and historians seeking to understand the transitional period of aviation history and postal logistics.
Before analyzing the text, a note on the author. Ian McQueen was a British philatelist active during the mid-20th century. While he wrote on several aspects of postal history, he is most revered for his obsessive attention to the Franco-British airmail routes. Unlike generalist catalogers, McQueen focused on ephemeral data—the ink stamps, handwritten notes, and accounting marks that clerks used for mere seconds before a mailbag was sealed. Ink, impression, and typography: Study the ink type,
His methodology was forensic. He didn't just look at the stamp affixed; he looked at the relationship between the stamp, the rate, the route, and the "Jusqu’a" endorsement. This holistic approach is what makes Jusqu’a Airmail Markings: A Study unique.
For the aerophilately collector, provenance is everything. A cover bearing a "Jusqu’a Bangkok" marking might be worth $50 as a curiosity, or $2,000 if McQueen’s study deems it a "recorded usage."
Here is why serious collectors pay a premium for material cited by McQueen:
1. Authenticity Verification 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.
2. The Problem of "Via" vs. "Jusqu’a" McQueen clarified a distinction that catalogs often blur. A marking saying "Via Cairo" means "send this through Cairo." "Jusqu’a Cairo" means "airmail stops IN Cairo." His study provides the only definitive guide to distinguishing these operational instructions.
3. The "Missing Link" Covers The holy grail for McQueen followers is the "mixed transit" cover. For instance, a letter from London to Shanghai with "Jusqu’a Hong Kong" and then a ship stamp from Hong Kong to Shanghai. McQueen documented the precise dates when these mixed services were valid. If you find a cover that matches his "Table of Mixed Transit Validity," you have a exhibition-quality item.
To understand the significance of McQueen’s work, one must first understand the historical context. In the late 1920s and 1930s, airmail was not a door-to-door service. It was a hybrid transport system, especially across the French colonial empire and into South America.
The term “Jusqu’à” translates from French as “as far as” or “up to.” In postal practice, a Jusqu’à marking indicated that the postal authorities should carry the letter by air only to a specific airport or city. Beyond that point, the letter was to revert to surface mail (sea or rail).
Ian McQueen (1919-1999) was not a mere collector; he was a meticulous postal historian. A Fellow of the Royal Philatelic Society London, McQueen specialized in the complex routes of the French Aéropostale and the early Pan American Airways. His approach was forensic: he did not simply list markings; he reconstructed the flight schedules, surcharge tables, and postal treaties that gave rise to them.
Prior to McQueen’s work, references to Jusqu’à markings were scattered. Collectors relied on vague mentions in The French Airmail Catalogues of the 1960s. McQueen’s genius was to recognize that these markings were not errors or anomalies, but a coherent postal system worthy of systematic classification.
His study, published in the late 1970s (with updates through the 1980s in journals like The Airpost Journal and France & Colonies Philatelic Society), remains the unchallenged typology for these markings.