Jusqu-a Airmail Markings- A Study Ian Mcqueen ((top)) < Mobile TOP >
McQueen provides detailed listings for over 150 distinct markings, noting periods of use, rarity, and known covers.
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. Jusqu-a Airmail Markings- A Study Ian McQueen
McQueen’s central thesis is compelling: the Jusqu’à marking is not merely a technical annotation but a “diplomatic gesture in ink.” It emerged from a fundamental logistical problem in the 1920s and 1930s: how to integrate new, faster air routes with existing, slower surface mail networks. When a letter traveled from, say, London to Sydney, it might go by train to Marseille, then by air to Cairo, then by ship to Bombay, then by air again to Singapore. The Jusqu’à marking indicated the specific point up to which air conveyance was paid for or authorized. Beyond that point, the mail reverted to surface transport unless further paid. McQueen masterfully demonstrates that these markings are therefore a cartography of limitations—showing exactly where the sky ended and the sea began. McQueen provides detailed listings for over 150 distinct
Jusqu'a airmail markings are a fascinating aspect of philately, the study of postage stamps and postal history. These markings, used during World War I, indicate that an item of mail was transported by air until it reached a specific point, often where it was then transferred to a land-based transportation method. Ian McQueen, a renowned philatelist, has conducted an in-depth study on jusqu'a airmail markings, shedding light on their history, usage, and significance. This report summarizes McQueen's findings and provides an overview of the topic. His work demonstrates how even a narrow postal