Dave Bartlet first exhibited this one frame virtually in 2021 and at BNAPEX in 2022.

Keywords

Trans-Canada flight; Halifax–Vancouver; Aviation anniversaries; Commemorative covers; Richard Malott; Canadian Aerophilatelic Society; Shearwater Aviation Museum; Picture Postage; Pilot signatures; Booklet varieties.

Summary

Dave Bartlet’s exhibit examines the commemoration of the first trans-Canada flight, linking the Halifax–Vancouver journey of 7–17 October 1920 with its fiftieth anniversary in 1970 and centenary in 2020. The opening sheet outlines the original relay of aircraft, weather delays and mechanical difficulties, supported by a route map and a Regina–Calgary cover attributed by the exhibitor to the flight. The principal emphasis is the postal material produced for the later anniversaries. (Frame 1)

The 1970 section distinguishes the summer re-enactment from the October anniversary observances. Covers document the Royal Canadian Flying Clubs Association’s cross-country cavalcade, while a separate series organized by Major Richard Malott depicts aircraft associated with individual stages of the original journey. Special slogan cancellations, ordinary postmarks and signatures of original participants, including Robert Leckie and G. O. Johnson, illustrate different ways collectors commemorated the route and its aviators. (Frame 1)

The centenary material records cooperation between the Canadian Aerophilatelic Society and Shearwater Aviation Museum during pandemic restrictions. Displayed items include an information brochure, a ceremony invitation, postcards, illustrated envelopes and photographs of the commemoration. Selected items received cancellations at Shearwater, Selkirk, Winnipeg, Calgary and Richmond, with signatures from WestJet pilots on flown examples. Museum and society productions are presented separately, allowing their designs, markings and associated documentation to be compared without confusing them with original 1920 mail. (Frame 1)

The final sheets examine personalized Picture Postage stamps and their booklets, featuring aircraft used in the historic crossing, including seaplanes and DH9A landplanes. Comparisons identify changes between printings in image size and positioning, booklet illustrations, spacing and text alignment. Museum issues designed by Hugh Rathbun and society issues designed by Bartlet extend the exhibit beyond commemorative covers into the production details of modern philatelic souvenirs. Together, the material documents both the remembrance of a pioneering flight and the practical organization of its anniversary mail. (Frame 1)