Henry Grimsland - Philatelic Exhibition Seals of the 1930- 50s

I love Philatelic Exhibition Seals, especially engravings, and Henry Grimsland of Chicago produced many engraved seals of highest quality from 1934 through 1951. I've seen only one confirmed as his that was for an event outside of Chicago.

Below are shown all the Grimsland labels I know of. They are sequenced by club and then year of issue. Most are signed "GRIMSLAND". I am including some that are not signed because their style is similar to the others, or because they are attributed to him elsewhere, but they may not be his.

In addition, I have included information from a catalog of philatelic exhibition seals compiled by two dedicated collectors of the area, Ken Picklo and Sandy Fields. As I note, some of its entries are inaccurate, but it is the best source I know. You can view it online at HERE.

The only other source I have found on this topic is GRIMSLAND Photo Cachet Catalog, by Wayne Gasper, FDC Publishing Co, 1977, which lists many of these seals/labels in an appendix. It is less complete, but includes reproductions of all the items it does list. It lists as well some items from 1951 to 1963 (Grimsland stopped producing engravings in 1951 - see biography at bottom of page), but stipulates that these are not Grimsland products, merely similar to his work. Those are not listed here.

IF YOU CAN PROVIDE ADDITIONAL IMAGES, OR INFORMATION ABOUT ANY OF THE ITEMS WITH A QUESTION MARK, PLEASE E-MAIL THE AUTHOR, AT

See the bottom of this page for related links, and a brief biography of Grimsland, who was primarily a maker of FDC's, and created these seals apparently for the enjoyment. In any case, they say a lot about both him and the Chicago philatelic community of the time.

Special thanks to Mike Nichols, who has contributed many of the images on this page.

NOTATIONS:
Gasper: Y/N - this indicates whether the item is listed in Gasper's book
F-P: Y/N - this indicates whether the item is listed in the Fields-Picklo Catalog
F-P G: Y/N - this indicates whether the item is attributed to Grimsland in Fields-Picklo

AMERICAN AIR MAIL SOCIETY


Grimsland - AAMS - 1934

Signed GRIMSLAND

Gasper: N
F-P: N
F-P G: N

AMERICAN PHILATELIC CONGRESS


Grimsland - APC - 1937

Signed GRIMSLAND

Gasper: Y
F-P: Y
F-P G: Y

BEVERLY HILLS PHILATELIC SOCIETY


Grimsland? - BHPS - 1937

(green on white)

This looks like a Grimsland product,
and is for an event in Chicago,
but there is no signature.

Note the strong similarity between the "1937" on this one,
and on the 1937 item he did for the North Shore Philatelic Society.

Gasper: N
F-P: Y
F-P G: N

CHICAGO (ANTIQUES EXPOSITION AND) HOBBY SHOW

Grimsland - CHS - 1934

Signed GRIMSLAND

Gasper: N
F-P: Y
F-P G: Y


Grimsland? - CHS - 1935

Not signed
(inscription beneath central vignette reads "FACSIMILE")

Gasper: Y
F-P: Y
F-P G: Y


Grimsland - CHS - 1936

Printed in four colors, one per stamp, black, green, blue, brown

Signed GRIMSLAND

Gasper: Y
F-P: Y
F-P G: Y

 
Grimsland - CHS - 1937

Set of two - Brown on buff, Green on white

Signed GRIMSLAND

Gasper: Y
F-P: Y
F-P G: Y


Grimsland - CAEHS - 1938a

Brown on white

Signed GRIMSLAND

Gasper: Y
F-P: Y
F-P G: Y


Grimsland - CAEHS - 1938b

Green on white

Signed GRIMSLAND

Gasper: Y
F-P: Y
F-P G: Y


Grimsland - CAEHS - 1938c

Purple on white

Signed GRIMSLAND

Gasper: Y
F-P: Y
F-P G: Y


Grimsland - CAEHS - 1938d

Blue on white

Signed GRIMSLAND

Gasper: Y
F-P: Y
F-P G: Y

CHICAGO PHILATELIC SOCIETY

Grimsland? - CPS - 1935

Not signed

Gasper: N
F-P: Y
F-P G: Y

Dave Semsrott, a dealer-collector, sent me the scan of the envelope shown at right above, with the seal enclosed. This seems to confirm the attribution.


Grimsland - CPS - 1936

Signed GRIMSLAND

Gasper: Y
F-P: Y
F-P G: Y

 

6/14/2012 - Collector Michael Nichols sent the image above, of the program for the CPS Golden Jubilee celebration, which may have been printed by Grimsland - it includes examples of designs he used on CPS poster stamps.

Inside, a list of members, including Grimsland, Richard Cabeen, and Herman Herst.


Grimsland? - CPS - 1936

Signed L.B.

Gasper: Y
F-P: Y
F-P G: N


Grimsland - CPS - 1937

Signed GRIMSLAND

Gasper: Y
F-P: Y
F-P G: Y


Grimsland - CPS - 1939

Signed GRIMSLAND

Gasper: N
F-P: Y
F-P G: Y


Grimsland - CPS - 1941

Signed GRIMSLAND

Gasper: N
F-P: Y
F-P G: Y


Grimsland - CPS - 1942

Signed GRIMSLAND

Gasper: Y
F-P: Y
F-P G: Y


Grimsland? - CPS - 1943

Unsigned

Gasper: N
F-P: N
F-P G: N


Grimsland - CPS - 1944

Signed GRIMSLAND

Gasper: N
F-P: Y
F-P G: Y


Grimsland? - CPS - 1945

UNSIGNED - probably NOT Grimsland

Gasper: N
F-P: Y
F-P G: N


Grimsland - CPS/APS - 1946

SIGNED

Gasper: N
F-P: Y
F-P G: N

Card, brown with black marginal inscriptions on white. 98 X 82 MM


Grimsland? - CPS - 1947

UNSIGNED

Gasper: N
F-P: Y
F-P G: N


Grimsland? - CPS - 1948

Not signed

Gasper: N
F-P: Y
F-P G: Y (with question marks)


Grimsland - CPS - 1949

Signed GRIMSLAND

Gasper: N
F-P: Y
F-P G: N


Grimsland - CPS - 1950

Set of 2 - Blue on white, Brown on white.

Signed GRIMSLAND

Gasper: N
F-P: Y
F-P G: N


Grimsland - CPS - 1951

Set of 2 - Blue on white, Brown on white.


Signed GRIMSLAND at lower right edge of oval

Gasper: N
F-P: Y
F-P G: N

 
 
Grimsland - CPS - 1952

Signed

Gasper: N
F-P: Y
F-P G: N

Many thanks to Michael Nichols, a devoted Grimsland collector, who found the 1951 and 1952 labels above at the Washington 2006 show. I was sure Grimsland had stopped issuing labels in 1951, so this extends his production by a year, and suggests that there could be still more out there. Please send information about other finds to the author of this page, at
.

6/10/2014 - Michael Nichols contributed the images below, of a 1933 Chicago World's Fair label, and of overprints on Grimsland labels.

       

10/17/15 - Mike pointed out that the label on the left is shown as a cachet in Gasper, page 5, 730-731 APS Souvenir sheet

CHICAGO PRECANCEL CLUB


Grimsland - Overprint on 1939 CPC seal

Gasper: N
F-P: Y
F-P G: N

CHICAGO WOMAN'S STAMP CLUB


Grimsland? - CWSC - 1936

Similar to Grimsland, but cruder, not signed, and probably not engraved.

Gasper: N
F-P: Y
F-P G: N

NATIONAL PHILATELIC WEEK - 1935


nat-phil-week-1935

Unsigned

Gasper: Listed in cachets section
F-P: Y
F-P G: N

Two versions: Blue on white, Black on white.

NEW YORK HOBBY COLLECTORS SHOW


Grimsland - NYHCS - 1935

Signed GRIMSLAND

Gasper: N
F-P: Y
F-P G: Y

NORTH SHORE PHILATELIC SOCIETY

Grimsland - NSPS - 1936

Signed GRIMSLAND

Gasper: Y
F-P: Y
F-P G: Y


Grimsland - NSPS - 1937

Signed GRIMSLAND

Gasper: Y
F-P: Y
F-P G: Y


Grimsland - NSPS - 1938

Signed GRIMSLAND

Gasper: Y
F-P: Y
F-P G: Y


Grimsland - NSPS - 1939

Signed GRIMSLAND

Gasper: N
F-P: Y
F-P G: Y


Grimsland - NSPS - 1940

Signed GRIMSLAND

Gasper: N
F-P: Y
F-P G: Y


Grimsland - NSPS - 1941

Signed GRIMSLAND

Gasper: N
F-P: Y
F-P G: Y


Grimsland - NSPS - 1942

Signed GRIMSLAND

Gasper: Y
F-P: Y
F-P G: Y


Grimsland - NSPS - 1943

Signed GRIMSLAND

Gasper: N
F-P: Y
F-P G: Y


Grimsland? - NSPS - 1944

Not signed

Gasper: N
F-P: Y
F-P G: N


Grimsland - NSPS - 1945

Signed GRIMSLAND

Gasper: N
F-P: Y
F-P G: N


Grimsland? - NSPS - 1946

Not signed
(inscription beneath central vignette reads "FACSIMILE")

Gasper: Y
F-P: Y
F-P G: N

See Chicago Hobby Show item for 1935


Grimsland - NSPS - 1948

Signed GRIMSLAND

Gasper: N
F-P: Y
F-P G: Y


Grimsland - NSPS - 1949

Signed GRIMSLAND

Gasper: N
F-P: Y
F-P G: N


Grimsland - NSPS - 1950

Signed GRIMSLAND

Gasper: Y
F-P: Y
F-P G: Y


Grimsland - NSPS - 1951

Signed GRIMSLAND

Gasper: N
F-P: Y
F-P G: Y

OGDEN HILL PHILATELIC EXHIBITION


OHPEX-1948

This looks like a Grimsland product,
and is for an event in Chicago,
but there is no signature. Engraved.

Gasper: N
F-P: Y
F-P G: N

SOCIETY OF PHILATELIC AMERICANS


Grimsland - SPA - 1938

George Washington on horseback
Blue and red on white

Signed GRIMSLAND

Gasper: Y
F-P: Y
F-P G: Y


Grimsland - SPA - 1944

Signed GRIMSLAND

Gasper: Y
F-P: Y
F-P G: Y

HENRY GRIMSLAND
1889-1957

Henry Grimsland was born in Risor, Norway on January 16, 1889 and died in Chicago, Illinois on January l3, 1957, just three days short of his 68th birthday. He was brought to the United States when eight months old; was educated in the public schools of Chicago; worked as an engraver in Louisville, KY; returned to Chicago to start his own business; was married in 1915 to Miss Jennie Hansen; continued in business for more than 25 years and then worked for the Law Book Bindery, Monsen Typographers, and the Andersen-Witte Engraving Company until ill health forced his retirement.

Grimsland became interested in First Day Covers during the depression when his firm, The Artcraft Engraving Co., needed additional work. As a topnotch steel and copper plate engraver, Grimsland was dissatisfied with the current cachets and felt that a steel engraving, printed on a high quality envelope, would be of interest to philatelists. He produced his first cachet for the Peace Commemorative stamp issued at Newburgh, N. Y., April 19, 1933 and made one or more cachets for each United States stamp produced until the American Chemical Society stamp issued in New York City, Sept. 4, 1951.

For seven years, from 1933 to 1940, Grimsland printed the cacheted envelopes in his own shop, shifting to the Andersen-Witte Co. when volume exceeded his capacity. Although he did not always know the design of a forth-coming stamp he tried to have his cachets complement the stamp, and the beautiful steel engravings he produced are ample evidence of his success in this specialized field. He was well known to philatelists in the Chicago area and for many years designed and produced the seals and cachets issued by the Chicago and the North Shore Philatelic Societies.

From Henry Grimsland, by Curtis Patterson, printed in First Days (Journal of the American First Day Cover Society), November-December, 1964

Grimsland stopped producing cachets and labels sometime in 1952 (?), after a series of strokes rendered him unable to continue working.

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9/22/2018 - Roger and Bonnnie Riga, my favorite poster stamp dealers (dba Rigastamps) published online the Fields-Picklo catalog of Philatelic Exhibition seals. Sadly, both died recently, so I have copied the F-P catalog from their website and reproduced it here to keep it available - CLICK HERE.

And if you did not reach this page from my "C is for Cinderella Stamp" page, look there for a little more about Philatelic Exhibition Seals.

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All text Copyright © 2002, William M. Senkus

Send feedback to the author: CLICK HERE

Created -- 01/20/2002
Revised -- 09/28/2018