Page 12 - Jamaica Postal Cards

FIRST REGULAR ISSUE: THE NEW ZEALAND CONNECTION

The earlier literature states that the two Provisional Issues of postcards represent a temporary measure necessary
because of the tardiness of the Colonial Office and/or the London printers in fulfilling the request of the Fred
Sullivan, the Jamaican Postmaster at the time, to supply printed postcards.

The following sheets, from the De La Rue Records, show that this assumption was incorrect.

Vokins (1979) describes material from the Crown Agent and De La Rue records which clearly indicate that the
first request for postcards from Sullivan was in a letter to the Secretary of State for the Colonies dated 7 April
1877, a week after introduction date of 1 April 1877.

Sullivan comments on •••.the successful introduction of rough and comparatively expensive fontlllla cards'.
He enclosed an example of the first New Zealand postcard sent by the Postmaster-General of New
Zealand (see below) and wrote this was ••••the neatest design of a Post Card that I have yet meet with'

.lJ,.,. 7. . 7 .(
F/JCMI f tM'·

ftr,11 f}J' f1; fort(Ja;·rl a s7Mc&t>i-e11 ~f t lu

• Jl'P1{' f !Ht·la,n,cl -Yl'o.~f fr'a,1·rl. •(Jli.i'oli· will

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J,,. lrol(qld /·n,ft· 11,yc /11 flt/s t. 'Qlrnu; t1n
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flu !st 1/ . I 'o,.1.m1JH'd ' 11t·.d.

-1c 11 ,.,.,, I .i'n.,·t t1i).'/''"" .fl l ,

'J/),,l//n!fln11. ;U?t /, fl'11t nhr1; Toi"~!!

Message on the reverse of the New Zealand card (reduced size photocopy)

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• £:
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·-6:' 141! e :E!:ALA ICS .
! JAMAICA ~

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THE ADDRE SS ONLY TO CE WR IT TEN ON THIS SIDE.

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The original card (ex De La Rue records) to which Sullivan
affixed current Jamaica postage stamps and forwarded to the Colonial Office in London.