Among the most popular of bygone times captured by event covers is the 1933 Century of Progress. From May 27 to November 1, 1933, the civilized world was focused upon 424 acres of land along the shore of Lake Michigan, edging Chicago. It was the one place on earth where you could see ‘tomorrow’…today. And people brought home a little piece of the future when they purchased colorful event covers and other printed souvenirs.

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The Civil War patriotic covers and other printed stationery items created by the Charles Magnus Company are distinguished by their eye-catching hand-coloring. To create the covers, a pre-cut stencil pattern was laid over a black and white design and color was applied. The workers, primarily women and children paid a salary of 8-cents per day for their labors, were given free reign in their color selections. As a result, Civil War patriotic covers with designs created by the Charles Magnus Company may be truly unique.

The collecting of Civil War Patriotics actually began during the war, and one design actually promotes the collecting of the covers! It is said that some publishers continued printing and selling covers after the war ended, but rumors of modern production of these designs are, mostly unfounded. Patriotic covers from the War Between the States were published by a variety of manufacturers mostly in the North.

Artists and designers worked with political activists to stir support and sentiment. To do so, they used patriotic symbols including the American Eagle, the American flag, stars, and the Liberty Bell. Depictions of soldiers were common as were symbols of ‘Lady Liberty.’

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Patriotic covers….politically themed designs and propaganda placed on mailing envelopes…is as American as apple pie and almost as old. Even before the first shot was fired in the War Between the States, volleys of political rhetoric were flying thanks to patriotic covers. Freedom of speech was being exercised on the envelopes traveling through the U.S. Mail.
 
Envelopes purchased by the public at large for their regular correspondence began to carry the ideological sentiments of their makers. Some were expressions of National patriotism while others presented negative opinions on any of the major issues at the heart of the War. Some the most popular and interesting Civil War patriotic covers are unflattering caricatures of ‘the enemy’ from both sides of the Mason-Dixon Line.

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The Rose of Washington is a multi-colored Civil War patriotic designed by Charles Magnus. It is his arguably his best-known work. The colorful and elaborate rose is printed in blue on one side and bronze on the other. The Rose of Washington cover features a foldout rose enclosure with numerous scenes and monuments of Washington, D.C.

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95% or more of the patriotic covers that exist today were printed between 1861-65. It is believed that no fewer than 7,500 and perhaps as many as 10,000 designs exist. A wide variety of subjects were used to inspire patriotic sentiment and gain support for and against secession. Civil War patriotic covers include famous faces (military and political), scenes from the battlefield, designs related to the Army and its regiments, state-themed designed, and perhaps as many as 1,000 distinctive caricatures.

As much as bullets and boots, letters to the ‘boys in the uniform’…and today, the girls in uniform…have been a part of every armed conflict since the War Between the States. So have United States patriotic postal covers. Patriotic covers were first used during the Civil War era and immediately became prized collectibles. World War I patriotic covers also became highly collectible and valuable. It should come as no surprise that the combined popularity of Civil War and World War I covers was the catalyst for the ready availability of patriotic covers during World War II.
In many ways, the covers serve as a measure of the level of patriotism in the United States during World War II. Uncle Sam called on everyday citizens to marshal their forces as energetically as the GIs who raised the flag on Iwo Jima. Americans responded with gusto. They agreed to rationing. They collected rubber for the war effort. They shaped their fingers into V’s when newsreel cameras whirred at wartime production plants.

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