Edward Loines Pemberton
Encyclopedia
Edward Loines Pemberton was a pioneering philatelist and stamp dealer
who was a leading advocate of the scientific (or French) school of philately
and a founding member of The Philatelic Society, London, now The Royal Philatelic Society London. Pemberton was entered on the Roll of Distinguished Philatelists
in 1921 as one of the fathers of philately. He was born in New York City but educated in Britain by relatives when his parents died shortly after his birth. His son, Percival Loines Pemberton
(1875-1949) was also an eminent philatelist.
, watermark
, printing and perforation
. This was known as the scientific or French school. By contrast the English school advocated that only the actual printed design mattered and that every other aspect of a stamp should be ignored. Some English collectors even advocated cutting the perforations from stamps before mounting so that there was no difference between a perforated and imperforate stamp in the album. At the time, the matter of how exactly to collect stamps had not been settled and the triumph of scientific philately over the simpler English methods lead directly to the sophisticated philatelic methods used today. Pemberton's 1867 Catalogue of the Very Fine and Very Complete Collection of Postage Stamps Selected with Great Care by E.L. Pemberton, Esq. Of Birmingham exemplified this approach.
after Pemberton's death.
In 1872, when John Walter Scott
held the first stamp auction in Europe, Pemberton provided one of the first expert reports
on the genuineness of two 20 cent St. Louis Postmaster Provisional stamps which were considered by many to be forgeries.
, was founded in 1879 in Pemberton's memory.
recorded that William Dudley Atlee was Pemberton's clerk. In 1871 Pemberton formed the stamp company James R. Grant and Co. After his death his business was taken over by A.H. Wilson, and continued under the name of Pemberton, Wilson & Co.
Stamp dealer
A stamp dealer is a company or an individual who deals in postage stamps and philatelic products. It also includes individuals who sell postage stamps for day to day use or official stamps for use on court documents.-Stamps on Approval Basis:...
who was a leading advocate of the scientific (or French) school of philately
Philately
Philately is the study of stamps and postal history and other related items. Philately involves more than just stamp collecting, which does not necessarily involve the study of stamps. It is possible to be a philatelist without owning any stamps...
and a founding member of The Philatelic Society, London, now The Royal Philatelic Society London. Pemberton was entered on the Roll of Distinguished Philatelists
Roll of Distinguished Philatelists
The Roll of Distinguished Philatelists is a philatelic award of international scale, created by the Philatelic Congress of Great Britain in 1921...
in 1921 as one of the fathers of philately. He was born in New York City but educated in Britain by relatives when his parents died shortly after his birth. His son, Percival Loines Pemberton
Percival Loines Pemberton
Percival Loines Pemberton , Pem to his friends, was a British philatelist and stamp dealer who signed the Roll of Distinguished Philatelists in 1921...
(1875-1949) was also an eminent philatelist.
Scientific philately
In the 1860s Pemberton advocated the study of all aspects of stamp production including paperPostage stamp paper
Postage stamp paper is the foundation or substrate of the postage stamp to which the ink for the stamp's design is applied to one side and the adhesive is applied to the other...
, watermark
Watermark
A watermark is a recognizable image or pattern in paper that appears as various shades of lightness/darkness when viewed by transmitted light , caused by thickness or density variations in the paper...
, printing and perforation
Postage stamp separation
For postage stamps, separation is the means by which individual stamps are made easily detachable from each other.Methods of separation include:# perforation: cutting rows and columns of small holes...
. This was known as the scientific or French school. By contrast the English school advocated that only the actual printed design mattered and that every other aspect of a stamp should be ignored. Some English collectors even advocated cutting the perforations from stamps before mounting so that there was no difference between a perforated and imperforate stamp in the album. At the time, the matter of how exactly to collect stamps had not been settled and the triumph of scientific philately over the simpler English methods lead directly to the sophisticated philatelic methods used today. Pemberton's 1867 Catalogue of the Very Fine and Very Complete Collection of Postage Stamps Selected with Great Care by E.L. Pemberton, Esq. Of Birmingham exemplified this approach.
Forgeries
As an advocate of scientific collecting, it was natural that Pemberton would take a keen interest in forgeries and be well equipped to distinguish the fake from the real. In 1863 he wrote, with Thornton Lewes, Forged Stamps: How to Detect Them and with W. Dudley Atlee he started The Spud Papers, a series of regular articles about forgeries that was continued by the Reverend R.B. EaréeRobert Brisco Earée
The Reverend Robert Brisco Earée was an English philatelist, known for his studies of philatelic fakes and forgeries. He was the son of the Reverend William Earee M.A.- Life :...
after Pemberton's death.
In 1872, when John Walter Scott
John Walter Scott
John Walter Scott , of New York City, was originally from England, but he emigrated to the United States to take part in the California Gold Rush. Unsuccessful at the prospecting trade, Scott began to sell postage stamps for collectors and in a short period of time became the nation’s leading stamp...
held the first stamp auction in Europe, Pemberton provided one of the first expert reports
Philatelic expertisation
Philatelic expertisation is the process whereby an expert is asked to give an opinion whether a philatelic item is genuine and whether it has been repaired or altered in any way....
on the genuineness of two 20 cent St. Louis Postmaster Provisional stamps which were considered by many to be forgeries.
Philatelic journalism
Pemberton was and active contributor to many philatelic journals, including The Stamp Collector's Magazine and The Philatelist. He was Editor of the Monthly Advertiser. In 1872 he started The Philatelical Journal, dedicated to advanced philately, which was the house organ of his stamp dealing firm James R. Grant and Co. The Philatelic Record, edited by Maitland BurnettMaitland Burnett
Maitland James Burnett was a British philatelist who was one of the "Founding fathers of Philately" entered on the Roll of Distinguished Philatelists in 1921...
, was founded in 1879 in Pemberton's memory.
Stamp dealing
Pemberton's first advertisement as a stamp dealer appeared in the Boys Own Magazine in October 1862. In 1869, Adelaide FentonAdelaide Lucy Fenton
Adelaide Lucy Fenton was an early female philatelist and philatelic journalist who was among the first to adopt a scientific approach to philately...
recorded that William Dudley Atlee was Pemberton's clerk. In 1871 Pemberton formed the stamp company James R. Grant and Co. After his death his business was taken over by A.H. Wilson, and continued under the name of Pemberton, Wilson & Co.
Publications
- Forged stamps: how to detect them, containing accurate descriptions of all forged stamps. Edinburgh: 1863. (With Thornton Lewes)
- Catalogue of the Very Fine and Very Complete Collection of Postage Stamps Selected with Great Care by E.L. Pemberton, Esq. Of Birmingham. Hartlepool: James J. Woods, 1867.
- The Spud Papers. In various journals 1871-1881.
- The Philatelical Catalogue: Being a Complete Catalogue of Postage Stamps, and Postal Envelopes and Cards with Voluminous Notes on Reprints, Forgeries, and Every Subject of Interest (containing upwards of 1100 heliotype illustrations). Dawlish: 1874.
- The Stamp Collectors' Handbook. Southampton, 1874. (2nd edition 1878)
Further reading
- An account of Pemberton's life in The Philatelic Journal of Great Britain, October 1922.