Many major postal hubs created specific rubber or metal handstamps. These often featured a box or a frame containing the words "Jusqu'à..." with a blank line where the clerk could write the destination city. Others included the city name directly within the stamp matrix if a specific route was heavily used (e.g., "JUSQU'A LONDON").
: It lists known markings by country, providing reference numbers for each and describing the "jusqu'à" cancels used worldwide.
What elevates Jusqu'à Airmail Markings: A Study beyond a mere checklist is McQueen’s analysis of why specific markings appeared on specific dates. He mapped the historical flight paths of pioneering airlines like Imperial Airways, Air Orient, and KLM. By cross-referencing the postmark dates on "Jusqu'à" covers with historical airline timetables, McQueen proved exactly which crashes, route suspensions, or political blockades forced postal clerks to apply these handstamps. Key Highlights from the Study
“The Jusqu’à marking is not merely a postal curiosity but a key to understanding the transitional phase from surface to all-air transport. Each marking tells a story of negotiated rates, national rivalries, and the gradual shrinking of the world.” Jusqu-a Airmail Markings- A Study Ian McQueen
The mail reached its final airport and was being transferred to the local delivery system. Ian McQueen’s Meticulous Research
[International Airmail Letter] │ ▼ [Is full air routing possible/paid?] ├── Yes ──► [Flies to Destination] └── No ──► [Jusqu'à Marking Applied] │ ┌────────────────┼────────────────┐ ▼ ▼ ▼ [Mute / Bar Marks] [Boxed / Text Marks] [Manuscript Notes] (Deletes Air Label) (Names Transfer Point) (Handwritten Rules) 1. Mute or Bar Marks
His work helped collectors distinguish between genuine postal markings and later additions. Why "Jusqu’à" Markings Were Used Many major postal hubs created specific rubber or
Each era has its own chapter in McQueen’s book. By following his chronology, a collector can tell a complete story of how airmail evolved from an experimental luxury to a scheduled, segmented service.
McQueen dedicated significant space to Anglo-American trans-Atlantic and trans-Pacific mail. When wartime conditions or winter weather suspended Pan American Airways' Clipper flights, exchange offices applied striking textual marks indicating the mail would travel by rail across the US or by convoy across the Atlantic.
Published in 1993 by W. A. Page of Dartford, England, the book is an A4‑sized, soft‑cover volume of 109 pages. Its ISBN is 9780951464328. The book is comb‑bound and illustrated throughout with reproductions of the handstamps, though some contemporary reviewers noted that while “the reproductions of the markings are not very good, they are adequate for the purpose”. : It lists known markings by country, providing
| Type | Format | Example | Period | |------|--------|---------|--------| | I | Handstamp, single line | Jusqu’à Marseille | 1928–1932 | | II | Handstamp, two lines | Jusqu’à / Brindisi | 1930–1935 | | III | Violet boxed | JUSQU’À ATHÈNES (all caps) | 1933–1939 | | IV | Label (gummed) | Jusqu’à Beyrouth | 1935–1940 | | V | Cachet with route code | Jusqu’à HK (Hong Kong) | 1937–1941 |
Before Ian McQueen’s research, the study of Jusqu'a markings was largely overlooked, relegated to the margins of aerophilately. McQueen changed the landscape by compiling a comprehensive, organized, and beautifully detailed taxonomy of these marks. The Original 1993 Study
South American or European mail often utilized high-speed transatlantic air routes but reverted to standard rail delivery once reaching the United States mainland.