Delandre Vignettes
The Frenchman Gaston Aime Camille Fontanille (1883 - 1923) was the inventor of the Delandre vignettes – colorful poster stamps showing French soldiers in scenes of World War I:
He produced over 4000 different poster stamps which have become very popular in cinderella philately.
“Delandre” - as he called himself - must have been a crazy guy: he started with printing Italian regimental vignettes – subsequently he began forging them and creating own ones. Nobody really knew whether they were “real ones”, re-impressions/facsimiles or own creations. He expanded printing French army labels
and labels for the French Red Cross - without paying them their share. Therefore he went to jail where he died 6 six years later.
Walter Schmidt produced two catalogs about the French and non-French military “Delandre's”: “Images of the Great War” (volume I and II):
In the magazine „Bicycle Stamps“ (second issue – spring 1987) Schmidt’s very interesting introduction to the above catalogs is reprinted. Worth reading.
Charles Kiddle supplemented the series with three further editions (volume III – V).
References/External links:
Wikipedia: Delandre
Association Philatélique Gergolienne: Les vignettes Delandres
Stephane Bone: Online catalogue of Delandre vignettes and in detail Groupes Cyclistes
Everything you need to be an expert Delandre collector...
from: The Stamp Forum – Board: What's in your Library?