All World – Sperati stamp collection, entitled “Collection no 1”, a stamp approval album (entitled “Timbres Postes”; measuring 15x20cm) exhibiting 235 Sperati reproductions of famous classic stamps; the range of stamps in this album is similar to those contained in Sperati`s famous Livre d`Or album. This album was gifted by Jean de Sperati to his daughter Yvonne on her 28th birthday, inscribed by Sperati on the inside of the cover and dated 4 September 1952. This is the album that allows us to ascertain the occurrence of Sperati`s secret marking (“marque invisible”) that he mentioned in a correspondence of November 1946, a dark marking visible from the back under UV light, that enabled him to differentiate his stamps from authentic specimens. Sperati`s daughter Yvonne (born 1924) was raised mostly by her aunt; she noted that her mother was not much interested in children and her father was always preoccupied with work, working often 14-16 hours per day. For her 28th birthday Sperati prepared for her this splendid album that encapsulated the highest achievement of his stamp reproduction art (what he termed “Philatelie d`Art”). Each of the album`s 20 pages contains 9-12 stamps, with most of the highlights of classic world philately being represented, including Buenos Aires tête-bêche, the famous Austrian newspaper stamps, Bavaria 1kr in tête-bêche pair and singles, Saxony no 1 (x3), France with tête-bêche pairs, Italian States, Spain 2r error of colour (a stamp known in three copies) , Sweden 3 skilling yellow (a stamp known in one copy only), Switzerland cantonals, incl. Zurich 1843 4r and 6r, GB 2 shilling brown (x3, in the three separate types), the sun stamps of Uruguay, and much, much more; many of the stamps have Sperati`s signature in pencil on back. The catalogue value has been noted in pencil below each stamp. The album contains absolutely no duplication. This album contains similar material as Sperati`s Livre d`Or, which in its final form contained 239 stamps, all expertized by the leading philatelic experts of the time from Germany (166 stamps), Italy (38 stamps), Spain (5 stamps), France (26 stamps), and England (4 stamps). In the album we also find the full range of Sperati`s logos, such as “Jean de Sperati, Aix-les-Bains, Savoie”, also on every page is stamped the large yellow circular “Les Jean de Sperati Philatelie d`Art”, and the first page has “Collection no 1” in pencil and “Reproduction Interdite”, also “Copyright by Jean de Sperati”. This collection is one of the most important resources we have for studying the evolution of Sperati`s reproductions and the technical aspects of his production of both photo-lithography and (in fewer cases) typography. It represents many of his finest reproductions from the time before the British Philatelic Association bought his stock (1953) and published The Work of Jean de Sperati (1955). The album truly represents the crème de la crème of Sperati`s philatelic forgery; it is an object of the highest cultural and historical importance, providing insight into human activities of reproduction and forgery. As an inscribed album it also combines Sperati`s paternal affection for his daughter Yvonne with his extraordinary pride in the achievement of “Philatelie d`Art”. (Image)

Jean de Sperati production of seven different stamps, mounted in approval booklet with Sperati’s logos and private cachets, “Jean de Sperati, Aix les Bains” and “Philatelie d’Art”, including two copies of Geneva 1846 5c large eagle unused, 1845 “Vaud” issue 5c with forged cancellation, Wurttemberg 1852 18kr used, Oldenburg 1861 ½g, type A of the two types produced, France 1852 20c presumably a genuine used example; an exceedingly rare example of a Sperati “Philatelie d’Art” album, with a colourful assembly of the high-quality reproductions, unique and very attractive. (Image)

Jean de Sperati 1948 – a sketch of Jean de Sperati in profile, with what resembles Sperati`s own handwriting “Souvenir croquis de Mlle Oswald 21.8 1948”; a sketch in blue pen that shows the stamp reproduction artist par excellence at the time when he was producing some of his finest reproductions. (Image)

Argentina, Buenos Aires – 1858-59 “Barquitos” steamship issues, group of fifteen items, comprising: Tres pesos: four glass clichés, two in negative and some with production notes about chemicals used and exposure times, also an exposure on celluloid with notes about the violet filter used. Cuatro pesos: one very attractive glass cliché in brown and an exposure on celluloid in vermilionm (mirror image) with notes that specify details about temperature and duration of exposure. Cinco pesos: a single negative glass cliché, coloured around the area of design to focus the light. Un peso: six glass clichés in varying colours, incl. deep red-brown, an exposure in white (very unusual) on celluloid, and an attractive essay on cardboard dated Nov. 1931. An important and unique range of the steamship issue, a great classic of worldwide philately, with very little similar material found in the Musée de la Poste of Paris, and the B.P.A. (Image)

Argentina, Buenos Aires – 1858 “Barquitos” 4p one glass cliché in black with Sperati`s production notes at base detailing aspects of photographic exposure and chemicals required, and 5p a similar cliché with Sperati`s manuscript annotations; an attractive matching pair that takes us inside the Sperati workshop. (Image)

Argentina, Buenos Aires – 1858-59 Liberty Head and steamship issues, group of six items, incl. one master negative of the 4r Liberty Head from which the clichés were derived, painted black around the area of design, two glass support clichés in black 1 peso steamship, 5p on celluloid negative with surround painted brown (noted “mal” by Sperati), also a proof on paper 4p vermilion ands one transparent photographic paper with 3p with mirror image. A stunning Sperati range of these famous classic issues. (Image)

Argentina, Buenos Aires – 1859 Liberty Head 4r one glass cliché in black (type A of the two types produced), mirror image, with some production notes inscribed at base and 2p one cliché on celluloid in gray-brown; an attractive and scarce matching pair of this famous issue. (Image)

Australian States, Tasmania – 1892 £1, a spectacular group of sixteen production elements for the bicoloured stamp, including a rare engraved copper plate of the value tablet, an impression of the value tablet on darkened onionskin paper as well as on two glass support clichés, also four glass clichés featuring the design without value tablet in brown and in the vermilion so often preferred by Sperati, and four clichés on celluloid, one coloured vermilion, also four papers with trial impressions that show experimentation with shades of green; an unrepeatable set with the original copper engraving of the value tablet that shows Sperati also producing his reproduction through typography and not only his usual technique of photolithography. (Image)

Australian States, Tasmania – 1892 £1, six components for the manufacture of the bicoloured stamp, two very attractive glass clichés, black and vermilion, with image reversal, and one cliché on gray celluloid with production notes in Sperati`s hand, also three trial prints on paper on which Sperati experimented towards the correct colour of the yellow value tablet, including his characteristic fingerprint colour trial; a unique and visually spectacular group that displays the challenges that Sperati face with producing the bicoloured stamp. (Image)

Australia – 1913 “Kangaroo” £2, fourteen production elements for this iconic Australian high value, the element of the central kangaroo include four glass clichés, one dated March 1951 and with two corner angles delimiting the placement of the rest of the design, also a plate with two kangaroos in black numbered “23/24”, one very attractive celluloid cliché dated “8/51”; the frame element includes five glass clichés, one in rose with reversed image, dated “2/51”, also four celluloid clichés incl. impressions in pale-rose and deep brown; a unique and visually stunning range of clichés and photographic papers, with no similar material found in the “Ultimate” collection or in the Musée de la Poste of Paris. This lot comes with Sperati's cardboard box of photographic paper from the Lumiere Brothers. (Image)

Australia – 1913 “Kangaroo” £2, fourteen production elements for the Australian high value, the element of the central kangaroo include two attractive glass clichés, one with dating “5/51”, also two celluloids and a thin paper slip with the kangaroo with two corner angles delimiting the placement of the rest of the design; the frame element includes four glass clichés, two in negative and with production notes at base, and two with image reversal, also one very faint impression on celluloid (near albino print) and an impressive exposure painted deep magenta (dated “9/51”) ; a unique and very attractive range of clichés and photographic papers, with no similar material found in the “Ultimate” collection or in the Musée de la Poste of Paris. This lot comes with Sperati's own cardboard box for photographic paper of J. Jougla. (Image)

Australia – 1913 “Kangaroo”, a comprehensive group of items used for the creation of postmarks on the finished stamp reproductions, Including one genuine 9d stamp with genuine cancellation that Sperati touched up in order to reproduce his photographic cliché (the cliché dated April 1951), also two attractive glass clichés in dark brown with cds of Melbourne and NSW, three celluloiud strips with cds that were transposed unto stamp reproductions, four paper fragments with impressions of the £2 kangaroo (two in rose), finally a very exciting card with papers on which Sperati experimented with the cds and also three genuine stamps (incl. 5s) on which Sperati placed his Sydney and Melbourne cds; a wonderful and unique range of trial pm reproductions that takes us inside Sperati’s workshop. (Image)

Austria – 1851-56 Newspaper Stamps “Mercure” twenty-nine production items, incl. seven glass support clichés in varying colours like black, vermilion, rose, some with Sperati’s production comments pertaining to chemicals used, temperature and exposure time, also six celluloid strips with photographic exposures, similarly with production notes and one with faint tête-bêche impression; also fifteen trials on paper, of which one in yellow and one with a postmark reproduction in red Wien 10/11, finally a black impression on onionskin paper derived from the copper plate engraving (showing poor impression); a unique and very comprehensive group that allows us to study the development of Sperati’s reproductions of this world-famous issue. This lot comes with Sperati's own cardboard box of Guilleminot photographic paper. (Image)

Austria – 1858 Imperial Newspaper Tax Stamp 1 kr and 4kr, comprising a painted master on photographic paper of the 4kr value – the foundation for the creation of the cliché – and a similar master on celluloid for the 1kr, together with eight glass support clichés of the 1kr in a spectrum of colours, such as black, vermilion, blue, and an exceptional brown on ceramic, also two exposure on photographic paper, one dated May 1941. A unique and exceptional assembly in vivid colours; the masters in this lot would have produced the finished copies that Sperati included in his Livre d’Or with certificates from experts in Italy and Germany. This lot comes with Sperati’s cardboard box for photographic paper produced by the Lumière Brothers. (Image)

Belgian Congo – 1887-94 Second issue 10fr, one glass support cliché with blank denomination, and one trial cds of Matadi with reversed image, mounted on thin plastic; a very fine and unique pair, with no more clichés in the “Ultimate” collection or the Musée de la Poste of Paris. (Image)

Belgium – 1869-78 5fr glass plate with image reversal, defective in places, with very interesting production annotations, incl. “pâle” (pale) and dating “12/46”. A unique element of the Sperati production of this high value. (Image)

Bolivia – 1867-68 10c Condor, three items, one glass support cliché with a pair in black, and similar pair on celluloid paper with manuscript notes about the Verichrome celluloid film from Kodak and the exposure, also a celluloid of the 500c Nine Stars 1868 with notes abour Verichrome and Agfa celluloid film. A unique group of production elements, with nothing similar in the “Ultimate”collection or the Musée de la Poste of Paris. (Image)

Brazil – 1843, Bull’s Eyes 60r, twelve production items and five cancellation trials on paper; the production items include one glass support cliché with mirror image, three exposure trials on celluloid paper, one painted red-brown around the design, and one with dating Oct 1942 and comprehensive production notations that probably indicate a satisfactory result to make the final reproductions, also a set of impressions on paper, one dated Aug 1941 and one with fine red strike of CORREIO GERALDACORTE 14/9 1844. The cancellations comprise red UICTORIA on paper, black CORREIO GERALDACORTE, and working proofs of red PELOTAS and MACEIO with abundant annotations dated Dec 1943; a very fine range of stamp impressions and accompanying pms that merits further study, of the highest rarity with very few items in the “Ultimate” collection and no clichés and matrices with B.P.A. or the Musée de la Poste of Paris. This lot comes with Sperati’s black cardboard box labelled “Bresil”. (Image)

Brazil – 1843 “Bull`s Eyes” a remarkable group of two glass clichés (one dated March 1843; 100 years after the issuing of the stamp), and two clichés on celluloid, of which one in attractive vermilion with colouring around the design, all with image reversal, also two fine cancellation trials on thin papers, circular Correio Geraldacorte and line pm Uictoria; a very fine group that displays Sperati`s integration of cancellation with stamp reproduction. (Image)

British East Africa – 1890-94 4a, four glass support clichés with reversed image impression and in a range of shades, warm brown (dated Feb 1921), vermilion, gray-black and pinkish-red (defective), also three (presumably) genuine unused stamps in values 8a and 1r that Sperati would have used as the basis for developing his reproductions; an exceptionally scarce range of colourful clichés, with only very few glass clichés recorded and no examples found in the B.P.A. collection. (Image)

British East Africa – 1890-94 4a, reversed image impression on celluloid paper in red-brown with production annotations, together with a glass support cliché of the same value; a very scarce and remarkable pair, with no examples recorded in the B.P.A. collection. (Image)

British Honduras – 1882-87 Queen Victoria 6d, six glass clichés, remarkably clear and decorative with a few archiving and production notes by Sperati, also three clichés on uncoloured glass with fainter or damaged or overexposed impressions; a unique and remarkable range through which we follow Sperati experimenting towards satisfactory exposure for his finished reproduction of this value, his only completed reproduction from British Honduras. (Image)

British Honduras – 1882-87 Queen Victoria four glass support clichés, comprising 1 shilling, two very fine clichés in black and the vermilion that Sperati often preferred for optimum exposure, with mirror image, also two glass clichés for the 6d value in rather faint impression, one in vermilion with production notes and dating Aug 1944; an attractive set of designs that includes the 1s not known to exist as finished stamp reproductions. (Image)

British Levant – 1909 issues with overprint, one copper plate developed for the “2 piastre 20 paras” overprint, an important new discovery of one of the few copper plates from the archive, which proves that the master forger, besides his standard process of photolithography, also experimented with engraved copper plates to make the reproductions more convincing. (Image)

Canada – 1859 Jacques Cartier 17c, group of eight glass clichés, most with reversed image, in a splendid range of colours, such as black, vermilion, gray, and a radiant light blue, also one attractive negative cliché, some with Sperati’s typical manufacture notations, also one negative on glass of circular mute 12-bar cds and circular numeral 9. A unique assembly of a hitherto unrecorded Sperati production, which now has the status of being Sperati’s final stamp reproduction. (Image)