Lot 1043
Great Britain, James Chalmers, signature on 1822 hand delivered receipt for published works to the Westport Library, accompanied by a printed 1837 "James Chalmers, Bookseller, Stationer, and Printer" receipt, Very Fine.Estimate $150 - 200.
James Chalmers was a Scotsman who it was claimed, by his son, was the inventor of the adhesive postage stamp. He established himself as a bookseller, printer and newspaper publisher and is known to have been the publisher of "The Caledonian" as early as 1822. His most burning enthusiasm, however, was postal reform, and from 1825 he campaigned the authorities to speed up the mail between Edinburgh and London by convincing them that this could be done without extra cost. He also a a submitter of several essays to the Treasury Competition in 1839.
Realized: $210