Poster Stamps of the Chicago International Live Stock Exposition - 1913-1959

Among the more common poster stamps a collector will encounter are those of the Chicago International Live Stock Exposition (CILSE), especially from the years 1934 through 1941, which seem to be the most plentiful. These stamps are appealing for their attractive, consistent design, and also for the challenge of acquiring a complete run. But how many exist? According to Nicholas Follansbee, stamp dealer, expert on the stamps of Mexico, and a dedicated poster stamp collector, the earliest of the series was issued in 1913, and the last in 1959, with gaps in 1922-23 and 1942-45. (There was a forerunner in 1909, but we'll treat that as an anomaly.) That still leaves at least forty stamps, some of which are quite scarce. Below, based on Mr. Follansbee's research, is a table showing what is known about each stamp, with the images I have been able to acquire thus far. If you can contribute images or information to fill the gaps, please send to the author of this page - Undated postcard for the CILSE - no autos, so it must be early, perhaps the first, in 1900! 8/8/19 - Ed Pieklo, a frequent contributor to these pages, sent the image of an envelope cachet for 1941 (see below), which inspired me to look through my archives and discover many other items to enhance this page. So I have added postcards, pins, medals, etc. below. Enjoy!

Year Issued	Dates of Show	Comments	Colors	Scarcity	Image
1900	December 1 - 8 This was the first CILSE (see 1903 calendar, below)	NO STAMP, but a nice souvenir pin!
1901	November 30 - December 7	NO STAMP, but a poster for the show, plus a poster for a related convention held at the same time AND a souvenir medal
1903	November 28 - December 5	NO STAMP, but a calendar and souvenir medal
1904	???	NO STAMP, but a nice pin
1905	December 16 - 23	NO STAMP, but a catalog cover and poster NOTE the dates - why so late?
1907	Nov 26(?) to Dec 7
1908	no dates
1909	Nov 27 to Dec 10	FORERUNNER - Simple text label	Red on cream	rare
1910	?	No stamp - nice postcard!
1912	?	No stamp - nice postcard!
The stamps for years 1913 through 1918 have year dates.
1913	Nov 29 to Dec 6, 1913	Oval design in green, woman on horseback holding crowns, ox head to left, sheep's head to right	green	rare
1914	Nov 28 to Dec 5, 1914	Image of farmer and bull According to article quoted at bottom of page, the show was planned but not held in 1914, because of an outbreak of hoof-and-mouth disease	brown	very scarce	Stamp and poster Note that the poster already uses the design of farmer on horseback, adopted two years later for the stamp as well.
1915	Nov 27 to Dec 4, 1915	Image of sheep	yellow, red, blue and black	very scarce	(Progressive color proofs!)
1916	Dec 2-9, 1916	Rider on horseback holding flag with solid image of bull - this same basic design was used for all subsequent stamps	blue and black	scarce
1917	Dec 1-8, 1917		red, blue and black	scarce	Stamp and souvenir medal Note that the design on the medal is the same as that used on the stamp for 1914 - and I am surprised how risqué it is, for the times.
1918	Nov 30 to Dec 7, 1918		red and blue
The stamps for years 1919 through 1933 have no year dates, nor do I have a record of the dates of the show for each year, but since all of the shows from 1913 through 1918, plus 1934 are Saturday to Saturday, it seems reasonable to assume the shows for 1919 through 1933 spanned those days as well. That is the basis for assignment of stamps to years in the next section.
1919	Nov 29 to Dec 6	The dates for 1919 and 1924 are the same, and while there are two different stamps with those dates, neither has a year date, so I can only guess which of those two stamps was issued which year. Their colors are basically the same - I have seen some differences, but I think those are from printing variations and age - so the only valid distinction is the text: One says "UNION STOCK YARDS" at the bottom, and the other says "42nd and HALSTED." The stamps for 1918, 1920, and 1921 all say "42nd and HALSTED," so I am assuming for consistency the stamp for 1919 would have that text as well. Therefore the stamp with "UNION STOCK YARDS" must be from 1924. If someone can prove otherwise, please email me - see bottom of page.	red and blue
1920	Nov 27 to Dec 4		"
1921	Nov 26 to Dec 3		"
1922	Dec 2 to 9, 1922	No Stamp?	x		Nice ASDA Cinderella!
1923	Dec 1 to 8, 1923	No Stamp?	x
1924	Nov 29 to Dec 6 25th Anniversary!	The dates for 1919 and 1924 are the same, and while there are two different stamps with those dates, neither has a year date, so I can only guess which of those two stamps was issued which year. Their colors are basically the same - I have seen some differences, but I think those are from printing variations and age - so the only valid distinction is the text: One says "UNION STOCK YARDS" at the bottom, and the other says "42nd and HALSTED." The stamps for 1918, 1920, and 1921 all say "42nd and HALSTED," so I am assuming for consistency the stamp for 1919 would have that text as well. Therefore the stamp with "UNION STOCK YARDS" must be from 1924. If someone can prove otherwise, please email me - see bottom of page.	red and blue
1925	Nov 28 to Dec 5		black, blue-gray and tan
1926	Nov 27 to Dec 4		"
1927	Nov 26 to Dec 3		"
1928	Dec 1 to Dec 8		"
1929	Nov 30 to Dec 7	Bull on flag is outlined, not solid	"
1930	Nov 29 to Dec 6		"		Note the repeated use of the image of the team of Clydesdales on postcards for the CILSE - they were one of the symbols of the event, and performed regularly at the show, and throughout the year. Note the ad for the 1933 Chicago World's Fair, which was still three years away!
1931	Nov 28 to Dec 5		"		The earliest use I have seen of this pin design is the one shown here, for 1931. The latest is 1956. I have NOT made and exhaustive search, so they could have originated ealier, and continued later.
1932	Nov 26 to Dec 3		"		Ed Pieklo sent the images on the right, of a 1932 stamp with a dealer's imprint on the back, and an ad for that dealer. According to Google, in addition to his activities as a poster stamp dealer, Frank A. Kiraly (1914-2000) was an aviation enthusiast and a detective with the Cleveland Police!
1933	Dec 2 to Dec 9		"
All the following stamps have year dates.
1934	Dec 1 to Dec 9, 1934	Year included in date from here on	black, blue-gray and tan	Common
1935	Nov 30 to Dec 7, 1935		"	Common
1936	Nov 28 to Dec 5, 1936	Note image of full sheet - I like to see how stamps were printed and distributed.	"	Common
1937	Nov 27 to Dec 4, 1937		"	Common
1938	Nov 26 to Dec 3, 1938		"	Common	NOTE that the medal on a ribbon at right above is describer in the catalog at top.
1939	Dec 2 to Dec 9, 1939		"	Common
1940	Nov 30 to Dec 7, 1940		"	Common
1941	Nov 29 to Dec 6, 1941	Note image of full sheet - I like to see how stamps were printed and distributed.	"	Common
1942	No stamp	(Show was not held)
1943	No stamp	(Show was not held)
1944	No stamp	(Show was not held)
1945	No stamp	(Show was not held)
1946	Nov 30 to Dec 7, 1946		black, blue-gray and tan
1947	Nov 29 to Dec 6, 1947		"
1948	Nov 27 to Dec 4, 1948		"
1949	Nov 26 to Dec 3, 1949 50th Anniversary!		"
1950	Nov 25 to Dec 2, 1950		"
1951	Nov 24 to Dec 1, 1951		"
1952	Nov 29 to Dec 6, 1952		"
1953	Nov 28 to Dec 5, 1953		"
1954	Nov 26 to Dec 4, 1954		"
1955	Nov 25 to Dec 3, 1955		"
1956	Nov 23 to Dec 1, 1956		"
1957	Nov 29 to Dec 7, 1957		"
1958	Nov 28 to Dec 6, 1958	The outline of the bull on the flag is black now	"
1959	Nov 27 to Dec 5, 1959		"
1955 to 1958	CHICAGO INTERNATIONAL DAIRY SHOW	I found the 1958 stamp on eBay, and Ed Pieklo sent the other images. Note similarity of the stamps' design with the ones for the CILSE! Are there others? There is still a show by that name held annually in Chicago. -------------- The 1953 stamp looks serrated rather than perfed. Some variations in the background color.

My profuse thanks to Nick Follansbee for his help with images and information for this page.

History of the Chicago International Live Stock Exposition From http://www.encyclopedia.chicagohistory.org/pages/30.html In 1872, New Yorker Franklin J. (F. J.) Berry established a small but successful horse market at the corner of Michigan Avenue and Monroe Street. By 1886, Berry was selling 4,000 horses annually. In October of 1888, he moved his operation to the Union Stock Yard and by 1895 was selling 27,000 horses annually. His success was due to his innovative sales method: horses brought in by the rail carload were sold individually in a weekly public auction. This method, which allowed Illinois to dominate the national horse market from the late 1880s through the late 1920s, continued into the twenty-first century. The interest in and specialization of the Chicago livestock market continued well into the twentieth century. Agricultural fairs and specific breed expositions, including the numerous agricultural pavilions of the 1893 World's Columbian Exposition, assisted in this promotion. Beginning in 1878, a "fat stock" show was held annually, always in the fall, in order to promote and identify the best examples of purebred species. This evolved into the International Livestock Exposition in 1900 and continued on an annual basis until 1975. J. H. Sanders, founder of the Breeder's Gazette in 1881, and son Alvin worked closely with the various large breeders and individual breeders' associations to create this uniquely large, very successful market and exposition. From http://www.lib.iastate.edu/spcl/collections/agri/ag10.html The International Live Stock Exposition was held in Chicago, Illinois, from 1900 to 1975 each year after Thanksgiving. Because of quarantine regulations no shows were held in 1914-1915 (major outbreak of foot and mouth disease), nor were any held during the World War II years 1942-1945. The exposition was supported financially by the Union Stockyard and Transit Company and was held in an amphitheater at the Stockyard. Operations were managed by an association of individuals active in the livestock industry. The largest such show in the world, the exposition attracted an international audience to view prize-winning swine, cattle, sheep, draft horses, and poultry. Judging events were held during the day, and horse shows provided evening entertainment. Each year, in conjunction with the exposition, a new oil portrait of a leader in the livestock industry was hung in the Saddle and Sirloin Club. The club was located at the Stockyard Inn, adjacent to the exposition's ampitheater.

Click here to access my web page about the 1936-1951 Poster Stamp Bulletin of the National Poster Stamp Society.

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