Introduction

1882 - I
1887
1891 - II
1895 - III
1898
1899
1900
1901 - IV
1902
1903
1904
1905
1906
1907 - V
1908
1910
1911
1912 - VI
1913
1914
1915
1916
1918
1919
1920 - Local Events
1920 - VII
1921
1922
1923
1924
1925
1926 - VIII
1927
1928

SOKOL POSTCARDS
and Poster Stamps

1923

(Click on any image to view an enlarged version)

SLET SOKOLSKÉ ŽUPY ŠUMAVSKÉ V DOMAŽLICÍCH 1923

   

Above, at left, postcard of a painting by František Michl, produced for a Slet run by the Sokol District of the Bohemian Forest in Domazlice, posted from there on 22.XII.23; addressed to Prague II, and bearing its unit cachet applied in lilac; and another card for the same Slet, with another painting by Fr. Michl.

The Slet was held over three days:
15th July 1923: Young children's displays:
22nd July 1923: Main events and displays:
29th July 1923: Day of the armed Sokol riders.

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Local Sokol in Lanškroun

Below, Postcard showing the Arms of State and a Sokol rider produced for a meeting of Sokols from the 3rd district of West Bohemia in Lanškroun in 1923. Posted from Lanškroun with its bi-lingual postmark cancelling a 50h. "chainbreaker" stamp dated 11.VI.23, it is addressed to Chrudim. (Note amended date from 1921.)

 
Artist: Kikinese

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Praha - Nusle || Prague - Nusle

The title of this card is "BRAVERY," and it shows the Sokol Praha-Nusle group during its morning training. Nusle is a district within Prague. It was an independent village until 1922, when it merged with its larger neighbor, so by the time of this performance, it was part of Prague. Its Sokol group was founded in 1888.

 

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Prague, Capital of the Kingdom
(And Siberian Soldier stamps!)

 
Artist: Karel Šimůnek

The image side of this is a pretty standard Sokol Czech patriotic painting of a heroic woman symbolizing Prague sitting on a huge marble throne inscribed in Latin PRAGA CAPUT REGNI or "Prague, Capital of the Kingdom." Standing in front of her holding the Sokol flag, a Sokol soldier. I'm not sure about the significance of the brazier. The symbol beneath the brazier, with three towers, is part of the coat-of-arms of Prague. No date anywhere, or reference to a specific event, so we cannot say this card belongs here, per se.

But the address side is more interesting.

Sent from Smichov to Jihlava(?), the card has a violet handstamp with the dates September 29 & 30, 1923, and announcing the Jubilee celebration of 50 years of the Czechoslovak Post Officers Association. During the celebration, there was an exhibition of Legionary and Siberian post. And that last part explains the blue and red stamps. The postage is paid by the valid green Czech 50 haler stamp at top left. The other two stamps are just decoration. They are Czech Legion stamps - probably counterfeit, but in any case having no postal validity. That Wikipedia article mentions and pictures two of the sixteen or so different stamps issued to pay for transport of mail on the Siberian Railway areas under control of the Legion in 1919 and 1920. The ones on this card were designed and printed professionally in Prague, while the earlier issues were produced in Russia, and are somewhat crude. Authentic copies of some of these command high prices!

1929
1930
1931
1932 - IX
1933
1934
1935
1936
1937
1938 - X
1939
1943 - London
1946
1947
1948 - XI
1948 - Rudé Právo labels
1951
1989
1990
1994 - XII
1996
UNDATED

Chile
USA
Slovak Catholic Sokol

DTJ
Orel
YUNAK

Links
References
Acknowledgments
UPDATES



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All text Copyright © 2005, 2018, William M. Senkus

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Created -- 10/25/2005
Revised -- 08/15/2018