Jerusalem. The French Post Office in Holyland 1843 – 1914
By Raphael Livnat, de l’Academie de Philatelie.
This is an exceptional study mainly based on consular and diplomatic archives, which has expanded the current knowledge. It tells the history of the French post in the Holy Land since the inauguration in July 1843 of a French consulate in Jerusalem, which established a consular courier service. Thus was followed in 1846 by a private post of 'Santelli and Micciarelli' between Jerusalem to Beirut. Six years later in 1852 in Jaffa a shipping agency and a French post was established with Santelli appointed distributor. The main activity of the Jaffa post was related to 'The French post of Jerusalem', which was be closed in 1880 and re-opened in 1900 as the main Post Office.  In 1906, the French post office in Haifa French was opened. These offices all closed on 1 October 1914.
The history is supplemented by the French postal rates and several others that are unpublished. For example the Santelli and Micciarelli local tariff between Jaffa and Jerusalem which was curiously double the rate in the opposite direction from Jerusalem to Jaffa.  The local rates are also presented. The precursors of the ‘Jerusalem Cross' are listed with the dates of their uses and colors. The names of postal managers, their date of entry into service, and details about them and their activities are provided. Many other unknown details are made on the other French post offices in the Ottoman Empire, in Aleppo, Gallipoli, Metelin, Varna, Volvo and Tripoli City (the only and unique foreign post office established in Turkey on the initiative of the Ottoman local authority at the time when the ‘Sublime Porte’ calls foreign powers to close of their post office in Turkey).
The study also contains many unknown historical information about other foreign offices that operated in the Holy Land: Austria, Germany, Russia, Italy, and on the Turkish post itself. Recorded information is provided on Lloyd’s shipping lines (which installed its agencies in 1853 in the Holy Land), and about the British shipping company (which served Jaffa from 1848 to 1851). The articles of the treaties of capitulations, which relate to the establishment of foreign posts in the Ottoman Empire, are published. The postal conflict opposing Turkey and Foreign Powers is commented on with numerous archive documents, which finally prove that the Treaties, which would have legitimized the establishment of foreign post offices in Turkey, are only a legend.
More than 165 letters are reproduced, rare postage since the issue ‘Empire imperforated’ to the ‘Sage’ with rare destinations that are not found in any other French offices in Turkey. Obliteration known two - and three copies, a combination of two cancellations can one day only, registered letters, charge, postage, local, etc.
This is a book that any serious philatelist must read.
The book is A4 size, 400 pages with 120 in colors, paper 115 g satin. The price for one book including registered airmail and tracking number is: European community and Switzerland: 72 Euros. USA, Israel and other countries: 86 Euros. For regular airmail “BOOK†(without registration) to all destinations the cost is 65 Euros.   Please allow up to 14 days for delivery. Â
Please send all orders and make payment by PAYPAL to livnar@hotmail.fr
Please mention that you saw this in the NEGEV HOLYLAND AUCTION.
