Bertram McGowan

Bertram McGowan (1874–1950) was a Scottish solicitor and philatelist who specialised in Chile and the Postage stamps and postal history of Great Britain,[1] especially Great Britain used abroad.

McGowan worked with Charles Nissen on the plating of the Penny Black and the Penny Red and was the co-author with Nissen of The Plating of the Penny Black Postage Stamps of Great Britain, 1840, for which they received the Crawford Medal from The Royal Philatelic Society London in 1922.[1] He was appointed to the Roll of Distinguished Philatelists the same year. McGowan and Nissen's work on the Penny Red formed the basis of the later work by J.B. Stanton which itself became the definitive work on that stamp.[2]

In 1923 he won a gold medal for his display of the Penny Red Die II at London.[1]

And in 1940 Robson Lowe held an auction sale solely devoted to McGowan's Penny Black collection which included 2146 lots.[3]

After his death McGowan's collection of Great Britain used abroad was also auctioned by Robson Lowe.[4]

Publications

References

  1. ^ a b c d Who Was Who in British Philately Association of British Philatelic Societies 2010. Retrieved 12 August 2011.
  2. ^ Stanton, J.B., The Varieties and Characteristics of the 1d Red Line Engraved Stamps 1841-1864, Chas. Nissen & Co. Ltd., London, 1958.
  3. ^ The Bertram McGowan Penny Blacks, Robson Lowe Specialised Stamp Sales, 22 to 23 May 1940.
  4. ^ The Bertram McGowan Collection of British Used Abroad, Robson Lowe Inc, Philadelphia, Pa., 25 Nov 1950.