Auction #38

Lebanon Proof & Booklets. Meter stamped cover sent by air mail from Paris on 12/3/1964 to the Baalbek Festival Office in Beirut mistakenly shipped to Baalbek on 16/3/64 and sent back to Beirut on 18/3/64. The envelope contains a typed sheet written by the well-known French stamps designer Geoge Betemps including a sketch of his idea for a Baalbek festival commemorative stamp with two dancers and four columns in the backgroundand on perforated lightweight paper attached. Can be deduced that its a gift because it invites the recipient to have it "easily reproduced and printed by the excellent Lebanese printing houses". By handwritten note in Arab prepared for the reply, Mr. Ghossoub indicates that he thanks it but will refrain from using because "no Baalbek festival stamps are expected for 1964" (sic). Instead, that year a set of six stamps with Lebanese columns and costumes was issued, while only in 1966 were issued a set showing also two stamps inspired by the sketch of Mr. Betemps. CERTAINLY OF A HISTORIC INTERESTING.