posted 11-28-2021 09:51 PM               

Space Cover 631: Sokolsky Cachets

Most space collections, including mine, will have covers in them from the 1960s with Sokolsky cachets. But who was Sokolsky and how were the covers created/sold? I have tried to find references to these cachets but have not found the creator of them or anything about how they were produced/sold.

The earliest cachet produced by Sokolsky seems to be for the Scott Carpenter Mercury flight on May 24, 1962 from Port Canaveral (top cover in the scans) and an error in the cachet as it incorrectly states "Two Orbits" as Carpenter made three orbits. The cachet contains the classic Sokolsky "signature as part of the cachet.

Later Sokolsky cachets were "multi-purpose" with the cachets appearing for multiple events with rubber stamp or printed wording added to describe the event.

For example, the Gemini 5 cachet (third cachet scanned) also appears for the Little Joe Abort Test at WSMR on May 13, 1964 and the Gemini 6 scrub on October 25, 1965 with a Cape Canaveral cancel.

Similarly, the Sokolsky X-15 cachet appears on multiple X-15 flights from Edwards Air Force Base.

The Sokolsky cachets could also be quite detailed as shown with the futuristic space station in the second cover scan.

Please post if you know anything about Sokolsky, who was he/she? What cachets were produced? Earliest and latest use? How were thy obtained? or any other information you may have.

posted 11-29-2021 05:57 AM               

Heck, I don't even know his/her first name nor where he was located. Sokolsky did apparently produce a series of major space cover events throughout the 1960's with a variety of space cover issues, of which, I have located many of his/her cachet covers in my own cover boxes. More likely I had acquired them from other servicers, dealers, and purchased space over collections.

posted 11-29-2021 11:46 AM               

I seem to remember that the "TD Productions" address stamp that you see on many Sokolsky cachets had some tie-in with Sokolsky. But I can't find my reference to that.

Sokolsky also came up with a X-20 Dyna Soar cachet that I have never seen used for a Dyna Soar event (there aren't many). After Dyna Soar was cancelled in December, 1963, he did use some of the cachets up for the 5/19/64 M2-F1 air tow flights (below) and the 8/19/64 M2-F1 air tow flight. Cronky's ASSET 6 cover is a variant of the Dyna Soar cachet.

Sokolsky also used his space-station artwork for a Gemini 4 Houston cancel (below).

And here's a Gemini 6 Sokolsky Cachet dual cancelled for one of its scrubs (December 12) and launch (December 15). And yes, thanks gang, I'm aware that the Stafford is an autopen...

posted 11-30-2021 08:55 AM               

Firstly a MA-8 cover from the USS Lake Champlain which was the Carrier that led the Atlantic Recovery Forces.

Next a MA-9 cover from the USS Kearsarge which was the Primary Recovery Ship.

posted 11-30-2021 11:00 AM               

When did Sokolsky start using the term "A Celestial Cachet" as I don't see this identification on earlier covers, correct? Some of his cachet formats, as mentioned above, are similar to Ed Hacker's Centennial Covers of Huntsville, AL.

I don't think both firms are related in any way, however, I did all of Ed's cancel services in Florida and he never said anything to me about Celestial Cachets or Sokolsky's name.

posted 11-30-2021 11:03 AM               

I believe that Tom Dixon (the T.D. of T.D. Productions) knew of the maker. His 1964-1965 philatelic publication the Space Reporter used a cachet on their mailing envelopes. Some event covers were also sold through the publication in at least one instance (December 1964 issue, page 7).

The earliest I have is from August 9th, 1960, the Atlas 32D launch.

Here are some of my other favorites:

Early Bird Satellite - This cachet is a textured Thermographic print.

Gemini 4, Team 2 Astronauts cachet

posted 11-30-2021 08:13 PM               

quote:

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Originally posted by thisismills:
The earliest I have is from August 9th, 1960, the Atlas 32D launch.

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posted 11-30-2021 10:40 PM               

With this batch, for different space events not shown before (except for maybe one or two), some of the cachet artwork is the same as on other posted covers above. The selections here, thus far, start in March 1961 for a Redstone BD-flight test and end in March 1969 for Apollo 9's splashdown and the Mariner/Mars 7 launch. I do have some Project Mercury and early Apollo-related Sokolsky covers that I'll try to report back later on. It would also appear that this cachet maker stopped producing space covers after 1969, but why, I guess we'll never know.

The last four covers illustrated may not be an official Sokolsky issue, however, two of the artwork cachets appear quite similar to his/her design cover work. The Ed White/EVA first day cover in Sept. 1967, while not by Sokolsky, has an interesting cachet similar to one of his own for GT-4 that I do have several issues of (not shown). But this one depicted is by Border Craft Cachets, more likely was a first day cover dealership.

posted 12-09-2021 09:18 PM               

There is an early advertisement mock-up (that was potentially bound for inclusion in an issue of Space Craft Explorer — see below) that also ties these covers back to T.D. Productions, as mentioned above.

posted 12-10-2021 05:05 AM               

Another name on the ad was Edward Warchol of Garfield, New Jersey, and I guess it's not known of his business relationship to Barbara Solalsky. The name of TD Productions was indicated again as being involved in some way.

Can you believe the prices listed for 500 of her thematic cachet space covers was only $5 back in the 1960's (and only 25-cents for 5 covers)! Apparently Barbara sold her space covers mostly for the do-it-yourself space cover collector with no postage stamp cancels on them.

posted 12-10-2021 08:46 AM               

Ken, I think the scenario was the opposite of what you wrote. Based on the advertisement, I am thinking Edward Warchol was the "dealer" and Edward enlisted Barbara Sokalsky to design the cachets for his covers. The advertisement has "Follow American space achievements with my thematic space covers" and Edward Warchol's name and address are at the bottom of the advertisement.

As you said, the cachets in the advertisement are self-service but we also know there are many specific event covers as well.

Maybe, at some point, when Edward Warchol "got out of the dealer business" Tom Dixon of T.D. Productions took it over? Thus, the change in address written on the advertisement. It also seems that the one type of cachet was sold out - i.e. cachet with the "X" through the cachet and "out" written next to it.

Here are a couple more of the self-serve cachets - these seem to be on newsprint paper?

Was the plan to add these cachets to a future ad or were these cut from an actual printed advertisement? "DESIGN F (PURPLE)" for the X-15 cachet and "DESIGN G (BLUE)" for the Project Apollo are formatted like and continue the lettering of the cachets in the full advertisement.

posted 12-10-2021 04:12 PM               

Further research of the 1958 Garfield High School yearbook brings together even more clues about the Sokalsky cover mystery. The first being that Barbara Sokalsky was the Yearbook art editor and there are multiple pieces of "rocket art" as part of the yearbook.

Second, Barbara signed one of the pages in the yearbook and that signature has the classic "Sokalsky" signature was are used to seeing in the cachets.

While Edward Warchol was collecting space stamps and covers, his daughter, Linda, was the recipient of some 1960 covers with the Sokalsky cachet - tracking the address on the covers it turns out to be the next street over from the one Barbara Sokalsky lived on!

posted 01-16-2023 05:45 PM               

It mentions the brand 'Celestial' space covers. It seems like Barbara Sokalsky designed at least some of the artwork for Celestial covers (one example is shown below).