Each era has its own chapter in McQueen’s book. By following his chronology, a collector can tell a complete story of how airmail evolved from an experimental luxury to a scheduled, segmented service.
Given the keyword search, many readers are actively hunting for the Ian McQueen study. Here is the current market reality:
McQueen did not stop with jusqu’à markings. His later two‑volume work, (published 2002‑2003), expanded the scope to include a much wider array of airmail directive markings, including transoceanic directions. Together, these four volumes (the two jusqu’à books and the two directional handstamps volumes) form a comprehensive reference set for anyone studying airmail covers of the 1930s and 1940s. One source notes that all four are “indispensable for anyone interested in airmail covers during the 1930’s and 1940’s”. Jusqu-a Airmail Markings- A Study Ian McQueen
Before delving into McQueen’s study, it is essential to understand what “jusqu’à” markings are. During the early decades of airmail, a sender could pay for a letter to be flown only part of the way to its destination. The letter would be carried by air to a designated “terminal point” and then transferred to a surface route—by ship, rail, or road—for the remainder of the journey.
: Did the sender pay the exact fee required for a specific intermediate zone? Each era has its own chapter in McQueen’s book
McQueen’s books break down the study by geographical regions, chronological periods, and the specific texts used in the handstamps. The listings include:
A premium cover retains all its original backstamps. These transit and arrival postmarks prove that the letter actually left the aircraft at the jusqu'à location and proceeded via surface transport. Here is the current market reality: McQueen did
: Identifying which country or office applied specific strike-through bars.
South American or European mail often utilized high-speed transatlantic air routes but reverted to standard rail delivery once reaching the United States mainland.
The study breaks down usage periods, demonstrating how the markings peaked in the 1930s and gradually vanished in the post-WWII era as all-air transport became universally affordable.
Collectors of auxiliary markings consider this an "invaluable" and "essential" resource, though it can be difficult to obtain today.