The Bridgeport Post from Bridgeport, Connecticut • Page 31

BRIDGEPORT SUNDAY POST, OCTOBER 3. 1971 Historic Stamps, Famed Car Make October Special for Area Artist c-s By CECELIA VanAUKEN Two events in October will be highlights in the career of Melbourne Brindle, Brfdgewater artist. One will be the issue on Oct. 29 of four historic Preservation of his design at the conference of the National Trust for Historic Preservation in San Diego, Calif. The other will be the publication by McGraw-Hill of his $50 illustrated book on pre-World War I Rolls- Royce, automobiles.

Unveiled At ceremonies in four different stamps by Mr. Brindle have already been separately unveiled. They depict the Decatur House in Washington, D. the whaling ship Charles W. Morgan berthed at Mystic, a cable car which still runs in San Francisco; and the San Xavier del Bac Mission in Tucson, Aril.

All four stamps are line drawings of national historic landmarks listed In the National Register of Historic Landmarks. The stamps will be in tones of beige and brown, produced in panes ol 32 oo light beige paper. "The deep sepia hue I used has the antique feeling wanted for these stamps." Mr. Brindle said. Mrs.

Winton M. Blount, wife of the Postmaster General, unveiled Mr. Brindle's Decattir stamp and the three other designs at impressive ceremonies at the plushly furnished Decatur House. These ceremonies were attend by many dignitaries, including Adm. Thomas H.

Moorer, chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff. One of Capital's Oldest The Decatur House, built in 1819, is the oldest edifice on Lafayette Square which faces the White House. was built tot Commodore Stephen Decatur, suppressor of the Barbary pi- rates.VAmong tire subsequent occupants-of. this'famed ISIh residence were Henry Clay, Martin VanBuren and Judah P. Benjamin.

The house was designed by one of America's first professional architects and its exterior appearance has changed very little. Its interior, however, has been res- stored according to the original I.atrobe drawings and is notable tor its fine proportions. The first floor contains Decatur memorabilia and furnishings, while the second floor, Victorian in represents the occupancy of Gen. Edward F. Beale's widow, who purchased the house in 1877.

Decatur House is now the headquarters of the National Trust for Historic Preservation. Mystic Ceermonles Mr. Brindle's design for the Charles W. Morgan was unveiled at ceremonies at Mystic Seaport on Aug. 6, when Francis X.

Biglin, postmaster general the Eastern region, based in Philadelphia, took charge of the unveiling, which was sponsored by the Marine Historical association of Mystic. The historic 19th-centurv wooden whaling vessel, the Charles W. Morgan, once owned by the whaling merchant for whom it was named, sailed for nearly 80 years in pursuit of whales. A typical square-rigged whaler of the period, it is constructed of live oak and pine, has a 27-foot beam, and an overall of more than 105 feet. In recent years the vessel has been restored as a museum piece.

Familiar with Cable Car Mr. Brindle took much pleasure in designing the San Francisco cable car because he rode cable cars often when he lived for 20 years in San Francisco before coming east. It was there that he met his wife, who at the time was a columnist for The San Francisco Examiner. He was thoroughly familiar with the picturesque vehicle which was the design of this stamp. fn San Francisco, Russell E.

James, assistant regional postmaster general, directed (he unveiling of Mr. Brindle's cable car stamp. The cable car was invented by Andrew W. Hallifie, an English builder of aerial cable systems for mines in the western United States. He contrived a system by which heavy underground cables could draw cars up the steep San Francisco hills.

The first cable car over Knob Hill Degan operating in 1873. Once eight companies.operated 112 miles of track. Today there only about ten miles cable car tracks remaining. The city has legislated that this line will continue to run, although at a deficit, because of the road's historic significance. The design on Mr.

Brindle's stamp shows Car No. 508, a survivor of the 1906 San Francisco earthquake, approaching the crest of Hyde street with San Francis- AT HIS EASEL Melbourne Brindle wovks at his easel in the oridgewater home. HISTORIC PRESERVATION HISTORIC PRESERVATION HISTORIC. PRESERVATION HISTORIC PRESERVATION NEW STAMP ISSUE Mr. Brindle's Historic Preservation stamps depict, top left, the Decature House in Washington, D.C.; top right, the whaling ship Charles W.

Morgan berthed at Mystic; bottom left, a San Francisco cable car; and bottom right, the San Xavier del Bac mission in Tucson, Ariz. Mr. Brindle did the stamps, which will be issued Oct. 29 in deep sepia tor the antique feel. co Bay and a sailing ship in thq background.

Spanish Colonial Church The unveiling ceremonies of Mr. Brindle's San Xavier del Bac stamp took place in Tucson, and were performed by'J. Edwin Kcrr of the U. S. Postal Service's western regional office.

Established by the Jesuit padre Eudcbio Francisco Kino, the San Xavier dc! Bac Mission is among the finest surviving Spanish Colonial churches in the country. The present church was completed and consecrated by Franciscans in 17D7. Today it is an active parish on the Sao Xavier Indian Reservation. Rolls Royce Love Affair The subject-matter of Mr. Brindle's forthcoming book, "Twenty Silver Ghosts," is thoroughly familiar to Uie artist.

"I've been carrying on a love affair with the Rolls-Royce car ever since I was a young lad in Australia which is where I first set eyes on one," Mr. Brindle said. But it was not until many years later that he was financially able to own one. Just before the outbreak of World War his father, a painter and interior designer, came to the United States to represent the Australian Government at the Panama-Pacific International Exposition in San Francisco and to raint murals for the Australian building. He planned to resettle in the United Statas and to have his family which consisted of his wife, four daughters and three sons, (oin him.

But World War I made travel conditions unsafe, so it was impossible for his family to leave Australia for some time and they did rot sail until Armistice Day, Nov. 1918, when young Mel Brindle was in his teens. NOE until Mr. Brindle had established himself in San Francisco as a commercial artist for airline a automobile accounts did he have sufficient funds to purchase the Rolls- Royce car which for so long he had coveted. Constructed Their Own But before that happy day, Mel and his brother had spent three years in slowly constructing a faithful Rolls-Royce facsimile, using old Rolls-Royce parts.

Instead of affixing the Rolls- Royce nameplato, "ROLLS (RR) ROYCE," they affixed a similar nameplate of their own, "BRINDLE (BB) BROTHERS." They had a lot of fun driving around in their homemade Rolls-Royce replica, which, like all Rolls-Royces, was of excellent design and craftmanship. Mr. Brindel's forthcoming Rolls-Royce book will contain 21 Rolls-Royce paintings and 26 drawings of pre-World War I Rolls-Royce cars, done In his own meticulous style. The volume should certainly be a collector's item for old car bulfs. After living 20 years in San Francisco where he was married in 1927, Mr.

Brindle with his wife and young daughter. Dawn, left the West Coast in 1938, and drove across the continent in their Rolls-Royce car. It was a memorable trip. Move Cwintiy Ho first lived in Grammercy Park, New York City, and later in New Canaan, when he decided that he could carry on his art work just as well In the country as In Manhattan or in suburban New Canaan. And so the Brindles bought property In the town of Bridgewater In 1951, where they have lived In two homes of his own design.

They now live In a spa- clous contemporary house a mile or so from the Bridgewater vll'age green. There is a scenic view from the expansive picture windows of their living room and master bedroom, as well as from their two out-door decks. Just below the house on their lawn is a picturesque little pond which they had built, with a tiny green island in its center. Mr. Erin- die has also designed and built several other attractive homes in Bridgewater, Washington and Roxbury, which he has sold.

Cover Church His art work, however, is and always has been his principal occupation. He has done a number 01' covers for The Saturday Evening Post. One of these covers was a picture of St. Mark's Church (which he and Mrs. Brindle attend) as the parishioners emerge from a Sunday' Morning service in a torrential rainstorm and run acorss the church lawn a drenching downpour to reach their cars.

St. Mark's churchgoers particularly liked this cover because in his picture they were all identifiable and many could recognize themselves. Another of Mr. Brindle's paintings was of the Kitty Hawk bi-plane, showing the famous Wright brothers, Orville and Wilbur. This painting was presented to the Smithsonian Institution.

How faithfully authentic Mr. Brindle is in portraying the subject matter of his paintings is illustrated by the coyer picture he did for the September 1965 issue of The Medical Times. 1 Actual Experience He was commissioned by this 1 to do a cover-related picture on aerospace medicine. He has had only about a 100 flying hours and therefore felt tnat he must hie himself to Uie- Westover Air Force Base at Chicopee Falls, headquarters for SAC'S Eight Air fcrce and 57th Air Division and be put through his paces. At the time 60 years old, he passed his medical check-up with no difficulty and then with ten or twelve young Air Force students and flyers taking refresher courses, went through four hours of verbal indoctrination.

After a Sensibly prescribed lunch, he was fitted with a hel- met and mask, and with his classmates was taken into the altitude indoctrination chamber which he depicted on The Medical Times cover picture. Altitude Test Then the batches were closed. The first step in the altitude indoctrination program was a short period of breathing pure oxygen to lower blood nitrogen bubbles. Then the ascent started. First up to 8,000 feet, although those in the chamber never left the ground.

Atmospheric pressure of the chamber.was made to simulate atmospheric pressure at dif- COLLECTOR'S ITEM Mr. Brindle shows his new book on the pre-World War I Roih Royce to be published this month by McGraw-Hill. At $50, it will have specialized appeal. ROLLS ROYCE OF OWN MAKING Mr Brindle stands before the painting in his studio TM "Plica the Rolls Royce which he ani his, brother constructed long ago using Rojls cat, who is a favorite in the Ro ferent altitudes. They rose up to 35.000, 40.000 and then 43,000 feet, when Mr.

Brindle began -to feel the effects of the decompression an uncomfortable sensation of pressure beneath the belt. First to Pass at 60 Back down after various other testing maneuvers, Mr. Brindle was congratulated by the Air Force doctor for being the first 60-year-old ever to have passed the test. For his period of indoctrination he was given an official diploma and an'official pass permitting him to fly on missions. "I couldn't have been prouder if I had been awarded the Silver Star," the Bridgewater artist said.

The next day, climbing into a parachute incase he should have to bail out of the aircraft, he went on an SAC B52 bomber routine night which to him was a never-to-be forgotten experience. VI went up nine miles in search of inspiration and returned with a total trust in the aircraft and the men of the SAC. I also felt considerably more comfortable about U.S. security," he said. Mystic Controversy Mr.

Brindle created the design for the Charles W. Morgan whaling ship from a photograph originating from Mystic Seaport, following carefully in his design the details shown in that photograph. But a slight controversy arose over his design. Only two whale boats showed hanging from davits on the port side of the ship in the photograph. The third boat was missing, but the empty davit did show clearly.

Since it is the port side of the Charles W. Morgan that is portrayed, Mr. Brindle shows only two boats just as it was on the photograph. Had the third boat been in the original reference photograph, all three boats would certainly have been shown on the finished drawing, Mr. Brindle asserts.

Connecticut philatelist are expected to be avid collectors of Mr. Brindle's historic preservation stamps and not to object to the fact that one davit of the Charles W. Morgan is empty. First Day Celebrations First-day cancellations of Mr. Brindle's Historic Preservation stamps may be obtained by ad- dressing a "Historic Preservation Stamps," Postmaster, San Diego.

Calif. 92101. Collectors with the number of stamps to be alfixed marked in pencil In must send addressed envelopes, upper riglit-hend corner. If blocks ot the four stamps are required, addresses should be far to the left and low on the envelope. Orders must be accompanied by a money order or ccrlified bank check to cftper cost of the stamps lojfbe affixed.

There is no charge'jby the Postal Service for affiiang the stamps. Requests for specific stamps, as, for example, singles, will be honored. WHALESHIP IN CONTROVERSY This is the recent photograph of the Charles W. Morgan, last sur of a once great fleet of wooden whaleships and now a al Historic Landmark and the most treasured Mystic seaport. It confirms the authenticity of Mr.

BrindJe't which shows only two whale boats -with a davitjfor the third. Disputers, who must have been looking at an oHer photograph, claim the Morgan always carried three while- boats. Now rigged down and under repair, she was builttin New Bedford, in 1841, acquired by the Marine Historical association and brought to Mystic 100 years later. She undergoes continuous preservation and visitors to Mystic seaport on any weekday may have the unique opportunity of the intricate work of shipwrights or or caulkers or ship painters. Mystic seaport is open year 'romid, except Thanksgiving and Christmas,.