TitleFirst day commemorative cover with stamp, Albi Date20th February 1988About this objectThis first day cover was published in Albi, France in 1988, commemorating the voyage of Jean-François de Galaup, comte de Lapérouse.
Like another object in the La Perouse Museum collection (2017.11-1:5), published in the same year, this first day commemorative cover offers a philatelic perspective on the history of La Pérouse’s voyage. Published in his birthplace, Albi, France, the object highlights the cultural significance of Lapérouse’s journey in France as well as in the Pacific region. It complements the Museum’s holdings of objects that demonstrate the French connection at the La Perouse Headland. Object No.2017.12Physical descriptionThe cachet on the cover features a print showing a ship anchored near an island, surrounded by people in canoes. The image is likely cropped and reproduced from the engraving ‘Vue du mouillage des fregates francaises a l'ile de Mowee’, which depicts the anchorage of L’Astrolabe and La Boussole at Maui during Lapérouse’s expedition in the Pacific. The original print was created by Jean-Jacques Avril (1744–1831) and published by L'Imprimerie de la République in 1797. The text ‘LA BOUSSOLE’ is placed below the image.
Included on the cover is a stamp featuring the right-hand profile of Lapérouse against the background of map illustrating his voyage from 1785 – departing from Brest, doubling around Cape Horn, landing on Maui (depicted in the artwork on the cachet), passing Alaska, sailing across the Pacific, surveying the coast north of Korea, before heading south and arriving at Botany Bay, Australia. The dashed line with arrows on the map vanishes at Vanikoro, where Lapérouse’s ships wrecked.
Inscriptions on the stamp read, ‘RÉPUBLIQUE FRANÇAISE / LA PÉROUSE / 1741–1788’ and ‘POSTES 1988’ and the value is marked as ‘2,00 / +0,50’. The text below the image, ‘D. Geoffroy-Dechaume’ and ‘BEQUEST’ indicates the designer of the stamp.
The circular first day of issue cancellation features the profile of Lapérouse, with the inscriptions ‘1741 – LA PEROUSE – 1788’, ‘PREMIER JOUR / 20 FEVRIER 88’ and ‘81 ALBI’. Place madeAlbi, FranceMaterialpaperSourceLa Perouse MuseumOrganisations (Detailed entries)La Perouse Museum (La Perouse, N.S.W.)Production notesThe Stanley Gibbons catalogue number for the stamp is FR 2817
First day commemorative cover with stamp, Albi (20th February 1988). Randwick City Council, accessed 16/04/2026, https://ourstory.randwick.nsw.gov.au/nodes/view/14091
