These are something different to the British albums in the collection, and in many ways. The two complete albums in the collection cover only 13 weeks, while some collectors only got a small identical stamp (resembling a trading loyalty stamp in size and design) each week.

Bible Picture Attendance Record

The first item originates from the USA and is the first album I have seen from there, and is from the Hammond Publishing company of Milwaukee, Wisconsin. It is actually quite small, being just 88mm tall and 68mm wide. Consequently there is only space for one stamp per page. This one was in use for October to December 1927 while the copyright says 1922, so presumably the same albums were issued each quarter with only the stamps being different. However there it does state Series 2, so perhaps the design was revamped in 1922. It is printed on good quality paper, with the outer cover in the same. It is in almost perfect condition, without and wear; the page edges are crisp and sharp.

The stamps are 56mm tall and 44mm wide, and all but two have at least one unperforated side. The best that I can work out is that the stamps came as a small sheet of 15 without a selvedge. This would accommodate the 13 Sunday stamps plus the Special Day and Reasonably Absent stamps in the album. The stamps are also numbered, from 14 to 26, suggesting a cycle beginning in July, and not the beginning of the Church Year in Advent.

The album was kept on a little paper wallet made of the same paper; this has suffered more wear and is more brittle and a bit flaky.

The Travels of Paul

Subtitled My Sunday School Attendance Album. Again this only runs for 13 weeks, but the collector was treated to quite a large stamp for attending; they nearly fill the page. This album is complete and has been kept in excellent condition by Lily Hirsch (mis-spelled by the teacher on the inside cover) and dates from 1960. The Warner Press of Anderton, IA, appear to have a selection of 8 albums for collectors; whether these were updated periodically or whether indeed the whole class had the same album each semester is unknown. The stamps themselves comprised a set of 14, and from this example you can see that were printed in a self contained sheet arranged 2x7, with a selvedge.

Another example of this series has been seen on the internet. The article hinted that the blogger had a full set, but only this one was illustrated. No dates were given.

Certificate of Sunday School Attendance

All I have of these are 9 small (21 x 13mm) stamps that probably originated in the USA. I would assume one was handed out each attendance, and they were stuck onto a collector’s card. They are cheaply produced and a bit crudely perforated, but may have been churned out in the tens of thousands. The style makes me think pre-1925.