USPS Jimi Hendrix Forever Stamp

USPS on 13 March 2014 issued The Jimi Hendrix Forever Stamp. It was designed by artist Rudy Gutierrez, featuring a vibrant, colorful design fashioned to evoke the movement and rhythm of the late singer and pay homage to the psychedelic rock era of the 1960s. The specially designed postmark cancellation originated from Austin, Texas.

The stamp pane, designed to resemble a vintage 45 rpm record sleeve, features a painting of Hendrix’s face surrounded by colorful swirls and small icons that reference song lyrics or aspects of Hendrix’s life. The various icons include flowers, a guitar, a mermaid and a butterfly. The stamp art shows Hendrix in performance, wearing one of his trademark vintage military jackets and playing one of his beloved white Fender Stratocaster guitars.

Jimi Hendrix was born in Seattle, WA, 27 November 1942. Originally named Johnny Allen Hendrix, his name was later changed by his father to James Marshall Hendrix. Entirely self-taught, he had to adjust his first right-handed guitar to his left-handed playing; he restrung it upside down and turned the instrument around to play it. The teenager soon began playing with bands in the Seattle area.

Hendrix pushed the boundaries of what a guitar could do, using a basic setup that at times included a wah-wah pedal to control the output from the amplifier to produce voice-like tones; a fuzz-box to create distortion of the sound; and a Univibe, a phaser that created regular, pulsating changes of pitch, all channeled through a set of Marshall amplifiers at top volume. He was able to manipulate the various devices to produce sounds that could be loud — the quintessential psychedelic music — or melodic and gentle. A master at the controlled use of distortion and feedback, he expanded the instrument’s vocabulary in a way that had never been heard before — or since.

The Jimi Hendrix Experience was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 1992 and the U.K. Music Hall of Fame in 2005. Rolling Stone ranked Hendrix No. 1 on its list of the 100 Greatest Guitarists of All Time, and No. 6 on its list of the 100 Greatest Artists of All Time.

In 1991, Hendrix received his own star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame, and in 1993, he was awarded a posthumous Grammy for lifetime achievement.

Source: USPS

USPS American Pony Cars -- 1969 AMC Javelin SST

USPS issued on 12 August 2022 five first day cover stamps commemorating the iconic American Pony Car. The one shown here is the 1969 Javelin SST. The other four U.S. automobiles included the 1969 Ford Mustang Boss 302, the 1970 Dodge Challenger R/T, the 1969 Chevrolet Camaro Z/28, the 1967 Mercury Cougar XR-7.

The car artwork was based on oil paint and set in panels, with bold colours and dramatic light, capturing the energy and mystique of the 'pony cars' from that American automobile era.

This particular First Day Cover stamp is affixed and postmarked on a maxim card (postcard) issued by the USPS. The postmark 'Pony Car' originated from Sacramento, California.

Being the Javelin aficionado that I am, I just had to get this stamp affixed to the maxi card.

 

Source: USPS

French Morocco Post Mail Service

FRENCH MOROCCO POST on 16 May 1953 issued a stamp marking the postal service in the country. It featured a postman on horseback delivering mail in front of Bab el-Khemis gate, Meknes, Morocco. The postmark originated from Casablanca.

Isle of Man Post David Bowie: Actor

ISLE OF MAN POST (IOM) on 12 September 2022 issued a set of eight first day cover stamps showcasing David Bowie's acting career. All eight stamps are arranged in two rows with issue cancellations. The cover features a special contrasting silver metallic ink insert card with the story of 'David Bowie: Actor' by Nicholas Pegg, a renown biographer of David Bowie.

The set of eight stamps were created by multi award winning designer Jonathan Barnbrook. Jonathan was supported by Emma Cooke from EJC design and also Paul Ford.

The collection features images from Bowie's cult movies, a Broadway performance and an appearance on BBC television, including his portrayals as:
- Bernie in 'Everybody Loves Sunshine' (filmed on the Isle of Man in early 1998)

- Jareth the Golbin King in "Labyrinth"
- Major Jack Celliers in "Merry Chrismas, Mr. Lawrence"
- The title role in "Baal"
- John Merrick in the Broadway production of "The Elephant Man"
- Paul Ambrosius von Przygodski in "Just a Gigolo"
- Thomas Jerome Newton in "The Man Who Fell to Earth"

IOM's Maxine Cannon explained the tribute marks "50 years of his remarkably varied career" and "some of his many celebrated personas".

Jonathan Barnbrook, the designer of the collection, worked closely with Bowie on his record covers and had previously designed his post-2002 album releases.

It took IOM six years to secure permissions, the rights from the state of David Bowie before the stamps could be designed, printed and released.

The singer died of cancer at the age of 69 in January 2016.

Source: IOM

Canada Post FDC Honouring Actor Christopher Plummer

CANADA POST on 14 October 2021 issued a first day cover stamp that paid tribute to one of the world's most distinguished actors, Christopher Plummer (1929-2021). Designed by Stephen Slipp and printed by Colour Innovations, the stamp features illustrations by Spooky Pooka depicting the actor in several of his most celebrated roles, chosen by Plummer himself (from left to right):

    King Lear in King Lear

    Rudyard Kipling in The Man Who Would Be King

    Prospero in The Tempest (foreground)

    Captain von Trapp in The Sound of Music

    John Barrymore in Barrymore

The moody, tempestuous background of the stamp design is symbolic of the drama he brought to the stage and screen.

In a career that spanned seventy years, Plummer appeared in more than 200 films, television movies and mini-series, and performed on stages from Broadway to the Stratford Festival, where he captivated audiences in a long list of impressive leading roles including Henry V, Macbeth and Hamlet.

While Plummer – who was born in Toronto and raised mostly in Montréal – distinguished himself among his peers as one of the most accomplished classical stage actors of his time, his film career was no less impressive. Hence, the postmark cancellation originated from Toronto.

From Stage Struck (1958), to The Insider (1999), to the movie that made him a household name, The Sound of Music (1965), Plummer appeared in an incredibly diverse range of films. He enjoyed playing unexpected roles, too – from voicing the obsessive villain Charles Muntz in the animated film Up (2009) to bringing panache to Star Trek VI: The Undiscovered Country (1991) as the Shakespeare-quoting Klingon, General Chang. His popularity grew as he embraced his golden years, winning praise for stand-out performances, including All the Money in the World (2017) and Knives Out (2019).

Plummer earned countless awards and honours for his work. He is among a select group – and the only Canadian – to achieve the triple crown of acting, in his case by taking home two Emmys, two Tonys and an Academy Award, which he won at age 82 for his supporting role in Beginners (2010). He was also appointed a Companion of the Order of Canada.

Canada Post Corporation 50th Anniversary of World War II

CANADA POST CORPORATION (CPC), from 1989 to 1995,  issued four stamps per year marking the 50th anniversary of World War II.  The stamps were designed to capture the "achievements and sacrifices during Second World War". The illustrations by Jean-Pierre Armanville and  monochromatic designs by  Pierre-Yves Pelletier  captured the graphic art style of the 40s. Postmark cancellations originated from Ottawa, Ontario and Nova Scotia.

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USPS 200th Birth Anniversary of Abraham Lincoln

USPS on 9 February 2009 commemorated the 200th anniversary of the birth of Abraham Lincoln (1809-1865) with four First-Class 42-cent stamps. The stamps were dedicated at the Old State Capitol in Springfield, Illinois, by Postmaster General John Potter and Assistant Majority Leader Senator Richard J. Durbin (D-IL). FDC cancellation postmark depicts an outline of Lincoln and originated from Springfield, Illinois.

The art stamps were created by Mark Summers, who is noted for his scratchboard technique, a style distinguished by a dense network of lines etched with exquisite precision. Each stamp features a different aspect of Lincoln’s life. 

Rail-Splitter

The stamp showing Lincoln as a rail-splitter includes the earliest-known photograph of Lincoln, dated 1846, by N. H. Shepherd, and depicts Lincoln as a youth splitting a log for a rail fence on what was then the American frontier. When he was a candidate for president in 1860, the Republican Party used the image of Lincoln as a “rail-splitter” to enhance his appeal to the working man.

Lawyer
The stamp featuring Lincoln as a lawyer includes a photograph of Lincoln, dated 7 May 1858, by Abraham Byers, and shows Lincoln in a courtroom in Illinois, the state where he was a practicing attorney for nearly 25 years.

Politician
The stamp of Lincoln as a politician includes a Mathew Brady photograph of Lincoln dated 27 February  1860, and shows Lincoln debating Stephen A. Douglas during their 1858 campaign for a U.S. Senate seat from Illinois.

President
The stamp featuring Lincoln as president includes an Alexander Gardner photograph of Lincoln, dated 8 November 1863, and depicts Lincoln conferring with generals Ulysses S. Grant and William T. Sherman toward the end of the Civil War. The depiction is based on “The Peacemakers” (1868), a painting by George P. A. Healy.

For information on philately visit the Smithsonian’s National Postal Museum website. It maintains the world’s largest collection of stamp images online through its Arago website

Since 1866, 74 stamps have been issued in Lincoln’s honor, including these stamps to honor his 200th birthday. To see all of the Lincoln stamps visit the National Postal Museum’s Arago website: 
 

Source: U.S. Postal Service

Republic of South Africa 50th Anniversary of Broadcasting

REPUBLIC OF SOUTH AFRICA in December 1974 issued a first day cover stamp marking the 50th anniversary of broadcasting in RSA. The postmark features the bokmakierie (Telophorus zeylonus), a songbird that is endemic to southern Africa, mainly in South Africa and Namibia. It was once part of the Radio RSA shortwave interval signal. The headquarters of Radio RSA was represented in the cachet. 

Due to Covid-19 pandemic this FDC took a year to reach Malaysia from South Africa.

Bangla Post 50th Anniversary of The Concert for Bangaladesh

BANGLA POST on 1 August 2021 released a commemorative postage stamp, a first day cover and a data card marking the golden jubilee of the historic Concert for Bangladesh, orchestrated by noted rock star George Harrison at Madison Square Garden on August 1, 1971 in New York for collecting fund for Bangladesh during the Liberation War.

Bangla Post and Telecommunication minister Mostafa Jabbar released the stamp and first day cover of Tk 10 each and the data cards of Tk 5 from his office in Dhaka.

The Concert for Bangladesh was a pair of benefit concerts organised by former Beatles guitarist George Harrison and Indian sitar player Ravi Shankar. The shows were held at 2:30 and 8:00 pm on Sunday, 1 August 1971, at Madison Square Garden in New York City, to raise international awareness of, and fund relief for refugees from East Pakistan, following the Bangladesh Liberation War-related genocide. The concerts were followed by a bestselling live album, a boxed three-record set, and Apple Films' concert documentary, which opened in cinemas in the spring of 1972.

 

The event was the first-ever benefit of such a magnitude, and featured a supergroup of performers that included Harrison, fellow ex-Beatle Ringo Starr, Bob Dylan, Eric Clapton, Klaus Voormann, Billy Preston, Leon Russell and the band Badfinger. In addition, Shankar and Ali Akbar Khan – both of whom had ancestral roots in Bangladesh – performed an opening set of Indian classical music. The concerts were attended by a total of 40,000 people, and the initial gate receipts raised close to $250,000 for Bangladesh relief, which was administered by UNICEF.

Speaking in the 1990s, Harrison said of the Bangladesh relief effort: "Now it's all settled and the UN own the rights to it themselves, and I think there's been about 45 million dollars made." Sales of the DVD and CD of the 1971 Concert for Bangladesh continue to benefit the cause, now known as the George Harrison Fund for UNICEF.

The Concert for Bangladesh invariably was the inspiration and model for subsequent Rock charity benefits, from 1985's Live Aid and Farm Aid to the Concert for New York City and Live 8 in the twenty-first century. Unlike those later concerts, which benefited from continuous media coverage of the causes they supported, the Harrison–Shankar project was responsible for identifying the problem and establishing Bangladesh's plight in the minds of mainstream Western society. And, it did not focus on the artists themselves.

Decades later, Ravi Shankar would say of the overwhelming success of the event: "In one day, the whole world knew the name of Bangladesh. It was a fantastic occasion."

 

Source: Wikipedia

Photo: George Harrison Sculpture at Shadhinotar Shangram Triangle, near Dhaka University