Poste Martinique Tourism Stamp

POSTE MARTINIQUE on 1 November 1955 issued a First Day Cover stamp to promote tourism to this Caribbean island. The stamp carried a face value of 20F. Designer was Paul Pierre Lemagny whereas the Engraver was Charles Paul Dufresne. Intaglio print method was used to render the colours purple and lilac. A total of 75,080,000 stamps were printed. Postmarked cancellations originated from France and Martinique.

La Poste France La Dame à la Licorne - 1964

LA POSTE FRANCE issued on 31 October 1964 a First Day Cover stamp of "La Dame à la licorne" (Lady and the Unicorn) tapestry, circa 1500. Postmark cancellation originated from  Paris. Pierre Gandon illustrated and designed the stamp.

The "La Dame à la licorne" is a tapestry consisting of six pieces, woven from wool and silk with the thousand-and-one flowers technique (mille-fleur). Five of these six scenes drawn in Paris in the 1500s represent the five senses. One scene is left vague, which is thought to tell the story of love.

This scene called "La Vue" that we see on the stamp represents the sense of sight, the image of the unicorn reflected in the mirror in the young woman's hand gives us its message with the horse's vision of itself in the mirror. These six tapestries are presently exhibited at the Cluny Museum in Paris. 

Source: Pul Magazine 

La Poste France Return of Diana the Huntress by François Boucher

LA POSTE FRANCE on 10 October 1970 offered a First Day Cover stamp of François Boucher's "Le printemps Diane au retour de la chasse"  (The Return of Diana the Huntress). Affixed to this maxim card is a rendering of his famous artwork. A special postmark cancellation was also designed for this issue. It originated from 

The painting depicts the Greek goddess Diana and three of her nymphs , who after chasing birds and rabbits, remove their shoes and clothes before cooling off in a pond.

Tunisie Postes Lamine Pacha Bey - 1955

TUNISIE POSTES on 22 July 1955 issued a set of five First Day Cover stamps of Sidi Lamine Pacha Bey. These definitive stamps were printed in five different colours and denominations. The designer/engraver was René Cottet. A recess printing method was used to print 169,000 stamps.

Lamine Bey or Mohamed VIII el-Amine Bey (1881-1962) was the last bey of the Husseinite dynasty which reigned over Tunisia from 1705 to 1957. He was also the only King of Tunisia (20 March 1956 – 25 July 1957).

He was enthroned in unusual circumstances following the removal of his predecessor Muhammad VII al Munsif by the French Resident General Henri Giraud in 1943. It was not until the latter's death in 1948 that his legitimacy was recognised by the people of Tunisia.

He took steps to align himself with the Tunisian national movement against the French protectorate but was sidelined by the Neo Destour after he accepted French-initiated reforms in 1954.

Shortly after independence Lamine Bey was deposed and turned out of his palace along with his family. Their property was seized and several family members were imprisoned. He ended his days living in a small apartment in Tunis.

Australia and New Zealand 30th anniversary of the First Trans-TasmanFlight - 1958

AUSTRALIA AND NEW ZEALND  on 27 August 1958 issued a First Day Cover stamp to commemorate the 30th anniversary of Sir Charles Kingsford Smith's first Trans-Tasman flight with Charles T.P. Ulm as co pilot. The stamp featured the Southern Cross with the portrait of Sir Charles Kingsford Smith and his aircraft.

The stamp was issued jointly by Australia and New Zealand. The designer was J E Lyle, Auckland. Australian Bank Note and Stamp Printer, Australia printed it using a recess  Intaglio method on Wiggins Teape 'Esparto', multiple NZ and star watermark The stamp remained on sale until 31 December 1958.

This Australia Post cover has multiple franking on the front and back of the envelope, both from Australia and New Zealand. The stamps were identical except for country stated on the stamp: "Australia" or New Zealand" and denomination.

Sir Charles Kingsford Smith was born on 9 February 1897 in Hamilton, Queensland, Australia.  He disappeared in 1935 with Australian Thomas Pethybridge after passing over Calcutta during a flight from London to Australia. The two were presumed lost.

Information included on this page sourced from The Postage Stamps of New Zealand published by the Royal Philatelic Society of NZ.    

Source: New Zealand Post

New Zealand Post Centennial of Hawke's Bay - 1958

NEW ZEALAND POST on 1958 issued three First Day Cover stamps commemorating the Centennial of Hawke's Bay. This set of stamps marked the 100th anniversary of the province of Hawke's Bay. The stamps depicted three significant features of the Province: The Maori legend of Pania, Cape Kidnappers Gannet Sanctuary and sheep shearing. They were designed by three different designers. The design of the 2d stamp was completed by M R Smith, the 3d by J Berry and the 8d by LC Mitchell.

The Stamps:

2d - Pania Statue - in recognition of the important part played by Maoris in the development of the Hawkes Bay.

3d - Gannet at Cape Kidnappers. In recognition of the awakening tourist industry in the Hawkes Bay Region.

8d - Sheep Shearer in recognition of the largest industry in the region.

Hawke's Bay (Māori: Heretaunga) is a region of New Zealand on the east coast of the North Island. It derives from Hawke Bay which was named by Captain James Cook in honour of Admiral Edward Hawke who decisively defeated the French at the Battle of Quiberon Bay in 1759.

Source: New Zealand Post

USPS Vintage Black Cinema

USPS on 16 July 2008 issued a set of five First Day Cover stamps entitled  "Vintage Black Cinema". These commemorative stamps depicted movie posters from African-American films made in the 1920s through 1940s. Art director Carl Herrman designed the set.

In the 1921 silent "The Sport of the Gods", the family of a wrongfully convicted man flees Virginia in disgrace only to face immorality and temptation in New York City. Based on a Paul Laurence Dunbar novel, the film was produced by the Reol Motion Picture Corp., which made several movies for black audiences.

 

Duke Ellington's first screen appearance in 1929's "Black and Tan" features three songs by him and his Cotton Club Orchestra. Playing himself, Ellington is in danger of having his piano repossessed. His fatally ill girlfriend dances at a nightclub and saves Ellington's music. She asks to hear his "Black and Tan Fantasy" on her deathbed.

One of only four movies to star American-born entertainer Josephine Baker, "Princess Tam-Tam" tells the story of a novelist who discovers a simple African woman, played by Baker, and presents her as a princess to Parisian society. Released in France in 1935, this French-language feature remains a rare film showcase for Baker's singing and dancing.

 

"Hallelujah" was one of the first major studio films to feature an all-black cast. This is a dramatic story of a field laborer seduced from his community by worldly temptations. Noted for its portrayal of the rural African-American religious experience, 1929's "Hallelujah" earned King Vidor a nomination for Best Director.

 

Highlighting the talents of singer, saxophonist, and "jump blues" bandleader Louis Jordan, the 1945 short "Caldonia" is often cited as a precursor of today's music videos. The film's four musical numbers also appeared as individual "soundies," or short films shown on video jukeboxes at nightclubs and restaurants during the 1940s.

Source: USPS 

Jordan Definitives and The Dome of the Rock - 1954

JORDAN on 2 September 1954 issued a set of definitive stamps depicting the landmarks of the country and King Hussein. Bradbury, Wilkinson & Co. Ltd used a recess printing method to print these stamps. Various stamps carried face values in Jordanian fils. 

Shown on this postcard is the Ed-Deir Temple in Petra (3 Jordanian Fils) and King Hussein (4 Jordanian Fils). The postcard shows The Dome of the Rock. It was postmarked Amman, Jordan and sent to a Dr. Bernard Zylberberg in Toronto, Canada. The card was printed in Lebanon.

This postcard appears to be an advertising technique used by Abbott Pharmaceutical to promote both its products and tourism overseas.  I have seen similar Abbott Pharmaceutical postcards advertising other products and tourist destinations which were posted to doctors. 

North Viet Nam Cultivated Flowers

NORTH VIETNAM block set of stamps from the cultivated flower (Pansy Cosmos Bipinnatus) series issued in 1978. Postmark cancellation originated from Hanoi, North Vietnam.

USPS 20th century American Comedians

USPS on 29 August 1991 issued a set of five stamps honouring 20th century American Comedians. These 29¢ First Class Mail Stamps featured the caricatures of Stan Laurel and Oliver Hardy; Edgar Bergen and Charlie McCarthy; Jack Benny; Fanny Brice; and Bud Abbott and Lou Costello rendered by Albert Hirschfeld. The Bureau of Engraving and Printing printed 139,995,600 copies using lithographed and intaglio engraved method. FDC postmark cancellation originated from Hollywood, California.

Albert Hirschfeld was best known for his pencil drawing of Broadway plays that appeared in the New York Times newspaper for decades.  His familiar style was evident in these stamps picturing some of America’s greatest comedians.  

Postal rules and regulations fell by the wayside for his signature design.  Not only was the name of this famous caricaturist Albert Hirschfeld, prominently displayed on the cover of the stamp booklet, but the rule against secret marks in stamp artwork was waived for him, as well.  He was allowed to continue his practice of incorporating his daughter’s name, “Nina,” somewhere in each of his drawings.

The First Day of Issue ceremony was held at Mann’s Chinese Theatre, home of the Hollywood Walk of Fame, in Hollywood, California.  Members of the comedians’ families made brief speeches during the ceremony. 

During the unveiling of these stamps, Postmaster General Anthony Frank said, “These comedians have made immeasurable contributions to American culture and, through the magic of radio and film, have brought laughter and joy to millions of people throughout the world.”  These stars of Vaudeville, Broadway, radio, and Hollywood were some of the nation’s brightest comedy stars of the 20th century.

Source: Mystic stamps

Pos Malaysia Prime Minister Tun Dr Mahathir Mohamad’s 93rd Birthday

POS MALAYSIA on 10 July 2018 launched a limited edition  set of First Day Cover stamps celebrating Prime Minister Tun Dr Mahathir Mohamad’s 93rd birthday and the historic moment he was sworn-in as the 7th Prime Minister; he is the only person to have served twice as prime minister of Malaysia (1981-2003 and 2018-2020), a cumulative total of 24 years, making him the country's longest-serving prime minister.

The cachet  featured a light-hearted moment between Dr Mahathir and his wife, Tun Dr Siti Hasmah Mohd Ali. The cancellation postmark originated from Kampung Baru (Kuala Lumpur). 

In 2025, Pos Malaysia will surely issue another set of stamps to commemorate the  centenary anniversary of his birth. 

Deutsche Bundespost Berlin Deutsche Lufthansa's Resumption of Munich to Vienna Flight

DEUTSCHE BUNDESPOST BERLIN on 23 April 1957 issued a First Day Cover stamp and cachet to mark the resumption of Deutsche Lufthansa's resumption of flight from Munich to Vienna. This was one of several cachets used to promote the airline's service to other cities. It showed the company's iconic crane-in-flight logo, Austrian national crest and St. Stephen's Chapel in Vienna which was captioned with the specific city of destination, in this case Vienna. Postmark cancellations of both Munich (front) and Vienna (reverse) can be seen on the envelope.

Initially, Deutsche Lufthansa (abbreviated DLH) was an airline serving as the flag carrier of East Germany from 1955 to 1963, and legal action against trademark violation were filed by Lufthanasa in West Germany. Ultimately  East Germany rebranded the air carrier to Interflug.

The design of the stamp was based on a monument dedicated to Prussian/German aviator Otto Lilienthal which featured a statue sculpted by Peter Breuer  and was dedicated in 1914, in Berlin, Germany.

 

Karl Wilhelm Otto Lilienthal (1848-1896) was a German pioneer of aviation who became known as the "flying man". He was the first person to make well-documented, repeated, successful flights with gliders, therefore making the idea of heavier-than-air aircraft a reality. Newspapers and magazines published photographs of Lilienthal gliding, favourably influencing public and scientific opinion about the possibility of flying machines becoming practical.

 

Lilienthal's work led to his developing the concept of the modern wing. His flight attempts in 1891 are seen as the beginning of human flight and the "Lilienthal Normalsegelapparat" is considered to be the first airplane in series production, making the Maschinenfabrik Otto Lilienthal in Berlin the first air plane production company in the world.

On 9 August 1896, Lilienthal’s glider stalled and he was unable to regain control. Falling from about 15 metres (49 ft), he broke his neck and died the next day.

Source: Wikipedia

Cuba Correos Ernesto Che Guevara 30th Anniversary of Revolutionary Communications / 80th Birth Anniversary

CUBA CORREOS in 1988 issued a commemorative First Day Cover stamp of Ernesto Che Guevara on the 30th anniversary of revolutionary communications in Cuba. This stamp later appeared on a 15 June 2008 maxim card to mark his 80th birth anniversary. It was designed to illustrate Cuba's history of radio and telecommunications. It should be noted that Che was instrumental in organising the operation of Radio Rebelde.

This radio station, as well as Radio Habana Cuba, occasionally has been received in Malaysia throughout the 2020s. The radio receiver in the background of the stamp is a 1954 Zenith Trans-Oceanic H-500. This American-made radio was one of the best in its day. I owned a similar Zenith H-500 in the early 1970s and I can vouch for its quality as a sensitive receiver.