Poczta Polska90th Anniversary of Polish Radio Katowice

POCZTA POLSKA in 2017 issued a 90th anniversary postcard of Polish Radio Katowice (Polskie Radio Katowice). Shown here is the stamp affixed to their postcard.

Polish Radio Katowice is the largest regional station of Polish Radio. It was created in 1927. High technology and 90 years of tradition, Radio Katowice remains the biggest regional radio station in Poland. Seven days a week, 24 hours a day millions of listeners in the whole Upper Silesia region can be tuned in to Radio Katowice. We also can be heard in parts of Central, Eastern and Western Poland, as well as in the Czech Republic and Slovakia.

Royal Mail The Millennium Collection - Settlers' Tale

ROYAL MAIL issued on 6 April 1999 The Millennium Collection Settlers' Tale comprised four stamps: Migration to Scotland designed by John Byrne, 20p; Pilgrim Fathers designed by Wilson McLean, 26p; Destination Australia designed by Jeff Fisher, 43p; Migration to UK designed by Gary Powell, 63p. Benham released their version with a special  Plymouth Special Postmark and cachet. The four  stamps celebrate the migration, immigration and emigration of people to and from the United Kingdom, and the profound effect it had on the British Isles. It was the Royal Mail's fourth issue in the millennium series.

As for the pilgrims, some 100 people, many of them seeking religious freedom in the New World, set sail from England on the Mayflower in September 1620. That November, the ship landed on the shores of Cape Cod, in present-day Massachusetts. A scouting party was sent out, and in late December the group landed at Plymouth Harbor, where they would form the first permanent settlement of Europeans in New England. These original settlers of Plymouth Colony were known as the Pilgrim Fathers, or simply as the Pilgrims.

The group that set out from Plymouth, in southwestern England, in September 1620 included 35 members of a radical Puritan faction known as the English Separatist Church. In 1607, after illegally breaking from the Church of England, the Separatists settled in the Netherlands, first in Amsterdam and later in the town of Leiden, where they remained for the next decade under the relatively lenient Dutch laws. Due to economic difficulties, as well as fears that they would lose their English language and heritage, they began to make plans to settle in the New World. Their intended destination was a region near the Hudson River, which at the time was thought to be part of the already established colony of Virginia. In 1620, the would-be settlers joined a London stock company that would finance their trip aboard the Mayflower, a three-masted merchant ship, in 1620. A smaller vessel, the Speedwell, had initially accompanied the Mayflower and carried some of the travelers, but it proved unseaworthy and was forced to return to port by September.

More than half of these English settlers died during that first winter, as a result of poor nutrition and housing that proved inadequate in the harsh weather. Leaders such as William Bradford, Miles Standish, John Carver, William Brewster and Edward Winslow played important roles in keeping the remaining settlers together. In April 1621, after the death of the settlement’s first governor, John Carver, Bradford was unanimously chosen to hold that position; he would be reelected 30 times and served as governor of Plymouth for all but five years until 1656.

Source: History Channel

Royal Mail 50th Anniversary of Queen Elizebeth II Coronation

 

ROYAL MAIL on 2 June 2003 issued a series of 10 stamps to mark the 50th anniversary of Queen Elizabeth II ascension to the British throne in 1953.

Five stamps show colour photographs of the Coronation procession and ceremony, whereas five show, in black and white, scenes from Coronation events and street parties around the uk. The Queen’s profile is in gold at top left on all stamps except that reproducing Cecil Beaton’s portrait. As with the 2002 Golden Jubilee stamps, this issue is printed on ‘50’ watermarked paper. 

The postmark on this cachet is Tallents House  ‘FD0314’ (London swi) postmark. Several different postmarks from other locations were available as well.

Stamps shown at top row, left to right:
1) Guardsmen in Coronation procession;

2) East End children reading a notice about Coronation party;
3) The Queen in the Coronation chair, with the Bishops of Durham and Bath & Wells;
4) School children in Plymouth assembling Royal pictures;

5) Cecil Beaton's famous official Coronation portrait. 

 

Stamps at bottom row: 

6) Games at East End street party; 

7) The Coronation coach at Marble Arch;

8) Children in fancy dress outside house decorated for the Coronation; 

9) The Coronation coach returning to Buckingham Palace; 

10) Children at a London street party.

La Poste France Honours Josephine Baker

LA POSTE FRANCE  on 19 September 1994 issued a series of stamps recognising the talents of France's performing artists, among them being Josephine Baker.

Josephine Baker (born Freda Josephine McDonald; naturalised French Joséphine Baker; 3 June 1906 – 12 April 1975) was an American-born French dancer, singer and actress. Her career was centered primarily in Europe, mostly in her adopted France. She was the first black woman to star in a major motion picture, the 1927 silent film "Siren of the Tropics", directed by Mario Nalpas and Henri Étiévant.

During her early career, Baker was among the most celebrated performers to headline the revues of the Folies Bergère in Paris. Her performance in the revue Un vent de folie in 1927 caused a sensation in the city. Her costume, consisting of only a short skirt of artificial bananas and a beaded necklace, became an iconic image and a symbol both of the Jazz Age and the Roaring Twenties.

Born in St. Louis, Missouri, she renounced her U.S. citizenship and became a French national after her marriage to French industrialist Jean Lion in 1937. She raised her children in France.

She aided the French Resistance during World War II. After the war, she was awarded the Resistance Medal by the French Committee of National Liberation, the Croix de Guerre by the French military, and was named a Chevalier of the Légion d'honneur by General Charles de Gaulle. Baker is quoted as saying: "I have two loves, my country and Paris."

Baker refused to perform for segregated audiences in the United States and is noted for her contributions to the civil rights movement. In 1968, she was offered unofficial leadership in the movement in the United States by Coretta Scott King, following Martin Luther King Jr.'s assassination. She declined.

On 30 November 2021, she was interred in the Panthéon in Paris, the first black woman to receive one of the highest honours in France. As her resting place remains in Monaco Cemetery, a cenotaph was installed in vault 13 of the crypt in the Panthéon. Four stamps of her were printed on this occasion.

Source: Wikipedia

Saudi Post Qiblatayn Mosque

SAUDI POST - SPL  in 9 November 1988 issued two first day cover stamps of the Qiblatayn Mosque (مسجد القبلتين, literally Mosque of the Two Qiblas), or Masjid al-Qiblatain. The first day cover carried two postmark cancellations: one bearing the Hijrah date in Arabic, and the other bore the Gregorian date in Romanised script.

In circa 1988, during the reign of King Fahd, the mosque was completely torn down and rebuilt. In the course of the reconstruction, the old prayer niche facing Jerusalem was removed, and the one facing Mecca was left.  Hence, these stamps commemorate its reconstruction.

The mosque was originally built by Sawad ibn Ghanam ibn Ka'ab during the year 2 AH (623 CE) and was one of the few mosques in the world to have contained two mihrabs (niches indicating the qibla) in different directions -- from Masjid al-Aqsa in Jerusalem to the Ka’bah in Makkah. Masjid al-Qiblatain remains historically important to Muslims as it is the location where the first congregational prayers were performed following the change; on that day, the Prophet Muhammed (saw) arrived in the afternoon and led his congregation in prayer facing the.Ka’bah in Makkah.

During his time in Makkah, the Prophet Muhammed (saw) used to pray towards Bait-al-Maqdis, with the Ka’bah in front of him. When he migrated to Madinah, he prayed towards Jerusalem for 16 months, but he hoped it would be changed to the Ka’bah. Eventually he received a revelation, as stated in the Quran, Surah al-Baqarah, verse 145, which states the final direction.

Besides the restoration work made in 1988, the mosque has received a number of structural changes  in its 1400 year history. During the reign of Ottoman caliph Sultan Suleiman the Great it was rebuilt. In 1931 (1350 AH) King Abdulaziz Al Saud ordered the restoration and  expansion of the mosque as well as the construction of a minaret and a wall around it. Lastly, in 2019 plans were afoot to enlarge the  mosque to accommodate more people.

La Poste France 50th Anniversary of French Cinematheque - Jean Renoir

LA POSTE FRANCE on 29 September 1986 issued a series of 10 stamps dedicated to the 50th anniversary of French cinema, among these being Jean Renoir's "Grand Illusion" which was featured one of the stamps, us

ing the Héliogravure printing method.

It should be noted that the French Cinematheque celebrated the 50th anniversary of its creation on 2 September 1986. It was founded by Henri Langlois and Georges Franju, who were quickly surrounded by friends and collaborators. This cinematheque was not the first, but it very quickly became the most prestigious, the one that is internationally recognised by all filmmakers as their "house of cinema". To commemorate this 50th anniversary, the La Poste issued an exceptional set of postage stamps retracing the historical continuity of French cinema, its authors and its actors, one of these being Jean Renoir.

French auteur Jean Renoir (15 September 1894 – 12 February 1979), son of the painter, was born in Montmartre and largely reared by his mother’s cousin. He served in the cavalry in World War I, was wounded, and became a flier.

He directed his first film in 1924, eight silent movies would follow, and then he turned to sound in 1931. By the time he got to "Grand Illusion" in 1937, he had twenty films under his proverbial belt. Renoir had been struck by the directorial work of Erich von Stroheim, and so it must have given him particular pleasure to recruit the older man as an actor opposite Pierre Fresnay and Jean Gabin. One of Renoir’s other great filmic masterpieces, "The Rules of the Game" (1939), was a complete flop. These two films are now held to be among the finest ever made.

Renoir served with the French Army Film Service from 1939, that is, well before World War II broke out, and fled to America in 1940 and became a US citizen after the war.

The output of his films slowed, with his last appearing in 1969, but Renoir wrote a good deal, including the memoirs, "Renoir, My Father" (1962) and "My Life and My Films" (1974).

He died in 1979.

USPS Legends of Hollywood - Humphrey Bogart

USPS in 1997 issued a series of "Legends of Hollywood" stamps, among these being Humphrey Bogart, whose name is synonymous with the golden age of American film. Michael Deas, who illustrated the stamp, based the image on a movie poster produced for "The Big Sleep" (1946). Deas, who has won awards for his stamp artwork, also designed the Marilyn Monroe, James Dean, F. Scott Fitzgerald, and Tennessee Williams stamps.

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Born on Christmas Day in 1899, Humphrey Deforest Bogart began his career as an assistant stage manager in the theater, becoming an actor by chance -- taking over for an actor who missed a performance. After that, he appeared in seven hit Broadway shows in a row culminating with his 1937 enormous success as Duke Mantee in Robert Sherwood's "The Petrified Forest", with Leslie Howard later reprising his role in the film version. With a career that included more than 75 films, he appeared in supporting roles in many Warner Bros. pictures, finally moving on by starring in such classics as "High Sierra", "Sahara", "The Maltese Falcon", and "Across The Pacific", both of which were directed by John Huston.

Then came "Casablanca", "To Have And Have Not", "The Big Sleep", "Key Largo" and many more. Bogart was nominated for an Academy Award for "Treasure Of The Sierra Madre" and "The Caine Mutiny", and finally won the Oscar for "The African Queen". "Bogie died more than 40 years ago -- in 1957 -- only to re-emerge as possibly the biggest star the motion picture industry has ever seen.

 Bogart joined Marilyn Monroe and James Dean as the third star in the Postal Service's "Legends of Hollywood" series, which showcased individuals who had a major impact on the development of American films.

USPS press release

USPS Legends of Hollywood -- Cary Grant

USPS on 15 October 2002 issued a first day cover stamp of Cary Grant. He was one of several actors/actresses honoured in their  Legends of Hollywood series. Cancellation postmark originated from Los Angeles, California. The FDC cachet features an illustration of Cary Grant with the titles of the many films he starred in set in the background.

Cary Grant (born Archibald Alec Leach; 18 January 1904 – 29 November 1986) was an English-American actor. Known for his transatlantic accent, debonair demeanor, light-hearted approach to acting, and sense of comic timing, he was one of classic Hollywood's definitive leading men from the 1930s until the mid-1960s.

Grant starred in some of the best romantic comedies ever made, like "The Philadelphia Story", "His Girl Friday", and "The Awful Truth" as well as remarkable thrillers such as Hitchcock’s "Notorious" and "North by Northwest"; his star-making performances in such pictures cemented his status as a definitive leading man and all-around box-office commodity in Hollywood. Grant’s exceptional on-screen career spanned nearly 35 years, with the acting great retiring from the cinema in 1966 after starring in over 70 films. He passed away in 1986 at age 82.

Pošta Srpske 100th Anniversary of WWI

POSTA SRPSKE (Republika Srpske Bosnia-Herzegovina) in 2014 issued a series of first day cover stamps marking the centenary of WWI. Shown are the first day covers, each with historic information of the reverse side of the envelope as it pertains to the stamps, and a souvenir sheet of the stamps.

The First World War officially began on 28th July 1914, a month after the Sarajevo assassination, in which Gavrilo Princip killed the Austro-Hungarian heir to the throne Franjo Ferdinand. The Serbian people, though exhausted by warfare from two Balkan wars, bravely fought in this war too. The price of victory over the enemy was terrible,  compared to the number of inhabitants. Serbia had the largest number of victims among all participating countries in the First World War.

 

Singpost Miscellaneous Stamps

SINGPOST (Singapore) miscellaneous collection of stamps received from a fellow philatelist who sent them as cover postage for an FDC purchase. Shown is a souvenir sheet of an old map of Singapore and Hong San See Temple.

Deutsche Post Miscellaneous Stamps

 

DEUTSCHE POST miscellaneous collection of stamps received from a fellow philatelist who sent them as cover postage for an FDC purchase,

Royal Mail Elton John

ROYAL MAIL souvenir sheet of  pop musician Elton John. Shown here is a partial souvenir sheet of the artist performing at various live concerts. It was part of a cover sent by a fellow stamp collector.

UN Post 100th Birth Anniversary of Dr. Ralph Bunche

 

UNITED NATIONS POST on 7 August 2003 issued three stamps to commemorate the centenary birth date of Dr. Ralph Bunche. The first day cover envelope carried postmark cancellations originating from UN headquarters in Geneva, New York and Vienna. He was also honoured in a USPS stamp.

Dr. Ralph Bunche received the 1950 Nobel Peace Prize for his late 1940s work as a United Nations mediator in the Palestine conflict. He called himself 'an incurable optimist'. Bunche was the first African American and person of colour to be so honoured in the history of the prize.
 
Dr. Bunche was present at the creation of the United Nations, as one of the co-authors of the Charter and a leading advocate of decolonisation. He laid the foundation for UN peacekeeping. He was intimately involved in every one of the key questions which the UN grappled with in its first decades.

As if that was not enough, Bunche was also a leading figure in the civil rights movement in the United States, and an acclaimed and pioneering scholar of political science, especially race relations.

On receiving the Nobel Peace Prize for 1950, Bunche gave voice to that keenly felt anxiety about the inability of human beings to live together peacefully. In a few memorable words, he encapsulated the mission of the United Nations. The United Nations exists, he said, “not merely to preserve the peace but also to make change –even radical change –possible without violent upheaval. The United Nations has no vested interest in the status quo”.

Source: United Nations