Retro.....

Date of Issue : 12 January 2017

Within the area of design, retro means retur- ning to older styles. New products are made in a retro style, but the term also includes old products that become popular again. One good example of this is the string shelf that is depicted on the coil stamp.

Stamp Booklet

Before working on the stamp, I researched what had been written about the retro phenomenon. I noted in particular a quote by William Morris, from England, who was a designer and author during the second half of the 1800s.

Morris said that “the past is not dead, it is living in us, and will be alive in the future which we are now helping to make”. His point is that we do not live our lives today in isolation from the past, and this stamp series shines a spot- light on things we created before.

Maxi cards

The word “retro” has modern connotations, despite it being anchored in the past. We are not referring to the Middle Ages when we call something “retro”. But what products can be considered retro, and why? I think it refers to objects that in some way still speak to us today.

Contemporary objects

Many young families are passionate about retro, and my own family is no exception. Both string book shelves and classic porcelain from Gustavsberg can be found in our home. The sideboard with the red desk lamp that is depic- ted on the stamp belongs to us.

The home office is one of the environments that was included in my assignment for the stamps. Depicted from top to bottom are a hall with vintage clothing, a kitchen where the cabinet with sliding doors is filled with 1950s porcelain and this same porcelain set out on the table. The living room lamp, coffee table and TV furniture are period pieces.

TV furniture, yes. As you can see there is a flat-screen TV there. The presence of the flat-screen TV, bike helmet, stovetop, mobile telephone and laptop illustrates the dialogue between old and new that can be found in most modern homes. 

Source : WOPA

Stamp with Rainbow colors

The Pride

Date of Issue : 4 May 2016

Here is a stamp from Swedish Post featuring Rainbow Pride Flag . Though the stamp is on a controversial theme but the stamp is beautiful featuring Rainbow colors for my collection.

The rainbow flag, commonly the gay pride flag and LGBT pride flag, is a symbol of lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender (LGBT) pride and LGBT social movements. (Other uses of rainbow flags include a symbol of peace.) The colors reflect the diversity of the LGBT community, and the flag is often used as a symbol of gay pride when it comes to LGBTQ+ rights marches. It originated in Northern California, but is now used worldwide.

Designed by San Francisco artist Gilbert Baker in 1978, the design has undergone several revisions to first remove then re-add colors due to widely available fabrics.As of 2008, the most common variant consists of six stripes, with the colors red, orange, yellow, green, blue, and violet. The flag is commonly flown horizontally, with the red stripe on top, as it would be in a natural rainbow.

--When Lisa Rydell was given the assignment to design the Pride stamp, the typography was the major challenge.

“The flag is just as it was since 1979 when the six colors were established and could not be changed. After a lot of discussions, we landed on a solution where the texts SVERIGE and BREV rest on the lower part of the red and orange bands. The lines add a calming, stable influence to the composition,” she says.

In the summer of 2014, Lisa Rydell took one of her creative, long walks at home and came up with the idea of a stamp with the Pride move- ment’s famous symbol as a motif.

“It just hit me that the rainbow flag would be the perfect motif on a stamp. I sent in the proposal to PostNord and it was accepted. That I was then given the opportunity to work with the design was a pleasant surprise.”

Her interest in stamps as a piece of art and message conveyor emerged 20 years ago when she was studying graphic design at Beckmans College of Design.

“Our teacher gave us an assignment to de- sign a stamp. It was fantastically inspiring and educational. Making a stamp was immediately added to my bucket list,” she says. 

Culture and fashion

Eventually, Lisa Rydell became a freelancer, and she had a long assignment at Kulturhuset in Stockholm, where she was responsible for the design and production of the exhibition posters.

During her career she continued to take on design jobs for the cultural sphere, including book design.

Send love greetings

Stamps are a reflection of today’s Sweden, where diversity is a given. Therefore, PostNord issue a stamp with Pride flag.

– By issuing a postage stamp with Pride flag, we want to stress the equal value and strength of people’s unique characteristics and differences. Pride flag has to our knowledge never been reproduced on a stamp before, and it feels great that it is now possible to send love greetings with Pride flag, says Per Ljungberg, head of the Communications Department, PostNord Sweden. 

Source : WOPA

Charity Stamp 2015 – World Wildlife Fund WWF

 

 

Here are beautiful recent Charity stamps from Sweden. The motifs on the stamps are living landscape and attention WWF's work for a sustainable environment. SEK 10 for each purchased booklet goes to WWF. Charity Stamp 2015 will be issued simultaneously in Sweden and Denmark, with the same motif.

On the FDC, the motif is the WWF symbol, a panda bear. Joint Danish-Swedish First Day Cover. Design: Ditte Rosenørn Holm and Gustav Mårtensson. Final day for purchase was : November 7, 2015.

 

New Christmas stamps

 

 

 

Date of issue: 10 November 2015

In accordance with its traditions, Magyar Posta is celebrating Christmas by issuing a regular postage stamp. This time the Post Office decided to use playful scene and motive to raise the festive mood of people from around the world.

Stamp design shows reindeer prancing playfully in a snowy winter landscape. The stamp was designed by the graphic artist Ágnes Berta and produced by Codex Értékpapírnyomda Zrt.

A Christian holiday honoring the birth of Jesus Christ, Christmas evolved over two millennia into a worldwide religious and secular celebration, incorporating many pre-Christian, pagan traditions into the festivities along the way. Today, Christmas is a time for family and friends to get together and exchange gifts.

Christmas stamps from Sweden

  

Date of Issue : 12 November 2015

 

Sweden is the next country that joined other Postal Services in issuing inspiring festive stamp issue awaited by philately lovers from around the world. These stamps depict the brightest symbols of Christmas .

New stamps on Mushroom

 

 

Date of Issue – 20 August 2015

Swedish Post introduced its new stamp issue on theme “Mushrooms”. The colourful philatelic release consists of two items and one stamp booklet that were unveiled and put on sale on the 20^th of August.

Stamp booklet

The efforts by Elias Fries (1794-1878) to catalogue mushrooms are considered an important part of the development of modern mycology, the study of mushrooms. He is therefore sometimes referred to as “the Linné of mushrooms”.

Elias Fries studied botany at Lund University and became a professor in 1824. Ten years later he left Lund for Uppsala and became the director of the botanical garden and museum there. He was elected into the Royal Swedish Academy of Sciences in 1821 and became a member of the Swedish Academy in 1847.

Despite a brilliant career and academic titles, “the Linné of mushrooms” was often questioned as an expert. He writes himself in the introduction to his illustrated works, Sweden’s Edible and Poisonous Mushrooms,

“While staying a few fall seasons in Stockholm, I often inspected the species that were sold at Munkbron. Many of them were the harmless varieties, but I also found entire baskets of poisonous ones, for example Russula foetens; but when I informed them about this I was told, ‘Oh, the Gentleman does not know what he is talking about’.”

His pictures of mushrooms are an art history treasure and several of them are found in the illustrated work, Sweden’s Edible and Poisonous Mushrooms, which was published in 1860-1866. His illustrations laid the foundation for what people know today about mushrooms.

“The proofs for five of the seven current stamps, weeping milk cap, porcini, changle, scarlet waxy cap and funnel chanterelle, were taken from his illustrated works. All of them are edible”, says Mats Granlöf, the stamp project manager at PostNord Stamps.

During the mid-1800s, people living in Sweden were skeptical about eating mushrooms, but after several years of poor harvests and famine, as well as the enthusiasm of Fries, people’s perception changed.

It’s a children’s world….

 

Toys of yesteryears

Here are some new stamps from Sweden and Netherlands, related with the children’s world. A  new Souvenir sheet shown above, to be issued by   Swedish Post on 26th March 2015 featuring Europa 2015 theme “ Old Toys”. The beautiful souvenir sheet features  teddy bear, a doll and other toys of yesteryears which used to  globally popular among children.

Birth stamp from Dutch Post

Date of Issue : 2 March 2015

Dutch Post issues the Birth stamp in order to “reflect the spirit of the times”, the PostNL website states. The current Birth stamp is available from March 2. It features a pink rattle among other images, and will replace the famous stork Birth stamp which has been used for 18 years.

The new Birth stamp is a collage of illustrations of objects and symbols people often associate with birth and babies: a pram, a rocking horse, a rattle, a bottle, little flowers and hearts.

 

Club News

Philatelic Exhibition on ‘Women’ theme to be held at Bangalore from 7th to 9th March 2015.

As a part of Women’s day celebration Karnataka Postal Circle is organizing Philatelic Exhibition on the theme of ‘Women’ at "Chaya" and "Belaku" halls of Rangoli Metro Art Center, MG Road Metro Station premises, Bangalore from 7th to 9th March 2015. Exhibition will be inaugurated at 11.00 am on 7th March 2015. Exhibition will remain open between 11.00 am to 07.30 pm. Karnataka Postal Circle will also be felicitating five post-women for their diligence to duty on the occasion. The exhibits will include collections from noted philatelists of Bangalore, DR Sumitra Arya, Tamil Vanan (exhibit on Mother Teresa) and other philatelists.

Christmas 2014 stamps from Sweden

 

Date of Issue : 13 November 2014

Here are new stamps issued by Swedish Post for this year’s Christmas. The stamps are so beautiful and tempting featuring a  variety of Christmas sweets. This set of stamps is one of the most beautiful sets issued on Christmas this year. The other philatelic items issued with this set are magnificent and have been shown below.

Popular sweets on the Christmas table and the Christmas tree 

“The ‘lussebulle’ is a bun that, as everyone knows, gets its yellow color from saffron. As far back as the Middle Ages this expensive spice was popular among the aristocracy. It was first used in a Swedish cookbook in the 1700s, but it was not until the end of the 1800s when so many of the Christmas traditions were established in our country that buns and other baked goods with the yellow coloring became common in Swedish kitchens and were linked in particular to Christ-mas,” says Lena Kättström Höök.

Spiking oranges with aromatic cloves is a relatively late tradition. The combination of the clove and orange scents was considered to be refreshing and pleasant.

“The Christmas apple, which was picked and kept fresh by wrapping it in a newspaper, is an early tradition. In the first record of a Swedish Christmas tree from the mid-18th century, Christmas apples, among other decorations, hung from the tree branches.”

Marzipan was also found on the holiday tables of the elite in the 17th century. Marzipan figures often depicted people in fine clothing; the marzipan pig came much later. Sugar used to be expensive, and marzipan, like saffron, was a status symbol.

Stamp Booklet

“Gingerbread cookies, which are spiced with ginger, cinnamon and cardamom, could be bought in the large cities as early as during the 16th century and were at that time viewed as a luxury. They were baked in the monasteries during the Middle Ages and were considered to be a cure-all remedy. Gingerbread houses were first mentioned in Sweden in 1883. The story about Hansel and Gretel by Brothers Grimm was mostly like the source,” says Lena Kättström Höök.

Originally, mulled wine was used as a medicine and drunk throughout the year to promote good health. Toward the end of the 19th century, mulled wine started to become a common Christmas drink in our country. 

 

 

Sheetlet

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Club News

July-August 2014 issue of Stamps Today edited and published by Mr Vijay Seth by has been released. To get the copy of this issue, Please contact : Mr Vijay Seth email : stampstodayindia@gmail.com

New themes on stamps..

 

Cookies : Date of Issue - 8 May 2013

Hi !

Here is a new set of stamps from Swedish Post featuring “ Cookies” which is quite an innovative idea to depict on stamps. With the time new themes are appearing on stamps replacing old traditional themes. This set shows delicious cookies from Sweden that will carry greetings from a trip, the beach, a tourist destination and a retreat in nature. What could be better on a sunny summer day than piling coffee and cookies onto a tray and sitting outside in the fresh air ? I highly appreciate this new theme featured on stamps which is closely related with tourism . The stamps will certainly delight all, especially the  children !!

Another set of stamps from Sweden issued on 9th May shows Astronomy Theme   featuring Sundial, Barometer and Compass.

 

Measure Time and Space – Sundial Barometer and Compass

 

    

Date of Issue : 9 May 2013

Christmas tree decorations…

 

 

Swedish Post has issued special Christmas stamps for this year’s Christmas. The motifs always have a link to the holidays and cover a wide spectrum that includes everything from folklore to new and traditional objects. The theme for this year's Christmas stamps on these Swedish stamps  is Christmas tree decorations.

The tradition of having a Christmas tree in the home emerged on the Continent. Candles were first used as decoration on the tree during the 1600s and 1700s and in the middle of the 1800s glass Christmas tree balls were made by hand in the homes around the German glass works and foundries.

The Christmas heart depicted on one of the stamps is an excellent place to store candy. The Christmas heart tradition comes from Denmark, where paper-cutting was popular during the 1800s.

Maximum Card

Stars in different sizes and materials have been found with different functions during the entire Christmas season. The origin is the Star of Bethlehem, whose appearance in the sky announced the birth of Jesus. The star on the stamp is made from straw as a reminder of the bedding on which baby Jesus lay in the manger.

The news of Jesus' birth, according to the Bible, was announced to several shepherds by an angel and the role of angels in the celebration of Christmas symbolizes the joyful news. Angel decorations for the Christmas tree have been made out of a number of materials, from paper to shiny metal.

New Europa 2012 stamps…

 

Date of Issue : 12 January 2012

The theme of the EUROPA 2012 stamps is tourism. The European postal organization, Posteurop, whose members consist of 40+ postal organizations, determines the theme each year. Individual members then decide themselves which motifs they will use on their own stamps. A landscape from Dalarna and a panorama view of Stockholm with the Globe in the foreground are used for this year's Swedish EUROPA stamps.

The choice of motifs matches the results of a survey conducted by the Visit Sweden, a tourist organization that markets Sweden internationally.

The Dalarna province has been a frequent motif on stamps and in the 1970s Sweden Post issued a booklet, In Dalom, that depicted well-known tourist attractions. A panorama view of Stockholm was depicted on a stamp as early as 1924, and in conjunction with its inauguration in 1989 the Globe appeared on a stamp for the first time.

Bosnia and Herzegovina (Croat post)

To be issued on  : 5 April 2012

Andorra (Spanish post)

Date of Issue: 4 April 2012

Royal Mail (UK)

Date of Issue : 10 April 2012

This is the only stamp  out of a set of fourteen  stamps to be issued by Royal Mail on  April 10, 2012 that  bears the official Europa Logo.

View all :  Europa stamps

 

Christmas and New Year Stamps…

 

 

Hi ! As the festive season of Christmas and New Year  approaches, new stamps are being issued by countries round the world…Here are some wonderful stamps issued for this year’s Christmas and New Year recently !!

Russia

Date of Issue : 1 December 2011

Traditionally, the Russian Post issues a thematic stamp for the New Year. This time it depicts a red Christmas ball with snowflakes on a gray background.

In Russia, the first Christmas trees appeared as ornaments in the XIX century on roofs and fences of pubs. Following the European fashion, Russian people began decorating Christmas trees in 1860-1870-s. Only wealthy people could afford ordering toys in Europe. To buy a glass toy at the end of XIX century for the inhabitants of Russia was the same thing that to buy a car for the modern Russian citizen.

Korea Post

The Korean Post has issued a stamp commemorating the Year of the Dragon. The New Year's greetings stamps have been printed with photo storage ink since 2001. This year, the dragon's body and the pearl-white snowflakes in the stamp are also printed using photo storage ink and glow in the dark.

Being a creature of legends, the dragon is described to have an immense body of a snake, the horns of a deer, the ear of a cow, scaly skin, and four legs. Since ancient times, the dragon has been associated to greatness, thus symbolizing royal authority or the throne. In addition, the dragon has been positioned as an auspicious symbol in our everyday life: a dream of forthcoming conception that involves a dragon led to the expectation of the baby growing up to be a great man; farmers worshipped the dragon as the god of water that governs the success of their harvest; fishermen worshipped the dragon as the Dragon King that governs the sea.

Uruguay

Correo Uruguayo has issued a stamp celebrating Christmas 2011. The stamp illustrates Uruguayan version of Maria, gaucho (shepherd) and baby Jesus in Christmas crib.

Switzerland

"Chapel", "Christmas tree" and "Chalet" - three new special stamps from Swiss Post accentuate this year's Christmas mail with a festive note. A new feature of the Christmas stamps is that they are self-adhesive.

Sweden

Swedish Postal Service has issued a set of winter stamps featuring images of snowflakes taken by Libbrecht . This year's stamps for international holiday greetings depict snow crystals

Recently Libbrecht was awarded the Lennart Nilsson Award, recognizing extraordinary image-makers in science. Libbrecht has taken photographs of both natural and synthetic snowflakes, revealing stunning, unusual designs. He has published several calendars and books on snowflakes describing the art and science of snowflakes.

Capturing - or creating - the most ethereal snowflakes is a passion of Caltech physicist, Ken Libbrecht, one of the world's top experts on snowflakes and ice crystal formations. Libbrecht is also passionate about photographing snowflakes, (utilizing a custom-built photo-microscope).