Sunday 21 February 2016

Windmill Sunsets

As the sun sets a farmer rests on his scythe and is now ready to winnow and grind the grain into flour.  Every year Åland Post attends about 16 international stamp exhibitions and celebrates the fact with stamps and cards on a common theme.  This one is from the Lapoex National Stamp Exhibition in Lahtis, Finland.  It shows a Post Mill which was operated by a group of farmers or in remote areas owned and operated by one farmer. They date back to the late 18th Century but the ones that survive in the country are from the 19th Century.
Windmill technology originally came into Finland from Sweden so it is appropriate the next card is from there
and the Nordic Philatelic and Postcard Exhibition in Täby north of Stockholm.  This one looks a bigger affair altogether and seems to have a miller in place.  Is it early morning or evening? I will let you decide.
I leave the Nordic countries to journey to Germany and an even more sturdy windmill not made of wood
but brick or stone.  This we call a smock mill which gets its name from the shape of smocks that were once worn by farmers.  In German it is a Galerieholänder which I think translates as a Gallery Dutchman.  (Unfortunately Åland Post did not attend any Dutch stamp exhibitions so no paintings from the home of the windmill)   It looks as though a couple are taking an evening walk and admiring the windmill as the birds fly home and the windmill custodian appears at the side. This is from the International Stamp Exhibition in Sindelfingen a town near Stuttgart.  Take a trip from here up to Lower Saxony and a whole range of windmills can be enjoyed at the International Wind and Watermill Museum. 
The postcards and stamps are by the Swedish illustrator and writer Tord Nygren (b1936) and the full set are little vignettes of windmill life from Scandinavia, Europe and Asia, the old to the modern set in landscapes with changing skies. 

An entry to Sunday Stamps II theme - Sunrise or Sunset - sail away for more skies at See It On A Postcard 
  

5 comments:

FinnBadger said...

Those stamped cards are amazing - and I love the postmarks as well.

Bob Scotney said...

A great series of cards and stamps on an intriguing topic.

Ana said...

I love it how subtle the theme of today is presented in these stamps here...and that 'rural' moment brings an extra touch to it all!

Mail Adventures said...

I had the same problem to decide if the stamp I poste was the sunset or the sunrise. I had to look at the map!

Heleen said...

How much I love these maximum cards! The stamps show an interesting view. A delight to see. Thank you for sharing!

Mentioning Dutch stamps / windmills: Dutch post issued a windmill stamp sheet a few years ago. If interested to see, see:
http://www.postzegelblog.nl/2013/06/09/molens-indrukwekkende-landschapssymbolen-van-weleer/