Sunday 23 October 2016

City Views

1947-1954:  Definitive stamp
Just described as 'Walled City' I think this is a beautifully designed stamp and the issue also came in a variety of colours but I think the black and white shows the details the best.  Designed and engraved by a French duo who produced a number of Moroccan stamps, these stamps were issued at the time of the French Protectorate however they were printed by Lugat of Casablanca.  I wonder if the artist Camille Paul Josso (1902-1986) lived in Morocco for a time as he exhibited there and is described as an orientalist painter.  The engraver Pierre Gandon produced many stamps and was the artist and engraver for three of the French Marianne definitive stamps.  Here is the blue version of the Walled City.
Well its time to set sail for another city
1962: 'Old Berlin' Series
and we arrive in Berlin and the bridge over the River Spree at Waisenbrücke which I think is called Orphans Bridge.  If it is Orphans Bridge when the Berlin Wall went up in 1961 it became part of East Berlin's border with West Berlin which would make the view a nice political statement by West Berlin Post of an undivided city.  The view is from a painting of the city from 1783 by, I presume, H. Hiller, the engraver is Egon Falz (1932-2010) a prolific stamp engraver.
2000: Tourist Sights
Staying with bridges here is the 12th Century Stone Bridge across the Danube in Regensburg, a Bavarian city whose medieval centre is a UNESCO World Heritage Site.  The medieval bridge felt the strain of modern traffic and is at the moment under restoration and expected to reopen some time in 2017.  The attention to detail in its restoration included searching for  the right type of sandstone to match the original which they eventually found in a disused quarry. 

Time to go to the airport and visit another city
1966: Airmail
flying into London over the Houses of Parliament and Big Ben. The added treat is a nice clear post-horn cancel.   This Hungarian airmail post set has an aeroplane flying over some of the most familiar sights of Europe. 
1995: Trams (Stamp Design Rolf Erikson from a photo by Lars Olov Karlsson)
I don't like driving in big cities and who needs to if there is a good public transport system although the postcard and stamp feature 1967 when generally public transport was more diverse.  The date is significant because that is when the tram lines in Stockholm were withdrawn because traffic in Sweden switched from driving on the left to the right.  The line was restored in 1991 as a heritage tram line and the Route 7 shown on the sign is one you can ride today on a heritage tram and if especially enthusiastic combine with a visit to the Tram Museum.

An entry to Sunday Stamps II theme - City Views - take a trip to See It On A Postcard

5 comments:

Bob Scotney said...

A series of fine stamps and what a surprise to see London on a stamp frm Hungary.

VioletSky said...

I would definitely be among the tram enthusiasts going on to the tram museum!
The Moroccan stamp is beautiful - love the views of jumbled streets and houses.

Maria said...

The black & blue Moroccan stamps are captivating!I can imagine enjoying myself being lost in that myriad of buildings.

Scriptor Senex said...

It is a pity Morocco now has so few themed stamps.

Mail Adventures said...

I'm glad to see stamps from the country I'm living in... I agree with John that they issue few special stamps (they have cut a little, lately). But the real problem is that, even if they issue the stamps, you can't find them in most post offices, even the big ones. It's a pity!