Festivals

 

1955: Publicity Issues

Alpine Herdsman and Costume Festival, Interlaken where of course there are Alpenhorn blowers aplenty.

1996: Publicity Issues

Enter a brass band at the 30th Federal Music Festival considered the largest wind music and brass band competition in the world. It is held every five years in various regions of Switzerland.

2013: Town Festivals (Designer - Linda Olafsdottir)

The Smelter Music Festival held in the remote village of Borgafjorour Estri in Iceland. The concerts are held an old fish reduction and herring factory which the locals convert into a concert hall once a year.

Entry to Sunday Stamps theme - Celebrations/Festivals - See It On A Postcard 

Fashion

 

1953: National Industries

Haute couture and the Place Vendome square in the heart of Paris, home of jewelers and luxury fashion houses. A dress for a red carpet walk

1981: Europa - Folklore

A dress to dance in by the sea in Northern Germany with, I presume, a merry mariner.

2007: Swedish Fashion

Fashion from Katja of Sweden and fashion and costume designer Behnaz Aram

Rohdi Heintz and Nakkna 

An entry to the Sunday Stamp theme - Fashion - See It On A Postcard 

World Food

 

2016: Food from Sweden

The 'Food from Sweden' booklet stamps feature food eaten in Sweden from other countries. These two stamps are of course from Italy and Japan.

The coil stamp from this issue has traditional Swedish food, crisp bread.cheese, hard boiled egg. potato, chives and herring. This would make an excellent picnic although I might need something more substantial than crisp bread. I happened on a blog whose main interest is all things philatelic concerning food and cuisine. It shows the maxi cards of this set, I lusted after these for a moment..

2002: Swedish Gastronomy

What we need now is a recipe book and Dr Charles Emil Hagdahl provided one called 'Cooking As a Science and Art' in 1879 which contained 3000 recipes. It also included how the housewife should handle servants and what he considered good qualities for a housewife.  Marit Huldt was an influential food writer using the pen name 'Hiram'. She wrote almost exclusively for the Swedish newspaper Svenska Dagbladet, becoming their food editor in 1955 after winning a cooking competition and remained with the paper for 25 years. During her time there she illustrated her articles and recipes, introducing characters like Fru Bratton (Mrs Hurry) who would also appear in her cookbooks.

1975: Fruits

 No need of recipes here, just pick these off the trees. There is a warning with the one on the left, achras zapota known as Sapodilla among other names. These must never be eaten unripe not only would it be very bitter but astringent to tongue and throat. The black seeds come with a warning too as they have hooks on them which can damage the throat. All said they are sweet when ripe, one of their other names is Marmalade Plum so maybe that is a hint of their flavour, I've never eaten them (or seen them in UK shops) but they look very juicy and their large black oblong seeds are disposed of before eating. Lastly something very familiar and delicious, also best eaten ripe, peaches.

Sunday Stamps theme - Food - feast at See It On A Postcard 

Island Birds

 

1975: Jersey Island Birds (Designer - Jennifer Toombs)

Riding the waves of Jersey - the graceful Tern; a Storm Petrel just clear of the water 'pattering' with lowered feet; Brent Geese who winter on Jersey's milder coast ; Shag, perched on a rock with wings outstretched to dry after prolonged diving for fish.

1970: Birds Definites 

The ½c stamp identifies a House Wren but time has passed and it is now reclassified as a subspecies and recognised as the St Vincent Wren (Troglodytes musicus) endemic to the island.  4c The forest dwelling Rufous-throated Solitaire which I believe has a haunting melodic song and is "the dominant forest sound at dusk".

5c Scaly-naped Pigeon, widespread throughout the Caribbean 10c Mangrove Cuckoo, one can tell by the name where to find this bird $2.50  a flycatcher, the Yellow Bellied Elaenia.  South of St Vincent

1976: Flora and Fauna (Designer - Gordon Drummond)

is the southernmost of the Windward Islands - Grenada. Here we find the Bananaquit, named for its bright yellow underside and yes they also like eating ripe bananas. A 'quit' is a West Indian word used to describe tiny chirping birds.

1978: Birds of Grenada (Deign - Gordon Drummond)

I started with sea birds so I'll finish with one. The stamp identifies this as a Black Headed Gull, a bird of the Palearctic region. The knowledgeable  Birds on Stamps site identifies it as a Laughing Gull, which is indeed very similar, especially in summer plumage. The Laughing Gull is a subspecies and permanent resident of the West Indies and Caribbean islands.

An entry to Sunday Stamps theme of - Birds - See It On A Postcard

 

Invention

 

2007: Swedish Innovations (Illustrations - Sara Lund)

Two very useful inventions probably in your tool box. The always useful adjustable spanner,  A wall plug, usually referred to as a rawlplug in the UK, a brand name that became a generic term. The Swedes call them a Thorsmanpluggen, invented in Sweden in 1964 by Oswald Thorsman together with their colour coding, red being a medium size general purpose plug.

2007: World of Invention (Illustrations - Peter Till)

Bridge Building in Thomas Telford's imagination.                        Railway locomotion

Communications.                 Television

 E Mail, Internet and the World Wide Web.            Still to come - Space Tourism to the moon 

Sunday Stamps theme - Celebrating Inventions - See It On A Postcard 

Island History

 

1981: Discovery of Madeira

Portuguese explorers were blown off course while sailing along the West African coast, after many days adrift they found a small island harbour which they named Porto Santo. Much later the sailors noticed a heavy dark bank of clouds to the south west of this small isle and sailed towards it in 1419 and found a densely forested island they named Madeira (meaning 'wood' in Portuguese).

1993: The Red Cross and Scout Movement

70 years of the Red Cross in 1992. The stamp shows the Greenland flag, a rising sun. Also 50 Years of the Scout Movement in 1993 with two scouts gazing out of their tent. Musk Ox also make an appearance on this sheet, perfectly clothed for the Greenlandic climate, they are known there as Umimmak - the long-bearded one.

1986: Bicentenary of Reykjavik

The first official seal of Reykjavik, introduced in 1815, featured a fisherman, a boat and a flatfish. It was replaced in 1957 by the current logo, a blue shield design

Sunday Stamp theme - Historical Events - See It On A Postcard 

Learning

 

1983: 150th Anniversary of the University of Zurich

Established in 1883 the University of Zurich was the first European university founded by a democratic state rather than a monarch or the church. There have been 12 Nobel Prize winners (primarily in physics and chemistry) educated here. Three famous names stand out - Rontgen, Schrodinger and Einstein.

1997: Universities 

   Padua University was founded in 1222, the second oldest university in Italy. The stamp shows the Bo Palace (Palazzo de Bo) built in 1594 and is the oldest surviving anatomical theatre in the world. An inscription as old as the theatre says "This is a place where the dead are pleased to teach those who live". 

Two famous astronomers who were temporary residents are Galileo, who taught at the university, and Copernicus, who was a student, Another alumni of Padua for those interested in the English Tudor era and its machinations was Sir Francis Walsingham, who would become spymaster for Queen Elizabeth I.

1998: 750th Anniversary of St Marienstern Abbey, Panschwitz-Kuckan

Founded in 1248 St Marienstern Abbey is one of the few Central European monasteries that has maintained a uninterrupted history and during that long time survived the Hussite Wars, the Reformation, world wars and the old GDR. The Abbey as well as being home to the Cistercian nuns of the order of St Benedict functions as a educational and cultural learning centre which includes a 6000 square metre Educational Garden

For the Sunday Stamps theme of - Places of Learning - See It On A Postcard

High and Low

 

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1963: Landscapes of Hwagshan - Yellow Mountains

Jade Screen Peak composed of Mesozoic granite formed through intense magmatic activity, its steep cliffs later sculpted by repeated glacial action during the last 2.6 million years, known as the Quaternary Period.

1963: Czech Scenery

Taking a deep dive to the caves and stalagmites of Moravia. The Moravian Karst contains over a thousand spaces and caves decorated with stalactites and stalagmites. The five major cave systems have guided tours, one of which has a motorboat ride along the underground Punkva River

1964: Tourism Series

More stalactites and stalagmites in the Drach Cave, four great caves in the island of Majorca which are connected to each other. One can experience a music concert on the subterranean Lake Martel where classical musicians play from illuminated rowing boats. The lake is named after the 19th Century French speleologist Édouard-Alfred Martel.

1964: Stalactites of Aggtelek

The Aggteleki Cave  also known as Baradla Cave is a massive 26 kilometre long and located on the border areas of Hungary and Slovakia. Famous for its huge chambers, stalactites and underground concert hall.  It  may be chilly down there but is a constant 10c (50F) year round. A UNESCO World Heritage Site 

Sunday Stamps theme - Geology - visit - See It On A Postcard

Rivers

1965: Gorges du Tarn

The Tarn River in Southern France carving it way through limestone cliffs which tower up to 600m above it.. The gorge has a microclimate that can be hot in summer and mild in winter. A canoeist says it is a most amenable river to paddle along. 

1982: Navigation on the Danube - Danube Commission

The Danube - a  river that has been in the news in this long hot summer as it reaches record lows. The stamp show the ferry Kamzic passing under the SNP (Slovak National Uprising) Bridge, today called the New Bridge. The Kamzic was built in 1972 and could carry up to 200 passengers. It was a popular attraction for Bratislava residents but stopped operating in 2003

1970: Floating Logs - Log Driver Johan Eriksson

Timmerflotting (historic log driving) from the times past when harvested timber was floated down rivers to saw mills. The trees were cut in winter and the spring floods sent them on their watery journey. Commercial floating ended in 1991 with a final drive on the River Klaralven. 

2023: River Wildlife

An Atlantic Salmon making its epic journey from ocean to the freshwater river or stream where  it was hatched, jumping up and over weirs and waterfalls to reach their ultimate destination. But for lazy summer days for humans what could be more pleasant than sitting on a river bank and spotting a Kingfisher. The juveniles will leave home this month in search of territories of their own so there may be more opportunities to see Kingfishers in unexpected places than normal. 

Sunday Stamps theme - Rivers - See  It On A Postcard

Mounains in Monochrome

 

1983: Low Value Definitive Stamps

Seven Stars Crags are limestone karsts peaks rising out of Star Lake in Guangdong. The lake is 20k long. I believe the early morning golden hour is the ideal time to capture the peaks reflections in the lake. The area is also famous for its colourful caves, underground rivers and ancient stone inscriptions.

Mt Zhumulangma, the Chinese name for Mt Everest

Taishan Mountains. Mount Tai is one of China's five sacred mountains rising to an elevation of 5,069 ft (1545 metres) and designated a UNESCO World Heritage Site. There are about 7000 steps to climb to the top! Over 70 Chinese Emperors have used the stone steps,  an imperial path to ascend the mountain to perform the sacrifices to heaven and earth at the top. Emperors and their massive entourages started the ascent from the Dai Temple. While emperors walked the sacred path as a display of piety and humility they sometimes were carried in sedan chairs up the steepest sections like the 'Eighteen Bends' which lead to the mountain's summit. This single section contains contains exactly 1.633 stone steps carved directly into the mountain cliff. Pity those sedan carriers.

1979: Kluane National Park (National Park definitive series)

Kluane National Park, home of high mountains, glaziers and grizzly bears. The artist Alan C Collier travelled to southwestern Yukon to paint its rugged icy white mountain landscape. The stamp features his 'Across the Tundra'.

Sunday Stamps theme this week - Mountains - See It On A Postcard 

Aviation

 

1987: Airmail - Aviation

1st test airmail flight, Villacoublay to Pauilac in France in 1913. . The Morane Soulnier Type H was a single seat monoplane primarily used for racing and sporting purposes.

1980: World Cup Aerobatics, Oshkosh, Wisconsin, USA

An acrobatic sport aircraft,

2016: Royal Aeronautical Society 150 Years - Innovation in Aerospace

Two, at the time, cutting edge airplanes. 93p) The Harrier Jump Jet, its Pegasus engine permitting vertical or horizontal flight according to the vector of the exhaust flow. 93p) The supersonic airplane Concorde whose first passenger scheduled flight was in 1976

1987: Helicopters

20₮) The behemoth that was the Soviet designed airliner B-12, a rotary winged vehicle able to carry 200 passengers. Although technologically brilliant it never made it to full scale as it was too expensive and complicated to manufacture. 30₮) Westland WG-30 Lynx  . Originally envisioned as a military vehicle for tactical transport and air ambulances instead it  became a useful civilian helicopter including transport to and from offshore oil and gas fields. The prototype was built in 1979 followed by manufacture. The last of the Lynx class were sold to India in 1988.

Sunday Stamps theme - Aviation - at  See It On A Postcard 

Stories

 

1997: Europa - Tales and Legends

The Fisherman and his Wife - a fairy story collected by the Brothers Grimm

Rubezahl, a mountain dweller and  subject of many legends in Germany and Eastern Europe

2006: Animal Tales

Favourite children's book animals:- Roald Dahl;s 'The Enormous Crocodile'; Michael Bond's Paddington Bear. The Very Hungry Caterpillar by Eric Carle, where a very tiny Caterpillar  consumes many types of foods before eventually turning into a butterfly. It seems it has taken two circular chunks out of the stamp on the journey. Lastly learn the alphabet with Maisy Mouse's ABC here she is dressing up as a Queen but her adventures include balancing on an Elephant's trunk and flying a Kite. The interactive book is by Lucy Cousins.

Sunday Stamps theme - Children's Books - See It On A Postcard 

Sporting XYZ

 

1996: Olympic Games

The XXVI Olympic Games in Atlanta. The first time Uzbekistan competed as an independent nation.

1970: Football World Championships

Football's Jules Rimet Cup was awarded to the winners of the FIFA World Cup between 1930 and 1970. Named after the FIFA President who initiated the tournament, the trophy went permanently to Brazil when they won it for the third time in 1970.  In 1938 Italy won the trophy in France. When the Nazis occupied Rome in 1943 the Italian football official Ottorino Barassi took the trophy from a bank vault and hid it in a shoe box beneath his bed to prevent it being stolen or melted down by the occupying forces. 

  Brazil won the Jules Rimet trophy for the first time in 1958 beating the hosts Sweden

and for the second time in Chile 1962

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1982: World Cup

The 1982 World Cup in Spain. The stamp features El Salvador and Hungary. This would he the last time that El Salvador qualified for the tournament. Hungary beat them 10-1 in the first round but despite that did not advance to the second round.

Sunday Stamps A-Z for -  the roman numeral X, Yemen and Zaire - See It On A Postcard