Peace and Freedom

I've shown the stamp on the left quite recently for the Sunday Stamp red cross theme so today is a great opportunity to display the trio designed by Jean-Michel Folon  (the other two being for the fiftieth anniversary of the United Nations). His comment made about his own art  "I have only tried to depict my own dreams with the hope that in them others may hang their own." fits perfectly with the third stamp of the United Nations symbolising the world at peace.

This set of stamps was actually called "Peace and Freedom" (I don't think I will ever be more on theme for Sunday Stamps that that!) - the other two that complete the set were very different

and commemorate the end of the Second World War with soldiers and civilians celebrating. I wonder if that was Victory in Europe Day. So much celebrating went on in London 70 years ago this week that they ran out of beer at 8 o'clock. The other stamp shows St Paul's Cathedral.

Previous to what would become Victory in Europe Day Allied troops had pushed into Belgium in September 1944 and the major cities were quickly liberated and

 they celebrated with their heraldic lion although my own favourite is this 1937 two centimes stamp

officially overprinted with a red V on the 18th December 1944 to celebrate Belgium liberation. (in reality the stamp is a paler green than the scan so you get the contrast of a very delicate green and bold red V).  The Dutch at this point were optimistic they would be next to be free and began to plan the issue of their own 'liberation' stamp, however it had to be done in secret because the Germans were still in control.

To safeguard against consequences of the design of a Dutch lion defeating a dragon being discovered it had the words "TBC BESTRIJDING (Fight against tuberculosis) on the top of the stamp as a ruse. On July 15th 1945 (the surrender of the Germans forces in the Netherlands had taken place  in May) the stamp was released as intended with 19.HERRIJZEND.45 on the top "Rise again 1945". Nearly 57 million of these stamps were sold.

The Peace in the Pacific would be celebrated by Australia with this stamp in 1946

of star and wreath together with

a flag and dove of peace.  Unfortunately I don't have the third stamp of the set which was a green angel even though Australia reissued this set of stamps in 1995 as a "Peace Pack"  redrawn by L. Dolan from the original designs of Frank D Manley and G. Lissenden. I like the woolly nature of the dove, it could almost be part sheep.  For a more stylised version of the dove of peace here is a German one.

1956: Human Rights Day

An entry to Violet Sky's Sunday Stamps II theme of - Peace and Freedom - spend a peaceful time here