United Nations

1996: 50th Anniversary of UNICEF

United Nations chose fairy tales as their theme for the UNICEF anniversary stamps with two issued from each office.  The stories chosen for the USA headquarters were The Ugly Duckling (whose story I always associate with the Danny Kaye song from the Hans Christian Anderson film) but I was not familiar with Yeh Shen but with the help of Wikipedia learn it is a type of Cinderella story complete with wicked stepmother, golden slipper and a prince. This tale comes to us from Tang Dynasty China way back in the 7th Century.  The stamp shows Yeh Shen (Ye Xian) and the fish with golden eyes sent to her as a guardian spirit by her mother.  The story is told here

1994: International Population and Development Conference, Cairo (Design - Jerry Smath)

Other child related stamps were issued for the Cairo Population and Development conference in September 1994.

These were designed by Jerry Smath a regular contributor to 'Sesame Street' in his capacity of illustrator for the magazine and the monthly calendar.  He also writes and illustrates children's books and has done other stamps for the United Nations including this one celebrating the hobby of philately.

Sunday Stamps II prompt this week is the Letter U - for United Nations, UNICEF, USA and ugly - more for U at See It On A Postcard