Sunday 30 June 2019

Swedish Stories

1969: Swedish Fairy Tales (Engraver - Czeslaw Slania)
Today it is time for Swedish adventures.  Katie has met a friendly cat who takes her on his back for a magical ride.  This is from the lavishly illustrated book 'The Cat Journey' by the artist and illustrator Ivar Arosenius, published posthumously in 1909.  This is one of a set of stamps of  Swedish stories which were issued in booklet form, the next is


'Pelle's New Suit '(1912) written and illustrated by Elsa Beskow (1874-1953) who is sometimes called the Beatrix Potter of Sweden. The story is about Pelle who has a lamb whose coat grows longer and longer while Pelle's Sunday suit grows shorter. Pelle shears the lamb, cards, spins and dyes the wool . Finally the tailor makes a new suite for Pelle

The Wonderful Adventures of Nils by Selma Lagerlöf (1906) and illustrated by John Bauer.  A journey across all of  Sweden by Nils and a farm goose

Another John Bauer illustration in Cyrus Granér's story Vill-Vallereman (1909) about a little fairy shepherd which belongs to the fairy-tale collection 'With Pucks and Elves'

No set of Swedish stories would be complete without Pippi Longstocking by Astrid Lindgren and her first illustrator, Ingrid Vang Nyman (1916-1959). Pippi is using her superhuman strength to lift her friend the horse watched by the monkey, Mr Nilsson.
1987: Astrid Lindgren's Tales (Illustrator - I Wikland; Engraver - Z Jakus)
A set of 10 discount stamps were issued to celebrate Astrid Lindgren on the occasion of her 80th birthday.  I hope some of her birthday cards came with these stamps. Unfortunately I only have this one which is from a series of 7 books about a 7 year old girl called Madicken , her affectionate nickname, she only gets called her full name, Margareta Engström, when she misbehaves.  The artist is Maire-Ilon Wikland who has illustrated a large number of Astrid Lindgren's books.



Sunday Stamps II prompt this week is the Letter S - for stories and Sweden - swing over for more of S on See It On A Postcard  


  

3 comments:

Mail Adventures said...

I really love seeing these stamps, because I'm re-reading Pippi Longstocking's book right now. How coincidental!

I read also The Wonderful Adventures of Nils some time ago, but not the rest. Anyway, I think that children's literature makes a great theme for stamps.

violet s said...

These illustrations look good on stamps, and are probably instantly recognizable to many people. (I was not one of them, but I have now educated myself on these stories!)

Bob Scotney said...

Marvellous selection of stamps. I had heard of Pippi Longstocking while in Norway but not the others you have found.