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 

Robots

 

1989: Europa - Games and Toys (Design  - Dan Fern)

A toy robot 

2017: Star Wars - Droids and Aliens (Illustrator: Malcolm Tween)

 The 'real' things in the Star Wars franchise

Artist Malcolm Tween discusses his "mini masterpieces"

2011-2013 Definitive - Canadian Flag

Robotic arm or the Shuttle Remote Manipulator System (SRMS)  on the Space Shuttle - Canadarm. First tested in orbit 1981, eventually after 90 missions, its last to the International Space Station in July 2011 Canadarm eventually took up its retirement home at the Canadian Aviation and Space Museum

Sunday Stamps A-Z - Robots and Robotics - See It On A Postcard 

Small Animals

 See It On A Postcard's Thursday Postcard Hunt for Young Animals 

Something is mesmerising these three fluffy balls of mischief or maybe they just like having their photograph taken.

A Blustery Day in the Hundred Acre Wood . I think Piglet may not be able to keep his little feet on the ground but it will be a day of great adventure and mild peril for Pooh Bear and friends.

North America

 See It On A Postcard's Thursday Postcard Hunt is visiting cities in North America

The impressive Union Station in Winnipeg, Manitoba. The beaux art building of  local limestone opened in 1911. It was designed by the same architects as Grand Central Station in New York. The wide road with electric tram and waiting horse drawn carriages connect travellers to the city.

Lincoln was founded in 1856 as the village of Lancaster and later renamed after Abraham Lincoln, it became the state capital in 1869. My sender likes this part of the city with its old factories that are now apartments, stores and restaurants and says "This is a great place to 'people watch' in the warmer months" I like old signage on buildings, this factory and warehouse. was built for  Harpham Bros Harness and Saddle Factory, a thriving business in the early 20th Century.

Shades of Red

 See It On A Postcard's Thursday Postcard Hunt in Autumn is looking for the colour Red

A maple leaf, renowned  for its vibrant autumn colours

 

A love heart sent anonymously in October 1906 to Mr H Noble, Engineer, on the merchant ship 'Manchester Importer', anchored in Salford Docks, Manchester. Much more romantic than

2015: Alice in Wonderland (Illustrator - Graham Baker-Smith)

 

the Queen of Hearts who has probably more in common with

 

a dragon.

Christmas Greetings

See It On A Postcard's Thursday Postcard Hunt is celebrating Christmas

A mysterious document. Is it a map, a carol sheet, an address or a list? Whatever it is Christmas is arriving.

Merry Christmas and Happy New Year

The presents are under the tree.

Christmas wishes are exchanged

2018: Christmas (Design - Emelie Bang)

and our hearts are warm. The stamp's red heart and dots glisten under the light.

Explorers

 

1934: Jacques Cartier - 400th Anniversary of 1st voyage to Canada

Jacques Cartier setting out to eventually arrive and explore the St Lawrence River and in the process name a country Canada.

1963: Martin Frobisher

 Martin Frobisher set out to find the North West Passage to the Orient. Like Cartier he would try to finance his expeditions by finding gold but both would have been wise to take a geologist with them to avoid disappointment when they arrived back with little of value.

1982: Birth Centenary of Sir Douglas Mawson

Jumping forward in time enter a geologist Douglas Mawson but his motivation was adventure and scientific knowledge however the famous 1911 Australian Antarctic expedition turned into a horror show, of which he was the only survivor. His book 'The Home of the Blizzard'  gives a vivid account of this experience.

1983: Explorers and Discoverers

The interior of Australia is unforgiving. The German explorer Ludwig Leichhardt successfully travelled there twice but he and his companions disappeared on his third expedition never to be found. He is remembered for his extensive natural history collection and notes.

Robert O'Hare Burke and William John Wallis became the first Europeans to cross Australia north to south in 1861 however it was not the most professional of expeditions and they died during their return but entered Australian mythology as "heroic failures".

Sunday Stamps theme this week - Mustaches for movember - explore more at See It On A Postcard

Westward Ho

1976: Olympic Games, Montreal

When Canada hosted the Olympics in 1976  inventively the flame was transferred by satellite via an electronic pulse derived from the Olympic flame in Greece.  Some news outlets described it in rather more futuristic terms as a laser beam. Pathe News captured the moment here .

Communication Arts

Thanks to the communication arts we all saw the journey of the flame in Paris by a sure footed messenger amid the deluge of rain.  The veteran Olympians carrying the flame in a speeding boat may have envisioned a balmy Parisian night when they signed up but judging by Carl Lewis' face as the boat bounced along the Seine with spray and rain soaking them this was not the ride he was expecting. Nadia Comaneci with a gymnasts balance looked quite serene, I would be like Serena Williams and know this was the person to grab hold of.

1989: Olympic Games, Barcelona '92

The rain has impacted some events but not

the diving

1990: Olympic Games, Barcelona '92

or volleyball

Sunday Stamps is in the western hemisphere - visit See It On A Postcard

Tree Time

2011: Europa - The Forest (Design - Alan Johnston)

 Time to take a walk in the woods

1990: Forests (Design - Malcom Waddell, foliage illustration Jan Waddell)

and look at the leaves

2007: 100th Anniversary of Reforestation (Design - O Petursson)

A birch branch and

Sorbus aucuparia

the leaves of the Rowan or Mountain ash, in folklore known as a tree of protection

1979: Forest Fruits and Nuts

Any time of year there is always something to entrance

40: Larch, and its pink 'larch rose' 50: Hazel with its tasty nuts 60: Chestnut, irresistible to pick up their nuts from the ground 90: Blackthorn, its spring blossom is one to look for in the hedgerows as it shows where to find sloes in the autumn, essential knowledge if wanting to make sloe gin.

Sunday Stamps theme this week is - Trees and Leaves - See It On A Postcard

Hold on to Your Hats

 See It On A Postcard's Thursday Postcard Hunt is in search of hats..

"When the Heart is young"

 

A breezy day on the beach and one person is making sure that her hat will not blow off.  She should have used hat pins. I have one of my grandmother's long hat pins and it looks as though it could also double as a lethal weapon.   The postcard was sent from the seaside resort of Blackpool in August 1909 from Amy to her friend Miss A Bodkin and tells her that they were enjoying themselves immensely as is this happy crowd.

"He doesn't see me yet"

I was sent a set of these cards published by Atkinson Bros in Toronto featuring a lot of hats and poses mainly worn by this young women playing peek-a-boo.

PHQ 2011: Centenary of the First UK Aerial Post "Gustav Hamel receives first mailbag"

Of course I have to feature a postman's hat and there would be postcards in his bag for this test flight from Hendon Airfield to Windsor carried commemorative cards and envelopes.

Cowslip Wine

 See It On A Postcard's Thursday Postcard Hunt is cartoon animals

Time for a picnic where the wasp this time is perfectly welcome and provided with a teeny glass for Mr Bunny's cowslip wine toast. 

Springtime : Illustrator Ammi Krogius

A springtime picnic for the sheep family in a field full of cowslips so why not celebrate the season maxing out on cowslips to both drink and eat. 

In the Wild

The Thursday Postcard Hunt for 'Animals in the Wild'  finds me

in the snowy north and (as the card says on the back)  in a "winter wonderland".

Meanwhile on a different continent a lone wolf gazes across a snowy landscape

Lighthouse Views

 

1996: Cats

A room with a view although the cat has only eyes for a butterfly

1989: 50th Anniversary of Guernsey Airport

Meanwhile a Supermarine Southampton Flying Boat is at rest in Guernsey by the harbour light. 201Squadron is one of the oldest squadrons in the RAF being formed in 1914 but disbanded in 1918. It was reformed in 1929 when it became affiliated to Guernsey, at the time operating the Southampton Flying Boat, a neat tie in with this airport set.

1996: 20th Anniversary of RAMOGE

A Mediterranean lighthouse features on this stamp. The Ramoge Agreement on Environment Protection of the Mediterranean  (RAMOGE) is a tri-country agreement between France, Monaco and Italy

2007-2008 : Flag - Lighthouses

And lastly a colour coordinated trip around Canada. 

Top - Cap des Rosiers, Quebec and Warren Landing, Manitoba built in 1908

Bottom -  Pachena Point, British Columbia. A dangerous stretch of the western coastline, the lighthouse is on Vancouver Island and the BC Tourism site lists it as one of the top 5 "stunning lighthouses in British Columbia". Lastly the 1758 Sambro Island Lighthouse at the entrance to Halifax Harbour, Nova Scotia, the oldest surviving lighthouse in Northern America.

Sunday Stamps theme this week - Lighthouses -  visit  See It On A Postcard

Art and Crafts

 

1966: Cuban Handicrafts

Afro-Cuban doll and it looks like the doll is a drummer.  The four main African groups uprooted to Cuba were the Yoruba, Bantu, Calabar and the Dahomey. The most numerous were the Yoruba and Bantu and they had the most influence on Cuban folklore and music. Perhaps this doll is of Bantu origin for that is where the Bongo drums originate.  The other stamp features a colourful sombrero to protect from the heat while working under the sun. They are made from yarey, a palm endemic to Cuba.

1961: Professions

I imagine the Dahomey took their pot making skills to Cuba but here they are on home ground.

1972: Plains Indians

'Fancy Dancer', a work by Gerald Tailfeathers of Alberta and the Blackfoot Nation showing the ceremonial costume a man might wear during the sun dance, a grueling physical and spiritual test for the benefit of a dancer's family and tribe

Sunday Stamps theme this week is - Indigenous art, crafts and clothing - See It On A Postcard

Mountains and Lakes

 

1986: USSR Sport's Committee Int Mountaineering Camps (Design - I Kozlov)

Head into the wilds on the border of Tajikistan and Kyrgyzstan to climb a popular mountain, Lenin Peak (7,134m/23,406ft).

1936-48: Views (Design and Engraving - Karl Bickel)

Here in Switzerland there is a choice between strolling by lakes or climbing peaks such as Mt Pilatus (2073m). Good news there is a quicker route up the mountain on the world's steepest cog railway or even quicker the Dragon Ride, an aerial cable car. Next is Chillon Castle by Lake Geneva with the Dents du Midi mountain range in the distance. The stamp comes in brown and

purple. Then we have Lake Lugano and Mt San Salvatore

1938: National Fete. Fund for Swiss Subjects Abroad

The Tell Chapel was built where, in legend, William Tell leapt from the boat of his captors in a storm and escaped.

1992: Edible Berries (Design - Dennis Noble: Engraving Ashton Potter)

Well after all that travelling maybe nibble on some berries.  I read that the Inuit dried or froze Black Crowberries and also brewed the twigs for tea. This scene is certainly the perfect place for a brew.

Sunday Stamps theme this week is - Mountains and Hills - reach the heights on See It On A Postcard