100th Anniversary of Empress of Ireland

 

Date of Issue : May 29, 2014

Here is a new stamp  issue from Canada Post featuring famous ship “ Empress of Ireland”.

Canada Post commemorates a pivotal moment in Canadian history with this souvenir sheet containing an international-rate Empress of Ireland stamp. 2014 marks the 100th anniversary of the sinking of the Empress.

In 1914 the Empress collided with a Norwegian coal ship in the St. Lawrence River in dense fog. The ship sank, taking 1,012 passengers and crew to their deaths. The sinking— just 2 years after the Titanic — remains the worst peacetime maritime tragedy in Canadian history. Suitable for general history buffs and anyone interested in Canada’s maritime history.

Canada Post honors the memory of those whose lives were lost or forever changed that fateful morning, and highlights the role of the Empress in populating Canada – a legacy that lives on through the nearly one million Canadians who can trace their roots to a passenger who arrived aboard the Empress of Ireland.

: Kasinath R – Tanjore

Glimpses of BIRDPEX 2014

 

BIRDPEX 2014 was held in Poitiers, France from 1- 4  May 2014.It was a special philatelic exhibition on Birds. Philatelists from all over the world participated in this exhibition. Some Indian exhibits were also displayed at this show. I am sharing here some photos sent by Mr Wolfgang Beyer of BIRDPEX 2014.

Opening Ceremony

 

1. Exhibit Dinesh Chandra Sharma (India)                          2. Dr.Jankowsky

 

Exhibit – P Srinivasan  - India

Photo – Courtesy : Wolfgang Beyer & Dr Jankowsky

View:  Award List of BIRDPEX 2014

 

My recent cover

Cover from Germany

Received this nice cover with bird cancellation from Mr Wolfgang Beyer of Germany.Many Thanks to Mr Beyer for this cover.

Medugorje 2014

 

Croatian Post Ltd. Mostar has issued a commemorative heart-shape postage stamp with a rose scent in a sheet of 4 stamps, and  a maximum card (MC) on Medugorje. Međugorje, or Medjugorje, is a  religious town located in the Herzegovina region of Bosnia and Herzegovina, around 25 km southwest of Mostar and close to the border of Croatia. The town is part of the municipality of Čitluk.

Međugorje is a place that has been visited in the past 33 years by millions of pilgrims from all around the world.  It is specially known for the sacrament of Holy Confession and therefore many rightfully call it the Confession place of the world. Believers come to Međugorje in hope to come to peace in sacrament with themselves, with God and with people around them.

 

Private Special Cover on Narendra Modi

Swearing-in-ceremony – 26 May 2014

The Power of Namo

Cover prepared by Shri Sapan Jhaveri

Courtesy : Prashant Pandya

PHILAKOREA 2014 - World Stamp Exhibition

 

On the occasion of the 130th anniversary of the Postal Service of Korea, PHILAKOREA 2014 World Stamp Exhibition, a global festival of postage stamps is held for six days from August 7 to August 12, 2014 in Hall A, COEX, Seoul, under the patronage of the FIP (Fédération Internationale de Philatélie). PHILAKOREA World Stamp Exhibition is the fourth exhibition held in Korea, which, starting from 1984 marked the centenary of the Korean Postal Service, and followed again in 1994 and 2002.

Around 500 stamp exhibits submitted by no less than 67 countries are on display and approximately 100 stamp sales booths are opened. Also being showcased at the exhibition are invited stamp exhibits and a public relations booth for the postal business. There is also a masterpiece pavilion and a Future Stamp pavilion where visitors can enjoy the unique display of philatelic culture from around the world.

PHILAKOREA 2014 commemorative stamps capture eight “flavors of Korea” which are imbued with the taste of their ancestors. Minhwa, folk paintings drawn by the general public express the simple beauty of everyday life in a colorful and straightforward style. Birds and flowers depicted in gentle colors are a delight to the eye. While most traditional Korean masks are made of gourds or paper, Hahoe masks are wooden.

Hahoe masks show a refined and elaborate beauty embodying a uniquely Korean humor and sentiment. Hanbok, the traditional Korean clothes, also known as Clothes of Wind, encompasses beauty in its lines and sides and flows in gentle curves. Kkachi Durumagi, a colorful children’s overcoat introduced in the stamp is made using delightful colors, expressing hope for longevity and wealth. The scientifically created Korean alphabet, Hangeul is beautiful in shape.

The roundish contours of the Gungche script on the stamp are considered the most beautiful Korean writing style due to its delicate form. (an excerpt from a novel Okyeondyunghoewon from the Joseon Dynasty). Onggi, a porous and permeable pottery, called the breathing pottery are used as storage containers suitable for soy sauce, salt, Kimchi, and many other products.

These pots with a round “belly” are evocative of the generosity and richness of a mother. The clear resounding sound of the Gayageum made by its twelve silk strings is celestial in tone. The stamp introduces this representative string instrument of Korea, the Gayageum, in particular, the Gayageum of prince regent Heungseon. Baekja, a white porcelain, shows a simple, yet immaculate beauty. The rounded White Porcelain Moon Jar, created during the Joseon Dynasty, is reminiscent of a full moon and is listed as National Treasure number 1437. Lastly, lifting eaves of elegantly curved tiled roofs shows a refined architectural beauty and a taste for the arts of their ancestors.

Stamp on 'Bend It Like Beckham' a film by Gurinder Chadha

Royal Mail issued stamp on 'Bend It Like Beckham' - 13th May 2014. Indian-origin filmmaker Gurinder Chadha's award-winning film about a British Sikh family, 'Bend It Like Beckham', has been selected by Royal Mail, UK as one of the films with a stamp issued in its honour in the 'Great British Film Stamp Set'. The 2002 comedy-drama is about an Indian girl who breaks traditional barriers to play football for UK won rave reviews across the globe.

Great British Film Stamp Set

The new stamps from Royal Mail  feature six classic British films that have enjoyed global success in the post-war era.The Mint Stamps feature iconic movie stills from six classic British films:Matter of Life and Death (1946)Lawrence of Arabia (1962)2001: A Space Odyssey (1968)Chariots of Fire (1981)Secrets & Lies (1996)Bend It Like Beckham (2002)

New Special Cover

The National Academy of Agricultural Research Management (NAARM), Indian Council of Agricultural Research (ICAR), Hyderabad will be releasing a Special Cover with its MY Stamp through the Department of Post, Philatelic Bureau, Hyderabad G.P.O. on 1 July 2014 on the occasion of the commencement of the Centenary Batch of the Foundation Course for Agricultural Research Service (FOCARS100).

- Ravi Viswanathan : email : viswanathanravi@naarm.ernet.in

 

Special Covers on Narendra Modi

 

Shri Narendra Modi is new Prime Minister of India . The oath ceremony of Shri Modi was held yesterday, 26th May 2014. Philatelists celebrated this special  day philatelically in their own way. Here I am sharing  My stamp ( personalized stamp) and few covers sent by the Readers.

Narendra Modi on My Stamp with a special Cover

“ The Power of Namo ”

Press Clippings

 

- Pradip Jain , Patna : email : philapradip@gmail.com

 

Cover from Dehradun

 

- Sanjiv Kumar Jain – Dehradun  : email : jainsanjiv36@rediffmail.com

 

Cover from New Delhi

There is a mistake in the design of the cover as it mentions Shri Narendra Modi as 14th Prime Minister of India where as  He  is   15th Prime Minister of India .

- Parvesh Gupta - email : maachis001@gmail.com

New stamps on Theatre

 

Date of Issue : 22 May 2014

Here are new stamps on famous Theatres   . On May 22, 2013 the Ministry of Communications and Information of the Republic of Belarus  issued  stamp  on “National Academic Bolshoi Opera and Ballet Theatre of the Republic of Belarus” from the series “Theatres of Belarus”.

Date of Issue : 5 June 2014

On June 5, 2014 the Ministry of Communications and Information of the Republic of Belarus will issue a stamp “Grodno Oblast Drama Theatre.” Stamp was printed with the logo of the Grodno Regional Drama Theater. Grodno Oblast Drama Theatre opened in October 20, 1947 with the performance of “Truth is good, but happiness is better” by Alexander Ostrovsky .

Baby wildlife on new Canadian stamps

 

Date of Issue : 31 March 2014

Here is Baby Wildlife series from Canada Post featuring five cute baby animals,the baby beaver, mountain goat, puffin, wapiti and burrowing owl.

About the animals

At birth, adorable baby beavers already have thick fur, sharp teeth and open eyes. They can see, hear, walk and even swim. After two years, kits leave the colony.

Mountain goat mothers bear their kids on the isolated ledges of the dangerous rocky terrain they call home. Just three days after birth, horns start to show and soon after, the kid is ready to explore and play with other youngsters.

Puffin males prepare burrows on ocean cliffs with grass, twig and feather linings. After 40 days, the 40-gram chick hatches and some five weeks later, takes its first flight at night.

Burrowing owl parents assure the comfort of their chicks by lining the burrow in feathers, dried plants and dry shredded cow manure. By August, the chicks begin living independently as they prepare for the annual migration to the south.

Wapiti – sometimes known as elk in North America – are born in May or early June after a gestation period of just over eight months. After birth, the cow hides her newborn until it can run if threatened.

Older pictorial cancellation and stationery (postcard) from Germany available

In 1994 was issued a pictorial postmark featuring a Stagbeetle and a stationery (postcard) featuring two Stagbeetles in the forest of Spessart in Germany.Interested philatelists may please contact:
Wolfgang Beyer,Vice Chairman of the German Philatelic Collector Group ARGE ZOOLOGIE.Mail:
Wolfgang.beyer1@aol.de. or Mr.Wolfgang Hoelzl Mail: Wolfgang.Hoelzl@i-ng.org. It ´s in greater quantity available as offer from a  sheltered workshop for a good cause.
Courtesy : Mr.Wolfgang Hoelzl, member of staff  from a sheltered workshop at Piding(Germany).

 

FIFA BRASIL 2014

 

The world is catching up with football fever.The FIFA (Fédération Internationale de Football Association) World Cup is scheduled to take place in Brazil on June 12 - July 13.

Surprisingly, it has also found a place in India's stamp issue program but the issue date is not finalized yet.This year's host country - Brazil - has issued a Souvenir Stamp Sheet on April 21, 2014.

The Souvenir Sheet presents three of the most important 2014 FIFA World Cup Brazil's official marks: the mascot, the trophy, and the emblem.

: Kasinath R. - Tanjore

Joint issue by Russia and Switzerland

 

Date of Issue : 21 May 2014

Postal Administrations of Russia and Switzerland  brought out a joint issue on 21st May 2014. Russia and Switzerland have maintained diplomatic relations for 200 years. During the Second World War, those relations were briefly severed, but were restored after the war ended and have been stable ever since. The stamps feature famous landmarks of the two countries.

 

The Berne’s clock tower: the federal capital’s defining landmark and a tourist magnet. When it was erected at the start of the 13th century, as a fortified tower, the building marked the western edge of the city of Berne. As the city grew, the  tower moved closer to the centre, where it became redundant as a fortification. During the 15th century, it was used as a prison and subsequently as a clock tower – Zytglogge – and was rebuilt from Berne sandstone.

From then on, its clock dictated the time for the entire city and became the point of reference for measuring the travel times indicated on the hour stones along the cantonal roads. In the 16th century, the tower gained its present-day height and a new clock. Beneath this, in the archway, the edicts and ordinances of the City of Berne were posted and, from the 18th century onwards, the measures of length were affixed for official inspection. When the tower underwent further alterations in 1770 and 1771, it was incorporated fully in the cityscape and adapted to its environment with the addition of baroque embellishments.

The Zytglogge tower owes its national and international fame not only to its eventful history, but also to its special carillon, the ring of bears, lions, a rooster and the god of time, Chronos. The Kazansky tower depicted on the Russian special stamp may be recognizable from afar but it isn’t the tower itself that is famous … In fact, the tower is the most imposing feature of Kazansky station, one of Moscow’s eight largest stations. The station was built in 1862 and, initially, was nothing more than a small timber building without a waiting room or platform. Two years later, the wooden building was dis- mantled and, in its place, a stone station building was erected.

The new station building fell short of increasingly stringent requirements; it was too small and of little architectural merit. When the railway line was extended further eastwards to the large Volga city of Kazansky – which gave the station its name – and passenger numbers swelled accordingly, the station had to be expanded yet again. After various makeshift solutions and lengthy debate, in 1918 work commenced on the construction of the present day station building, following the nationalization of the railways. It was a huge undertaking and the station was not fully completed until 1940. Even once the building was finally complete, it underwent further expansion and upgrading work which had been included in the original construction plans but had not been implemented. Among the further additions were the clock tower, the underground terminal building for local public transport and the direct access to the underground.

Stamps on Canadian UNESCO World Heritage sites

 

Date of Issue : 15 May 2014

On 15-th of May Canada Post issued five stamps celebrating Canadian UNESCO World Heritage sites. The five stamps feature Old Town Lunenburg, Nova Scotia; SGang Gwaay, British Columbia; the Rideau Canal in Ontario; the Landscape of Grand Pré, Nova Scotia; and Head-Smashed-In Buffalo Jump, Alberta.

There are 17 World Heritage sites located in Canada and another seven sites on Canada’s Tentative List of World Heritage sites. The 17 Canadian sites are a collection of national and provincial parks and historic settings considered by the World Heritage Committee to be of outstanding cultural or natural importance to the common heritage of humanity.

 

The Old Town Lunenburg stamp showcases distinctive 18th and 19th century European-influenced architecture. And of course it is the home of the famous ship, the Bluenose II;

The Grand Pré landscape stamp demonstrates 17th century farming techniques. It is also a place of reflection and remembrance of the Acadian deportation;

The Head-Smashed-In Buffalo Jump image illustrates hunting techniques of Plains People over thousands of years;

The site of SGang Gwaay commemorates 10,000 years of connection between land, sea and Haida culture. It includes remains of 19th century houses and memorial and mortuary poles;

The Rideau Canal stamp honours  the oldest continuously operated canal in North America which opened in 1832. The Rideau Canal is one of the first canals designed specifically for steam-powered vessels.

Indian Cinema honoured on Brazilian stamps..

 

I published news yesterday  about postage stamps issued by Brazil in honour of 100 years  Indian Cinema. I received mail from some Readers that these stamps are personalized stamps and not the regular issue. I tried to  check the facts  and received details about the issue from distinguished philatelist, Mr Prashant Pandya who thoroughly searched the facts. The details show that this is a regular issue and not the personalized one. About denomination there is mention of 'PORTE CARTA COMMERCIAL' on the stamp which means Postage / Business Letter so it must be for Business Letter Postage rate. In many countries they do not mention postage value but they mention class of mail on stamps. A reply from Brazil Post about this issue is also awaited. My thanks to Mr Pandya for checking out the facts.  I hope this will definitely clear the doubts of many readers.

Brazilian Post and Telegraph Corporation launched a set of two postage stamps commemorating 100 years of Indian Cinema - 15th May 2014. ‘Indian Cinema One hundred years show’ (Mostra 100 Anos Cinema Indiano) was oragnised by Ananda Jyothi and Carina Bini at the National Postal Museum, Brasilia-DF from 5th to 18th May 2014. The show featured a selection of 13 Indian feature films. During this show Brazilian Post and Telegraph Corporation launched a set of two postage stamps on 15th May 2014 commemorating 100 years of Indian Cinema in Brasília-DF.

 

Courtesy : Prashant Pandya

ODIPEX-2014 , Bhubaneshwar

A meeting was held at the office of the CPMG on 20.05.2014 with 21 philatelists presided over by the DPS, Bhubanswar regarding holding of a State level Philatelic Exhibition in Odisha this year. In the meeting it has been decided to hold the exhibition in the name "ODIPEX-2014" during 22-24, August, 2014 at Bhubaneswar. The venue will be decided later and a notification in this respect will be issued by the Postal Department shortly. In this exhibition special attention will be given to the young philatelists. Philatelists of Odisha are requested to keep ready their exhibits and encourage the young philatelists to take part in the forthcoming exhibition.

Courtesy : Ajit Kumar Dash

Brazil issues stamps to honour Indian Cinema

 

Special postage stamp released by Brazil to mark Indian Film Festival to celebrate 100 years of Indian cinema. (IANS)

Brazil issues stamps to honour Indian Cinema

Brazil issues stamps to honour Indian Cinema. Brazil has paid tribute to the Indian film industry on its centenary by releasing two postage stamps designed by an Indian graphic designer at a commemorative festival held in Brazil. The $2 billion (Rs.120 billion) Indian cinema completed 100 years in 2013. Made by Kochi-based graphic designer Satya Raj, the stamps were jointly released by Indian Ambassador Ashok Tomar and curators and directors of the festival - Anand Jyothi and Carina Bini Palackapilly - when the festival officially opened in the capital city of Brasilia early this month, said a statement. Cultural director of the Brazilian Postal Service Romulo Salvino, and cultural secretary Sueli Navaho and Brazilian and Indian officials attended the ceremony.

Jyothi said the first ever edition of the festival marking 100 years of Indian cinema to be held in South America will later move to important Brazilian cities such as Rio De Janeiro, Reife (northern Brazil) and Porte Alegre (southern Brazil) after the World Cup - June 12-July 13. The festival, with focus on parallel art movies, is organised by Tantri Arte, a production house run by film curator couple Jyothi, a Malayali and his Brazilian wife Carina Bini, in collaboration with Brazilian cultural ministry.

The couple has been working as a cultural link between Brazil and India for over 15 years, and the film festival was one of their major initiatives that received recognition of both the governments. Jyothi said the films were being well received by the Brazilian cinema connoisseurs and critics with Adoor Gopala krishnan's award-winning "Katha Purushan" winning special accolades.

The couple organised the Indian film festivals in five Brazilian cities during 2011 and 2012. For their 2012 efforts, which saw the screening of 35 Indian films during a month, they won official recognition as the Best Foreign Film Festival. The fest was curated to bring together top contemporary Indian cinema in different languages made by such maestros as Adoor, Girish Kasravalli, Shyam Benegal, and Anand Gandhi among others, Jyothi said.

Club News

Philatelic Workshop at Bangalore Philatelic Bureau - 12th - 16th May 2014

Karnataka Postal Circle took a unique step of entertaining children during summer holidays through "Philately - Study of Stamps". A Free summer workshop was organised from 12th to 16th May 2014 at Philatelic Bureau, Bangalore GPO to enlighten the children about the King of Hobbies "Philately".

Courtesy : Indian Philately Digest

 

 

Stamps of immortality

If there is anyone who is expected to know about the existence of this museum, it is a passionate philatelist. To be able to understand and appreciate the contents on that miniscule space, you need to have a philatelist’s eyes. So yes, in that case, the National Philatelic Museum is indeed a niche museum but its location right in the heart of Delhi makes it a place for discovery for anyone who would make an effort to visit it.Housed in Dak Bhawan on the city’s Sansad Marg, that it is open on all seven days and without an entry fee gives one (whether or not you are a stamp lover) enough reason to explore it.

Read more… : article on National Philatelic Museum   The Hindu