New Stamp from India

India Post released a commemorative postage stamp  on the occasion of valedictory ceremony of the Birth Centenary Celebrations of Dr. Sri Shivarathri Rajendra Swamy  by Minister for State  Communications Shri Manoj Sinha in presences of Saints and other dignitaries on 27th August 2016 at the function held at Suttur Mutt in Mysore District.

Suttur Simhasana Mahasansthana Math is about one thousand years old in the ancient cultural and religious history of Karnataka. In the 10th Century Sri Shivarathri seer did penance for a very long time in Siddhagiri hills and came to the south and engaged in penance again at Suttur. Dr. Shivarathri Rajendra Mahaswamiji was the 23rd pontiff of the Suttur Mutt.

Club News

Recent national level stamp exhibitions

Naturepex-2016, National Philatelic Exhibition on Nature and Environment will be organized by the Eastern India Philatelists’ Association with active support of the Department of Posts, Government of India from 30th September to 2nd October, 2016 at KiiT International School, Bhubaneswar-751024, Odisha with an objective to aware people for protection of natures and conserve our environment. The exhibits relating to Nature, Flora & Fauna, Environment and related subjects will only be exhibited in this exhibition. The exhibition will be of 400 frames and will be competitive one.

During Naturepex-2016 exhibition a number of Philatelic activities like Stamp Design contest, Quiz competition and Letter Writing competitions will be held at the venue.

Website : www.naturepex2016.blogspot.in

SIPA Diamond 2016, Diamond Jubilee Stamp Exhibition 

25th - 27th November 2016

South India Philatelists' Association will be organizing Diamond Jubilee Stamp Exhibition from 25th to 27th November 2016 at Chennai.

Venue:
St. Bede's Centenary Auditorium,
No. 37, Santhome High Road,
Santhome, Mylapore, Chennai - 600 004.

For more information contact: Phone : +91-44-32001626, 32914769,
Mobile : +919840645487, +919444491111
E-Mail : sipagold@gmail.com

Website : sipa.org.in/stampshow.html

International Exhibition

MELBOURNE 2017, 34th FIAP Asian International Stamp Exhibition will be held in Melbourne, Australia from 30 March to 2 April 2017.

Mr. Madhukar Jhingan is the Indian National Commissioner for the MELBOURNE 2017.

MELBOURNE 2017 will have following classes:

FIAP Championship Class, Traditional, Postal History, Postal Stationery, Aerophilately, Astrophilately,  Thematic, Maximaphily, Revenue, Open, Youth, Literature, One Frame and Modern Philately (1980 onwards).

The Entry Fee for One-Frame Exhibit is US$80, and for Literature the Fee is US$55 per exhibit. The participation is free for Youth Class. The Entry Fee for all other classes is US$55 per frame.

The Entry Forms are now available for download http://stampsofindia.com/MELBOURNE2017.htm

Those interested in participating may please contact Mr. Madhukar Jhingan, National Commissioner for India of MELBOURNE 2017.

(M) +919811160965, Email: mj@stampsofindia.com

Last date for submitting the forms to the National Commissioner is October 14, 2016

For more details visit : http://stampsofindia.com/MELBOURNE2017.htm

World Heritage sites from the Czech Republic

UNPA will issue a set of six stamps  featuring World Heritage sites from the Czech Republic for its 2016 World Heritage stamp series. These stamps are part of a joint stamp issuance with the Czech Post that is scheduled to issue two stamps Sept. 7. A joint first day of issue ceremony is planned on 8 September at the Sberatel 2016 – 19th International Hobby & Art of Collecting Fair in Prague, Czech Republic.

Date of Issue : 7 September 2016

US$ 0.47 – Historic Centre of Prague Prague is one of the most beautiful cities in Europe in terms of its setting on both banks of the Vltava River, adorned with its distinctive townscape of houses, palaces with towers, and buildings. Built between the 11th and 18th centuries, the Old Town, the Lesser Town and the New Town speak of the great architectural and cultural influence enjoyed by this city since the Middle Ages. The site was inscribed on the World Heritage list in 1992.

€ 0.68 – Kutná Hora: Historical Town Centre with the Church of St. Barbara and the Cathedral of Our Lady at Sedlec From the early 14th century to the early 16th century, Kutná Hora was the second most important town in the Kingdom of Bohemia after Prague. This is still apparent in the town’s exceptional wealth of historical architecture. This site was inscribed on the World Heritage list in 1995 as an outstanding example of the medieval town whose wealth and prosperity was based on its silver mines. The Church of St. Barbara and other buildings were underlined as having particular architectural and artistic quality and as having had a profound influence on subsequent developments in the architecture of Central Europe.

CHF 1.50 – Lednice-Valtice Cultural Landscape Between the 17th and 20th centuries, the ruling dukes of Liechtenstein transformed their territories in southern Moravia into a striking landscape. It combined Baroque architecture (mainly the work of Johann Bernhard Fischer von Erlach) and the classical and neo-Gothic styles of the castles of Lednice and Valtice with countryside fashioned according to English romantic principles of landscape architecture. At 200 km2, it is one of the largest artificial landscapes in Europe. It was inscribed on the World Heritage list in 1996.

US$ 1.15 – Holy Trinity Column in Olomouc The Olomouc Holy Trinity Column is one of the most exceptional examples of the pinnacle of central European Baroque artistic expression. This memorial column, erected in the early years of the 18th century, is the most outstanding example of a type of monument specific to central Europe. Rising to a height of 35 metres, it is decorated with many fine religious sculptures, which are the work of the distinguished Moravian artist Ondrej Zahner. It was inscribed on the World Heritage list in 2000.

€ 1.70 – Historic Centre of Ceský Krumlov The historic centre of Ceský Krumlov is situated on the banks of the Vltava river, which provides a natural setting of great beauty. The town was built around a 13thcentury castle belonging to a member of the ruling Vitkovici family. This historic centre is an outstanding example of a small central European medieval town whose architectural heritage has remained relatively intact thanks to its peaceful history over more than five centuries. It was inscribed on the World Heritage list in 1992.

CHF 1.00 – Gardens and Castle at Kromeˇríž The Gardens and Castle at Kromeˇríž are an exceptionally complete and well preserved example of a European Baroque princely residence and its associated landscape of the 17th and 18th centuries. The ensemble at Kromeˇríž, played a significant role in the development of Baroque garden and palace design in central Europe. It was inscribed on the World Heritage list in 1998.

Israel - Bulgaria Joint Issue - Bird Migration

Bird Migration

Date of Issue : 13 September 2016

Here is a beautiful stamp for bird lovers featuring migration of storks. It's a beautiful stamp depicting very scientific monitoring of birds by the scientists. The most beautiful part of this stamp is its tab which shows a group of beautiful storks in the water !!

The Postal Services of Israel and Bulgaria  prepared a special stamp on common theme “Migrating Birds” to strengthen and sustain their connection. The philatelic item depicting the migration of storks between Bulgaria and Israel has an important historical meaning that makes this stamp more valuable and sought-after among collectors worldwide. 

Migrating Birds

The Republic of Bulgaria lies on the Balkan Peninsula in Eastern Europe. The State of Israel is situated on the eastern shore of the Mediterranean Sea, in the heart of the Middle East.

Some 500 million birds migrate through Israel’s skies twice a year, thus making it a significant global crossroads, especially for the birds of Western Asia and Eastern Europe in general, and of Bulgaria in particular. The White Stork is one of 280 bird species that migrate over Israel. These birds, which also nest in Bulgaria, pass over Israel as they make their way to Africa, sometimes as far south as the South African city of Cape Town.

The stork is connected to human habitats and in Europe it signifies the arrival of spring and symbolizes hope. Some 600,000 storks migrate through Israel’s skies twice a year, among them probably all of Bulgaria’s storks. Thus, the governments of Israel and Bulgaria chose the stork to appear on the joint-issue stamp as a symbol of peace and coexistence and as a sign that migrating birds know no borders.

Israeli scientists monitor the migrating birds, aided by motorized gliders, birdwatchers, radar and GPS transmitters tracked via satellite. Thus, the stamp features a stork transmitting to space. The sky is not the limit, but rather a habitat for storks migrating from Bulgaria to Africa via Israel.

New stamps from India

Indian Metal Crafts 

Date of Issue : 26 August 2016

India Post issued set of 6 stamps, two in the denomination of Rs 5, two in the denomination of Rs 15, and two in the denomination of Rs 25, on Indian Metal Crafts on August 26, 2016 in the sheets of 40 stamps each. A miniature sheet and a sheetlet was also issued. 

Philatelic Tributes to Mother Teresa

This Day in History - 26 August 1910

26 August  is the Birth Anniversary of Mother Teresa , also  known as Blessed Teresa of Calcutta, MC, was an Albanian Roman Catholic nun and missionary. She was born  on 26 August 1910 in Skopje, then part of the Kosovo Vilayet in the Ottoman Empire. 

If you judge people, you have no time to love them.

There are no great things, only small things with great love. Happy are those.

- Mother Teresa

Greetings on Janmashtami

Today is Birthday of Lord Krishna Happy Janmashatami to all Indians living in different corners of the world.

U.S. Postal Service Honors Festival of Diwali...

Date of Issue : 5 October 2016

The U.S. Postal Service will commemorate the joyous Hindu festival of Diwali with a Forever stamp. The Wednesday, Oct 5, first-day-of-issue dedication ceremony will take place at the Consulate General of India, New York.

The stamp design is a photograph featuring a traditional diya oil lamp beautifully lit, sitting on a sparkling gold background. Diya lamps are usually made from clay with cotton wicks dipped in a clarified butter known as “ghee” or in vegetable oils. 

Also known as Deepavali, Diwali celebrates the triumph of good over evil. Spanning five days each autumn, it is considered by some to be the start of the new year.

On the Hindu calendar, Diwali falls on the eve of, or on, the new moon that occurs between mid-October and mid-November. In 2016, the main day of the festival will be celebrated Oct. 29 for South Indians and Oct 30 for North Indians.

Diwali is a shortened version of the Sanskrit word Deepavali, which roughly translates as “a necklace of lights.” During Diwali, the flickering oil-wick diyas sprinkle the homes of observers around the world.

Before the festival, many Hindus traditionally go shopping, clean their homes, open their doors and windows, create intricate rangoli — a vibrant floor pattern traditionally made from materials such as rice powder, colored sand and flower 

petals — and light diyas with hopes that Lakshmi, the goddess of wealth and prosperity, will visit. In some regions of India, people play games, just as Hindu lore says that the god Shiva did. 

On the festive main day of the holiday, families pray for Lakshmi, dress up in their best clothes, enjoy lavish feasts and sweets, exchange gifts and light fireworks. Diwali also marks the new year 

for people in Gujarat and a few other states of India. Diwali also is celebrated as a major holiday by followers of the Jain and Sikh faiths.

Source : USPS

Rio Gold medalist honoured on stamp..

Date of Issue : 8 August 2016

Japan Post Co. is honoring all Japanese gold medalists at the Olympic and Paralympic Games in Rio de Janeiro with commemorative postage stamps.

The first set of stamps was issued Aug. 8 to mark Kosuke Hagino's victory in the 400-meter individual medley race on Aug. 6, the first day of the swimming competition. Hagino was the first Japanese to win a gold in Rio.

Kosuke Hagino is a Japanese competition swimmer who specializes in the individual medley and 200 m freestyle. He is a four-time Olympic medalist, most notably winning gold in the 400 m individual medley at the 2016 Summer Olympics.

Hagino currently holds the Asian Records in the 200 m and 400 m individual medley (long course) as well as the 100 m and 200 m individual medley (short course). With team Japan, he also holds the Asian Records for the 4×100 m freestyle relay and the 4×100 m medley relay.

A total of 1,000 sheets of commemorative stamps went on sale at Tokyo Central Post Office on Aug. 8. A sheet of five 82-yen stamps is priced at 1,400 yen ($13.73), including tax.

A total of 1,000 sheets of commemorative stamps went on sale at Tokyo Central Post Office on Aug. 8. A sheet of five 82-yen stamps is priced at 1,400 yen ($13.73), including tax.

 News from our Readers...

Stamp exhibition in Kenya

Our reader Mr Sachin Sharma shares here some pics of a small stamp exhibition organized by him in Kenya.

Fables on new Israeli stamps...

Parables of the Sages – Tales from the Past

Here is new set of stamps to be issued by Israeli Post featuring tales from the past - Parables of the sages.This is a very beautiful set and best suitable for children's theme. As usual the tabs on stamps  feature lovely pictures of the stories.

In Rabbinic literature, in both the Babylonian and Jerusalem Talmuds and the Midrashim, we find many parables—some relating to plant life and others to animal life. These are, in fact, fables: very short stories in which plants or animals speak, feel, and act as humans in every way. The stories have a moral and teach a lesson. The Sages called these stories “fox parables” or “palm parables”.

 Israeli Post has prepared for issuing three special stamps depicting the brightest scenes from the parables. The three stamps in this series are based on the Parables of the Sages, which are notably similar to some of Aesop’s Fables.

Fables flourished in Ancient Greece, where Aesop’s Fables originated. The first anthology attributed to Aesop was known as early as the 3rd century BCE. The broad contacts between Greek and Israelite cultures in the Hellenistic period brought Aesop’s fables into our literature as well.

The Fox in the Vineyard

A fox saw a vineyard of ripe grapes and wished to taste them. The hole he found in the fence was too small for him to pass through, so he fasted for three days, entered the vineyard, and feasted on grapes until he was full. When he then tried to leave, he was again forced to fast for three days in order to fit through the hole in the fence. What pleasure, then, did he derive from the vineyard?

Midrash Kohelet Rabbah 5:21; the language of the fable is a mix of Hebrew and Aramaic. The Hebrew translation is found in Ch.N.Bialik-Y.Ch. Ravnitzky, Sefer Ha’Aggada,  ed. with a new commentary by A. Shinan, 2015, pg. 1008. The Aesopian equivalent is found in Sh. Shpan, Aesop’s Fables, 1961, fable 204, pg. 99 [Hebrew].

The Lion and the Heron

A bone got stuck in a lion’s throat as it ate its prey. The lion promised a reward to anyone who could dislodge the bone. The Egyptian Ammoperdix (which is what the bird is called in the Midrash) used its long beak to perform the task. When he came to claim his reward the lion said to him: Is it not enough that you escaped the jaws of the lion, now you seek a reward, as well?

Midrash Genesis Rabbah 64:10, the language of the fable is a mix of Hebrew and Aramaic. The Hebrew translation is found in Sefer Ha’Aggada (see above), pg. 1007; the Aesopian equivalent is found in Shpan, Aesop’s Fables (see above), fable 41, pg. 28.

The Reed and the Cedar

The mighty cedar with its many roots can be uprooted by a strong wind. The reed, which is supple and flexible, bends in the wind and suffers no harm. The moral: A Man should always be as gentle as the reed and never as unyielding as the cedar.

Babylonian Talmud, Ta’anith  20a, the fable is written in Hebrew. Sefer Ha’Aggada (see above), pg. 1010; the Aesopian equivalent is found in Shpan, Aesop’s Fables (see above), fable 338, pg. 160.

New Special Covers

Special Cover on Olymphilex India 2016

On the occasion of 2016 Rio Olympic Games philatelic exhibition on Sports and Olympic through philately was organized at Bengaluru GPO with the support of Department of Posts from 5th to 21st August 2016. Collections of Shri T. N. Prahlada Rao, Shri Jagannath Mani, Shri Vijay Kumar, Master Vineeth and Master Harpith were showcased in 20 frames. The exhibition was a tribute to Shri T. N. Prahalad Rao a Senior Olympic Stamp Collector.

Late Shri T. N. Prahlada Rao was a noted Philatelist of Bangalore who specialized in Olympic Philately. He was an active member of Karnataka Philatelic Society and the first Olympic philatelist from Karnataka who won awards in 1996, 2000, 2004 & 2008 at various events. He was instrumental in organizing first National Sport's and Games Philately exhibition ‘NGPEx-97’ and ‘Olymphilex India 2012’. He won medals for his exhibits in Sydney and Beijing Olympics. He was very active in philately till his last breathe. At the age of 82 he won award at Olympex 2008 at Beijing.

To commemorate the Olymphilex India 2016 exhibition and to pay a tribute to Veteran Philatelist Late Shri T. N. Prahlada Rao a Special Cover was released at the function held at Bengaluru GPO Auditorium on 19th August 2016. Special Cover was released by Mrs. Veena Srinivas, Postmaster General (BD), Karnataka Postal Circle.

- Jagannath Mani - Bangalore

Festivals 2016 – Yom Kippur Poem!

Date of Issue : 13 September 2016

Here is an exquisite  set of High Holyday stamps from Israel Post to be issued next month featuring Yom Kippur Poem.The beautiful tabs (special characteristics of Israeli stamp) on stamps depict art piesce by a potter,glazier and a silversmith  with inscription Yom Kippur Poem. The art work on  all three stamps is beautifully presented. A big appreciation to the designer  for giving such wonderful designs to these stamps.

The most important High Holyday in the Jewish religion is Yom Kippur – a day to reflect, repent and ask forgiveness for one’s sins. This poem has been chosen to be a theme for Festivals stamp set that illustrates the metaphoric Yom Kippur Poem. This literary work describes different artisans creating something new from raw materials – just like God created mankind. The artisans represented on this stamp series are the potter, the glazier and the silversmith.

The poem “As the Clay in the Hand of the Potter” appears in the Ashkenazi version of the prayer book for the eve of Yom Kippur. The author is unknown. It portrays human beings as being subject to the will of God, who decides who shall live and who shall die. This poem is recited on Yom Kippur because “Yom Kippur is the time for all to repent, individuals and the community at large. It is the climax of forgiveness and of pardon for Israel, thus every person is obligated to repent and confess on Yom Kippur” (Maimonides, Laws of Repentance 2:7).

The poet uses imagery featuring artisans using different kinds of materials; just as human beings are raw materials molded by the hand of God. They recognize their sins and their consequent punishment, yet still ask for mercy: “Look to the covenant and do not incline to your desire”. In other words, God will remember the covenants made by the fathers of the Jewish nation with Him throughout the generations, and thus He shall forgive them.

The list of artisans mentioned in the poem varies in different versions of the ancient prayer books. Some note nine artisans while others list only seven. In one version the artisans are listed in alphabetical order. According to the interpretation by Rabbi Shlomo Pappenhim (1740-1814), which is based on the seven artisans mentioned in the poem, each artisan represents a period in the life of a person, who is accountable to God.

Landscape Gardens

Date of Issue : 16 August 2016

Here is a beautiful set of  stamps for Garden Lovers featuring famous British landscape gardend. Royal Mail has issued a set of eight stamps to celebrate the splendid landscape gardens of Lancelot ‘Capability’ Brown, on the 300th anniversary of his birth.

This stunning set of eight Special Stamps reveals the gardening icon‘s most notable works, which also happen to be some of the UK’s finest and most famous landscape gardens.

Lancelot “Capability” Brown is remembered as “the last of the great 18th-century artists” for his innovative approach to landscape gardening. He was nicknamed Capability for his habit of describing locations as having “great capabilities”.

The stamps capture some of the best-known surviving examples of his work, including the Duke and Duchess of Northumberland’s northern estate Alnwick Castle. Other featured locations are Blenheim Palace, Oxfordshire; Longleat, Wiltshire; Compton Verney, Warwickshire; Highclere Castle, Hampshire; Berrington Hall, Herefordshire; Stowe, Buckinghamshire; and Croome Court, south Worcestershire.

Philip Parker, of the Royal Mail, said: “During his lifetime, ‘Capability’ Brown literally changed the face of Georgian England. By the time of his death he was known to have shaped or influenced around 250 landscapes

Portuguese Pavement

 Date of Issue : 28 July 2016

Here is a set of beautiful stamps and a souvenir sheet  issued by Portuguese Post featuring decorated Portuguese Pavement. The unique characteristics of the stone and its laying, is termed Portuguese Paving. 

Several civilizations have come and gone on Portuguese territory, having left a varied aesthetic legacy — also on the ground and on its walls. This was true of the Romans, until the first century with the tesserae. It was also true of the Arabs, until the twelfth century with their geometric designs. Later religious orders also introduced mosaic design around their temples, such as the Discalced Carmelites in the seventeenth century.

In a later phase, major humanitarian currents developed in Europe, especially in the nineteenth century, at the peak of the promotion of great travel and Revivalism. Lisbon, the capital, seized the moment to reinvent itself in the Art Nouveau style. Eusébio Cândido Pinheiro Furtado, Lieutenant-at-Arms at the Prison of São Jorge Castle, a benefactor and a connoisseur of Roman arts, promoted a new concept to pave the ground in mosaic style, with only black and white stones, which has come to be called mosaic-pavement.

In his first experiment, he used the atrium of the prison itself and subsequently, on a new scale, proposed the paving of the iconic Praça Dom Pedro IV (Rossio) to the City Council, work performed mainly with resident prisoner labour, nicknamed grilhetas (“shackles”) due to the heavy iron shackles that they brought strapped to their legs. The result was the 8,712 square metre cobblestone public square, covered with waves of black and white which was designated Mar Largo, an expression taken from Canto IV of The Lusiads, in a tribute to the Portuguese Discoveries.

The city grew and with it, new streets were paved with this concept, which, due to the unique characteristics of the stone and its laying, was definitively termed Portuguese Paving. The Public Promenade became a reality for the enjoyment of its inhabitants. Graphic elements linked to the city’s history were the main motifs applied in the designs, such as caravels and dolphins.

In the 1940s, it had its greatest expression in the development of large paved areas such as those at the Portuguese World Exhibition and at the National Stadium. Later on, in the 1960s, the art became much more widespread, and came to be admired by everyone. In the late twentieth century, Expo ‘98 invited some of the new visual artists to create designs for the paving, who developed more daring designs, where a new aesthetic would break the concepts of a formalism that the city was accustomed to on its pavements up to that point.

Portuguese paving is mainly created with black and white stones that provide maximum contrast, but other colours are also employed using, for example, pink or yellow limestone. Many Portuguese cities followed the example of Lisbon and started using this method to pave the ground. In some parts of the world, where the Portuguese presence has influence, this concept of carpeting the ground as a way of celebrating and fully enjoying the public spaces of cities was also applied. Crossing the Atlantic, it was first taken to Manaus in 1905, in front of the iconic Teatro Amazonas. The following year, it appeared in Rio de Janeiro, applied to its famous Promenade, along Copacabana Bay (animated by Walt Disney in the 1942 movie, Alô Amigos), which went on to influence many other Brazilian cities. In the 1980s, the territory of Macau adopted this paving technique on their main pavements and to decorate the ground.

New Maxim Cards and Special Cover

Maxim Cards on Orchids

Karnataka Postal Circle has issued a set of Six Maxim Cards on Orchids viz. Esmeralda cathcartii (Lindl.) Rchb.f., Dendrobium gibsoni Lindl., Cypripedium himalaicum Rolfe, Paphiopedilum villosum (Lindl.) Stein, Esmeralda clarkei Rchb.f. and Dendrobium falconeri Hook. The set of six cards is priced at Rs. 150 (Inclusive of Postage Stamp, Shipping Cost extra). 

Orders can be placed to Bengaluru Philatelic Bureau, Bengaluru GPO. Contact: cpmbggpo@gmail.com for orders and more information.

New Special Cover

Celebrating 70 Years of India's Independence

Karnataka Postal Circle issued a special cover on 15 August 2016 on 70 years of India's Independence.

Courtesy - Suresh R. Bangalore , Indian Philately Digest

Maxim Cards on Olympics Event

Maxim Cards on Olympics Events 

Karnataka Postal Circle has issued a set of four Maxim Cards on Olympics events viz. Badminton, Boxing, Wrestling and Shooting.The cards were released at Bengaluru on 5^th August 2016. The set of four cards is priced at Rs. 100. (Postage extra). Orders can be placed to Bengaluru Philatelic Bureau, Bengaluru GPO. Contact: cpmbgbgpo@gmail.com for orders and more information.

Courtesy - Prashant Pandya

Stamp with Rainbow colors

The Pride

Date of Issue : 4 May 2016

Here is a stamp from Swedish Post featuring Rainbow Pride Flag . Though the stamp is on a controversial theme but the stamp is beautiful featuring Rainbow colors for my collection.

The rainbow flag, commonly the gay pride flag and LGBT pride flag, is a symbol of lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender (LGBT) pride and LGBT social movements. (Other uses of rainbow flags include a symbol of peace.) The colors reflect the diversity of the LGBT community, and the flag is often used as a symbol of gay pride when it comes to LGBTQ+ rights marches. It originated in Northern California, but is now used worldwide.

Designed by San Francisco artist Gilbert Baker in 1978, the design has undergone several revisions to first remove then re-add colors due to widely available fabrics.As of 2008, the most common variant consists of six stripes, with the colors red, orange, yellow, green, blue, and violet. The flag is commonly flown horizontally, with the red stripe on top, as it would be in a natural rainbow.

--When Lisa Rydell was given the assignment to design the Pride stamp, the typography was the major challenge.

“The flag is just as it was since 1979 when the six colors were established and could not be changed. After a lot of discussions, we landed on a solution where the texts SVERIGE and BREV rest on the lower part of the red and orange bands. The lines add a calming, stable influence to the composition,” she says.

In the summer of 2014, Lisa Rydell took one of her creative, long walks at home and came up with the idea of a stamp with the Pride move- ment’s famous symbol as a motif.

“It just hit me that the rainbow flag would be the perfect motif on a stamp. I sent in the proposal to PostNord and it was accepted. That I was then given the opportunity to work with the design was a pleasant surprise.”

Her interest in stamps as a piece of art and message conveyor emerged 20 years ago when she was studying graphic design at Beckmans College of Design.

“Our teacher gave us an assignment to de- sign a stamp. It was fantastically inspiring and educational. Making a stamp was immediately added to my bucket list,” she says. 

Culture and fashion

Eventually, Lisa Rydell became a freelancer, and she had a long assignment at Kulturhuset in Stockholm, where she was responsible for the design and production of the exhibition posters.

During her career she continued to take on design jobs for the cultural sphere, including book design.

Send love greetings

Stamps are a reflection of today’s Sweden, where diversity is a given. Therefore, PostNord issue a stamp with Pride flag.

– By issuing a postage stamp with Pride flag, we want to stress the equal value and strength of people’s unique characteristics and differences. Pride flag has to our knowledge never been reproduced on a stamp before, and it feels great that it is now possible to send love greetings with Pride flag, says Per Ljungberg, head of the Communications Department, PostNord Sweden. 

Source : WOPA