29 June 2011

Covers with special postmarks..

 

Gregory Peck Cover0001

Discussion

Critical Analysis of the cover :

Mr Pradip Kumar Malik of Patna has sent scan of this cover for Critical analysis. I am giving here special comments  on this cover by Dr Avinash B. Jagtap .

 

Gregory Peck Cover0001

Expert Comments by Dr Avinash B. Jagtap

The cover sent from the USA with the personality stamp depicting one of the best character representing screen-play actor Gregory Peck. The cancellation reads "Mocking Bird Station". Late Mr. Gregory Peck acted in the film with the caption " To kill a Mocking Bird". Of-course the post office from where the envelope was dispatched has the same name (of course it must have been given after the film with the name "To kill a mocking Bird" was screened). It is a pictorial cancellation. The cover can be shown in a display which is based on "Famous Actors" or "Famous Films". Unfortunately the cancellation is rather too big and touches only one side of the stamp affixed to the cover. Had it been fully applied to all three stamps, it would have been difficult to read it (as the stamp itself is in grey-black colour). The cover can also be displayed in a collection on birds, but only with some reservations.

My recent Covers

Picture 006

I have received two special covers from Mrs Radha Ramalingam  of Thiruvannamalai. Many thanks to Mrs Ramalingam for the covers.

Picture 004

Critical analysis of the cover :

On the Brihadeesarar Temple  cover the  special postmark does not touch the stamp so philatelically it cannot be regarded as  an appropriate special cover.

Cover from USA

I received this cover with nice stamps from USA, sent by Mr Charles. The cover is not cancelled and it bears a personalized stamp with two stamps from USPS.

Picture 005

Thanks to Mr Charles Jensen, Florida- USA

 

Picture 003

Thanks to Mr Wolfgang Bayer, Germany

28 June 2011

Philatelic Exhibition on Tagore in Cairo..

image

150th birth anniversary celebrations of Rabindranath Tagore

Tagore Exhibition at El Bab Gallery, 5-17 July, 2011

image

To commemorate the 150th birth anniversary of Gurudev Rabindranath Tagore, the Maulana Azad Centre for Indian Culture (MACIC), Embassy of India, Cairo, in cooperation with the Foreign Cultural Relations Sector and the Fine Arts Sector of the Egyptian Ministry of Culture will be bringing two exhibitions related to Tagore which will be inaugurated on 5 July, 2011 at 7 p.m by H.E Dr Emad Abou Ghazi, the Egyptian Minister of Culture and H.E Mr R.Swaminathan, Ambassador of India at El Bab Gallery at the Opera House Complex. The function will be graced by H.E Mr Hossam Nassar, First Under Secretary for Foreign Cultural Relations and H. E Dr Ashraf Reda, Head of the Fine Arts Sector.

Rabindranath Tagore (1861-1941) was the first Asian Nobel Laureate. He won the Nobel Prize for Literature in 1913. Tagore was a master of several literary forms – he was a poet, a novelist, a short-story writer and a playwright. His contributions reshaped Bengali literature and music in the late 19th and early 20th century. Tagore is perhaps the world’s only writer whose compositions have been adopted as the national anthems of two countries: India and Bangladesh. At the age of 60, Tagore also became a celebrated painter. Tagore was also a pioneering educationist (thus the honorific ‘Gurudev’ meaning ‘Teacher’), and greatly promoted rural reconstruction. He set up a school, Santiniketan, and thereafter, a world famous university called Visva Bharati in West Bengal, India as well as a centre for promotion of traditional arts and crafts in Sriniketan. He was a national leader and an internationalist who visited many countries including Egypt in 1925.

The Tagore exhibitions will consist of two elements:

image

(i) ‘A Philatelic Exhibition on Tagore’ which consists of 20 panels of commemorative stamps and other rare philatelic objects issued by the postal departments of around 20 foreign countries on Rabindranath Tagore. Some of these items are more than a century old and belong to private collectors in India. Mr Sekhar Chakrabarti, one of three Indian collectors, whose collections are used in this exhibition, will be the curator for the show at Cairo.

image 

(ii) ‘Tagore on Kantha’ which includes 13 panels of ‘kantha’ work illustrating Tagore’s short stories, songs, poems, dance dramas all made in the traditional ‘kantha’ style of embroidery practiced to this day by rural women in West Bengal, India and in Bangladesh. Tagore greatly promoted traditional arts and crafts including Kantha work. Kantha work basically uses the ‘running stitch’ to create beautiful motifs on fabric. It was originally used by Bengali women for making quilts from old, worn out saris. The Kantha exhibition has been conceptualized by Ms Shamlu Dudeja who has worked for over 25 years for the revival of kantha work in West Bengal through the setting up of NGOs.

The two exhibitions are being sponsored by the Indian Council for Cultural Relations (ICCR), New Delhi and have been put together by ICCR’s Rabindranath Tagore Centre in Kolkata. The exhibits are travelling out of India for the first time. The exhibition will run until 17 July, 2011 at the El Bab Gallery.

For further details, please contact (i) MACIC at: Tel: 23933396 / 23960071; Fax: 23936572; e-mail: macic@indembcairo.com and (ii) on Facebook (Foreign Cultural Relations).

- MAULANA AZAD CENTRE FOR INDIAN CULTURE

EMBASSY OF INDIA

23, Talaat Harb Street, Down Town, Cairo

 

Recently  a  Philatelic Exhibition on Tagore was held at  Rabindranath Tagore Centre in Calcutta organised by the Indian Council of Cultural Relations, Ministry of External Affairs, Govt of India. The exhibits of  Sekhar Chakrabarti and Moloy Sarkar were displayed  in this exhibition. The first ever solo philatelic exhibition on Tagore was held by courtesy Sekhar Chakrabarti,way back in 1966 organised by Indo-American Society, Calcutta.

The World’s Smallest Postal Service…

 

asd1

Hi ! In today’s post just wish to share a wonderful forward with all of you which I recently received from one of my friends….Its related with mini letters…posted  with a magnifying glass for identifying the mailing address.

The World’s Smallest Postal Service was created by San-Francisco- based postmistress 
Lea Redmond, who decided to put the crazy idea into practice as soon as it popped into her head. She just strapped her small desk to her back, hopped on her bicycle and set-up shop in one of the local cafes. Since then she came to realize many other people are simply charmed by her miniature postal service.

asd2

At the Worlds Smallest Postal Service, your letters are written in tiny letters, carefully wrapped and sealed with a miniature was-stamp bearing the senders initial. To make sure the tiny messages don't get lost in the traditional mail, they are packed in transparent envelopes equipped with a magnifying glass for identifying the mailing address.

asd 3

 

For Valentines Day the mailing rates at the Worlds Smallest Postal Service are: $8 plus shipping for letters, and $10 plus shipping for small packages containing an antique china button and a note saying You are as cute as a ....

asd 4

 

asd 5

 

asd  6

asd6

asd7

asd 7

asd8

27 June 2011

Centenary of First UK Airmail to be celebrated by Royal Mail…

 

image

To be issued on 9 September 2011

 

Royal Mail is issuing a miniature stamp sheet and prestige stamp book on 9 September 2011, as a tribute to the pioneering aviators who made philatelic history through the UK’s first aerial post service a century ago.

Gustav Hamel’s 15-minute flight from Hendon Aerodrome to Windsor Castle on 9 September 1911 was part of the celebrations of the coronation of King George V.  It was the first of 16 aerial post flights carrying commemorative postage to mark the coronation.  The flights took place until 26 September 1911 and are recognised as the world’s first scheduled airmail service.

Now exactly 100 years on, Royal Mail marks the event with a miniature sheet, featuring a border that replicates the design of an original publicity poster for the inaugural flight.  The four-pane prestige stamp book written by Peter Lister, President of the British Air Mail Society includes a pane comprising four 50p Windsor Castle stamps, re-issued from the 2005 set of high-value definitives stamps printed by intaglio.

The Aerial Post Miniature Sheet tells the story of this historic flight; featuring original photography of key events from the day; from Hamel receiving the first mail bag (1st Class), sitting in the cockpit of his Blériot XI monoplane at Hendon Aerodrome (68p), and his arrival in the grounds of Windsor Castle (£1.10). The fourth £1 stamp features Clement Greswell, another of the pilots who helped deliver the UK’s first aerial post.

 

26 June 2011

Pineapples from Papua New Guinea..

 

 

png

Date of Issue : 25 May 2011

pine

PINEAPPLE FRAGRANCE

“Pineapples, Papua New Guinea”. It doesn’t ring-a-bell. The both may not have anything in common economically or culturally significant that is known to the world, but a trip to any local market in Papua New Guinea from the months of November to January will certainly change one’s perspective if pineapples were introduced.

Nearly every subsistence farmer has them in their gardens. In fact, its popularity over the years has made it the common fruit for dessert in restaurants and at tribal feasts all over Papua New Guinea.

Relating to the resemblance of the pineapple, the fragrance it gives out and the vowel sound in the name that landed with it (pineapple), different tribes came up with their own version of the name.

The Kitava Islanders, in the Trobriand group of Papua New Guinea call it “Painapa”. The thorny specie is referred to as “Painapa kagonigouni” while the Hawaiian (thornless Specie) as “Painapa Kaigadobu”.

Pineapple Fragrance
Pineapple Fragrance - 2011

The pineapple, as it is known today, was given “Ananas comosus” as the botanical name. Native to South America, it was named for its resemblance to a pine cone -- the pine cone reference first appearing in print in 1398.

History has it that Christopher Columbus is credited with discovering the pineapple on the island of Guadeloupe in 1493, although the fruit had long been grown in South America. He called it piña de Indes meaning “pine of the Indians.”

South American Guarani Indians cultivated pineapples for food. They called it nanã, meaning “excellent fruit.”

The pineapple, being a favorite fruit to most Papua New Guineans, the Post PNG Philatelic Bureau, in its quest to produce innovative products have subsequently incorporated the actual fragrance to the postage stamps.

The following are denominations assigned:
K1.05 - The African Queen specie sliced and arranged in a horse-shoe K1.05 - An African Queen and one Hawaiian species sliced open.

K5.00
- Two African Queen and one Hawaiian specie displayed.
K7.00 - One Hawaiian and two African species contained in two tradidional baskets format.
K10.00 - A display of a three part slit African pineapple specie.

image

 image

: Post PNG Ltd.

New Special Cover from Lucknow…

 

 

DSC02076

DSC02076

A special cover was issued  on 25 June 2011 by UP Postal Circle on 200 years celebration of Hazratganj.

Special Cover release ceremony

DSC02059 

DSC02061

 DSC02066

DSC02067

On the occassion of 200 years celebration of Hazratganj,Lucknow,a Special Cover released by CPMG.U.P.Shri.Kamlesh Chandra, Dr.R.K.Pachauri  at Sangeet Natya Academy, Gomti Nagar,Lucknow on evening of 25-06-2011.

( Dr Pachauri was elected Chairman of the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change, and The IPCC shared the 2007 Nobel Peace Prize with former U.S. Vice President Al Gore )

For cover exchange Sandeep Chaurasia may be contact at email : sandeepchaurasiagkp@gmail.com

: Sandeep Chaurasia – Gorakhpur

Screenshot_2

Hazratganj

Hazratganj  is situated in the heart of Lucknow, Uttar Pradesh.It was built by Amjad Ali Shah.The Hazratganj road in Hazratganj was earlier called Queens Way, and was open only to British carriages before Independence.

It is a major shopping area of Lucknow. It houses showrooms and retail stores of almost all major consumer-goods manufacturers in India. From car-dealers to jewellery stores to antiques, one can shop for almost anything at Hazratganj. Hazratganj also has got many shops selling the famous Lucknow Chikan material.

On 200 years celebration of Hazratganj, In 2010-11, a major beautification drive took place in Hazratganj  and the market now resembles a Victorian era walkway with bright lamps, benches and fountains.

Read More….

25 June 2011

Pride of India Collection…

 

 

2

Hi ! Here is the recent issue from Pride of India Collection featuring national animal of India, the Royal Bengal Tiger . It’s a gold plated replica of the stamp. The stamp was originally issued on 7 October 1963 . This is one of 25 best selected stamps for the series of Pride of India Collection jointly launched by India Post & Hallmark Group.This is all for this evening..…Till Next Post…….Have a Great Time !

1

tiger

ROYAL BENGAL TIGER

3

Original Stamp Issue Date : 7 October 1963

 

For more details log on to : http://www.prideofindiacollection.com/

image

Royal Bengal Tiger

Scientific Name: Panthera tigris


Habitat and Distribution
Tigers are widely distributed from the alpine Himalayas to the rain forests of southern Western Ghats and from the dry forests of Rajasthan to the moist forests of north-east India.

Unique Characteristics
The tiger is one of the largest and most awesome predators in the world. This species undoubtedly fascinates every eye it meets. The body length of the majestic male ranges from 275-290 cm and of the female around 260 cm. The size and colour vary according to the geographic location and climate. Tiger is solitary and territorial and the territory of an adult male may encompass territories of two to seven females. It is carnivorous and hunts for prey primarily by sight and sound. It feeds on deer, wild pig, bovid and sometimes even other predators like leopards and bears.

Read More…

 

New stamps on architecture…

 

canada

Date of Issue : 9 June 2011

Art Deco Stamps

This new set of stamps issued by  Canada Post on 9 June 2011, features five Canadian structures built during the Art Deco period.

Emerging in France between the two world wars, Art Deco was a creative response to the dull austerity of the First World War that permeated the design of furniture, household goods and textiles. Still, the movement made its most lasting contribution to early 20th century architecture. Beginning between 1908 and 1912, Art Deco gained mainstream exposure at the exposition from which it took its name: the Exposition des Arts Decoratifs et Industriels Moderne in Paris, France in 1925, and the period continued well into the Great Depression. In fact, several prominent Canadian Art Deco buildings were constructed as a result of federal employment initiatives

According to designer Ivan Novotny of Taylor | Sprules, "Many of the great (Art) Deco buildings across this country have very distinct silhouettes that were defined by the principles of the movement. It's the commonly overlooked extraordinary details that adorn these great spires that demand a closer look."

In addition to dramatic black and white photography, Novotny adds that the stamp design "uses bold geometric forms and vibrant colours, to capture each building's unique character."

According to Alain Leduc, Stamp Design Manager, "With stamps, it's the details that count, that elevate the design to something more than merely representative. For that reason, the emphasis on detail on the Art Deco period was so very inspiring. It's the details that allow an architect to take a functional structure and make art of it."

The stamps show  Burrard Bridge, R. C. Harris Water Treatment Plant, Cormier House, Supreme Court of Canada and Dominion Building.

Metz - FFPA Congress stamp from France

image

The French Post has issued a stamp dedicated to the city of Metz which welcomes in 2011 the 84th Congress of the FFPA (French Federation of Philatelic Associations).

An important Gallo-Roman city, Merovingian capital of the Austrasia kingdom, birthplace of the Carolingian dynasty, cradle of the Gregorian chant, and one of the oldest republics of the common era in Europe, Metz has a rich 3,000 year history. The city has been steeped in Romance culture, but has been strongly influenced by Germanic culture due to its location and history.

The stamp illustrates one of the largest Gothic buildings in Europe, St. Stephen's Cathedral, built from 1220 to 1522. On the vignette, the Gate of Germans (12th-15th century), remnants of the old medieval fortification could be seen.

24 June 2011

New Europa 2011 stamps..

 

 

vat

Date of Issue : 21 June 2011

The  new Europa 2011 issue from Vatican City consists of two stamps presented as a diptych showing a detail of a Sistine Chapel painting by Perugino, The Journey of Moses into Egypt.

The United Nations declared 2011 as the International Year of Forests. Forests cover more than 30% of the earth's surface and represent a vital source of biological diversity. They also play a key role in mitigating the effects of climate change, a concern widely discussed today. Forests are of great importance in regulating the earth's climate, and they play a key role in the water cycle and oxygenation of the planet. Forests provide wood and fuel, they host an enormous variety of living animal and plant species, and they counter soil erosion. Given their vitally important role for the planet, it is necessary to safeguard and protect them.

Denmark

  den 1 df

Date of Issue : 4 May 2011

The stamp  (8,00 DKK)  features a pale tussock moth caterpillar crawling along a branch and the  other stamp (11,00 DKK)  features a red squirrel climbing up a tree trunk .

 

Greece

 image

Date of Issue : 17 May 2011

Germany

image

Date of Issue : 5 May 2011

The biological, ecological and climatic role of forests is invaluable for the life on Earth. The loss of forests means the loss of biological diversity and climate change.

The clearing of forests and a non-simultaneous afforestation have been hurt earlier cultures. But mankind has apparently not learned much from it: the reckless deforestation in tropical rain forest, the rigorous cases of cutting down of ancient trees without quick replacement have already led to noticeable changes in the flora, fauna and climate. That is why afforestation is one of the biggest global challenges.

23 June 2011

Vías Verdes - Greenways

 

 

26-may-11b

Date of Issue : 12 June 2011

Hi ! Here is a beautiful stamp issued by Spanish Post on a very innovative  eco friendly project  “ Green ways ”. The project is unique in its own way which is related with converting old disused railway lines to attractive tourist spots. A wonderful idea  jointly utilized by Spanish Railway Foundation with the collaboration of the Ministry for the Environment creating  several  tourist spots all over the country where these lines are left unused since a long time. This innovative method can be used by other countries and of course in India too to make discarded railway lines into a beautiful place worth to use and see. This is all for this evening…..Till Next Post….Have a Nice Time !!


VÍAS VERDES

Vías Verdes (greenways) are old disused railway lines that have been recovered and reconditioned for use by walkers, cyclists and ecotourism purposes. Currently there are over 80 routes spread across the country, with kilometric distances that vary depending on the layout, and new sections are still being set up.

The Vías Verdes project was initiated in 1993 aiming at turning more than 7,000 kilometres of rail lines in disuse into a space for leisure and outdoor sports. So far, more than 1,800 kilometres have been opened for the use and enjoyment of walkers, cyclists and people with disabilities. One of the main characteristics of these routes is the easy accessibility to the public, given that they are flat paths that can be used by all types of sportspeople.

In a clear commitment to sustainable development and the revitalization of rural areas, tourism is being promoted in each area of different routes and restoration works in old railway stations are being carried out turn them into restaurants, museums, accommodation areas and rental of bikes and horses. All routes are marked with old wooden railway sleepers and the specific organization logo.

The Vías Verdes programme is coordinated by the Spanish Railway Foundation with the collaboration of the Ministry for the Environment (Ministerio de Medio Ambiente Rural y Marino) and the regional and local authorities.

This Spanish programme has been extended in other European countries and in 1998, in Namur (Belgium), the European Greenways Association was established with the aim to promote and inform about anything related to the creation of Greenways on a European level, with members of 60 organisations from 14 countries.

The stamp depicts two walkers by a disused railway line and the Vías Verdes logo.

: Spanish Post - Correos

 

Cocoa Scented stamps from Liberia..

 

cocoa

The African nation of Liberia will issue two sheets of chocolate themed postage stamps commemorating one of their leading exports, cocoa. Postage stamps on the first sheet are designed to appear as blocks of chocolate in an unwrapped candy bar, while the second sheet portrays a box of truffles–each stamp depicting a different gourmet confection. Both sheets are cocoa scented.

cocoa

These attractive designs strive to educate philatelists in the process of making this beloved dessert, from harvesting the beans to packaging chocolate products. The incorporation of a quick response (QR) barcode supplies additional information on this process and gives the stamps a modern touch.

The QR code can be scanned by most smart phones and read with a built-in decoding program which will reveal a document entitled, “From Bean to Bar: The Making of Chocolate.” Each sheet features 9 stamps, and will be on sale at post offices throughout Liberia and through stamp dealers worldwide.

Read More ….

Club News

Pos Malaysia has withdrawn “ Virtues” issue after three days sale. 

virtues df

Pos Malaysia to recall, re-issue Value stamps

18 June 2011

WITH reference to “Group angry that Tamil not used in first day covers” (The Star Online, June 15), we acknowlege that the words featured in the stamp, depicting Kesyukuran (Thankfulness), included English, Bahasa Malaysia, Mandarin and Hindi.

Pos Malaysia would like to clarify that the inclusion of the Hindi word featured in the stamp depicting Kesyukuran was an inadvertent error on the part of the issuing committee.

Therefore, Pos Malaysia will be recalling all the Nilai-Nilai Murni (Values) stamps and will reissue the stamps to include the Tamil word for Kesyukuran.

The Star

virtues 1

15 June 2011

Tamil Nesan reported that the Taiping Tamilar Sangam had voiced dissatisfaction over Pos Malaysia Berhad's failure to include Tamil in its recent release of first day covers promoting noble human values. Its president M.S. Mayadevan said that he was surprised that one of the 10 stamps released had the words terima kasih in Bahasa Malaysia and the same word in other languages like English, Chinese and Hindi but not a single word in Tamil.

He said that Pos Malaysia should have accorded proper recognition to the role of Tamil.He urged MIC to highlight the matter.

The Star

Read More news on this issue ……

Related Posts with Thumbnails