Postal Lorry 14.3.2017

Aland Postal Lorry. 

Thank you Ella.

Transportation Series Coil Stamp 16.9.1988

Although elevators are restricted in their range of travel, during the past century and a half they have greatly improved the way we live and work. As Lawrence J. Gavrich of Otis Elevator Company pointed out, "...Without the elevator...cities would not have been able to grow up as well as out...and structures like the Eiffel Tower and Empire State Building would be the stuff of science fiction.

The Transportation Series. A ground-breaking stamp was quietly issued on May 18, 1981. For the first time in U.S. history, a coil stamp featured its own unique design rather than simply copying that of the current definitive stamp. Fifty more coil stamps would be issued over the course of the next 15 years, each picturing a different mode of transportation. 

The various denominations provided face values to exactly match the rates for several categories of Third Class mail (bulk rate and quanity-discounted mail). As the rates changed, new stamps with new values were added. Never before had a stamp series included so many fractional cent values.  

Sir Rowland Hill - Uniform Penny Postage 22.8.1979

Thank you Merja.

Feather Mail 6.5.2016

The birds living next to the steps of his house in Suomenlinna inspired Erik Bruun to come up with the subject of the stamp. The feather of a mallard illustrates the EUR 0.50 Sulka additional value stamp. Bruun was also behind the previous EUR 0.50 stamp featuring a swan. "The idea for my stamp is based on an over 100-year-old tradition. An express letter was marked with a feather attached to the corner of the envelope with sealing wax. Back then, that was the mark of express mail," says Bruun.

Thank you Ella.

United Nations Postal Administration 4.10.1969

The United Nations Postal Administration (UNPA) is the postal agency of the United Nations. It issues postage stamps and postal stationery, denominated in United States dollars for the United Nations offices in New York, in Swiss francs for the offices in Geneva and in euros (formerly schillings) for the offices in Vienna. Postage rates charged are identical to those of the host nation.

Thank you Merja.

Stamp Day - Pablo Picasso "Woman Reading" 27.3.1982

Czeslaw Slania's first stamp for France was a painting by Pablo Picasso (1881-1973), a semi-postal,  issued for the benefit of "Journée du Timbre" or Stamp Day.Picasso's painting "Woman Reading" was created in 1920. The original painting measures 100 x 81 cm, and belongs to Musée de la Peinture et Sculpture, Grenoble, France. 

Thank you Merja.

Swiss Service stamps in use by the UPU. 16.9.1976

Swiss Service stamps in use by  the UPU.

Airmail Service between Vatican City and Częstochowa 2.6.1979

Częstochowa is a city in southern Poland on the Warta River with 240,027 inhabitants as of June 2009. It has been situated in the Silesian Voivodeship (administrative division) since 1999, and was previously the capital of the Częstochowa Voivodeship (1975–1998). However, Częstochowa is historically part of Lesser Poland, not of Silesia, and before 1795 (see: Partitions of Poland), it belonged to the Kraków Voivodeship. Częstochowa is located in the Kraków-Częstochowa Upland. It is the 13th most populous city in Poland. It is the largest economic, cultural and administrative hub in the northern part of the Silesian Voivodeship.

The city is known for the famous Pauline monastery of Jasna Góra, which is the home of the Black Madonna painting, a shrine to the Virgin Mary.

In modern times, Pope John Paul II, a native son of Poland, prayed before the Madonna during his historic visit in 1979, several months after his election to the Chair of Peter. The Pope made another visit to Our Lady of Częstochowa in 1983 and again in 1987, 1991, 1997 and 1999. On August 15, 1991, John Paul II was named Honorary Citizen of Częstochowa. On May 26, 2006, the city was visited by Pope Benedict XVI.

Centenary of the Baloon Post in France 16.11.1971

The Siege of Paris, lasting from 19 September 1870 to 28 January 1871, and the consequent capture of the city by Prussian forces, led to French defeat in the Franco-Prussian War and the establishment of the German Empire as well as the Paris Commune.

Balloon mail was the only means by which communications from the besieged city could reach the rest of France. The use of balloons to carry mail was first proposed by the photographer and balloonist Felix Nadar, who had established the grandiosely titled No. 1 Compagnie des Aérostatiers, with a single balloon, theNeptune, at its disposal, to perform tethered ascents for observation purposes. However the Prussian encirclement of the city made this pointless, and on 17 September Nadar wrote to the Council for the Defence of Paris proposing the use of balloons for communication with the outside world: a similar proposal had also been made by the balloonist Eugène Godard. The first balloon launch was carried out on 23 September, using the Neptune, and carried 125 kg (276 lb) of mail in addition to the pilot. After a three-hour flight it landed at Craconville 83 km (52 mi) from Paris.    

Balloon mail refers to the transport of mail (usually for weight reasons in the form of a postcard) carrying the name of the sender by means of an unguided hydrogen or helium filled balloon. Since the balloon is not controllable, the delivery of a balloon mail is left to good fortune; often the balloon and postcard are lost. A found balloon should be returned to the sender (by conventional post) with an indication of the discovery site, so that the sender can determine how far their balloon flew. Frequently balloon mail is sent as part of a balloon competition.

Historically, balloons were used to transport mail from Paris during the Siege of Paris of 1870-71. About 66 unguided mail balloons were released from Paris to communicate with outside world, of which the great majority succeeded in delivering their cargo. As the Prussian forces surrounded the city, telegraph lines were cut and messengers were captured, shot or turned back.

Postman Clearing Mail 8.4.1978

This FDC and the stamp on it depict the start of the journey of a letter. Here a postman is seen clearing a letter from an ornamental lamppost on which is mounted a letter-box in the early 1900's.

Thank you Merja.

Mediterranean Boats 9.7.2015

"Mediterranean Boats" common issue of members of Euromed Postal - comprising one stamp. members of the Postal Union for the Mediterranean. The stamp shows the artistic view of the boats sailing in the sea with the background view of the earth.

All the postal operators within PUMed also known as EUROMED, issued stamps with a common theme the boats of the Mediterranean, featuring their traditional boats. PUMed was officially established on 15 March 2011 with its headquarters in Malta. Its goal is to support economic development in the Euro-Mediterranean region by promoting the role of post offices in the economy of the various countries and encouraging cooperation between the players involved in the postal sector.

Thank you Merja.

The Rural Postman of 1830 16.3.1968

The stamp depicts the rural postman, as he appeared in 1830, who had attained social and economic significance through his representation in literature and the arts. His place in French society can be compared to the teacher or the gendarme with whom he shares an affinity. 

He is the successor of the pedestrian messenger [messagers-piétons] who was responsible for circulating information between local State representatives. He symbolizes the strong hierarchy characterizing French administration. He personifies the ambivalence of civil service employment in that he is sometimes feared by the autochthons, and yet also often appreciated by the population for his vital function. It was through the task of the mail round – the long-standing public demonstration of his hard work – that he was accepted, praised or derided. But on every occasion, he has been used by nineteenth century political regimes as a kind of cement for French national identity, helping to promote territorial equality among the French.

Thank you Merja.

Historic Post Offices 4.8.1982

Postman of the 1900's 8.4.1978

Stamp was issued to honour the French Postmen. The stamp and the Cover have a picture of a postman clearing mail in the 1900's.

Thank you Merja.

Anniversary of the Introduction of Postal codes in Spain 1.6.1987

This stamp and cover were issued on 1.6.1987 on the Anniversary of the Introduction of Postal codes in Spain. These codes were introduced and standardized in Spain in 1976, when Correos (the national postal service of Spain) introduced automated mail sorting. The first two digits (ranging 01–52) of the postal code correspond to one of the fifty provinces of Spain (as listed in general alphabetical order, with some exceptions), plus the two autonomous cities on the African coast.

Large cities such as Madrid and Barcelona, were divided into postal districts (zonas in Spanish) similar to the arrondissement system in Paris. These former postal districts were incorporated into the five-digit postal code.

Thank you Merja.

Horse Postal Service at Marckolsheim 1977

These two FDCs were issued in France to commemorate and honour the Postal Service staff who bravely ran the Horse Postal Service at Marckolsheim during the Second World War. The stamp was issued on Stamp Day in 1977.

The First horse postal service was at Marckolsheim. This house shown on the first FDC built in 1522 was the start point of the relay station at Marcholsheim, until the late eighteenth century. It was destroyed during the Second World War. The Maginot Memorial was erected at the site of Bunker 35/3 at Marckolsheim, dedicated to the memory of the fighters of the last war. 

Thank you Merja.

Vending Machine Folders - 1985 Issue 13.3.1985

Åland postal franking labels present beach treasures 2.2.2015

On 2 February 2015, a new 3-year series of postal labels from Åland Post Stamps is launched. The theme is Beach finds and the first motif in the series features a bird feather.

Surrounded by the sea, many interesting finds can be made on the Åland beaches. Some of these treasures have been immortalized by Tiina Tahvanainen, the photographer behind the new Åland frama series. Tiina was cut out for this commission, seeing that the chipped, rusty and aged as well as the worn and torn are recurrent elements in Tiina’s choice of motifs.

“To me, beach finds are magical titbits that are just lying there on the beach waiting to become someone’s treasure. Old clobber is so much more interesting than new stuff. Old things have a history of which you know nothing but of which you can fantasize,” Tiina says.

Thank you Ella.

The United States Postal Service (USPS) 1.7.1971

Issued on July 1, 1971, this stamp marked the official beginning of the U.S. Postal Service. Prior to this date, it had been known as the U.S. Post Office. An 8¢ first-class postage stamp depicting Loewy’s logo was released simultaneously all over the country. Customers could obtain free commemorative envelopes at any post office (or create their own), affix the stamp, and have it cancelled as an official souvenir of the occasion. Many philatelists still collect these first day covers of the stamp. There is a special catalogue devoted to them, and cancellations from some of the small rural post offices are quite rare.

The United States Postal Service (USPS) came into being on July 1, 1971 as the result of a four-year reform of the old U.S. Post Office Department. Previously, politicians controlled post office jobs, salaries, and promotions (the postmaster general was usually the sitting president’s former campaign manager). Mounting customer complaints and a 1970 postal workers’ strike, however, demonstrated the need for change. The USPS that emerged from the reform was a semi-independent agency expected to operate like a business and place new emphasis on efficiency.

Postmaster General Winton M. Blount wanted a new corporate seal to replace the ‘horse and rider’ that had been in use since the nineteenth century. Raymond Loewy, a famous industrial artist who had created iconic logos for some of the country’s most successful brands (including Studebaker, Hoover, Exxon, Shell, and International Harvester) was hired to design it. Loewy’s dramatic profile of an eagle about to take flight was more appropriate for an age in which most mail was transported by air.

To celebrate the reform and inaugurate the USPS, President Richard M. Nixon proclaimed July 1 as National Postal Service Day.  

Thank you Merja.

100th anniversary of the Pony Express

U.S. 1960 4¢ Pony Express Centennial commemorates the 100th anniversary of the Pony Express. Now a famous chapter in the lore of the Old West, the Pony Express was a high-speed (for the time) mail service from St. Joseph, Missouri, to Sacramento, California. These two covers were released simultaneously from these two cities with a lot of fanfare. The Pony Express

used relays of men and horses to deliver mail in less than half the time required by other delivery methods. The Express operated for a year and a half – until the opening of the transcontinental telegraph made it unnecessary. Despite its fame, the Pony Express was a financial failure. An estimated 400 horses were used during the company’s operation. Riders typically rode stretches of 80 to 100 miles at a time, changing horses about every 10 miles at stations along the route.

The Pony Express was a mail service delivered messages, newspapers, mail, even small packages across the Great Plains, over the Rocky Mountains and the Sierra Nevada by horseback, using a series of relay stations. During its 18 months of operation, it reduced the time for messages to travel between the Atlantic and Pacific coasts to about 10 days. From April 3, 1860, to October 1861, it became the West's most direct means of east–west communication before the telegraph was established and was vital for tying the new state of California with the rest of the country. The Pony Express was a mail-delivery system of the Leavenworth and Pike's Peak Express Company of 1859, which in 1860 became the Central Overland California and Pikes Peak Express Company. This firm was founded by William H. Russell, Alexander Majors, and William B. Waddell all of whom were notable in the freighting business.

Thank you Merja for this important piece of postal history.