Ukraine - Crimea

Stan send me this card from The Cremia. And, just see the lovely stamps on it.

Zaire - The Okapi

This very interesting maximum card portraying the Okapi was sent to me by Gabriela. The Okapi is a giraffid artiodactyl mammal native to the Ituri Rainforest, located in the northeast of the Democratic Republic of the Congo, in central Africa. Although the okapi bears striped markings reminiscent of the zebra, it is most closely related to the giraffe. Unknown to Europeans until 1901, today there are approximately 10,000–20,000 in the wild and only 40 different worldwide institutions display them.

The Republic of Zaire was the name of the present Democratic Republic of the Congo between 27 October 1971 and 17 May 1997. The name of Zaire derives from the Portuguese Zaire, itself an adaptation of the Kongo word nzere or nzadi, or "the river that swallows all rivers". The country was known as the Belgian Congo up until its independence in June 1960. Unrest and rebellion plagued the new government until 1965, when Lieutenant General Joseph-Désiré Mobutu, by then commander-in-chief of the national army, seized control of the country and declared himself president for five years during what is now called the Congo Crisis. Mobutu quickly consolidated his power and was elected unopposed as president in 1970.

Youth Sailing 12.6.2010

The stamp on the FDC shows a boy sailing a Laser Radial sail boat.

Åland - The Mail Farmer

Aland mail farmers and farmhands alike had to be ready when the coach horn sounded. They knew then that it was time to carry the mail to the next farm, day or night. A stamp appearing in June focuses on the conveyance of mail. The mail route across Aland was established in 1638. Until the end of the 19th century, the conveyance of mail across Aland bore the stamp of the postal reform. The mail was conveyed in relays between farmers living at a certain distance from one another along the mail route. Mail farmers had many responsibilities and, in return, they were exempted from some of the taxes to the Crown. They were required to be able to read and write; another requirement was that each farmer must keep two farmhands to help him. The mail must be carried in all weathers and at all times. During the almost three hundred year period of mail conveyance across land and sea, the transportation technique never changed. The mail farmers rowed, sailed and pulled their boats regardless of weather conditions. At the end of the 1800s, ships that were better equipped to cut through the ice came into use and a more regular service was introduced. The mail farmers were no longer needed, and the last mail rota left from Vardo to Kumlinge on 31 December 1910. This very expressive FDC was sent to me by Ella.

Åland - Passenger ferry series 3.5.2010

The passenger ferry series which started in 2009, will continue till 2014. These are issues for 2010. The M/S Prinsessan of Birka Line and the M/S Skandia of Silja Line have been painted by the artist Hàkan Sjòstròm. Founded in Mariehamn in 1971, the business idea of Birka Line was to arrange short distance cruises between Sweden and Åland all the year round. In November that same year, the first passenger ship, Danish M/S Prinsessen, was purchased. Built in Denmark in 1957, Prinsessan had a capacity of 1 200 passengers and 35 cars. Her originai name was Prinsesse Margrethe and she was renamed Prinsessen in 1968 before Birka Line changed her name once more in 1971, this time to Prinsessan (the princess).

Silja Line was founded in 1957 by the three shipping companies Finland Steamship Company, Steamship Company Bore and Stockholms Rederi AB Svea. M/S Skandia was built in 1961 at Wàrtsilà shipyard in Helsinki. Skandia was Silja Line's first nevvly buiit car ferry and was put into service on thè route Turku – Àland - Stockholm. The ferry carried 1200 passengers and 175 cars and as the first purpose-built car-passenger ferry for year-round service. The bow doors fore and aft, resulting in a full-length cardeck, were revolutionary. In connection with the 2010 passenger ferry stamps, the Post presents a new collector's product. An album with ferry presentation sheets with old photos extra Information about the ferries and with the stamps cancelled with First day special postmark. This nice FDC was sent by Ella.

Åland- Toys 10.5.2010

Funny plastic toys are produced by the Åland Plasto Company. The stamps on the First Day Cover and the three Maxi Cards show the three popular toys. Production of the green scooter called " the moon creature" with red wheels, handles, lively eyes and a red antennae started in 1960s and ended in 1988. The red tipper lorry with a blue loading platform is the most popular Plasto Company toy and is available in many sizes and colour combinations. Production started in 1973 and still goes on. The ducks are very popular with the 2 to 5 year age group. This pretty philatelic item group was sent to me by Ella.

Indonesia - Intangible Cultural Heritage of Indonesia

The miniature sheets on this cover were issued to commemorate the “Intangible Cultural Heritage of Indonesia”. On the MS on the left is pictured “The keris” which is a distinctive, asymmetrical dagger indigenous to every part of Indonesia except Maluku and Papua, and can also be found in Malaysia, Singapore, Brunei Darussalam, the southern Philippines and Thailand, i.e. in all regions that used to be the sphere of influence of the Majapahit Kingdom. Both a weapon and spiritual object, the keris is often believed to have mystical powers, with some blades possessing good luck and others bringing bad luck to those who possess them or come into contact with them.
The MS on the right depicts Hanoman or Anoman, a puppet version of Hanuman from the Hindu mythology “Ramayana” is very popular in Yogyakarta. Nina sent me this cover.

Indonesia - International Year of Astronomy 2009

The United Nations officially declared the International Year of Astronomy 2009 on December 20, 2007. Initiated by International Astronomical Union (IAU) and UNESCO, this resolution was aimed at commemorating the 400th years of telescope usage in the field of astronomy pioneered by Galileo Galilei. Not less than 137 countries celebrate this event with the theme of "the Universe, yours to discover".
The major goals of International Year of Astronomy 2009 are to increase scientific awareness; promote widespread access to new knowledge and observing experiences; empower astronomical communities in developing countries; support and improve formal and informal science education; provide a modern image of science and scientist; facilate new networks and strengthen existing ones; improve the gender-balanced representation of scientist at all levels and promote greater involvement by underrepresented minorities in scientific and engineering careers; facilate the preservation and protection of the world's cultural and natural heritage of dark skies in places suchs as urban oases, national parks and astronomical sites.
One of the main agendas of the event in Indonesia was the stamp series "The Year of International Astronomy 2009" issuance on May 2, 2009. The stamp design depicts the image of Galileo Galilei, Galilean telescope as well as the official event logo. The stamps were issued in se-tennant format. As a background, the sheet shows Omega Centauri galaxy. Galileo Galilei (February 15, 1564 - January 8, 1642) was an Italian physician, mathematician as well as philosopher known as "father of modern science". His observations have brought fundamental discoveries in the field of astronomy that brought about a revolutionary paradigm shift in viewing the universe. The Jupiter moons discovery has challenged previously accepted concept of geometrics. Then, the planet movement theory became crucial milestone for Isaac Newton's mechanical theory.
The original telescope designed by Galileo in 1609 was commonly called as Galilean telescope. It used a convex objective lens and a concave eyepiece lens. This telescope produced upright images and could magnify objects about 30 times. Galilean telescope could view the phases of Venus, craters on the moon and the moons orbiting Jupiter.
Omega Centauri is a ball shaped cluster of stars located at Centaurus constellation. Edmond Halley considered it as a nebula in 1677. Yet in 1830, John William Herschel, a British astronomer, regarded it as a ball shaped cluster of stars. Omega Centauri is one of ball shaped clusters that can be seen through naked eyes. This brightest and biggest cluster of stars in our Galaxy consists of approximately 10 million stars with 17.000 light year (1 light year = ~ 9,5 x 1012 km) length distance from earth. This fabulous First Day Cover was sent to me by my friend Nina.

Windmills 7.2.1980

The distinctive designs of the five Windmill stamps reflect the evolution of windmills in America - from ideas imported from Holland to the classic American wind machine of the Southwest United States. Featured are a post grist type windmill in Virginia, three windmills of the smock variety, and the modern Texas-style "wind-engine". This is the first time a US stamp booklet has contained more than one stamp design on a topical theme. Issued Feb 7, 1980, Lubbock, Texas. Quoted from the Windmills Booklet, Scott 1742a, issued 2/7/1980

The prairie flower's slender stem reaches skyward while the steel-petaled blossom revolves in the wind. As the endless Texas plain recedes into the distance, this floral species becomes recognizable as an American windmill. Invented around 1860 and used widely throughout the United States, this windmill displays a greater number of blades than its European predecessor. Originally made of wood, but now made of metal, American wind-catchers are not as pretty, nor as graceful as European windmills; but, they have done their jobs for over a century. These scrawny mills have drawn water from the ground that is so valuable to the arid west that it transformed the Great American Desert into the Great Plains. The railroads used the windmills to pump running water into their depot tanks, and ranchers used them to irrigate their land. Windmills supplied water to salt mines in Texas and volunteer fire departments throughout the west. At the end of a hot, dusty day on the trail, sweating cowboys chased their four-footed rivals from the barnyard tank and cooled off in the water the windmills provided. Prairie preachers dunked repentant sinners into water tanks to sanctify them. And, the windmills filled the waiting tanks with water that washed clothes and cooled food. Today, the western prairies are still alive with these whirling windmills, as Americans meet an ancient challenge to capture the restless wind.

One of a series of five windmill stamps issued by the U.S. Postal Service sometime in the 1970s or 1980s. The stamp depicts an American farm windmill and a water storage tank. This type of wind pump is also known as a "Chicago mill" for the region of the U.S. where hundreds of thousands were built during the 19th century. Generally, I agree with you and Mr. Norm Wright, that not all windmills and high tanks were used for water supply to steam locomotives, but some of them were used for that. And I think that this image is important evidence that some windmills and high tanks were used in the rairoad stations for supplying water to steam locomotives. These superb Windmill FDC’s with the excellent Colorano “Silk” Cachet’s were given to me by my Good friend Hemant.

Germany - Johannes Brahms

This Maximum Card was issued in Germany to commemorate the 150^th Birth Anniversary of Johannes Brahms (7 May 1833 – 3 April 1897), who was a German composer and pianist. One of the leading musicians of the Romantic period. Born in Hamburg, Brahms spent much of his professional life in Vienna, Austria, where he was a leader of the musical scene. In his lifetime, Brahms's popularity and influence were considerable; following a comment by the nineteenth-century conductor Hans von Bülow, he is sometimes grouped with Johann Sebastian Bach and Ludwig van Beethoven as one of the Three Bs.
Brahms composed for piano, chamber ensembles, symphony orchestra, and for voice and chorus. A virtuoso pianist, he gave the first performance of many of his own works; he also worked with the leading performers of his time, including the pianist Clara Schumann and the violinist Joseph Joachim. Many of his works have become staples of the modern concert repertoire. Brahms, an uncompromising perfectionist, destroyed many of his works and left some of them unpublished.
Brahms was at once a traditionalist and an innovator. His music is firmly rooted in the structures and compositional techniques of the Baroque and Classical masters. He was a master of counterpoint, the complex and highly disciplined method of composition for which Bach is famous, and also of development, a compositional ethos pioneered by Joseph Haydn, Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart and Beethoven. Brahms aimed to honour the "purity" of these venerable "German" structures and advance them into a Romantic idiom, in the process creating bold new approaches to harmony and melody. While many contemporaries found his music too academic, his contribution and craftsmanship have been admired by subsequent figures as diverse as the progressive Arnold Schoenberg and the conservative Edward Elgar. The diligent, highly constructed nature of Brahms's works was a starting point and an inspiration for a generation of composers.

Switzerland – 100 years of The Gottard Rail Tunnel

This nice set of stamps was issued in 1982 to commemorate 100 years of The Gottard Rail Tunnel. The Gotthard Rail Tunnel, is a 15-kilometre (9 mi) long railway tunnel and forms the summit of the Gotthard Railway in Switzerland. It connects Göschenen with Airolo and was the first tunnel through the Gotthard massif. It is built as one double-track, standard gauge tunnel. The tunnel rises from the northern portal at Göschenen (1106 metres / 3650 ft) and the highest point (1151 metres, or 3800 ft) is reached after approximately 8 kilometres (5 mi). After two more kilometers, the border between the cantons of Uri (Remember William Tell?) and Ticino is passed; after another 5 kilometres (3 mi), the tunnel ends at the southern portal near to Airolo (1142 metres, or 3770 ft). The trip takes about seven to eight minutes by train. Services are operated by the Swiss national railway company SBB-CFF-FFS. Thank you MGIFS.

Cuba – The New Seven Wonders of the World

In 2001 an initiative was started by the Swiss corporation New7Wonders Foundation to choose the New Seven Wonders of the World from a selection of 200 existing monuments. Twenty-one finalists were announced on January 1, 2006. Egypt was not happy with the fact that the only original wonder would have to compete with the likes of the Statue of Liberty, the Sydney Opera House, and other landmarks; and called the project absurd. To solve this, Giza was named an honorary Candidate. The results were announced on July 7, 2007

Wonder	Date of construction	Location
Great Wall of China	5th century BCE – 16th century CE	China
Petra	c.100 BCE	Jordan
Christ the Redeemer	Opened 12 October 1931	Brazil
Machu Picchu	c.1450 CE	Peru
Chichen Itza	c.600 CE	Mexico
Colosseum	Completed 80 CE	Italy
Taj Mahal	Completed c.1648 CE	India
Great Pyramid of Giza (Honorary Candidate)	Completed c.2560 BCE	Egypt

Cuba issued these seven stamps to commemorate the so called New 7 Wonders of the World. This issue is still mired in a lot of controversy, and it is open to us all to decide our own list of 7, 8, 9 or whatever number of wonders you like ;-)) Thank you Hemant for these lovely stamps.

Austria - Vienna State Opera (Wiener Staatsoper)

This sheetlet of Austrian stamps were issued to commemorate the Centenary of the famous State Opera. The Vienna State Opera (Wiener Staatsoper) is an opera house – and opera company – with a history dating back to the mid-19th century. It is located in the centre of Vienna, Austria. It was originally called the Vienna Court Opera (Wiener Hofoper); in 1920, it was renamed the Vienna State Opera. The members of the Vienna Philharmonic are recruited from its orchestra. Thank you MGIFS.

Canada - Jt Issue with Italy - Cabot's 1497 Voyage

This FDC was issued by Canada Post Corporation on 24.6.1997. The two stamps are a joint issue by Canada and Italy. This was to commemorate the 500th Anniversary of Giovanni Caboto's (known in English as John Cabot; c. 1450 – c. 1499) voyage to the West. Caboto was an Italian navigator and explorer who's 1497 discovery of North America is commonly held to be the first European voyage to the continent since Norse exploration of the Americas in the early eleventh century. The official position of the Canadian and United Kingdom governments is that he landed on the island of Newfoundland.

Ireland - Asgard II

This FDC and the special stamp was issued on the commissioning of Asgard II. This tall ship was a 104' long brigantine from Ireland, owned by the state and operated as a sail training ship. She was built in Wicklow, Ireland, and launched in 1981 as a replacement for the original Asgard. She has 372 square-metres of sail and boasts an unusual carved figure-head of Granuaile, the famous 16th century Pirate Queen. Her name comes from Norse mythology and means Home of the Gods. Thanks Hemant lovers of tall ships will love this.

Mountain Railways

Two maximum cards were issued in Switzerland on 6^th May, 2010. These are shown on the right. On the left is an information sheet, which explains it all. These are once again contributions from MGIFS.

Finland – Paddle Boat Steamer Elias Lönnrot

In 1864 Factory manager Adolf Törngren asked Tampereen Pellava- ja Rautateollisuus Oy company to build a paddle steamer to operate between Tampere and Lempäälä. The paddle steamer was built in 1865 and was launched on 6.6.1865. The Boat was 100 feet long and 27,5 feet wide. It had an 80 ep. Steam engine. The Paddle steamer was named ”Elias Lönnrot” after the Finnish national epic’s, ”Kalevala’s”, writer Elias Lönnrot who had worked as a private tutor in Adolf Törngren’s Laukko Manor in Vesilahti. This was his way of honouring the well liked tutor. “Elias Lönnrot” had a scheduled route on Pyhäjärvi lake between Tampere and Lempäälä. Lempäälä canal was built in 1873 but still there were no direct connection by ship between Tampere and Hämeenlinna. The reason for not continuing the route to Hämeenlinna may have been because the ship was considered to be too wide for the Hämeenlinna route. It didn’t fit to the narrow end of the canal because of its wheel cases. Steen, the captain of that time, also thought that the boat was too fancy for residents in Hämeenlinna, which was why the ship visited Hämeenlinna only a few times. M/s Vanaja made several cruises from Hämeenlinna to Tampere and transported e.g. factory workers on their pleasure travels while Steen thought Elias Lönnrot was too fancy for that.
Railway between Hämeenlinna and Tampere finished in 1876 ended passenger and freight transportation by ship.

Elias Lönnrot was also used to transport mail (1865 – 1925). This card shows the logo whicht refers to celebrating 150 years in 2006 of the first Finnish stamp which was issued in 1856. At that time Finland was part of Russia. The logo down and right with blue little balls refers to Finnish Post (now Itella). So this card is a product of Finnish post. They have chosen the printed stamp is a facsimile from the original one. The value of the stamp (One Mark) is also written in Russian i.e. “Odna Marka”.

Warsaw

This first day cover and the special stamp was issued in Warsaw the Capital of Poland in honour of the capitals of some European Union Countries

Switzerland – Stately Simplon celebrates centenary

These maxi cards were sent to me by MGIFS. The Simplon Tunnel is an Alpine railway tunnel that connects the Swiss town of Brig with Domodossola in Italy, though its relatively straight trajectory does not run under Simplon Pass itself. It actually consists of two single-track tunnels built nearly 20 years apart. It was the longest railway tunnel in the world until the opening of the Seikan Tunnel in 1988.

Work on the first tube of the Simplon tunnel commenced in 1898. The Italian king Victor Emmanuel III of Italy and the president of the Swiss National Council Ludwig Forrer opened the tunnel at Brig on 10 May 1906. The builders of the tunnel were Hermann Häustler and Hugo von Kager and the tunnel is 19,700 meters (64,633 ft) long. Work on the second tube of the tunnel started in 1912 and it was opened in 1921; it is 19,824 meters (65,039 ft) long. The Simplon rail tunnel linking Switzerland and Italy can look back on 100 years as a vital artery of the railways, with next year signalling a busy future ahead. Officially inaugurated on May 19, 1906, it was for many years the longest in the world but it has never caught the spotlight as much as another major alpine tunnel – the Gotthard.

Rack & Pinion Railway

The Maxi card with the 80c stamp features the rack and pinion railway system developed by the Basle engineer Niklaus Riggenbach (1817 – 1899). The smooth functioning of his invention was demonstrated when Europe’s first rack railway, from Vitznau up to Rigi, was opened in 1871. Riggenbach’s technical principle i.e. the locking of a cogwheel into a toothed track ensured the highest possible degree of safety, even at gradients of 1 in 4. The stamp shows one of the first cogwheel steam locomotives on the Vitznau – Rigi Railway, now at the Swiss Transport Museum in Lucerne. This interesting card was sent to me by My Generous Indian Friend in Switzerland (MGIFS)

USA - Historic Preservation 29.10.1971

San Francisco's Cable Cars. The driving force behind the San Francisco cable car system came from a man who witnessed a horrible accident on a typically damp summer day in 1869. Andrew Smith Hallidie saw the toll slippery grades could extract when a horse- drawn streetcar slid backwards under its heavy load. The steep slope with wet cobblestones and a heavily weighted vehicle combined to drag five horses to their deaths. Although such a sight would stun anyone, Hallidie and his partners had the know-how to do something about the problem. Hallidie had been born in England and moved to the U.S. in 1852. His father filed the first patent in Great Britain for the manufacture of wire- rope. As a young man, Hallidie found uses for this technology in California's Gold Country. He used the wire rope when designing and building a suspension bridge across Sacramento's American River. He also found another use for the wire rope when pulling heavy ore cars out of the underground mines on tracks. The technology was in place for pulling cable cars. The next step bringing Hallidie closer to his fate was moving his wire- rope manufacturing to San Francisco. All that was now needed was seeing the accident for the idea to become full blown-a cable car railway system to deal with San Francisco's fearsome hills.
Charles W. Morgan was a U.S. whale ship during the 19th and early 20th century. Ships of this type usually harvested the blubber of whales for whale oil, which was commonly used in lamps during the time period. The ship is currently an exhibit at the Mystic Seaport museum in Mystic, Connecticut.
Mission San Xavier del Bac is a historic Spanish Catholic mission located about 10 miles (16 km) south of downtown Tucson, Arizona, on the Tohono O'odham San Xavier Indian Reservation. Named for a pioneering Christian missionary and co-founder of the Society of Jesus (Jesuit Order), the Mission is also known as the "place where the water appears" as the Santa Cruz River (which runs underground) surfaces nearby. The Mission is situated in the centre of a centuries-old Indian settlement of the Tohono O'odham (formerly known as Papago), located along the banks of the Santa Cruz River.
Decatur House is a historic home in Washington, D.C., named after its former occupant Stephen Decatur. Decatur House is one of the oldest surviving homes in Washington, D.C., and one of only three remaining houses in the country designed by neoclassical architect Benjamin Henry Latrobe. Completed in 1818 for naval hero Stephen Decatur and his wife, Susan, the Federal Style house is prominently located across Lafayette Square from the White House. It was successively home to Henry Clay, Martin Van Buren, Judah P. Benjamin, who collectively made Decatur House the unofficial residence of the Secretary of State from 1827 to 1833, each renting the house while they served in that post.
In 1836 John Gadsby and his wife Providence moved into the house and brought their house slaves. They built a two-story structure at the back, which became the slave quarters for those workers, who previously lived in the main house. This structure remains as one of the few examples of slave quarters in urban areas. It is physical evidence of African Americans' having been held "in bondage in sight of the White House."
Edward Fitzgerald Beale, a frontiersman and explorer who later became a rancher and diplomat purchased Decatur House in 1872. Beale's daughter-in-law, Marie, bequeathed Decatur House to the National Trust for Historic Preservation in 1956. The house was designated a U.S. National Historic Landmark in 1976.

Katyn Massacre

This sombre miniature sheet was issued this year by Poland to pay homage to those Poles who were brutally massacred by the Soviet Union in the forests of Katyn. The Katyn massacre was a mass execution of Polish POW officers and citizens ordered by the Soviet authorities in 1940. The most widely accepted estimate of the number of dead is about 22,000. The victims were murdered in the Katyn forest, Kalinin (Tver) and Kharkiv prisons, and elsewhere. About 8,000 were officers taken prisoner during the Soviet 1939 invasion of Poland, the rest being Poles arrested for allegedly being "intelligence agents, gendarmes, spies, saboteurs, landowners, factory owners, lawyers, priests, and officials."
During the German occupation of Poland, the Germans used the massacre for propaganda purposes against the Soviets. However, after the war, when Poland fell under Soviet influence, the truth about the event was suppressed by the Soviet authorities, who maintained an official line throughout the Eastern Bloc that the Germans committed the massacre. With the fall of communism in Poland in 1989, the first non-communist Polish government immediately acknowledged that the crime was committed by the Soviets. In 1990, Mikhail Gorbachev acknowledged Soviet responsibility for the Katyn massacre for the first time. In 1991, Boris Yeltsin made public the documents, which had authorised the massacre. My friend Ada sent it to me.

Cartoon Characters

We have loved them since we were children. And yes Hemant, we love them even now. So, here they are, Daffy Duck, Porky the Pig, and how can I forget The Road Runner having the better of Wile E. Coyote. Wonderful Maxi cards from the USA.

Hot air ballooning 31.3.1983

This FDC sent by Hemant is on Hot air ballooning, which is the activity of flying hot air balloons. Attractive aspects of ballooning include the exceptional quiet (except when the propane burners are firing), the lack of a feeling of movement, and the bird's-eye view. Since the balloon moves with the wind, the passengers feel absolutely no wind, except for brief periods during the flight when the balloon climbs or descends into air currents of different direction or speed.
For those interested in stamps issued by various countries on this popular sport please visit http://www.wydera.de/balloon/history3.htm

History of Gas Ballooning Several of the 20th century’s most famous gas balloonists were based in Albuquerque, which is proud to be called the hot-air ballooning capital of the world. Among the adventurers who chalked up record long-distance gas flights were Ben Abruzzo, Maxie Anderson, and Larry Newman, who became the first to cross the Atlantic in their Double Eagle II. But the history of their sport has its roots in Europe in the 1700s, where several people experimented for years with the idea of putting people in flight. Gas ballooning finally took off in 1783, within months of the first-ever unmanned hot-air flight. This new science of aviation was born in France, about the same time the United States was wrapping up its War of Independence against England. Those first balloon builders, French papermakers Joseph and Etienne Montgolfier, used heated air to make their craft rise. Not fully understanding the principles of lighter-than-air flight, they thought smoke from a straw fire did the trick. From the date of an early public flight in 1783 -- with a balloon carrying a duck, a rooster, and a sheep -- hot-air balloons have been called the Montgolfier type. It took a real scientist, Parisian physicist Jacques A.C. Charles to figure out that other gases that are lighter than air should cause balloons to rise. He believed that hydrogen would work as a lifting gas, and he found engineers who could make fabric air-tight by rubberizing it. For Professor Charles’ first flight, which also was unmanned, it took three days to fill the balloon with hydrogen, but it finally flew to the cheers of a crowd in Paris. Gas balloons are still called the Charliere-type in honor of their developer. Human flight began with a daring young man who had helped recover the animals from the Montgolfier flight – unharmed except for the rooster, whose wing may have been hurt during the rough landing in a tree. Jean Francois Pilatre de Rozier, working with a friend, the marquis D’Arlandes, convinced the skeptical French king to let them be the first human aeronauts. They took off on Nov. 21, 1783, and landed safely 25 minutes later. The dream of human flight had finally become a reality. Ten days later, Professor Charles flew in his gas balloon. He had already solved the most important problems of balloon flight. From his time until today, the tube under the balloon, called the appendix, would remain open in flight, and he added a valve that let pilots fly lower by letting gas out of the balloon. His Dec. 1, 1783, flight went 27 miles. Today’s gas balloonists use many of the professor’s methods, which included using sand for ballast.

5 Special Issues on 4th May 2010

4^th of May was a very lucky day. For, on this day Finland Post issued five sets of special stamps, first day covers and maxi cards. I therefore present all of them together. And all of them have been contributed to this blog by Ella.
Spring and summer are the seasons of celebrations and joy. The Jumping for Joy stamps are perfect for congratulations, invitations and summery greetings. The designer of the five-stamp miniature sheet is a student at the Pekka Halonen Academy, Tuomo Savolainen, who won Itella's competition to design springtime greetings stamps last year. Jumping when happy? Do you dance for love? Leap for good news? You can take a leaf of these stamps, which are telling of the joy: sense of humor, bright colours and expressive figures – a meaningful extra to your messages!

Klaus Welp the well known designer designed these stamps on Finnish sculptures. A booklet of 6 stamps was issued.

Children’s Books is the motif of the EUROPA stamps in the year 2010. Finland's stamp pair depicts children living with the creatures of the fairy tales.
In one stamp the children open the door to the library, where the characters of the stories are waiting for them. This year A Library Association in Finland celebrates its centenary.
In the other the boy and the characters of the fairy tales are reading a book together. A child is never alone when reading. The artist Leena Lumme is well known of the illustrations for the numerous books for children. Libraries today are anything but gloomily silent places for reading. The hundred-year-old library movement's diversity and its current forms are shown on two Europa stamps. Children's book illustrator Leena Lumme depicts a book as a door opening into worlds of fact and fancy. EUROPA stamps underlines cooperation in the posts domain, taking into account promotion of philately. They also build awareness of the common roots, culture and history of Europe and its common goals. As such, EUROPA stamp issues are among the most collected and most popular stamps in the world. The maxi card Iltasatu (Bedtime story) was drawn by Virpi Pekkala.
Welcome, summer! Send a summer greeting with the butterfly-wings. A green, fresh stamp published in the frame of the personalized stamp depicts a green and yellow butterfly sitting on a thin garland. The same pattern recurs on the butterfly and the garland.
Post Green. A light green stamp has been issued keeping the environment in mind. The paper is 100 % recyclable and the green colour is water soluble.

Switzerland – 1978 Stamp Exhibition

My generous Indian friend in Switzerland sent me this striking miniature sheet issued to commemorate the 1978 National Stamp Exhibition.. The stamps on it were designed by the well known artist Celestio Piatti of Basle, and has “Steamers on Swiss Lakes” as its theme. I will describe these stamps in the order they are shown top to bottom.

LA SUISSE (Lake Geneva) is a classical type of two-deck saloon steamer. She was built in 1910 for operations on Lake Geneva. She was the then largest saloon-type paddle steamer and has remained the pride of CGN’s fleet to this day.
IL VERBANO (Lake Maggiore) was commissioned in 1826 and provided a postal service between Magadino and Sesto Calende. She was a flush deck paddle steamer, sailed under an English Captain and at times carried a mast and sail.

MS GOTTHARD (Lake Lucerne) Early steam navigation on both Lake Maggiore and Lake Lucern benefited mainly from the heavily used St Gotthard Pass route. The present Gotthard , a two deck saloon-type motor ship was built in the years 1966-1970.

DS LOETSCHBERG (Lake of Brienz). Steam navigation on the lakes of Thun and Brienz was taken over by Bern – Lotchberg – Simplon Railways in 1913. Loetschberg was commissioned to provide a service between Brienz and Interlaken.

VILLE DE NEUCHATEL (Jura Lakes). On the Jura lakes, steamer services have been operated since 1826. In the early years, regional passenger and goods traffic provided the main business, whereas now it is tourists exclusively. This steamer is a low and flat bottomed saloon-type motor craft typical of the lakes and canals at the foot of the Jura mountains. She has been in service since 1972.

MS ROMANSHORN (Lake Constance). Lake Constance, bordered by Switzerland, Germany and Austria, has been plied by steamers since 1824. The Romanshorn, which carries passengers and road vehicles between Romanshorn and Friedrichshafen (Germany), is a double-ended ferry fitted with an upper deck and propelled and steered by a screw each fore and aft.

LE WINKELRIED (Lake Geneva). She was the first semi-saloon paddle steamer on these waters. Commissioned in 1871, she attracted attention on account of her two funnels.
DS WAEDENSWIL (Lake Zurich). The screw steamer Waedenswil was commissioned in 1895, converted to diesel operation in 1931, and finally laid up and scrapped in 1965.

Charles Lindbergh 17.2.1977

For collector’s of aviation philately, this cover may be of great interest as it is about a true Aviation Legend. Charles Augustus Lindbergh (February 4, 1902 – August 26, 1974) (nicknamed "Slim," "Lucky Lindy" and "The Lone Eagle") was an American aviator, author, inventor, explorer, and social activist.
Lindbergh, then a 25-year old U.S. Air Mail pilot, emerged from virtual obscurity to almost instantaneous world fame as the result of his Orteig Prize-winning solo non-stop flight on May 20–21, 1927, from Roosevelt Field located in Garden City on New York's Long Island to Le Bourget Field in Paris, France, a distance of nearly 3,600 statute miles, in the single-seat, single-engine monoplane Spirit of St. Louis. Lindbergh, a U.S. Army reserve officer, was also awarded the nation's highest military decoration, the Medal of Honor, for his historic exploit.
In the late 1920s and early 1930s, Lindbergh relentlessly used his fame to help promote the rapid development of U.S. commercial aviation. In March 1932, however, his infant son, Charles, Jr., was kidnapped and murdered in what was soon dubbed the "Crime of the Century" which eventually led to the Lindbergh family fleeing the United States in December 1935 to live in Europe where they remained up until the surprise attack on Pearl Harbor by the Imperial Japanese Navy. Before the United States declared World War II on December 8, 1941, Lindbergh had been an outspoken advocate of keeping the U.S. out of the world conflict, as was his Congressman father, Charles August Lindbergh (R-MN), during World War I, and became a leader of the anti-war America First movement. Nonetheless, he supported the war effort after Pearl Harbor and flew many combat missions in the Pacific Theater of World War II as a civilian consultant, even though President Franklin D. Roosevelt had refused to reinstate his Army Air Corps colonel's commission that he had resigned earlier in 1939.
In his later years, Lindbergh became a prolific prize-winning author, international explorer, inventor, and active environmentalist.

1st Man in Space

Hemant contributed this fine cover from the erstwhile Soviet Union, commemorating the first man in space. Yuri Alekseyevich Gagarin (9 March 1934 – 27 March 1968), Hero of the Soviet Union, was a Soviet cosmonaut. On 12 April 1961, he became the first human in outer space and the first to orbit the Earth. He received medals from around the world for his pioneering tour in space.
On 12 April 1961, Gagarin became the first man to travel into space, launching to orbit aboard the Vostok 3KA-3 (Vostok 1). His call sign in this flight was Kedr (Cedar). During his flight, Gagarin famously whistled the tune "The Motherland Hears, The Motherland Knows”. The first two lines of the song are: "The Motherland hears, the Motherland knows/Where her son flies in the sky" This patriotic song was written by Dmitri Shostakovich in 1951 (opus 86), with words by Yevgeniy Dolmatovsky.
Around the same time, some Western sources claimed that Gagarin, during his space flight, had made the comment, "I don't see any God up here." However, no such words appear in the verbatim record of Gagarin's conversations with the Earth during the spaceflight. In a 2006 interview a close friend of Gagarin, Colonel Valentin Petrov, stated that Gagarin never said such words, and that the phrase originated from Nikita Khrushchev's speech at the plenum of the Central Committee of the CPSU, where the anti-religious propaganda was discussed. In a certain context Khrushchev said, "Gagarin flew into space, but didn't see any God there".Colonel Petrov also said that Gagarin had been baptised into the Orthodox Church as a child.

Fireflies

What lovely creatures fireflies! One spontaneously feels like humming the popular refrain "fireflies" by Adam Young. This lovely FDC and info sheets were sent to me by my friend Budin.

Finnish Costumes

Every Finnish region has its own specific design of a national costume. The card shows a young man in the costume of Southern Ostrobothnia. This is typical male costume of Ostrobothnia consisting of trousers, a striped waistcoat, a coat, a belt, puukko with sheath and often a felt hat with a brim. The belt is quite special. It has tens of metal clasps. A puukko is a traditional Finnish style hand-crafted wooden belt-knife. This is more of a tool rather than a weapon. This card was sent to me by Leo.

Lighthouses

A lighthouse is a tower, building, or framework designed to emit light from a system of lamps and lenses or, in older times, from a fire and used as an aid to navigation to pilots at sea or on inland waterways. Lighthouses are used to mark dangerous coastlines, hazardous shoals and reefs, and safe entries to harbors and can also assist in aerial navigation. Once widely used, the number of operational lighthouses has declined due to the expense of maintenance and replacement by modern electronic navigational aids.
I have displayed some mini sheets of lighthouse stamps issued by Benin, Republic of Congo and Malawi for your viewing pleasure.

Liberia - 50th Anniversary of Disney

Liberia issued these lovely miniature sheets to commemorate the 50th Anniversary of Disneyland. The pictures are universally well-known and need no more unnecessary commentary from me.
Yes Hemant these are indeed lovely. Thanks a lot.

The Marshall Islands - Halley's Comet 21.11.1985

Halley's Comet or Comet Halley is the best-known of the short-period comets, and is visible from Earth every 75 to 76 years. Halley is the only short-period comet that is clearly visible to the naked eye from Earth, and thus the only naked-eye comet that might appear twice in a human lifetime. Other naked-eye comets may be brighter and more spectacular, but will appear only once in thousands of years. Halley's returns to the inner Solar System have been observed by astronomers since at least 240 BC, and recorded by Chinese, Babylonian, and medieval European chroniclers, but were not recognized as reappearances of the same object. The comet's periodicity was first determined in 1705 by English astronomer Edmond Halley, after whom it is now named. Halley's Comet last appeared in the inner Solar System in 1986 and will next appear in mid-2061.
During its 1986 apparition, Halley's Comet became the first to be observed in detail by spacecraft, providing the first observational data on the structure of a comet nucleus and the mechanism of coma and tail formation. These observations supported a number of longstanding hypotheses about comet construction, particularly Fred Whipple's "dirty snowball" model, which correctly surmised that Halley would be composed of a mixture of volatile ices—such as water, carbon dioxide and ammonia—and dust. However, the missions also provided data which substantially reformed and reconfigured these ideas; for instance it is now understood that Halley's surface is largely composed of dusty, non-volatile materials, and that only a small portion of it is icy.

To commemorate the famous Comet The Marshall Islands issued these nice FDCs and the special stamp. The Marshall Islands, officially the Republic of the Marshall Islands (RMI), is a Micronesian nation of atolls and islands in the middle of the Pacific Ocean, just west of the International Date Line and just north of the Equator. This nation of roughly 62,000 people is located north of Nauru and Kiribati, east of the Federated States of Micronesia, and south of the U.S. territory of Wake Island, to which it lays claim. In 1986 independence was attained under a Compact of Free Association with the United States. My friend Hemant send these to me for our viewing pleasure.