Children’s day Stamps from India: 2001 to 2007

Every year, Indian Post issues one or more stamps on Children's Day, i.e. 14th November.
Children's day is birth Date of Jawaharlal Nehru, the first Prime Minister of India.

Generally, the picture on each Children's day Stamp is designed by children.

Stamps on this theme are being published from 1957. The denomination of the stamp remains with the price for sending envelope by surface mail within India.

2001

2002

2003

2004

2005

2005

2006

2006

2007

2007

Relive India’s first Republic Day!

India Circa Republic Day 1950… Mumbai, January 24, 2008:

Relive history! eBay India, India's leading online marketplace, celebrates this Republic Day with an ancient difference. Log on to www.ebay.in and buy a piece of history. Choose from rare stamps, notes, coins and First Day Covers that commemorate India's first Republic Day in 1950. The historical stamps, coins and historical documents range from Rs. 29- Rs. 5000.

eBay India presents history buffs an opportunity to own interesting memorabilia ranging from rare stamps, First Day Covers and notes that were issued on the historic January 26, 1950. The strong historical value embedded in each of these collectibles makes every one of them a collector's item. Igniting the passion of young and old Indians & Indiophiles across the world, this collection brings together like-minded people across all age groups and regions who wish to revel in the glory of Republic Day.

Amongst other products that will take you back to circa 1950 are also an Indian Telegram from Calcutta, to Dacca, East Pakistan (Bangladesh), that is dated April 6, 1950, as well as a Western India Life Insurance (Tripura India State) Telegraphic Money Order with two 1950 stamps.

Log on www.ebay.in or click here to go down memory lane to get a peek into the India that was! Viva Republic Day!

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Stamp collectors must pay attention to the tiniest details

CAPI LYNN

February 18, 2008

George Washington has appeared on more U.S. postal stamps than anyone. Franklin D. Roosevelt was an ardent stamp collector.

In honor of Presidents Day, and the 75th anniversary of the Salem Stamp Society, I did a bit of research on philately, the collection and study of postage stamps, postmarks and stamped envelopes.

Franklin D. Roosevelt was one of the most famous stamp collectors in U.S. history. He sketched the original designs of many of the stamps that were issued during his presidency (1933-45).

Philately has fascinated everyone from royalty (Queen Elizabeth II and Prince Rainier III) to rock stars (John Lennon and Freddie Mercury).

The American Philatelic Society estimates there are more than 5 million stamp collectors nationwide, and lists more than 500 chapters on its Web site.

Salem Stamp Society is one of eight active chapters in Oregon. The club was founded in 1933, and today has about 70 members. They may not be famous, but they are just as passionate about their postage portfolios.

Dick Boyle is the club's unofficial historian, having been a member for 37 years. He joined when some of the founding fathers were still around, including the late H.R. Robinson.

"He sort of set the tone for the club," Boyle said. "We were kind of well thought of by virtue of his performance and involvement in a variety of exhibits and so forth."

Other important contributors included Harold Douris, Ed Payne, Connell Ward and Clark Will. Boyle shared some of their stories last week at the club's regular meeting.

The Salem Stamp Society meets the second Wednesday of each month at the Marion County Fire District 1 station on Cordon Road NE. Meetings include slide shows and presentations, door prize drawings and auctions.

Many of the members have been collecting stamps since childhood.

"Then you get married, have kids, and it gets put on the shelf," said Bob Reynolds, vice president of the club. "And then you come back to it."

Boyle followed a similar path. His interest was rekindled when his wife, Margaret, worked at a San Francisco travel agency and brought home stamps from mail sent to her office.

Dick Boyle, who retired in 1991 after working 20 years at Oregon State Hospital, has a simple reason for collecting stamps: "I love the geography and the history and everything else it represents."

He is a topical collector, someone who focuses on a particular theme or subject. Other subsets in the hobby include EFO (Error, Freak & Oddity) collectors, those in the market for misprints.

The world's first adhesive stamp, featuring the reigning Queen Victoria, was issued by Great Britain in 1840.

When the U.S. issued its first stamps seven years later, it decided not to honor living people but the country's history. The 5-center had the first postmaster (Benjamin Franklin) and the 10-center the first president (Washington).

Presidents have been stuck on stamps ever since, with a portrait of every late president on at least one U.S. stamp.

Washington's image graces a record 242 and counting, according to a video transcript posted on the Smithsonian Institution's National Postal Museum Web site. The number is ambiguous, because it depends on who's counting and how they're counting.

A stamp of a particular denomina-tion or design, for example, may have been issued at different times with variations in perforations, watermark or color. Attention to minutiae is a prerequisite for a serious philatelist.

"You have to be obsessive and like to organize things," Boyle said.

As stamps become more high-tech, not all collectors are thrilled with the changes

Posted By COREY LAROCQUE

Posted 1 day ago

Postage stamps are becoming more about Superman, Cinderella and Jurassic Park than about the Queen, old steam engines and battleships, says one collector who laments the loss of "workmanship" that used to go into them.

"Stamps are much more attractive than they used to be," said Hugh Anderson, an Oakville collector at the Niagara Philatelic Society's annual exhibition.

A 2005 page of superhero stamps issued by the United States Postal Service shows Superman, Wonder Woman and their colleagues in vibrant, full colour. While that kind of commemorative stamp is popular, it lacks the detail that went into stamps back when they were engraved using a printing process like newspapers.

"If you ever look at an E3 and look at the background, just take a look at all the stuff you see in the detail," Anderson said at the Stamford Lions hall Saturday.

The 1927 E3 shows a steam locomotive with a mountain in the background and biplanes flying overhead. A horse with rider runs alongside the train tracks. Commemorative issues like the superheroes series, Star Wars or Disney movie series catch the eye, but they look more like photographs than engravings that were common until the 1960s.

"These are more like labels," Anderson said, thumbing through some of the movie-inspired stamps the US Postal Service issued in recent years.

Anderson said he understands why the postal service and Canada Post would churn out bright commemorative stamps.

"Because they'll sell."
They're probably lucrative for the post office because they sell the stamps to collectors who never use them. The post office gets the money, but doesn't have to provide a service for it.

"That's what the post office wants you to do. It's pure mint for them," Anderson said.
A sheet of superhero stamps did catch the eye of one of the youngest budding philatelists.

Stephanie Salter's eyes for Bette Davis’ new postage stamp

By Stephanie Salter
The Tribune-Star

TERRE HAUTE — For several years, as he watched the U.S. Postal Service roll out one Legend of Hollywood stamp after another, retired Indiana State University literature professor James Misenheimer waited.

Through Marilyn Monroe … James Dean …Lucille Ball … Cary Grant … Audrey Hepburn … Henry Fonda … Stamps rose from 32 cents to 33, 34, 37 then 39 cents for Legend No. 13, James Stewart.

Where, in heaven's name, was Bette Davis???

Misenheimer, a cinephile and all-around aficionado of the theater arts, wondered if there was anyone left inside the great postal service bureaucracy who had a clue about what constitutes a Hollywood legend.

And he was not alone. He had fomented "a wide agitation for at least five years or longer" among his fellow Davis admirers around the country. Politely, but firmly, they kept the cards and letters coming to the U.S. postmaster general, each and every one lobbying for a Davis stamp.

"We always received the postcard, a response to the effect — 'We receive so many requests every year for special stamps. Your request will be taken into account.' You know what that means," he said.

At last, a few months ago, word arrived that the postal service had come to its senses. The two-time Academy Award winner (also nominated 10 times) would receive her own commemorative stamp. On April 5, the 100th anniversary of her birth, Bette Davis will become the 14th Legend of Hollywood.

The first-class, 41-cent stamp depicts Davis in her 1950 "All About Eve" incarnation. Her blue eyes catch the sparkle of diamond earrings, and her light-brown hair rides luxuriously atop the collar of a fabulous fur coat.

One glaring omission, easily spotted by any Davis fan, is the absence of a cigarette between the actress' gloved fingers. It has been air-brushed or Photo-shopped away.

"Thank goodness they did not include that," said Misenheimer, a non-smoker who wants no one to be encouraged to light up.

Not that he ever would have let the heavy-smoking Miss Davis know his feelings, which he could have done — in person.

Nearly 40 years ago, Misenheimer was blessed with two hours in the presence of the screen icon. Just Jim and Bette, drinking tea in the sitting room of her Westport, Conn., home.

"It was, for me, a sublime time," he said, his native Texas lilt weaving like a bright ribbon through descriptive memories.

Davis' address still inspires great delight as he recites it: "One Crooked Lane. Is that not perfect for her?"

Misenheimer, who taught for 21 years at ISU — everything from Shakespeare and Chekhov to freshman composition — had made the trip to Westport while still on the faculty of North Texas State University. Most of her screen career behind her, Davis occasionally presented memoir lectures at colleges at that time. Misenheimer had been dispatched to invite her down to Denton.

Alas, she could not grant the university's wish, but "she agreed to receive me anyway," Misenheimer said. "Her assistant — his name was Vic — answered the door and ushered me in. She called from the sitting room, 'Dr. Misenheimer. Have you arrived?' You know that voice."

Indeed. In fact, Jim Misenheimer does an excellent imitation of Davis' unmistakable cadence and delivery.

Rather than talk about herself, he said, the actress wanted to know about Misenheimer's students and what he and the programs at North Texas offered them.

"I am still so touched. She was sincere," he said. "It was a very precious visit. She could not have been more gracious."

Quality time with great thespians seems to follow Misenheimer and his wife, Carolyn (also a retired professor), like a covey of guardian angels. They have met and chatted with many luminaries and become friends with several. The walls of one small room in their gorgeous but understated Farrington's Grove home are lined with autographed photos of stage and film stars.

About a decade ago, the Misenheimers made the acquaintance of Dame Judi Dench, the British, Oscar-winning actress who has taken over the role of M in recent James Bond films. A warm friendship has grown, with visits to London for the Terre Haute residents and amusing, newsy letters from Dench.

Come spring, Misenheimer might wish he had a bit of Bond's or M's clout with government bureaucracies. As happy as he is about the overdue issuance of a Bette Davis stamp is how unhappy he is about the very short shelf life the stamp will possess.

"The postal service is raising the price of a first-class stamp by one cent — on May 12!" he said. "Barely a month, and Miss Davis' stamp will be out of date. What kind of a postal service do we have?"

Fortunately, the Misenheimers belong to a philatelic organization that will make the stamps available earlier than at the post office.

"Carolyn and I are figuring out how many sheets we are going to buy," said Misenheimer. "It will be many."

Stephanie Salter can be reached at (812) 231-4229 or stephanie.salter@tribstar.com.

South Africa Post office calls for commemorative stamp theme ideas

The South African Post Office, which prints more than 380 million postage stamps a year, is calling for suggestions about themes which could be used as part of the 2010 commemorative postage stamp calendar.

Stamps reach the corners of the world. They are tiny ambassadors of our country, reflecting the beauty of our flora and fauna, the vibrancy of our culture, the triumphs of our people, the riches of our land and significant national and international events.

The public is requested to submit proposals to the South African Post Office on topics to be covered in the 2010 stamp calendar. Topics that have been included in the past included South African Marine life, Chinese astrology, migratory species and the South African World Heritage sites. Other suggestions included the natural wonders of South Africa and music in South Africa. The design of these topics is commissioned by the South African Post Office to local artists who then turns these topics into miniature pieces of art.

Proposals should be brief, include a short motivation and adhere to the following criteria:

• Topics must be related directly to South Africa
  
• Events must depict outstanding national and international interests such as:
  • The culture and achievements of the South African people
    
  • The country's contribution to international affair
    
  • The contribution of South Africans to the scientific, cultural and economic development of a broader world society
• The varied aspects of local life and values
  
• The flora and fauna of the country
  
• The economic activities of its people
  
• Any other topic which reflects positively upon our values, culture, aspirations and achievements.

All proposals will be evaluated by an independent committee, after which the successful proposals will be submitted to Cabinet for approval.

Preferred topics and detailed motivations with pictures or photographs must be submitted not later than Tuesday, 26 February 2008, to:

Email phetole.rapetswa@postoffice.co.za
Fax +27 866 875 994
Mail The Manager: Product Development, 2010 Stamp Programme, Philatelic Services, Private Bag X505, Pretoria, 0001.

Full contact details of interested parties must accompany all proposals.

Harvey Karlen : Expert on city's postal history

A boyhood hobby became life's work

By Trevor Jensen Tribune reporter

February 14, 2008

Harvey Karlen started collecting stamps as a boy in suburban Berkeley and in retirement turned his full attention to philately, writing several scrupulously researched books on Chicago postal history.

Dr. Karlen, 89, of Oak Park, a longtime teacher at Wright Junior College, died of natural causes Saturday, Feb. 9, in Rush Oak Park Hospital, said his wife, June.

Dr. Karlen's philatelic interests extended well beyond stamps. He also collected and studied postmarks, the growth of branch post offices in the city and suburbs, the content of letters and the evolution of mail delivery systems.

He liked nothing better than a long afternoon burrowed into research in the library of the Collectors Club of Chicago, one of the city's top philatelic organizations. His research led to numerous articles and books, some published by the club.

Among his books were "Chicago's Mail: An Anthology of Postal History Articles Focusing Upon the Community's Growth, Its Interests and Its Attitudes" and the playfully titled "Chicago's Crabgrass Communities: A History of the Independent Suburbs and Their Post Offices That Became Part of Chicago."

"No one else had ever tackled this subject in detail," Collector's Club member Al Kugel said.

He was a frequent speaker at the Collector's Club's monthly meetings, known for his love of wordplay.

"He not only collected stamps, he educated people about them, studied them and tried to show people what was interesting about them," Kugel said.

As a boy in the western suburbs, Dr. Karlen roller skated to the local post office to pick up the newest stamp issues, his wife said. He graduated from Proviso East High School and went on to get a doctoral degree in political science at the University of Chicago in 1950.

He taught at City College of New York for four years before a long tenure at Wright Junior College in Chicago.

Mr. Karlen retired from teaching in the 1980s.

He could only shake his head at Chicago's well-known postal woes of recent years: The U.S. postmaster called the city's postal service the worst in the nation in early 2007.

"That's not the way it was back in the old days," Kugel said. "We had very good mail service."

Mr. Karlen's first wife, Mollie, died in the mid-1970s.

In addition to his wife, June, he is also survived by two sons, David and Douglas; two stepdaughters, Susan Kelley and Caron Atlas; a sister, Sonya Brim; and five grandchildren.

Private services will be held.
ttjensen@tribune.com

Israel, UN joint stamp on holocaust

By JUDY SIEGEL-ITZKOVICH

For the first time, the United Nations and Israel have jointly issued an International Holocaust Remembrance Day stamp.

The day itself was marked on Monday following a UN decision in 2005 to launch an annual memorial. The stamp, designed by internationally known graphic artist Matias Delfino, will be sold for NIS 4.60 in Israel.

The stamp was a joint project of the Israel Postal Company's Philatelic Service and the UN's philatelic service. The image is of two white-and-yellow flowers, the stems of which meld into barbed wire like that on the fences in concentration camps. The postal sheet, which contains nine identical stamps, has a quote from UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-Moon relating to Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad's call for the destruction of Israel.

Ban is quoted as saying that one can never allow the denial of historical facts, especially when it relates to such an important matter as the Holocaust. One can never permit a call for the destruction of a nation or a state, he says. "I hope that all members of the international community will honor this basic principle, both by word and by act."

Israel Postal Company director-general Avi Hochman said the stamp was another step in memorializing the major tragic event in the history of the Jewish people and mankind in general.

"As the son of Holocaust survivors, I am pleased to be given the opportunity of being involved in this joint philatelic issue at a time when extremists declare that the Holocaust never happened. The number of Jews around the world today has been influenced very much by the mass murders of millions of Jews during the Holocaust. These stamps will be our ambassadors around the world and carry the message: 'Remember and never forget,'" Hochman said.

Ambassador to the UN Danny Gillerman added that "the stamp issue will help in the struggle to win worldwide recognition of the fact that the future generations must be educated never to forget the Holocaust, and that Israel will continue to demand at every possible forum wide international awareness of what happened."

Black Heritage Stamp on Charles W. Chesnutt

February is Black History Month and the US Postal Service is celebrating with the release of a new Black Heritage stamp.

This is the 31st stamp unveiled in the Black Heritage series.

This year's honoree is Charles W. Chesnutt.

He is known for having been an essayist, folklorist, and novelist.

Chesnutt won national acclaim for his depiction of African-Americans before and after the civil war.

Also part of this month is the 19th annual Black History Program.

The Roanoke main post office is again working with area churches and organizations to put on the event.

This year's theme is "The Story of Us - Celebrating American Diversity."

In addition to the vendors, there will be an open forum discussion during the first hour followed by entertainment from area school bands and performers.

The Black History Program is this Sunday from 1:00 PM until 4:00 PM at William Fleming High School.

For more information call 540-985-8828.

Each year a non-profit organization is highlighted.

This year's program will support Apple Ridge Farms.

Munich Air Disaster on Postage Stamp

Stamp issued to mark air disaster

The Irish postal service is marking the 50th anniversary of the Munich Air Disaster with a stamp of Dublin-born Manchester United star Liam Whelan.

Twenty three people including eight footballers died in the air crash on February 6, 1958.
"The Munich Air Disaster brought human tragedy, grief and loss to the families of the 23 people, and an abiding loss to the sport of football," said a spokesman for the An Post service. "In tribute, An Post is issuing a 55c stamp featuring a photograph of Liam Whelan in his player's jersey, pictured next to the iconic image of the Munich Memorial Clock at Old Trafford."

"The Munich Air Disaster brought human tragedy, grief and loss to the families of the 23 people, and an abiding loss to the sport of football," said a spokesman for the An Post service. "In tribute, An Post is issuing a 55c stamp featuring a photograph of Liam Whelan in his player's jersey, pictured next to the iconic image of the Munich Memorial Clock at Old Trafford.

Your picture in the post office

You don't have to be Elvis to get your picture on a postage stamp, but then you don't have to wait until you are dead.

It was 15 years ago this month that the Postal Service issued a stamp honoring the King, and I remember doing a news story from the post office about the event.

Aging fans lined up into the street to buy sheets of stamps they would lock away for their grandkids, employees wore Elvis costumes and speakers filled the building with "Don't Be Cruel."

You probably should not expect such a ceremony when you issue your own personal stamp, but you can bet your fan club will be delighted.

When I was in the post office this week to buy a book of regular stamps, I noticed a brochure advertising that you can turn your own photographs into official postage stamps.

I did not pick up the brochure, but it piqued my curiosity enough that I came home and looked it up on the Internet. It turned out to be old news.

It is not the first time I found out about something after it was common knowledge among most of the population. I learned that you have been able to put your mug shot on a stamp at least since a standard stamp cost 37 cents.

Now that most households have access to a digital camera and a computer, the process of making and uploading a picture to be printed on a stamp appears simple.

The sites promoting the stamps say they are just the thing for wedding and birth announcements, thank-you notes and vacation postcards.

I suspect that more of these stamps will show the family pet than the new baby. But as the saying goes, you pays your money and you takes your choice.

And pay you will. I paid $8.20 for 20 first-class stamps showing the U.S. flag. That many stamps bearing a portrait of Fluffy would cost $20.

Before I paid that much for a book of stamps (they still call them books although they are printed in double-sided sheets), I would have to figure out how to use them. I would not want to pay more than double to get my picture on a stamp and then stick it on my electric bill.

But like many folks, I rarely write a personal letter anymore. All my outgoing mail is to utility companies, credit card companies and other such outfits I support.

I might think it cute to take a picture of the house and then send it as a postage stamp on my mortgage payment, but I doubt that the big bank in Ohio would appreciate the effort.

After I decided who to send my personal postage stamps to, I would have to decide what photograph to put on them. The children are adults and have their own families, there are too many grandchildren to fit on a 1-inch stamp, and we don't have a cat or a dog.

Perhaps a picture of my wife and me in holiday garb would look good on our Christmas cards. But then perhaps not. We have nearly a year to think about it.

I recently resumed my old habit of roaming the roads with a camera to make pictures of old barns, derelict gas stations and rusty automobiles.

I have a good one of the sign on Highway 11 that shows the mileage to New York and New Orleans and another one of a 1949 Willys utility wagon, son of the WWII Jeep and grandfather of the modern SUV.

The Highway 11 sign might look good blown up to poster size over the couch in the den, but it is too busy for a stamp.

The Jeep, on the other hand, is a riot of color - ragged patches of blue, red and white showing through the dominant color, rust. It would be a real eye-catcher as a stamp on my water and sewer bill.

Although the Postal Service is promoting these personal stamps, it does not print them. In fact, private printing companies now produce all postage stamps, including those that show flowers and birds.

You can get a discount on your personal stamps if you order several sheets. The quoted price does not include postage.

---
Darrell Norman is a correspondent for The Times. His e-mail address is daxnorman@mindspring.com.

Making his stamp on black history

BY TE-ERIKA PATTERSON

DELRAY BEACH – Al Ashley was only 5 years old when his father took him by the hand and led him up to the chapel at the Tuskegee Institute in Tuskegee, Alabama to participate in a monumental celebration.

Ashley watched as his father beamed with pride, tears welling up in his eyes, as the U.S. Postal Service and many notable African Americans celebrated the release of the Booker T. Washington postage stamp, the first one to feature an African American.

This day marked a historically significant occasion in the early 1940s, especially for a city like Tuskegee.

The city set the mark for African Americans' achievement by creating a community that nurtured its self sufficiency and produced brilliant minds that went on to make history, including Booker T. Washington, an honored resident of the city.

Since that emotionally charged day in April 1940, Ashley has collected every single postage stamp honoring an African-American hero, from Booker T. Washington in 1940 to Ella Fitzgerald in 2007.

The entire collection, along with the five coins featuring African-American contributors to American history, has traveled the country in a remarkable exhibit that is on display at the Spady Cultural Heritage Museum in Delray Beach through Feb. 29.

Ashley's exhibit also includes a thrilling narrative detailing his experiences meeting nearly 25 of the 81 African Americans honored by the U.S. Postal Service, including:

• Jackie Robinson, the first African American major league baseball player;

• Mary McLeod Bethune, founder of Bethune-Cookman University;

• Joe Louis, one of the greatest heavyweight boxing champions in history;

• Duke Ellington, the ambassador of jazz music;

• George Washington Carver, a renowned agricultural scientist.

"Dr. Carver treated me when I was a kid," Ashley recounted. "My brother took me up to the [George Washington Carver] museum to visit Dr. Carver after he noticed that I had ringworm on my head. Dr. Carver looked at my head, turned it a couple of times, went into the back room, and came back with some salve on his hand. He rubbed it onto my head and then walked us out saying, 'You will be fine, young man.'''

The young Ashley turned out to be more than fine. He went on to graduate from Texas Southern University before enjoying a fruitful career at the Stanford University Linear Accelerator Center.

While serving there, he was instrumental in designing a program for students in math, science and engineering that became the Summer Science Program. He earned a Presidential Award for his efforts.

Bearing witness to such a plethora of great minds who were making history was a common occurrence for residents of Tuskegee back in those days. The city was considered the Black Mecca for African-American greatness due to the influx of professional entertainers and intellectuals. They flocked to the city to trade wisdom and entertain the wounded veterans at the only VA hospital in the country that welcomed African Americans.

Nationally celebrated radio personality Tom Joyner also grew up in Tuskegee during an era when African Americans across the country were awakening to their sense of self worth and fighting for their civil rights.

"When I was a kid every notable black scholar, entertainer, activist, preacher, etc., made a stop in Tuskegee," Joyner said. "I remember seeing Dr. King and members of the Black Panthers…So many remarkable people were residents of Tuskegee, such as Tuskegee airmen Benjamin O. Davis and Chappie James, George Washington Carver and Booker T. Washington.

"The debate coach Denzel Washington portrayed in [the feature film] The Great Debators, Melvin B. Tolson, lived in Tuskegee and taught at the college," Joyner added. "Our town was very rich with accomplished African Americans and it made us kids feel like there was nothing that we couldn't do."

When asked if he remembered the day that Booker T. Washington was honored as the first African American to appear on a postage stamp, Joyner joked, "How old do you think I am? Just because I love black history and present a Black History Fact every day on the Tom Joyner Morning Show doesn't mean I was there for every event! You have to ask my older brother, Albert, about something that happened in 1940!"

No, you won't have to call up Uncle Albert or travel back in time to get a personal glimpse of a tribute to our heritage. Ashley's exhibit and lecture, showcased at the Spady Museum, is going into its second month of exhibition, due to its popularity.

"We have had a great response with this exhibit with many visitors coming out to see it," said Brandy Brownlee, the Spady Museum educator. "We have found that young and old alike in many cases learned something new that they did not know. Often for our older visitors, many of whom collected stamps and coins, it was a way to reminisce by looking back on people they remember during their lifetime. For younger visitors, who are still learning about much of the African American heroes, it brings to life what they are reading in their textbooks."

Teerika@Gmail.com
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Pete Burk of Keizer: Putting his stamp on history

By JASON COX
Of the Keizertimes

A new exhibit at the Keizer Heritage Center features a rather unusual stamp collection.

Its owner, Pete Burk of Keizer, has been collecting stamps since he was a six-year-old child living in southern California. When the July 4 holiday left him feeling rather patriotic last year, he decided to combine his lifelong hobby with an interest in his country and its history.

The result is a 50-page stamp book, with one page representing each state. The stamps highlight the achievements of its local heroes – the Wright brothers in North Carolina, Lewis and Clark here in Oregon, presidents, inventors and leaders.

The exhibit will be on display at the Keizer Heritage Museum through February and March. Hours are 2 – 4 p.m. Tuesday and Thursday and 10 a.m. – 4 p.m. on Saturdays.

And, at age 89, Burk has had plenty of time to collect the hundreds of stamps used in this collection.

But what inspired him to put it together was an epiphany of sorts.

"I got started to thinking – China has been going for centuries, others go back a few thousand years," Burk said. "This country's less than 300 years old."

And over the 200-plus years of this nation, much of its history has been documented in stamps. Burk said the U.S. Postal Service went above and beyond the call of duty.

"It's amazing, and wonderful, that our post office has put our history on stamps instead of celebrities, or people who can yell the loudest in a microphone," he said. "There's hardly any part of history that isn't depicted in a stamp."

Flipping through the collection, one could learn quite a bit about U.S. history. The pages are neatly organized – one state per page, in order of statehood – and each and every stamp comes with a story of the history behind it.

For example, he learned that the U.S. Constitution, penned in 1787, wasn't ratified until June 21, 1788, when New Hampshire became the ninth state to ratify the document. George Washington, America's first president, was inaugurated in New York City on April 30, 1789, because Washington D.C. was little more than a dream then.

He focused on individual states, he said, because each and every one has its own government, its own history and a unique culture.

"We're 50 states, and each one is highly governed by themselves, which is different than, say, the provinces of Mexico," Burk said.

Included in the Oregon collection – appropriately placed on page 33 – are stamps depicting the Oregon Trail, the meadowlark, the big horn sheep and Lewis and Clark's journey across the frontier. A pair of older stamps, from 1936 and 1939, show an old map of the Oregon Territory and a photo of Crater Lake.

Burk has been smart about assembling his collection through the years. He usually buys used stamps in bulk, carefully soaks them to remove the glue, lets them dry overnight and places them in his collection.

Burk said he "gets grouchy" when a stamp costs more than $1. But he turns around and admits maybe he shouldn't have gotten so grouchy.

"I should have collected the $1 stamps," Burk said. "They're worth $100 now. The one-cent stamps are still worth one cent."

Holocaust Stamps Commemoration Pays Tribute To Victims, Honors The Survivors

George McGinn - AHN Editor

New York, NY (AHN) - The new Holocaust commemorative postal stamp demonstrated the commitment by the United Nations to pay tribute to all the victims, honor the survivors and reaffirm the Organization's efforts to help prevent future acts of genocide, Kiyo Akasaka, under-secretary-general for communications and public information, said at a headquarters press conference today.

Launching the new stamp, Akasaka said the Israeli and United Nations versions of the stamp would carry the same call - to remember the victims and continue to stand in solidarity with them.

The launch, under the theme "Remembrance and beyond", took place on the occasion of the International Day of Commemoration in Memory of the Victims of the Holocaust.

He said the United Nations stamp, incorporating the award-winning logo of the Department of Public Information's Holocaust and the United Nations Outreach Program, would be issued in New York, Geneva, and Vienna, simultaneously with a national stamp issued by the Israeli Postal Company.

Also attending the launch was Dan Gillerman, permanent representative of Israel to the United Nations, who expressed appreciation for the November 2005 General Assembly resolution marking the International Day.

The decision had become an ongoing process in an outreach program whereby people worldwide were taught the lessons and horrors of the Holocaust and made to become part of the army of goodwill committed to the words "never again."

The issuance of the stamp, in close cooperation between the United Nations and Israel, was another step in the right direction, he said. It was especially important today, when witnessing the horrors of Darfur and elsewhere, and when hearing voices in the Secretariat building calling for the destruction of Israel and denying the Holocaust, while preparing the next one: to stand together with the United Nations "to commit ourselves once more, not only to the memory of the victims and to the glory of the liberators, but to the future of our children and grandchildren."

He said the present era was defined by a crucial battle between extremism and moderation, between civilization and those determined to destroy it. Holocaust denial and a resurgence of Nazism were both part of the extreme nature of some groups around the world, which, it was very much to be hoped, were minorities in the world and in their own countries.

Even in Iran, most people wished to live in peace and did not agree with the blatant declarations of their President. Most Palestinians would also rather raise their children in peace and give them a good life; no baby was born wanting to be a suicide bomber.

Today's commemoration was another effort to spread tolerance, preach understanding, teach, bolster the moderates and marginalize the extremists, he said, adding: "We have a duty to do so, not only to the victims of the Holocaust and their memory, not only for the safety of the people around the world who are subject to extremism and to violence and to terror, but for our children and grandchildren who we want to live in a world of tolerance, moderation, civility and understanding, rather than a world of violence, terror and extremism."

Also speaking at the press conference, through an unofficial interpreter, was Ariel Atias, Israel's Communications Minister, who said he was deeply inspired by the United Nations decision to issue the stamp and bring it to the public to help ensure that a holocaust would never recur. That was especially important today, when there was a nation seeking to destroy the State of Israel.

Another speaker was Alicia Barcena, Under-Secretary-General for Management and overseer of the United Nations Postal Administration, who said General Assembly resolution 60/7 had denoted the commemoration on the liberation date of the largest Nazi death camp. She paid tribute to Robert Stein, a colleague in the Department of Management who died last year and whose design for the stamp, barbed wire erupting into a flower, would cross generations and cross frontiers.

Responding to questions, Gillerman said several important landmarks in recent years had made Israel feel more like an "accepted and more normal" member of the United Nations.
Another ambassador had said the Organization had three kinds of members: permanent members, non-permanent members and one permanent non-member.

That was no longer the case, as illustrated by the resolution to commemorate the Day of Remembrance, the Outreach Programme, the resolution unanimously condemning denial of the Holocaust in no uncertain terms, Israel's election as Vice-President to the General Assembly, and former Secretary-General Kofi Annan's attendance at the inauguration of the new wing of the memorial museum in Jerusalem.

While atmosphere and style had paved the way, now was the time to make the United Nations a real partner in Israel's quest for peace, stability and security in the region.

Breast Cancer Research postal stamp now offered through 2011

News-Democrat

ST. LOUIS --

Congress has passed legislation to extend the The Breast Cancer Research stamp to 2011, four years beyond its original deadline, according to the United States Postal Service.

The stamp is part of the Semipostal Stamp Program, which serves as a fundraiser for different causes.

More than 802 million of the stamps have been sold, raising more than $59.5 million for breast cancer research since they went on the market in 1998.

Charles W. Chesnutt honored on postage stamp

Robert L. Smith
Plain Dealer Reporter

A trailblazing writer from Cleveland emerged from obscurity Thursday, maybe for good, as he took his place in a pantheon of African-American luminaries.

Charles W. Chesnutt, the greatest local author you never heard of, now graces a 41-cent postage stamp.

The U.S. Postal Service unveiled the Chesnutt stamp at the Cleveland Public Library downtown at a ceremony that had the feel of a revival. A gospel choir sang. A minister prayed. And Chesnutt fans in a crowd of 200 beamed like the blessed.

As the 31st stamp in the Postal Service's Black Heritage series, Chesnutt joins a lofty league, one that includes Harriet Tubman, Langston Hughes, Jesse Owens and Martin Luther King Jr.

His supporters hope the recognition on the eve of Black History Month, which begins today, brings fresh attention to a faded star.

"He was once the rage," said Nathan Oliver, an Akron antiquarian and founder of the Charles Waddell Chesnutt Literary Society. "I have a sense this will reinvigorate interest not only locally but nationally."

Plenty insist the author deserves it.

Writing from his home on Cleveland's East Side, Chesnutt explored the color line near the turn of the 20th century. He spun yarns with complex black characters, a first in American literature.

His graceful prose and realistic plots captured a wide readership. Thursday he was honored as the first black writer to achieve a mass audience.

"We claim him as the greatest Negro writer of the 19th century," said Regennia Williams, a Cleveland State University historian. "He was born here and spent most of his life here. We are proud of him."

UW-Madison alumna featured on 2008 U.S. postage stamp

Pulitzer Prize-winning author Marjorie Kinnan Rawlings, a 1918 graduate of the University of Wisconsin-Madison, will be featured on a new stamp for the U.S. Postal Service's 2008 Commemorative Stamp Program.

The 2008 stamp program recognizes a range of American subjects, including holidays, 20th century movie icons, literary figures, and flags of U.S. states and territories.

Rawlings is best known for her Pulitzer Prize-winning novel, "The Yearling," and her memoir, "Cross Creek." At UW-Madison, Rawlings majored in English, was a Phi Beta Kappa member and wrote for campus literary magazines. She was featured on the June 1949 cover of the Wisconsin Alumni Association's magazine, then known as "Wisconsin Alumnus." Rawlings died in 1953.

The stamp honoring Rawlings will be commemorated on Feb. 21 at the site of her Cross Creek, Fla., home. Her work includes a series of short stories, novels and nonfiction works about life in the Florida backwoods.

Art director Carl Herrman of Carlsbad, Calif., worked with award-winning artist Michael Deas of Brooklyn Heights, N.Y., to create a portrait of the novelist with a background depicting a fawn at a watering hole in the Florida scrub country. The rows of spots on the male fawn are consistent with the description in "The Yearling."

Carl Sagan Supporters Demand for Postage Stamp

ITHACA, N.Y. - Supporters of the late Carl Sagan plan to petition federal postal officials to create a stamp commemorating the world-famous astronomer.

Sagan was a Cornell University professor and director of the school's Laboratory for Planetary Studies. He consulted with NASA, briefed astronauts, and wrote or edited more than 20 books. His two most renowned works were "The Dragons of Eden: Speculations of the Evolution of Human Intelligence," for which he won a Pulitzer Prize, and "Cosmos," the best selling nonfiction science book ever published in English.

The postage stamp commemoration is being spearheaded by the Sciencenter and the Sagan Appreciation Society of Ithaca.

Society founder Patrick Fish said the idea grew in part out of a desire to recognize Sagan in a "populist" way and because Sagan enjoyed collecting stamps as a child.

"Carl was an avid stamp collector as a boy, and we treasure the albums he made then," said Sagan's widow, Ann Druyan. "They're filled with his handwritten notes in the margins, perhaps the earliest evidence of his passion for the diversity of earth's cultures. So, this particular tribute to Carl would have held special significance for him, as it does for me."

Sagan has been honored by countless scientific societies, but his contributions to making science accessible for average people inspired Fish to want to see Sagan honored in a broad way, he said.

Sagan, a founding member of the Sciencenter, died in 1996. A year later the Sciencenter dedicated the Sagan Planet Walk, a 1.2-kilometer scale model of the solar system that runs from downtown Ithaca to the Sciencenter.

Four stamp designs will be considered. Two show Sagan holding a candle with a comet in the background and another depicts a young Sagan with a starry sky in the background. The only stamp with a photo rather than a painting of Sagan shows an older, laughing Sagan with planets and moons in the background.

Fish said an online petition is available through the Sagan Appreciation Society Web site.

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On the Net: http://www.saganappreciationsociety.org/

Postage Stamp Urged to Honor Nisei Troops

By Fred Ortega, Staff Writer

Article Launched: 02/14/2008 10:17:05 PM PST

Larry Oshima was 20 years old when he and his family were forcibly removed from the farmlands of Stockton and placed in an Arkansas concentration camp for "enemy aliens." It didn't matter that Oshima was born in California, or that he and his siblings had been raised tilling the fields of the Golden State alongside their father.

What mattered to the American government was that the Oshimas were of Japanese descent, at a time when the country was at war with Japan.

"Our civil rights were being violated and we were forced to be incarcerated just because of the way we looked," said Oshima, now 86 and living in Covina.

But the experience didn't stop Oshima and 20,000 other American-born Japanese citizens from fighting for their homeland against the Japanese Imperial Army.

Now the Nisei's selfless patriotism may finally be recognized at the national level. Last week the California Legislature unanimously passed a resolution urging a committee of the U.S. Postal Service to approve the issuance of a stamp commemorating the Nisei's service in World War II.

Assemblyman Mike Eng, D-El Monte, who sponsored the resolution, said the matter had a personal resonance for him.

"I grew up in Hawaii where a lot of students I went to school with were children of the 442nd (Nisei Regiment), and I always grew up with heroic stories about them," said Eng.

Eng said many Nisei draftees had to sneak out of the internment camps at midnight, under cover of darkness.

"Fights would break out because people would say, `How can you serve a country that has stripped you of your property, your rights,' " he said.

But many of the Nisei had their own agenda in being drafted into the military, said Oshima.

"We had to prove our loyalty," said Oshima, who served as a Japanese interpreter for the military intelligence service but did not see active duty because the war ended before his training was finished. "We were the only ethnic group in this country that had to prove our loyalty, which the nation wasn't quite ready to accept."

But prove it they did. The 442nd Regimental Combat Team became one of the most decorated units in American history, fighting in Monte Cassino and Anzio on the Italian front, liberating German-occupied French towns from Bruyeres to Biffontaine and even freeing Holocaust victims from the Dachau concentration camp. Because of their exploits, they became known as the "Go For Broke" regiment.

The regiment received more than 20 Medals of Honor, and many of its members died proving their loyalty on the battlefield, including several of Oshima childhood friends.

"I am sure they would have liked some kind of recognition, and the stamp would be one of the better mediums to do this nationally," said Oshima, who along with his wife raised four daughters first in Chicago, where he settled after the war, and later in Covina where he has lived for 35 years. "They should be remembered by the American people, particularly under the circumstances. Their parents were incarcerated and still these boys went out and gave their lives for their country."

Eng hopes his resolution encourages the Postal Service's Citizens Stamp Advisory Committee to recommend creation of the stamp. He said if a recommendation is issued by this summer, design can begin and the stamps could be issued by September 2009.

"Time is of the essence because 1,000 of our World War II veterans are dying every day," said Eng. "It is heartbreaking to realize that many of these people that have done so much for us will not be alive to see their efforts recognized."

Among those waiting to see the stamp become a reality are the 1,000 families of the East San Gabriel Valley Japanese Community Center.

"Postage stamps usually commemorate the American story, and the Japanese-American experience is part of that story," said Robert Fumio Leong, a board member for the center, which counts 22 Nisei veterans among its members. "The Nisei fought bravely in World War II as part of the Greatest Generation, as Tom Brokaw called them, and it is a proud chapter for us that may not be known by many in the United States."

fred.ortega@sgvn.com

(626) 962-8811, Ext. 2306

SRK, Sania, Sachin may feature on postage stamps

PTI

NEW DELHI: Celebrities and national icons can now find immortality through postage stamps during their living years, if the government decides to end the decades long custom of honouring people only posthumously ( Watch ).

"We are considering a proposal to issue stamps on young achievers in various fields, who have made the nation proud. These personalities include Shah Rukh Khan, Sachin Tendulkar, Sania Mirza, Harbhajan Singh and Remo Fernandes among others," Shakeel Ahmad, Minister of State for Communication and IT, said.

These people have achieved a lot in their life and this needs to be conveyed to the youth to encourage them, as well as promote philately.

"Stamp collection is not merely a hobby. It teaches about our culture, civilisation and important happenings within our country and outside," the minister said, adding that this would also give the much required revenue to the postal department.

He, however, said that there was no custom hitherto to issue stamps on living persons. "It is very rare and exceptional... we are debating on this in the ministry and we expect to take a decision on this soon," he said.

Asked if any amendment was required in the Postal Act to issue stamps on living personalities, he replied in the negative.

"No amendment is required in the Postal Act. We just need to take a decision. I have written a note to (Communication and IT) Minister A Raja suggesting this," he said.

New stamps honour five philanthropists

Stamps in honour of the nation's five leading, living philanthropists have been unveiled on Australia Day eve.

The four stamps feature the portraits of Dame Elisabeth Murdoch AC DBE, Victor Smorgon AC along with his wife Loti Smorgon AO, Lady (Mary) Fairfax AC OBE and Frank Lowy AC.

The five were named as co-recipients of the 2008 Australia Post Australian Legends award.

Australia Post managing director Graeme John said the awards were held every year, with each recipients' 50 cent stamp in public circulation for Australia Day.

"The Australia Post Australian Legends award recognises great Australians who have made life-long contributions to the development of our national identity and character," Mr John said.

"Dame Elisabeth Murdoch, Victor and Loti Smorgon, Lady Fairfax and Frank Lowy have all been inspirational in the way they have dedicated so much to the wellbeing of our community."

Mr Lowy and Lady Fairfax attended the Sydney luncheon where they were presented with a 24-carat gold replica of their stamp.

Mr Lowy, founder of the $60 billion Westfield shopping centre group, said it was a unique honour.

"Until I received their letter last year, I had never thought of the possibility of appearing on an official postage stamp," Mr Lowy told the gathering of about 1,400 invitees.

"But now that the stamp is a reality, it is really very exciting.

"Thank you Australia Post for creating this collection of stamps and the Australia Day Council of NSW for organising this wonderful gathering."

Mr John also said the five had joined the exclusive ranks of great Australians to feature on a postage stamp in their own lifetime.

Previous recipients of the honour include Sir Don Bradman (the inaugural recipient in 1997), Slim Dusty (2001) and Barry Humphries (2006).

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Exchange of postge stamps in Liri

MaltaPost has announced the withdrawal from circulation of Lm - denominated stamps and their exchange for dual currency ( €/Lm) denominated stamps.

As from 1st February 2008 only dual-denominated (€/Lm) stamps are to be used for postage purposes; With effect from 1st February until 31st March 2008 the public may exchange 'Lm' only denominated stamps for equivalent denominations €/Lm.

As from 1st February 2008 application Forms for the exchange of stamps may be collected from all MaltaPost outlets.

Application Forms may be deposited at any MaltaPost outlet or forwarded by registered mail to the Stamp Exchange Board, MaltaPost p.l.c., 305, Triq Hal-Qormi, Marsa MTP 1001. All applications will be duly acknowledged;

Applicants should note that duly completed Application Forms must reach MaltaPost p.l.c. by not later than 31st March 2008. An appointment will be arranged in due course for the exchange of stamps at MaltaPost p.l.c. Head Office or in a MaltaPost p.l.c. outlet.

Only mint stamps denominated in just 'Lm' currency and issued after 1st January 1998 will be accepted for exchange purposes.

The surcharge applied to Christmas Issue stamps will not be taken into consideration and only the basic denomination will be exchanged. Exchange of stamps does not apply in respect of stamps printed or sold that they be used only for purposes of philately;

No stamps are to be enclosed with the Application Form. Stamps will be exchanged once the appointment is set.


by Alan Fenech - alfen@di-ve.com

Malta Post's 2007 year pack

The Year Pack, covering all stamp issues for 2007, will be issued by the Philatelic Bureau of MaltaPost plc today.

This Year Pack is presented in its usual attractive folder, with a photograph of Caravaggio's masterpiece The Beheading of St John. Another Caravaggio masterpiece, the St Jerome - A Portrait Of The Hermit Saint - is also featured in the issue.

The pack, the 20th in the Year Pack series, will be available from all MaltaPost outlets in Malta and Gozo as from Monday and from the Philatelic Bureau at the MaltaPost head office, 305, Triq Ħal-Qormi, Marsa.

It retails at €59.00 (Lm25.33). Year Packs from 1994 to date, are also available through the Philatelic Bureau, tel. 2596 1740, email: philately@maltapost.com.

Thanh Kim's Collection

VietNamNet Bridge - Do Thanh Kim, 68 years old, a resident in Ho Chi Minh City, is the owner of some unique stamp collections, which he had collected for nearly 50 years.

"Kim's collections have been considered as the largest in Viet Nam ," said Phung Thang Binh, Deputy President of the Ho Chi Minh City Philately Association.

His collections includes one named "Year's Eve" as the stamps were issued on the thresholds of the Lunar New Years of all 12 animals representing each year like Rat, Buffalo, Tiger, Cat, Dragon, Snake, Horse, Goat, Monkey, Rooster, Dog and Pig.

Kim's latest collection was "Rats welcome Mau Ty Tet", issued by Japan with rats wearing various lovely costumes.

Besides, he also owns collections of stamps issued for a year of the Snake by the Democratic People's Republic of Korea , a year of the Monkey by the Philippines , a year of Dog by Ireland and a year of the Rooster by New Zealand .

Kim said that stamps of 12 animals that represent lunar years were first issued by Japan , then China , the Republic of Korea , Thailand , Laos and Cambodia . Later, some Islamic countries like Indonesia , Malaysia , and Afghanistan followed suit.

In Viet Nam , this kind of stamps was issued for the first time in Ha Noi in 1966 or the Year of the Horse, but it was not until 1993 that the issuance of these stamps was made continually.

The world now has over 1,000 samples of 12 animal designations. Not only philatelists, but also people living far from home love to buy stamps of these animals as a gesture of nostalgia, to pray for luck and to tell their off springs about their cultural idealities.

Kim said these stamps helped him better understand famous people of all fields and festivals in the world.

Kim also owns collections of stamps of icebergs, volcano, wild animals and history of railways. He owned a collection of stamps of the Chinese Qin Dynasty age, the 1954-74 Sai Gon Regime. His collection of stamps of trains was considered as the largest collection on the theme in Viet Nam .

"I was very interested in collecting stamps when I was a pupil. When I was able to earn money, I bought stamps and I have been collecting stamps everyday," Kim said.

Established I December 1960, the Viet Nam Philately Association now has 32 chapters with 10,000 members and 200 Philately Clubs. Kim is an advisor of the VietStamp Club and member of the Executive Committee of the Ho Chi Minh City Philately Association.

(Source: VNA)

Working Dogs on UK Stamps!

The United Kingdom is honoring its working dogs with a new series of stamps illustrating the vital roles they perform.

The issue commemorates two events -- 2008 is both the Year of the Assistance Dog and the 100th anniversary of police dogs in Britain.

The first-class stamp honors assistance dogs who are trained to raise the alarm when an owner is in distress. Others honor mountain rescue dogs, police dogs, customs dogs, guide dogs and sheep-herding dogs like the Border Collie.

The stamps are based on the work of animal photographer Tim Flach.

"It's easy to forget that there's a 'secret army' of thousands of hardworking dogs who make a real difference to many lives," said Julietta Edgar, head of special stamps for Royal Mail. "I hope that this issue will help raise the profile of their important work as customers see the dogs on millions of letters and parcels every day."

(Photo courtesy of Royal Mail)
Posted By: John Woestendiek