The scenic delights of Northern Ireland are featured on a new set of stamps launched by Royal Mail.
The `Celebrating Northern Ireland` set features two 1st Class stamps with images of the Giant`s Causeway and Carrickfergus Castle.
There are also two 78p long-format stamps with stunning images of Belfast`s Queen`s Bridge and the Thanksgiving Beacon and a new illustration of St Patrick by artist Clare Melinsky.
General Manager of Royal Mail in Northern Ireland, Michael Kennedy, said the set of stamps was the third in a series of collectable miniature stamp sheets which were being issued in celebration of each of the UK regions.
Each set features a patron saint surrounded by well known and loved landmarks, he said.
He added:"Royal Mail hopes that this special set of stamps will help promote Northern Ireland around the world.
"Although they are small, we think these miniature works of art will be great ambassadors for Northern Ireland, whether people use them to send greetings to friends and relatives around the world or buy them as collectable mementoes."
Artist Clare Melinsky said: "Being asked to design a new stamp is a great honour. A stamp is a very small piece of paper but carries a lot of significance.
"My image is very much a personal interpretation of the saint, because the mists of time have obscured what we know of him."
Showing posts with label new stamps. Show all posts
Showing posts with label new stamps. Show all posts
Thursday
Saturday
Stamp honours U of A's 100th birthday
edmontonjournal.com
Published: Tuesday, March 04
Done in the school's traditional green and gold colours, the stamp features a stylized depiction of the cupola on top of the dentistry-pharmacy centre, one of the U of A's oldest and most architecturally lauded buildings.
The design was chosen by a Canada Post advisory group in collaboration with school administrators and stamp artist Susan Mavor of Vancouver.
Sunday
Harvey Karlen : Expert on city's postal history
A boyhood hobby became life's work
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 onDr. Karlen, 89, of
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
He taught at City College of
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
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.
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.
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
This e-mail address is being protected from spam bots, you need JavaScript enabled to view it
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
This e-mail address is being protected from spam bots, you need JavaScript enabled to view it
Pete Burk of Keizer: Putting his stamp on history
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.
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."
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
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 withNASA , 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.
___
On the Net: http://www.saganappreciationsociety.org/
Sagan was a Cornell University professor and director of the school's Laboratory for Planetary Studies. He consulted with
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.
___
On the Net: http://www.saganappreciationsociety.org/
Postage Stamp Urged to Honor Nisei Troops
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.
"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.
Tuesday
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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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
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
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.
Monday
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.
"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)
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