The Imagery Of Stamps

Press, Volume CV, Issue 31053, 7 May 1966, Page 13

The Imagery Of Stamps

image of themselves do newly independent countries—or for that matter those that have long been independent—like to project to the world on their postage stamps?

This thought occurred to him. said Anthony Schooling in a 8.8. C. programme, “Here and Now.” when he was admiring the colourful display of Malaysian natural history shown in the complete new Malaysian issue which came out last November. Accordingly, he went from the Qantas Gallery in London where this issue was on display to the offices of the Crown Agents who act for overseas governments in handling business with printers, and deal with stamps for some seventy countries

most of them past or present British territories.

Schooling was dazzled by the variety of the stamps in the huge album they showed him.

“Stamps showing animals and fishes, local crafts and industry, airports and stadiums, sultans and presidents and ships. For instance, Nigeria has ground-nuts, pottery, a coal-miner. a camel train, and a stamp symbolising adult education. “Among the Ghanian: two hippopotami in a river, a secretary bird, a grey parrot, and one of Albert Einstein. Both countries have stamps strongly designed in bold colours.

“Kenya is more restrained, showing cattle-ranching, woodcarving, heavy industryrepresented by a rivetter, and I liked the one showing Mr Kenyatta facing Mount Kenya. “Among the stamps of Malawi there is a charming picture of a young African mother and her child.

“Ceylon: again restraint, and some with a nice oldfashioned air: tea planting, ancient stone carvings, a bright peacock. “The smallest territory of all had quite a problem thinking what to put on its stamps. It has no airport, no sultan or president or ancient monument, no wild animals, no flowers, no birds: and yet it had one of the nicest sets in the whole album: it was Tristan da Cunha. They have a set of ships, with Queen Elizabeth’s portrait in the right-hand corner: ships from the early days of sail up to the latest liner—all of them important to the island’s history. The historical research to find authentic pictures of the ships was done by Crown Agents.

“They say you learn a lot of geography by collecting stamps. I think you can also learn a lot about national character and national aspirations.”