Let’s Take The Ferry! (Canada 2023)

[from Details magazine; day of issue press release is below] [click on any of the pictures for larger versions]
Let’s Take The Ferry!

5 stamps Issue date: 12 July

Ferries are part of Canada’s marine heritage and continue to play a role in regional transit systems. Harkening back to a more leisurely mode of travel, these stamps, featuring Canadian ferries still in service, are sure to inspire both nostalgia and wanderlust.

Built in 1993, Spirit of British Columbia has a capacity to transport 2,100 passengers and crew, plus more than 350 vehicles, on a 95-minute scenic route that crosses the Salish Sea, connecting Vancouver (Tsawwassen) and Victoria (Swartz Bay).

Chi-Cheemaun – “big canoe” in Ojibwe – crosses Lake Huron’s Georgian Bay between Tobermory, on the Bruce Peninsula, and Manitoulin Island. Built in 1974, the passenger and vehicle ferry operates from May to October, with a capacity of 643 passengers and close to 150 vehicles.

Launched in 1910, the rare side-wheeled paddle steamer Trillium was retired in 1956 but returned to service in 1976 following a two-year restoration. It now carries up to 800 passengers between Toronto and the Toronto Islands.

Named after the founder of North America’s first credit union and built in 1971, Alphonse-Desjardins can transport up to 590 passengers and more than 50 vehicles. It provides a year-round connection across the St. Lawrence River between Québec and Lévis.

Built in 1990, New Brunswick’s Grand Manan V travels in some of the highest tides in the world, carrying up to 300 residents and visitors and 60 vehicles to Grand Manan, the largest island in the Bay of Fundy.
Updated July 12th:

[press release] [click on any of the pictures for larger versions]
“Let’s Take the Ferry!” New stamps highlight Canada’s marine heritage
Stamp issue showcases five active ferries representing Canada from coast to coast.

OTTAWA – Canada Post is releasing five new stamps highlighting ferry transportation in Canada. Featuring five ferries that are operating in Canadian waters, the stamp issue honours the country’s rich marine heritage.

Waterway transportation has been a fundamental part of Canada’s history and development, with Indigenous Peoples traditionally using canoes, kayaks, umiaks and other vessels to hunt, transfer goods and carry people along coastal regions and across lakes and rivers. Today, ferries in Canada transport millions of passengers and vehicles each year, playing important roles in regional transit systems and the tourism industry.

The stamp issue presents five ferries, each representing different regions of Canada:

  • Spirit of British Columbia connects Vancouver (Tsawwassen) and Victoria (Swartz Bay, Vancouver Island), B.C., across the Salish Sea.
  • Chi-Cheemaun travels between Tobermory (Bruce Peninsula) and Manitoulin Island (South Baymouth), Ont., across Lake Huron’s Georgian Bay.
  • Trillium provides passage between Toronto and the Toronto Islands, Ont., across Lake Ontario.
  • Alphonse-Desjardins links Québec and Lévis, Que., across the St. Lawrence River.
  • Grand Manan V connects Blacks Harbour and Grand Manan Island, N.B., across the Bay of Fundy.

About the ferries:

  • Spirit of British Columbia has a capacity for 2,100 passengers and crew, along with more than 350 vehicles, and is one of the two largest ferries in the BC Ferries fleet. Built in 1993, the vessel was converted in 2018 to dual-fuel propulsion, allowing the ship to use liquefied natural gas and significantly reduce CO2 emissions.
  • Chi-Cheemaun, which means “big canoe” in Ojibwe, was built in 1974 and runs from May to October. The ferry features Woodland-inspired artwork on its bow and funnel, while on-board amenities include Muskoka chairs on the upper deck and an art gallery.
  • Trillium is the oldest ferry of the stamp issue. Launched in 1910, the vessel is a rare side-wheeled paddle steamer and, at 564 gross tonnes, is the largest ferry in the Toronto fleet and can carry up to 800 passengers.
  • Alphonse-Desjardins, named after the founder of North America’s first credit union, was built in 1971 and traverses a one-kilometre span of the St. Lawrence River between Québec and Lévis year-round, offering views of the old city and its fortifications from the water.
  • Grand Manan V navigates in some of the world’s highest tides to bring visitors and residents to and from Grand Manan – the largest island in the Bay of Fundy – while providing passengers with a chance to spot wildlife, including whales and seabirds. The vessel also transports millions of dollars of lobster, salmon and dulse each year.

About the stamp issueDesigned by Lionel Gadoury and Owen Gabany of Context Creative, the stamps depict postcard-perfect photos of the ferries in their home waters. Printed by Lowe-Martin, the issue includes a booklet of 10 Permanent™ domestic rate stamps, an Official First Day Cover (a first day of issue special envelope), and a souvenir sheet of five stamps.

The stamps and collectibles are available at canadapost.ca and postal outlets across Canada.

[en Francais pour les médias d’information]
Voyage en traversier: De nouveaux timbres mettent en vedette le patrimoine maritime du Canada
L’émission présente cinq traversiers canadiens toujours en service.OTTAWA, ON, le 12 juill. 2023 /CNW/ – Saluant le riche patrimoine maritime du Canada, Postes Canada lance cinq nouveaux timbres présentant autant de traversiers canadiens toujours en service au pays.

Le transport par voie navigable fait partie intégrante de l’histoire et du développement du Canada, les peuples autochtones utilisant depuis longtemps des canots, des kayaks, des umiaks et d’autres embarcations pour la chasse et pour le transport des gens et de la marchandise le long des régions côtières, ainsi que sur les lacs et les rivières. Aujourd’hui, les traversiers canadiens accueillent des millions de personnes et de véhicules chaque année, et jouent un rôle important dans les systèmes de transport régionaux et l’industrie touristique.

L’émission de timbres met en vedette cinq traversiers, chacun représentant une région canadienne différente:

  • Le Spirit of British Columbia traverse la mer des Salish entre Vancouver (Tsawwassen) et Victoria (Swartz Bay, sur l’île de Vancouver), en Colombie-Britannique.
  • Le Chi-Cheemaun parcourt les eaux de la baie Georgienne du lac Huron entre la péninsule Bruce (Tobermory) et l’île Manitoulin (South Baymouth), en Ontario.
  • Le Trillium fait la navette sur le lac Ontario entre Toronto et les îles de Toronto, en Ontario.
  • L’Alphonse-Desjardins sillonne le fleuve Saint-Laurent entre Québec et Lévis, au Québec.
  • Le Grand Manan V relie Blacks Harbour à l’île Grand Manandans la baie de Fundy, au Nouveau-Brunswick.

À propos des traversiers

  • L’un des deux plus grands navires de BC Ferries, le Spirit of British Columbia peut transporter jusqu’à 2 100 personnes, dont l’équipage, et plus de 350 véhicules. Construit en 1993, il est doté en 2018 d’un système de propulsion à deux carburants, pouvant ainsi fonctionner au gaz naturel liquéfié et produisant considérablement moins de CO2.
  • Construit en 1974, le Chi-Cheemaun (« grand canot » en ojibwé) est en service de mai à octobre. Sa proue et sa cheminée sont ornées d’œuvres inspirées du style Woodland, alors que son pont supérieur offre des commodités comme des fauteuils Adirondack et une galerie d’art.
  • Le Trillium est le plus ancien des navires de l’émission. Rare bateau à vapeur à roues latérales, il est d’abord inauguré en 1910. Avec sa capacité de 564 tonnes brutes, il est le plus grand traversier de la flotte de Toronto et peut transporter jusqu’à 800 personnes.
  • Nommé en l’honneur du fondateur de la première coopérative de crédit en Amérique du Nord, l’Alphonse-Desjardins est construit en 1971. Il sillonne le fleuve Saint-Laurent toute l’année sur un kilomètre entre Lévis et Québec, offrant une vue sur la vieille ville et ses fortifications.
  • Le Grand Manan V navigue sur les plus hautes marées du monde pour transporter touristes et gens de la région entre le continent et l’île Grand Manan, la plus grande de la baie de Fundy, leur permettant de peut-être apercevoir des baleines et des oiseaux marins en cours de route. Le navire transporte également des millions de dollars de homard, de saumon et de main-de-mer palmée chaque année.

À propos de l’émission de timbresConçus par Lionel Gadoury et Owen Gabany de Context Creative, les timbres montrent de merveilleuses photos des traversiers sur leurs eaux respectives. Imprimée par Lowe-Martin, l’émission comprend un carnet de 10 timbres PermanentsMC au tarif du régime intérieur, un pli Premier Jour officiel (enveloppe du premier jour d’émission) et un bloc-feuillet de cinq timbres.

Les timbres et les articles de collection sont en vente sur postescanada.ca et dans les comptoirs postaux partout au pays.

AFDCS Seeks Volunteers for GASS 2023

The AFDCS is seeking members to volunteer for Great American Stamp Show.

The available slots are:

AFDCS BOOTH:
Thursday, Aug, 10, Friday, Aug. 11, and Saturday August 12: 10 a.m.-12 p.m., 12-2 p.m., 2-4 p.m.. and 4-6 p.m.
Sunday, August 13: 10 a.m.-12 p.m., 12-2p.m., and 2-4 p.m.

COVER PREPARATION: Thursday, August 10 and Friday, August 11: 10 a.m.-12 p.m.

Please let Americover volunteer coordinator Ralph Nafziger — nafziger@peak.org — know by August 4 if you can help, and if so, when and for which duty.

New Crypto Stamp on the Way from PostNL (Netherlands 2023)

[press release; Google translation] [click on any of the pictures for larger versions]
PostNL is launching a new crypto stamp this fall
Unique collaboration between postal companies from the Netherlands, Austria and Luxembourg

PostNL is issuing a crypto stamp for the second time. The new NFT crypto stamp is a unique collaboration between PostNL, Österreichische Post and POST Luxembourg. This fall, the new crypto stamp will be launched simultaneously in the Netherlands, Austria and Luxembourg.

PostNL launched a crypto seal for the first time in September 2022; the NL crypto stamp. For this stamp, PostNL joined forces with Österreichische Post, never before has a crypto stamp been issued jointly by two postal companies.

The second crypto stamp is again the result of a special international collaboration, this time with Austria and Luxembourg. This crypto stamp is a first for POST Luxembourg. Österreichische Post is a forerunner in the field of crypto stamps. In 2019, they were the first postal company ever to also market stamps as NFT.

First Collection Sold Out
“The first NFT crypto stamp proved to be extremely popular among both classic collectors and NFT aficionados,” says Bob van Ireland, Director Mail Netherlands at PostNL. “All variants of the collection of the first NL crypto stamp are now sold out. By cooperating with the postal companies in Austria and Luxembourg, we hope to make even more people enthusiastic about this new stamp.”

Georg Pölzl, CEO Austrian Post: “Our know-how in crypto and blockchain technology is in demand worldwide. We will be issuing the next joint stamp in autumn, together with the post organizations from Luxembourg and the Netherlands, under license. The next generation of the Crypto stamp will stand under the unifying motifs of our three countries.”

Pierre Zimmer, Deputy managing director of POST Luxembourg: “More than 170 years after the first stamps were issued in the Grand Duchy, this year we will introduce a new, innovative way of collecting and trading stamps through the use of blockchain technology. Through the collaboration with PostNL and Austrian Post, we strive to build a global community of stamp collectors while making collecting and trading more accessible, convenient and secure.”

Secret design
The design of the new crypto stamp remains secret for now. It is already known that the crypto seal, as with the first collection, is characterized by a unique symbol. In the previous edition. That symbol was a bull. The final design will be revealed later this year, but PostNL will announce more details of the design in the near future via the website, the Collect Club and the Crypto Stamp newsletter.

Availability
The new crypto stamp consists of a unique combination of a physical stamp and a digital NFT. The crypto stamp comes in a limited edition with a value of €9.25. PostNL will announce more later about the start of the (advance) sales, circulation and points of sale. [PostNL supplied this illustration without explanation.]

Echt Hollands Definitives (Netherlands 2023)

[from PostNL handouts] [click on any of the pictures for larger versions]
Echt Hollands (Truly Dutch) Definitives

Date of issue: 3 July 2023

  • A sheet of 10 stamps in 10 different designs for destinations within the Netherlands (€10.10)
  • A sheet of 5 stamps in five different designs for delivery outside the Netherlands (€8.25)
  • A sheet of 50 stamps in one design designs for delivery outside the Netherlands(€82.50)

“Echt Hollands” means “truly Dutch.”

These three stamp sheets are part of the basic range of stamps, which consists of permanent stamps from the basic range and special stamps from the annual collection. Permanent stamps include stamps with the portrait of King Willem-Alexander, the love stamps, birth stamps, mourning stamps, business stamps on rolls and these. The previous permanent stamps were issued in 2014 white-and-blue 3D icons. PostNL regularly redesigns its permanent stamps to reflect the spirit of the times.

The Echt Hollands 10 x Nederland 1 stamps feature 10 ‘Truly Dutch’ (Echt Hollandse) images: a vase with tulips, a carrier pigeon with a letter, a bakfiets (cargo bicycle) with plants, a coffee pot and mug with a Boerenbont motif, a lighthouse, a herring, canal houses, a whipped cream cake, a caravan and a cheeseboard. Of the 10 images, five are also featured on the Echt Hollands 5 x Internationaal 1 stamps: the herring, the vase with tulips, the lighthouse, the carrier pigeon and the coffee pot with mug. The Echt Hollands 50 x Internationaal 1 features the vase with tulips.

All the illustrations were hand-drawn by illustrator Sanny van Loon from Amsterdam, and are placed in the centre of the stamps against a background of diamonds or stripes in different shades of turquoise. The stamps for domestic destinations have a drawn golden-yellow perforated border. The foreign destination stamps have a dark blue border.

Van Loon previously designed the 2018 December stamps. She began by grabbing pen and paper. “My desk was littered with A4 sketches in no time. I drew all kinds of things: landscapes, food, flowers, art, buildings and so on,” she says. “Based on the sketches, I made a selection of subjects that made me happy.”

Sanny’s illustrations are often nostalgic in character. “I love vintage, retro or whatever you want to call it. It is an important aspect of my work, but I always create fresh images that everyone can recognise,” she says. “The 1970s caravan [camper] on the stamp is a good example of how to mix nostalgia with contemporary. Many people will think of past holidays with their parents, but camping has also been rediscovered by younger generations. So this image combines the traditional and what is currently cool.”

Sanny describes the illustrations as “miniature paintings,” each with its own story. “The image of the tulips in the enamelled jug [above] was in my head right from the start. One of the tulips has already hung its head; everybody knows that phenomenon. Some of the petals have fallen onto the table. This refers to the flower still lifes of the Dutch masters, which always show something fleeting, something transient.

“The illustration featuring the cheeses had many iterations,” van Loon says. “I drew countless sketches: cheese sandwiches, cheese markets, cheese cubes, whole cheeses, cheese shops, cheese knives, cheese paper, and so on. Everything finally fell into place when I saw the cheese board in front of me, with the familiar Dutch cheese cubes on skewers and a pickle and a tomato on top.

“I wanted to feature the herring on its wee square cardboard plate on a separate stamp [below right]. Surely no one in the world eats herring the way we do?” she says.

“All these subjects relate to my own life. I often base my work on memories, but I depict them in such a way that they appeal to everyone. For example, when I see Boerenbont crockery [below], I’m always reminded of the cosiness of visits to my grandmother. And the canal houses [below] look like the ones near where I was born and where I live now.”

Technical Details:
Echt Hollands 10 x Nederland 1
Stamp size (wxh): 20.8 x 25.3mm:
Sheet size (wxh): 75 x 126mm:
Paper: normal with phosphor print
Glue: self-adhesive
Printing technique: offset
Printing colours: cyan, magenta, yellow and black
Print run: 2,050,000 sheets
Appearance: sheet of 10 stamps in 10 different designs
Design: Sanny van Loon, Amsterdam
Printer: Cartor Security Printers, Wolverhampton, United Kingdom
Item number: 430961
Copyright: stamp w/ Boerenbont pattern Boerenbont® Royal Boch Bvba

Echt Hollands 5 x Internationaal 1
Stamp size (wxh): 20.8 x 25.3mm:
Sheet size (wxh): 58 x 126mm:
Paper: normal with phosphor print
Glue: self-adhesive
Printing technique: offset
Printing colours: cyan, magenta, yellow and black
Print run: 1,060,000 sheets
Format: sheet of 5 stamps in 5 different designs
Design: Sanny van Loon, Amsterdam
Printer: Cartor Security Printers, Wolverhampton, United Kingdom
Item number: 430962
Copyright: stamp w/ Boerenbont pattern Boerenbont® Royal Boch Bvba

Echt Hollands 50 x Internationaal 1
Stamp size (wxh): 20.8 x 25.3mm:
Sheet size (wxh): 120 x 498mm:
Paper: normal with phosphor print
Glue: self-adhesive
Printing technique: offset
Printing colours: cyan, magenta, yellow and black
Print run: 75,000 sheets
Format: sheet of one stamp in one design
Design: Sanny van Loon, Amsterdam
Printer: Cartor Security Printers, Wolverhampton, United Kingdom
Item number: 430963


Note: PostNL does not sell directly to collectors in North America. Its website refers to a company called Nordfirm, which says it sells Dutch new issues at face value. The Virtual Stamp Club has no connection to this company.

Sail Den Helder (Tall Ships Races) (Netherlands 2023)

[taken from a PostNL handout] [click on any of the pictures for larger versions]
Sail Den Helder (Tall Ships Races)

Date of issue: 26 June 2023

On 26 June 2023, PostNL will publish the Sail Den Helder 10-stamp sheet. This year’s maritime event will take place from 29 June to 2 July. Sail Den Helder is organised together with the 2023 Marinedagen (Navy days), marking the start of the Tall Ships Races 2023. The ten stamps feature photos with examples of the types of ships that are present at these three events. A sheet of ten stamps costs €10.10.

This is the 6th time the port of Den Helder has hosted this maritime event. It is expected to attract 300,000 visitors. Den Helder’s harbour and quays will give them the opportunity to learn about what the maritime sector has to offer: from sailing heritage and tall ships to modern training ships and naval vessels. Besides the many hundreds of ships, the focus will be on social issues such as energy transition and protecting life on and under water.

Sail Den Helder will be combined with the Marinedagen, the open days of the Dutch Royal Navy. In addition, the port of Den Helder will be the starting location for the Tall Ships Races 2023 on 1 July. This race, in which just under 100 tall ships are expected to participate, will run via Hartlepool (England), Frederikstad (Norway) and Lerwick (Shetland Islands) to Arendal (Norway). The Tall Ships Races are designed to introduce young people to the world of seafaring and sailing. That is why half of the crew of the participating ships are between the ages of 15 and 25.

The sheet features two different designs. On the left side, the stamps are rotated 180 degrees compared to those on the right side. Both stamp designs feature photos of two different sailing ships. The landscape image features a Navy motor vessel on the right-hand side, on the tab next to the stamp. The perforations extend to the sheet edge. This allows each stamp to be torn from the sheet together with its corresponding tab. The typography on the stamp runs between the pictures at right angles.

All events are listed on the edges of the sheet. At the top is the title Sail Den Helder 2023, with Marinedagen underneath. At the bottom is the title The Tall Ships Races 2023, with, in chronological order, all the ports of call of the sailing race and their corresponding latitude and longitude. The five ships on the stamps are typical of the types of ships that will be present during Sail Den Helder 2023 in June and July. The ships pictured are the air defence and command frigate Zr. Ms. De Ruyter from 2002 (Netherlands), the two-master Abel Tasman from 1913 (Netherlands), the tall ship Juan Sebastián de Elcano from 1927 (Spain), the three-master ARM Cuauhtémoc from 1982 (Mexico) and the three-master Mircea from 1938 (Romania).

The sheet was designed by graphic designer Maud van Rossum from Amsterdam. She explored the subject partly by visiting the Maritime Museum in her hometown. “What fascinates me about this maritime subject is how everything works on board those big ships,” Van Rossum says. “Reflecting the many aspects of the subject on two different stamp designs was a real challenge. And not just Sail Den Helder, but also the Marinedagen and the Tall Ships Races that are linked to it.”

For PostNL, Van Rossum also designed 200 years of the Mauritshuis (2022), Queen Máxima at 50 (2021) and The first atlases (2020). With Piet Gerards, she collaborated on the World Heritage Sites in the Netherlands (2014), Inauguration of Willem-Alexander (2013) and 100 years of Heemschut (2011) stamps.

Technical Details:
Format: sheet of ten stamps in two different designs, with value 1 for post up to and including 20g for destinations within the Netherlands
Item number: 430861
Design: Studio Maud van Rossum, Amsterdam
Photography: Sail Den Helder
Lithography: Marc Gijzen, Voorburg
Stamp size: 40 x 30mm
Sheet size: 170 x 122 mm
Paper: normal with phosphor print
Gum: gummed
Printing technique: offset
Printing colours: cyan, magenta, yellow and black
Print run: 80,000 sheets
Printing company: Koninklijke Joh. Enschedé B.V., Haarlem
Item number: 430861


Note: PostNL does not sell directly to collectors in North America. Its website refers to a company called Nordfirm, which says it sells Dutch new issues at face value. The Virtual Stamp Club has no connection to this company.

Filmmaker Denys Arcand (Canada 2023)

Updated June 27th:
[press release] [click on any of the pictures for larger versions]
New stamp recognizes Canadian filmmaker Denys Arcand
The internationally acclaimed artist has been captivating and challenging audiences for more than 60 years

MONTRÉAL – Canada Post today issued a new stamp to honour internationally acclaimed Canadian filmmaker Denys Arcand, whose incredible career has spanned more than 60 years. Known for his intellectual curiosity, the Quebec-born artist has written and directed over two dozen films, television shows and documentaries.

Arcand first developed a passion for politics and history while studying at the Université de Montréal, where he also co-wrote and co-directed his first film, Seul ou avec d’autres (1962). A year later, he joined the National Film Board of Canada (NFB) as a documentarian where he began cultivating his reputation for pushing boundaries. His first feature-length documentary On est au coton (1970) was about Quebec’s textile industry – it was so controversial that the NFB waited six years before releasing it.

As he moved into fiction, Arcand found more freedom to express his views and to challenge audiences, which would earn him critical acclaim.

In 1986, he experienced box-office success with Le déclin de l’empire américain. The biting comedy about sexual mores won several honours, including eight Genie Awards. It also became the first Canadian film to be nominated for the Academy Award for Best Foreign Language Film.

Arcand would build on this success with hits that include Jésus de Montréal (1989) and Les invasions barbares (2003), which won an Academy Award for Best Foreign Language Film – the first for Quebec (and Canada). After more than 60 years in the industry, Arcand continues to direct.

Among Arcand’s many honours are a Governor General’s Performing Arts Award in 1995 and a Canada’s Walk of Fame induction in 2004. He is also a Companion of the Order of Canada (2004) and a Compagnon de l’Ordre des arts et des lettres du Québec (2015).

About the stamp
The stamp features a black and white photograph by Bertand Carrière of Arcand behind the camera during the filming of Le déclin de l’empire américain in 1985.

Designed by Paprika and printed by Lowe-Martin, the issue includes a booklet of six Permanent™ domestic rate stamps and an Official First Day Cover, which showcase the photography of Alexandre Isard and Rick Eglinton. The cancel site is Deschambault, Quebec, where Arcand spent his childhood.

The stamp and collectible are available at canadapost.ca and postal outlets across Canada.

[en Francais pour les médias d’information]
Un nouveau timbre rend hommage au cinéaste canadien Denys Arcand
Le cinéaste de renommée mondiale Denys Arcand pousse le public à jeter un regard critique sur le monde depuis plus de 60 ans

MONTRÉAL – Postes Canada a émis aujourd’hui un nouveau timbre en l’honneur du cinéaste canadien de renommée mondiale Denys Arcand, dont la carrière exceptionnelle s’étend sur plus de 60 ans. Reconnu pour sa curiosité intellectuelle, le célèbre Québécois a écrit et réalisé plus d’une vingtaine de films, d’émissions de télévision et de documentaires.

Denys Arcand cultive une passion pour la politique et l’histoire pendant ses études à l’Université de Montréal, où il coécrit et codirige son premier film, Seul ou avec d’autres en 1962. Un an plus tard, il devient documentariste pour l’Office national du film du Canada (ONF) et commence à se bâtir une réputation de cinéaste qui repousse les limites. Son premier long métrage documentaire, On est au coton (1970), sur l’industrie du textile au Québec, est tellement controversé que l’ONF attend six ans avant de le lancer.

Denys Arcand se tourne par la suite vers la fiction, genre lui offrant plus de liberté pour exprimer sa vision et provoquer le public, et qui finit par lui valoir les éloges de la critique.

En 1986, il connaît du succès au guichet avec Le déclin de l’empire américain. La comédie mordante sur les mœurs sexuelles récolte plusieurs honneurs, dont huit prix Génie. Il s’agit également de la première production canadienne à être mise en nomination pour l’Academy Award du meilleur film en langue étrangère.

Le cinéaste poursuit son ascension avec des films comme Jésus de Montréal (1989) et Les invasions barbares (2003), qui récolte un Academy Award du meilleur film en langue étrangère – le premier au Québec (et au Canada). Après plus de 60 ans dans l’industrie, Denys Arcand poursuit sa carrière de réalisateur.

Entre autres honneurs, Denys Arcand reçoit un Prix du Gouverneur général pour les arts du spectacle en 1995 et une étoile sur l’Allée des célébrités canadiennes en 2004. Il est également fait Compagnon de l’Ordre du Canada (2004) et Compagnon de l’Ordre des arts et des lettres du Québec (2015).

À propos du timbre
Le timbre présente une photographie en noir et blanc de Denys Arcand derrière la caméra prise par Bertrand Carrière lors du tournage du film Le déclin de l’empire américain en 1985.

Conçue par Paprika et imprimée par Lowe-Martin, l’émission comprend un carnet de six timbres PermanentsMC au tarif du régime intérieur et un pli Premier Jour officiel mettant en vedette des clichés d’Alexandre Isard et de Rick Eglinton. Le lieu d’oblitération est Deschambault, au Québec, où Arcand a passé son enfance.

Les timbres et les articles de collection sont en vente sur postescanada.ca et dans les comptoirs postaux partout au pays.

Original post, June 20th:
Denys Arcand is a French Canadian film director, screenwriter and producer. He will be 82 when this stamp is issued June 28, and he is expected to attend the unveiling ceremony. His film The Barbarian Invasions won the Academy Award for Best Foreign Film in 2004 and he has also received three other Oscar nominations. He has also won several awards at the Cannes Film Festival, including the Best Screenplay Award and the Jury Prize. Read more about him at Wikipedia and Internet Movie Database. The photo is by GCD Graphics via Wikipedia and was taken at the 2007 Toronto International Film Festival.

[media advisory] [click on any of the pictures for larger versions]
Canada Post recognizes acclaimed filmmaker Denys Arcand

Canada Post invites you to attend the unveiling of a special stamp to celebrate internationally acclaimed filmmaker Denys Arcand on Tuesday, June 27, in Montréal.

The upcoming stamp will be officially issued on Wednesday, June 28, after it is unveiled on Tuesday, June 27, and three days after Mr. Arcand’s birthday on June 25.

Who: Denys Arcand will be joined by family, friends, and a line-up of special speakers, who will be a surprise to Mr. Arcand.

Where:
Théâtre Outremont
1248 avenue Bernard Ouest, Montréal

When: Tuesday, June 27, at 5 pm ET

RSVP: As this is a small and private event for Mr. Arcand’s family and friends, we request that media RSVP to media@canadapost.ca if planning on attending.

[en Francais, Avis aux médias]
Postes Canada rend hommage au grand cinéaste Denys Arcand

Postes Canada vous invite au dévoilement d’un timbre spécial consacré au cinéaste de renommée internationale Denys Arcand le mardi 27 juin, à Montréal.
Le timbre sera dévoilé le mardi 27 juin et officiellement émis le mercredi 28 juin, soit trois jours après l’anniversaire de naissance de M. Arcand, le 25 juin.

Qui: Se joindront à Denys Arcand des membres de sa famille, des proches et des personnalités qui prendront la parole à la surprise de l’invité d’honneur.

Ou:
Théâtre Outremont
1248, avenue Bernard Ouest, Montréal

Quand : Le mardi 27 juin, à 17 h (HE)

Prière de confirmer votre présence: Comme il s’agit d’un petit événement privé, nous demandons aux médias de confirmer leur présence à media@postescanada.ca.

Hotchner: Presidential Memorial Stamps Waiting in The Wings

When a U.S. President dies, the usual waiting period is waived and a commemorative stamp in his (or someday her) honor is issued on that person’s next birthday. John Hotchner looks at the history of this practice.

This is a tradition that has its roots in the 19th Century, with the issuance of the first presidential mourning stamp of the United States in April 1866, a 15¢ stamp in black (Scott #77, plus later grilled issues) honoring Abraham Lincoln, who had been assassinated a year earlier. The earliest known use, per Scott, is April 21, 1866.

A mourning stamp was a novelty in 1866, though earlier presidents had been included in the stamp program after their passing. But Lincoln set a new standard: a stamp in black, issued within a year of death, or shortly after.

We would not see such an issuance again until the passing of Warren Harding from a heart attack on August 2, 1923. A mourning stamp in his honor – a flat plate-printed, perf. 11 version (Scott #610) – was released just a month later, on Sept.1, 1923. It was followed by three more versions (perf. 10 flat plate, imperf., and perf. 11 rotary press; Scott #s 611-613) within a couple of months.

After this there was a hit-or-miss period. Woodrow Wilson, who passed away in 1924, after he left office, was given a 17¢ memorial stamp in black almost two years after he died. William Howard Taft whose presidency ended in 1913, left us on March 8, 1930, and was included in the Fourth Bureau issue with a brown 4¢ sheet stamp and a coil just three months later.

But Calvin Coolidge, who passed in 1933 was not placed on a stamp until the presidential issue of 1938, where he was the honoree on the $5 (Scott #834).

The next president to die was Franklin D. Roosevelt, on April 12, 1945; at the start of his fourth term. Four stamps were issued in his honor – none of them black – within a year of his death. The first was released on June 27, 1945; a 3¢ purple (which can be considered as a mourning color). It was followed by a 1¢ blue green, a 2¢ carmine rose, and a 5¢ bright blue (Scott #930-933). They broke the mold by including illustrations of more than just the picture of the president. See Figure 3.

The next president to die was John F. Kennedy, the victim of an assassin, on November 22, 1963. And here is where the modern system of memorial stamps was inaugurated. On May 29, 1964, a 5¢ blue-grey commemorative was issued showing JFK and his eternal flame (Scott #1246). His birth date was May 29, 1917.

Presidential deaths after Kennedy, and the date of their memorial stamp (on or near their birthday), are shown here:

President
Herbert Hoover
Dwight D. Eisenhower
Harry S Truman
Lyndon B. Johnson
Richard Nixon
Ronald Reagan
Gerald Ford
George H.W. Bush
Date of Death
Oct. 20, 1964
March 28, 1969
Dec. 26, 1972
Jan. 22, 1973
April 22, 1994
June 5, 2004
Dec. 26, 2006
Nov. 30, 2018
Stamp Issued
Aug.10, 1965
Oct. 14, 1969
May 8, 1973
Aug. 27, 1973
April 26, 1995
Feb. 9, 2005
Aug. 31, 2007
June 12, 2019

We are long past the times when the U.S. Postal Service was simply reactive to a presidential passing. Wouldn’t be prudent. They now have “in the bank” an approved image of each president who has left office, ready for use on the memorial stamp. It has been selected by the president himself and discussed with the immediate family as well.

Also gone are the grim black stamps that celebrate death, in favor of brighter colorful portraits. This is not to say that all the presidential memorial stamps are beautiful – or popular. Richard Nixon’s stamp was not expected to do well, so the USPS ordered only 80 million printed. Compare that to the 511,750,000 stamps ordered for JFK, and 170 million for Ronald Reagan.

[The USPS, however, has cut back on the number of stamps produced for all its issues. The initial print run for George H.W. Bush was 40 million, still significantly more than the production of other single-stamp issues in 2019.]


Should you wish to comment on this column, or have questions or ideas you would like to have explored in a future column, please write to John Hotchner, VSC Contributor, P.O. Box 1125, Falls Church, VA 22041-0125, or email, putting “VSC” in the subject line.

Or comment right here.

And John has a new book: Philatelic Royalty of the 20th Century: Stories behind modern-era U.S. Treasures. Order direct from the author; click here for details.

75th Anniversary of Caribbean Migration (UK 2023)

[press release] [click on any of the pictures for larger versions]
New Stamps Celebrate the 75th Anniversary of the Arrival of MV Windrush

  • The stamp images celebrate the contribution of the Windrush generation and their influence on life in the UK
  • The original artworks were exclusively designed by five Black British artists: Bokiba; Kareen Cox; Tomekah George; Alvin Kofi and Emma Prempeh
  • The stamps are now available to pre-order at www.royalmail.com/windrush, by telephone on 03457 641 641 and at 7,000 Post Office branches across the UK

Royal Mail is marking the 75th Anniversary of the arrival of MV Empire Windrush to the UK on 22nd June 1948. Eight new stamps featuring vibrant illustrations, created exclusively to celebrate the occasion, were revealeded at a launch event at the Black Cultural Archives in Brixton on 15 June.

The MV Empire Windrush arrived at the Port of Tilbury on 21 June 1948 and its passengers disembarked a day later. It carried several hundred West Indian migrants, many of them veterans of the Second World War. It has come to symbolise the mass migration of people from the Caribbean to the United Kingdom in the post-war era.

The original artworks were created by five Black British artists – all with Caribbean heritage: Kareen Cox, Bokiba, Tomekah George, Alvin Kofi and Emma Prempeh and Alvin Kofi. Cox, Bokiba and Prempeh designed two stamps each.

The artists were commissioned to create illustrations which celebrate the contribution of the Windrush generation and their influence on life in the UK.

The stamps depict the artists’ personal interpretations of the following themes: arrivals; education/Saturday schools; music/carnival; working life/everyday life in the UK; political activity/peaceful protests; sports; food/markets; and sound systems/dancehall scene.

For the wider product range, Royal Mail also worked with Colin Grant – a British writer of Jamaican origin who is the author of several books, a historian, associate Fellow in the Centre for Caribbean Studies and a BBC radio producer, and Sonia Grant, an independent historian, writer, researcher and photographic exhibition curator.

[That “wider product range” includes FDCs, postcards, presentation packs, framed stamps and three different coin covers: Uncirculated, silver proof, and gold proof. The latter is selling for £1,220, or about US$1,564. The gold coin is shown on the right. See other images below. — VSC]

Revealing the stamps at the Black Cultural Archives, Winnie Annan-Forson, Head of Diversity, Equity & Inclusion, Royal Mail, said: “As Britain marks the 75th anniversary of the 1948 arrival of the MV Empire Windrush, we are honoured to mark this key event with a set of Special Stamps, featuring vibrant illustrations from talented artists that celebrate the culture and contribution of the Windrush generation and those who followed. We are delighted to have brought their stories to life in this special way, passing their legacy on to future generations.”

In addition to the stamps, Royal Mail will be applying a special postmark to stamped mail from 21 to 26 June. The postmark will read:

MV Empire Windrush
Port of Tilbury
22nd June 1948
Windrush 75:
Following the arrival of MV Empire Windrush at Tilbury Docks in June 1948 the period between 1948 and 1972 saw over 500,000 Commonwealth citizens settle in the UK; they are often referred to as the Windrush generation. Peter Fryer, a young reporter who at the time was working for the Daily Worker, captured the spirit of the passengers who had disembarked at Tilbury as “five hundred pairs of willing hands”. Indeed, the newcomers were clear-eyed about what they had to offer the ‘Mother Country’. In so doing, they made notable contributions to every sphere of British life, including in the fields of entertainment, education and sport, as well as in the National Health Service (NHS). It can be argued that West Indian nurses paved the way for a multiracial and multicultural NHS, whose current workforce is made up of staff of more than 200 nationalities.

Despite numerous challenges – including race riots and discrimination in housing, employment and education – the Windrush generation left an indelibly positive mark on the UK, thanks largely to the character, fortitude and resilience of those early migrants. Their legacy can be felt in almost every sphere of life in today’s multicultural Britain. In June 2022, the National Windrush Monument, featuring a bronze sculpture by Basil Watson and accompanied by a poem by Professor Laura Serrant OBE, was unveiled at London’s Waterloo train station to offer a place of reflection and to celebrate the contribution of the Windrush generation to the UK.

The Official First Day Cover with Tilbury postmark:The Gold Proof Coin Cover:

3 More Show Lose WSP Status For 2023

Three more World Series of Philately exhibitions will not be held in 2023. The American Philatelic Society Board of Directors in mid-June approved “bye” requests for NOJEX and the Minnesota Stamp Expo and suspending SEAPEX for violating the World Series of Philately rules.

The World Series of Philately is the APS-accreditation process for national-level competitive exhibitions in the United States and Canada. The shows which host these exhibitions are usually the top stamp collecting shows in North America. A complete list of WSP shows, their dates and other information, can be found here.

NOJEX is held in northern New Jersey (“NOrthern Jersey EXhibition”). According to the APS, “n requesting the 2023 bye from the World Series of Philately, NOJEX Chair Robert Rose informed the APS that the ASDA withdrew from the partnership in April and the NOJEX Committee could not secure a venue at that late date. He also noted, ‘We are committed to returning in 2024.'”

Minnesota Stamp Expo has been held at the Crystal Community Center in Crystal, Minnesota, taking a bye in 2020 due to COVID.

Earlier this year, the City of Crystal began major parking lot renovations to the Crystal Community Center with an expected completion date months before the scheduled dates of the show. In early June, the show committee learned that unexpected construction delays would push completion back to August 2023. After investigating relocating the show or alternative parking options, the show committee determined either action would negatively impact the show’s success.

Both requests were recommended unanimously by the APS’ Committee on Accreditation of National Exhibitions (CANEJ).

CANEJ also found that SEAPEX, in the Seattle area, had violated three separate WSP Rules, including failure to meet reporting deadlines, failure to maintain the level of excellence expected of a WSP show, and violating one or more WSP Exhibition rules. It recommended suspending SEAPEX pending reforms of the committee organization, website, and proof of a venue for 2024 by January 1, 2024.

SEAPEX is the second WSP suspension in the last year. In November 2022, the APS Board of Directors unanimously approved suspending the WSP status for ARIPEX for 2023. If it has not made the changes stipulated by CANEJ by August 1, its status as a WSP show may be revoked permanently.

COLOPEX, in Columbus, Ohio, earlier received a “bye” for 2023, because of its proximity to Great American Stamp Show 2023 in Cleveland, only about 140 miles away and two months later.

A bye or suspension does not necessarily mean canceling the entire show, only the sanctioned exhibition.