Holiday Joy (U.S. 2024)

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[press release] [click on any of the pictures for larger versions]
U.S. Postal Service Reveals Holiday Joy Stamps for 2024

WASHINGTON, DC — The U.S. Postal Service today announced four new stamp designs for the 2024 holiday season. Holiday Joy, along with other stamps announced last year, make up only a partial list, with more to be revealed in the weeks and months ahead. All stamp designs are preliminary and subject to change.

Holiday Joy: Four new art-inspired holiday stamp designs feature two colorful Christmas ornaments, a vibrant poinsettia surrounded by greenery, and a whimsical blue flower centered against green leaves and delicate scrollwork. Antonio Alcalá, an art director for USPS, designed the stamps and booklet of 20, using original digital illustrations by Michelle Muñoz.

Here are larger versions of the four designs:

Additional information will be posted below the line, with the most recent at the top.

Updated November 5th:
The Scott catalogue numbers for this issue are

  • 5941 Poinsettia
  • 5942 Red Pointed Ornament and Blue Flowers
  • 5943 Green Round Ornament and Pink Flowers
  • 5944 Blue Flower and Green Leaves
  • a. Block of 4, #5941-5944
  • b. Convertible booklet pane of 20, 5 each #5941-5944

Updated August 20th:
[press release] [click on any of the pictures for larger versions]
U.S. Postal Service to Unveil New Holiday Stamps at the Smithsonian’s National Postal Museum

When: Saturday, Sept. 14, at 10:30 a.m. EDT

What: The U.S. Postal Service will host a special stamp dedication ceremony at the Smithsonian’s National Postal Museum to unveil the highly anticipated 2024 Christmas Madonna and Child stamp and Holiday Joy stamps.

These stamps capture the spirit of the season, celebrating both the traditional and contemporary aspects of holiday festivities.

The event will include remarks from prominent postal officials and be followed by the National Postal Museum’s Holiday Stamps Family Festival, with guest artist Katie Kirk.

Who: Sheila Holman, USPS vice president of marketing, and Mark Guilfoil, USPS vice president of supply management, will serve as the dedicating officials.

Where: National Postal Museum
2 Massachusetts Ave. NE
Washington, DC 20002

Details: The Madonna and Child stamp has been a beloved part of the Postal Service’s holiday stamp offerings for decades, featuring iconic images of the Virgin Mary and Child from various artistic traditions. This year’s design continues that tradition, offering a beautiful representation of this timeless theme.

The Holiday Joy stamps, meanwhile, offer a vibrant and festive option for holiday greetings, with designs that evoke the joy and warmth of the holiday season.

The dedication ceremony will feature a first-day-of-issue event, where attendees will have the opportunity to purchase the new stamps and get them postmarked with a special first-day-of-issue cancellation.

The event is free and open to the public.
• Visuals: The unveiling of the new stamps
• Remarks from speakers
• A live holiday-themed family festival
• Attendees purchasing and cancelling their stamps
• Autographs by special guests and VIPs

RSVP: Attendees are encouraged to register at usps.com/holidaystampsceremony.

To ensure seating and access to interviews with event speakers and special guests, members of the media are encouraged to RSVP on the USPS media sign-in website.
About the Stamps

Christmas Madonna and Child features the serene Madonna and Child from the workshop of the 17th-century Italian artist Giovanni Battista Salvi, called “Sassoferrato” (1609-1685). William Gicker was the art director and Greg Breeding designed the stamp, which will be sold in booklets of 20.

Holiday Joy, four stamps inspired by Mexican folk art, were designed by Antonio Alcalá, an art director for USPS, using original digital illustrations by Michelle Muñoz.

Christmas Madonna and Child and Holiday Joy are being issued as Forever stamps, which are always equal in value to the current First-Class Mail 1-ounce rate.

Updated August 9th:
Here are the first-day postmarks for this issue:The Digital Color Postmark measures 2.71″ x 1.25″ There is no pictorial postmark for this issue, just the FDOI “Killer Bar” hand cancel.

From the Postal Bulletin:

On September 14, 2024, in Washington, DC, the United States Postal Service® will issue the Holiday Joy stamps (Forever® priced at the First-Class Mail® rate), in four designs, in a pressure-sensitive adhesive (PSA) double-sided booklet of 20 stamps (Item 685000). These stamps will go on sale nationwide September 14, 2024, and must not be sold or canceled before the first-day-of-issue.

Four new folk art-inspired holiday stamps feature two colorful Christmas ornaments, a vibrant poinsettia surrounded by greenery, and a whimsical blue flower centered against green leaves and delicate scrollwork. Art director Antonio Alcalá designed the stamps using original digital illustrations by Michelle Muñoz.

Automatic distribution.

How to Order the First-Day-of-Issue Postmark:
Customers have 120 days to obtain the first-day-of-issue postmark by mail. They may purchase new stamps at their local Post Office® or at The Postal Store® website at store.usps.com/store/home. They must affix the stamps to envelopes of their choice, address the envelopes (to themselves or others), and place them in a larger envelope addressed to:

FDOI – Holiday Joy Stamps
USPS Stamp Fulfillment Services
8300 NE Underground Drive, Suite 300
Kansas City, MO 64144-9900

After applying the first-day-of-issue postmark, the Postal Service™ will return the envelopes through the mail. There is no charge for the postmark up to a quantity of 50. There is a 5-cent charge for each additional postmark over 50. All orders must be postmarked by January 14, 2025.

Technical Specifications:

Issue: Holiday Joy Stamps
Item Number: 685000
Denomination & Type of Issue: First-Class Mail Forever
Format: Double-Sided Booklet of 20 (4 designs)
Series: N/A
Issue Date & City: September 14, 2024, Washington, DC 20066
Art Director: Antonio Alcalá, Alexandria, VA
Designer: Antonio Alcalá, Alexandria, VA
Artist: Michelle Muñoz, Moreno Valley, CA
Modeler: Sandra Lane / Michelle Finn
Manufacturing Process: Offset
Printer: Banknote Corporation of America
Press Type: Alprinta 74
Stamps per Booklet: 20
Print Quantity: 500,000,000 stamps
Paper Type: Phosphor, Block Tag
Adhesive Type: Pressure-sensitive
Colors: Cyan, Magenta, Yellow, Black
Stamp Orientation: Vertical
Image Area (w x h): 0.7700 x 1.0500 in. / 19.5580 x 26.6700 mm
Overall Size (w x h): 0.9100 x 1.1900 in. / 23.1140 x 30.2260 mm
Booklet Size (w x h): 5.7430 x 2.3750 in. / 145.8720 x60.3250 mm
Plate Size: 800 stamps per revolution
Plate Number: “B” followed by four (4) single digits
Marginal Markings: Header: HOLIDAY JOY 20 FIRST-CLASS FOREVER STAMPS • © 2024 USPS in peel strip area • Barcode • USPS Logo • Promotional Text • Plate number in peel strip area

Updated May 20th:
These stamps will be issued September 14 in Washington, DC.

Mary Ann Shadd (Canada 2024)

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[see below for the stamp design and more details or click here to jump there. More media are here.]

Per “Danforth Guy:”

The stamp commemorating Mary Ann Shadd (Cary), the latest in the Black History series, is set to be issued on Monday, January 29, in Chatham, Ontario. It will come in a booklet of six self-adhesive ‘P’ stamps priced at the domestic rate of 92¢.

A lifesize statue of the publisher/lawyer/abolitionist/educator stands at the University of Windsor, in southwestern Ontario.

This has not yet been confirmed by Canada Post. We will add more information as it becomes available.

Updated January 17th:

“Danforth” nailed it:

[press release] [click on any of the pictures for larger versions]
Canada Post to honour educator, lawyer and abolitionist Mary Ann Shadd with a new stamp

CHATHAM, ON, Jan. 17, 2024 /CNW/ – Canada Post invites you to the unveiling of a special stamp in honour of educator, lawyer and abolitionist Mary Ann Shadd on Tuesday, January 23 at 10 am EST in Chatham, Ont.

Founder of The Provincial Freeman, Mary Ann Shadd was the first Black woman in North America to edit and publish a newspaper. Through the newspaper, she played an important role in encouraging Black immigration to Canada and promoted equality through integration into white society. She was also an advocate for women’s rights.

The upcoming stamp will be officially issued on Monday, January 29 after it is unveiled on Tuesday, January 23, ahead of Black History Month in February.

WHAT: Mary Ann Shadd stamp unveiling event-

WHO: Adrienne Shadd, descendant of Mary Ann Shadd and historian-
– Brenda Edmonds Travis, descendant of Mary Ann Shadd and educator-
– Brandy Ryan, Director of Equity, Diversity and Inclusion, Canada Post-

WHEN: Tuesday, January 23 at 10 am EST-

WHERE: The Kent, 124 William Street South, Chatham, Ont.-

[en Francais pour les médias d’information]
Un nouveau timbre de Postes Canada rend hommage à Mary Ann Shadd, éducatrice, avocate et abolitionniste

CHATHAM, ON, le 17 janv. 2024 /CNW/ – Postes Canada vous invite au dévoilement d’un timbre spécial en l’honneur de Mary Ann Shadd, éducatrice, avocate et abolitionniste, le mardi 23 janvier, à 10 h (HNE), à Chatham, en Ontario.

Fondatrice du journal Provincial Freeman, Mary Ann Shadd est la première femme noire à éditer et à publier un journal en Amérique du Nord. Par l’intermédiaire de cette publication, elle joue un rôle important en encourageant l’immigration des Noirs au Canada et favorise l’égalité grâce à l’intégration dans la société blanche. Elle défend également les droits des femmes.

Le timbre sera dévoilé le mardi 23 janvier et officiellement émis le lundi 29 janvier, avant le Mois de l’histoire des Noirs en février.

QUOI : Dévoilement du timbre consacré à Mary Ann Shadd-

QUI : Adrienne Shadd, descendante de Mary Ann Shadd et historienne-
– Brenda Edmonds Travis, descendante de Mary Ann Shadd et éducatrice-
– Brandy Ryan, directrice, Équité, diversité et inclusion, Postes Canada-

QUAND : Le mardi 23 janvier à 10 h (HNE)-
—
OÙ : The Kent, 124 William Street South, Chatham (Ontario)-

Updated January 23rd:

[press release] [click on any of the pictures for larger versions]
New Black History Month stamp honours trailblazer Mary Ann Shadd
An abolitionist, educator, writer and lawyer, Shadd was also the first Black woman in North America to publish and edit a newspaper

CHATHAM, ONT. – Today [January 23, 2024], at an event in Chatham, Ont., Canada Post unveiled a new Black History Month stamp honouring Mary Ann Shadd. An abolitionist, educator, newspaper publisher and lawyer, Shadd broke boundaries throughout her life as she fought for the rights of Black people and women.

Born in 1823 in Wilmington, Delaware, Shadd established herself early on as a dedicated teacher, writer and activist. In 1851, she was invited to teach in Windsor, Ontario, where she helped open a racially integrated school that supported families fleeing enslavement in the United States.

Two years later, she launched The Provincial Freeman and became the first Black woman in North America – and the first woman in Canada – to publish and edit a newspaper. Published from Windsor, then from Toronto and Chatham, it was an anti-slavery newspaper that advocated for the advancement and equality of Black people. It also promoted Canada as a place for Black people to settle, raise families and contribute as free citizens.

To avoid alienating readers accustomed to male editors, Shadd initially kept her name off the masthead. However, she grew tired of the assumption that she was a man and in 1854 revealed her identity.

In 1863, she moved back to the United States where she continued to build her reputation as a trailblazer. The second Black American woman to obtain a law degree, Shadd became a lawyer and a prominent suffragist.

Shadd’s lifelong fight for equal rights continued a family legacy. Her father, Abraham Doras Shadd, was active in the Underground Railroad and was featured on Canada Post’s first Black History Month stamp issue in 2009 (left, Sc. 2315, issued with another Black History stamp). It is believed that this is the first time in Canadian postal history (outside of the Royal Family) that a father and daughter have each appeared on a stamp.

About the stamp
The stamp was designed by Underline Studio and illustrated by Natasha Cunningham. The central image is the only known photograph of Shadd. The lower image is a reproduction of The Provincial Freeman’s masthead, recreated to include both of Canada’s official languages. The metallic-inked black-eyed Susans represent resilience, encouragement, justice and motivation. Printed by Colour Innovations, the issue includes a booklet of six PermanentTM domestic rate stamps and an Official First Day Cover. The cancel site is Chatham, Ont., where Mary Ann Shadd spent most of her years while residing in Canada.

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

[en Francais pour les médias d’information]
Le nouveau timbre du Mois de l’histoire des Noirs rend hommage à la pionnière Mary Ann Shadd
Abolitionniste, éducatrice, écrivaine et avocate, Mary Ann Shadd est la première éditrice noire d’un journal en Amérique du Nord.

CHATHAM, ONT. – Aujourd’hui [le 23 Janvier 2024], lors d’un événement à Chatham, en Ontario, Postes Canada a dévoilé le nouveau timbre du Mois de l’histoire des Noirs rendant hommage à Mary Ann Shadd. Abolitionniste, éducatrice, éditrice de journal et avocate, elle fait tomber des barrières tout au long de sa vie en défendant les droits des Noirs et des femmes.
Née en 1823 à Wilmington, au Delaware, elle se démarque très tôt en tant qu’enseignante dévouée, écrivaine et militante. En 1851, elle est invitée à enseigner à Windsor, en Ontario, où elle aide à ouvrir une école intégrée sur le plan racial qui soutient des familles fuyant l’esclavage aux États Unis.

Deux ans plus tard, elle lance le journal Provincial Freeman et devient la première femme noire en Amérique du Nord – et la première femme au Canada – à éditer un journal. D’abord publié à Windsor, puis à Toronto et à Chatham, ce journal anti-esclavagiste prône l’avancement et l’égalité des Noirs. Il fait également la promotion du Canada comme endroit où les Noirs peuvent s’établir, élever leur famille et contribuer à la société en tant que personnes libres.

Pour ne pas aliéner le lectorat habitué à des rédacteurs, Mary Ann Shadd omet au départ son nom du bloc-générique. Toutefois, lassée d’être prise pour un homme, elle révèle son identité en 1854.

En 1863, elle retourne aux États-Unis où elle consolide sa réputation de pionnière. Deuxième femme noire diplômée en droit aux États-Unis, Mary Ann Shadd devient avocate et une importante suffragette.

La lutte pour l’égalité des droits qu’elle mène pendant toute sa vie est la continuation d’un héritage familial. Son père, Abraham Doras Shadd, qui joue un rôle actif dans le chemin de fer clandestin, a été l’un des sujets de la première émission de timbres du Mois de l’histoire des Noirs de Postes Canada en 2009. C’est la première fois dans l’histoire postale du pays (à l’exception de la famille royale) qu’un père et sa fille figurent chacun sur un timbre.

À propos du timbre
Le timbre a été conçu par Underline Studio et illustré par Natasha Cunningham. L’image centrale est la seule photo connue de Mary Ann Shadd. L’image du bas est une reproduction du bloc-générique du journal Provincial Freeman, recréé pour inclure nos deux langues officielles. Les fleurs de la rudbeckie hérissée à l’encre métallique représentent la résilience, l’encouragement, la justice et la motivation. Imprimée par Colour Innovations, l’émission comprend un carnet de six timbres PermanentsMC au tarif du régime intérieur et un pli Premier Jour officiel. Le lieu d’oblitération est Chatham (Ont.), où Mary Ann Shadd a passé la plupart de ses années au Canada.

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

Photos and a Video:Descendants of Mary Ann Shadd and Canada Post Director of Equity, Diversity and Inclusion, Brandy Ryan unveiling the stamp | Dévoilement du timbre par les descendantes de Mary Ann Shadd et Brandy Ryan, directrice, Équité, diversité et inclusion de Postes Canada. Photo by Carlos Osorio, courtesy Canada Post. Adrienne Shadd, Marishana Mabusela, Brenda Edmonds Travis and Canada Post Director of Equity, Diversity and Inclusion, Brandy Ryan | Adrienne Shadd, Marishana Mabusela, Brenda Shadd et Brandy Ryan, directrice, Équité, diversité et inclusion de Postes Canada.Photo by Carlos Osorio, courtesy Canada Post.Descendants of Mary Ann Shadd | Descendantes de Mary Ann Shadd. Photo by Carlos Osorio, courtesy Canada Post.

Canada Post’s video about Shadd:

Boston 2026 Appoints Grinfelds

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[press release] [click on any of the pictures for larger versions]
Boston 2026 Appoints Grinfelds

Dzintars Grinfelds of San Francisco, California, has been appointed as Deputy Commissioner General for Boston 2026 World Expo. Yamil Kouri, Boston 2026 President and Commissioner General, revealed the selection on December 30.

Dzintars is a long-time philatelist, becoming the first three-time AAPE Youth Champion of Champions in the early 2000’s, later going on to win top awards in adult national and international competitions with exhibits on his specialties of Latvia, Central Lithuania, and various thematic topics. Most recently he was a national commissioner for the USA at Thailand 2023.

While away from philately for a decade he managed social and digital marketing for some of the largest brands in sports including the Golden State Warriors, San Francisco Giants, and NBA 2K. Now owner and real estate business manager of Grinfelds Investments, LP, he also competes on the Professional Bowlers Association regional circuit.

Boston 2026 World Expo takes place May 23-30, 2026, at the Boston Convention & Exhibition Center. Full show details may be found at Boston2026.org and on Twitter and Facebook. Sign up to be added to the Boston 2026 email list and receive updates when available.

McClure FDC Collection Donated to AFDCS

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[press release] [click on any of the pictures for larger versions]
McClure FDC Collection Donated to AFDCS

The extensive first day cover collection of the late Peter McClure — more than 35 boxes — has been donated to the American First Day Cover Society, and parts of it will begin appearing in AFDCS Fundraising Auctions in the near future.

“Pete” died in May 2023 at the age of 75 after a long illness. He designed many cachets, both for himself and for the AFDCS, and often serviced new issues on the first-day at his local Iowa Falls, Iowa, post office. He also collected Iowa-related issues and those for the 1962 Seattle World’s Fair stamp (Sc. 1196), Roy Rogers (Sc. 4446), Janis Joplin (Sc. 4916) and the cachets produced by the AFDCS’ Graebner Chapter in Washington, DC, of which he was a member. He talked about some of these topics in Zoom presentations he made for the AFDCS, which can be seen on the AFDCS YouTube Channel.

The AFDCS runs two of these mail/online bidding auctions a year and a “silent” auction at

Pete McClure in 2016

its annual convention, all containing material donated by its members. The sales often contain one-of-a-kind covers.

All proceeds of these sales go to the AFDCS General Fund, and help support the many AFDCS activities, including video and print publishing, advocacy and encouragement of FDC collecting and exhibiting, and cosponsorship of the big annual national stamp collecting show, Great American Stamp Show, which is next scheduled in 2024 in Hartford, Conn., August 15-18. The AFDCS also publishes its award-winning journal First Days six times a year. The American First Day Cover Society is a not-for-profit 501c3 educational organization.

For more information about the AFDCS, visit www.afdcs.org, email afdcs@afdcs.org or write the AFDCS at Post Office Box 27, Greer, SC 29652-0027.

ATA Announces Warm Up To Topicals Virtual Programs

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[press release] [click on any of the pictures for larger versions]
ATA’s Warm Up to Topicals Free Presentation Series Announced

Did you know that postcards played an outsized role in ensuring the existence of the United States Postal Service? That’s one of the many mysteries to be discovered when the American Topical Association presents its annual Warm Up to Topicals series of free philatelic programs on Zoom from January 16 to March 26.

ATA will offer seven presentations in this year’s winter philatelic roundup. Other topics include enhancing your collecting experience through social media, history of anti-Jewish behavior in America, a preview of the Boston 2026 World Expo, and more.

All programs are free and do not require ATA membership to attend. The 2024 presentations are:

How Picture Postcards Saved the U.S. Postal Department
With Dawn Hamman
Tuesday, January 16, 7 p.m. Eastern

Energize Your Stamp Club, Part II
With Todd Gantzer and Michele Bresso
Tuesday, January 23, 7 p.m. Eastern

Touring from the Dalmatian Coast to Budapest via the Stamps of Eastern Europe
With Alan and Diane Bauer
Tuesday, January 30, 7 p.m. Eastern

Boston 2026 World Expo Highlights
With Yamil Kouri
Tuesday, February 6, 7 p.m. Eastern

Discrimination Never Takes a Vacation
With Gregg Philipson
Tuesday, February 20, 7 p.m. Eastern

Enhance Your Hobby Experience with Social Media
With Jeff Hayward
Tuesday, March 19, 7 p.m. Eastern

Meet the Todidae Family from the Greater Antilles
With Felix L. Perez-Folch, Jr.
Tuesday, March 26, 7 p.m. Eastern

Attendance of ATA Zoom presentations requires online registration. To complete the quick and easy online registration process, go to this page. Click on the title of the desired presentation, then click “Register” to attend. For each event, you’ll be taken to a form asking for your contact information including an email address. ATA will immediately send you the presentation’s zoom link in a confirmation email.

Plan to attend them all and expand your knowledge of our philatelic world.

Three New Members Join AFDCS Board

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Members of the American First Day Cover Society have elected three new members to the organization’s Board of Directors: Jeff Hayward of New York, Patrick Morgan of Missouri and Eric Wile of North Carolina. Also elected was incumbent Foster Miller of Maryland. The four candidates were unopposed.

The vote totals were:

Foster Miller
Eric Wile
Jeffrey Hayward
Patrick Morgan		 209
203
200
194

In addition, Chris Calle, Mark Gereb, Michael R. Rosenthal, Catherine O’Conner, Walter George, D.A. Lux and Lisa Foster each received one write-in vote. Jack Ginsburg of the AFDCS’ Robert C. Graebner Chapter was acting chair of the Election Committee, filling in for chairman Otto Thamasett who was recovering from surgery. Filling out the committee were Roy Souther and, replacing Otto, Neal Parr. The committee received 217 ballots, of which one was disqualified.

Miller has been on the Board since 1997 and is also Chair of the Membership and Sales Departments of the AFDCS. A new member of the AFDCS, Morgan has written articles for both First Days and Topical Time, and is active in his local stamp club. Hayward, a Life Member, works in Information Technology and is active in the American Topical Association. Wile is also active in a local stamp club, has written many times for First Days, and is a cachetmaker.

Four seats on the AFDCS Board of Directors are elected each year for three-year terms, beginning Jan. 1. In addition to the 12 elected directors, the president, the editor of the official journal First Days, and the general counsel serve on the board ex officio, if not elected to the board in their own right. The board meets in person at least once a year and as needed via the internet.

AFDCS directors are not compensated for serving on the board nor reimbursed for their travel expenses.

For more information on the AFDCS, visit www.afdcs.org or write to the AFDCS, PO Box 27, Greer, SC 29652-0027, or via e-mail at afdcs@afdcs.org.

Typically Dutch: Cows (Netherlands 2024)

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[from PostNL press materials and other sources] [click on any of the pictures for larger versions]
Typically Dutch – Cows

Date of issue: 2 January 2024
Appearance: sheet of six stamps in six identical designs
Item number: 440163
Design: Adam Lane, Edwin van Praet and Huub van Veenhuijzen from Total Design, Amsterdam

On 2 January 2024, PostNL will issue the Typically Dutch – Cows stamp sheet. This issue is the first in the Typically Dutch series this year. The multi-year series was launched in 2020 and the 2024 edition is dedicated to the animals that we know best and that are closest to us. The six identical postage stamps will be marked ‘Nederland 1’, the denomination for items weighing up to 20g destined for the Netherlands. A sheet of ten stamps costs €6.54 [currently US$7.21].

Typically Dutch – Cows was designed by Senior Graphic Designer Adam Lane, Executive Creative Director Edwin van Praet and Concept Director Huub van Veenhuijzen from Total Design in Amsterdam. They used artificial intelligence to create a design featuring figurines in the shape of Delftware pottery. Later on this year, the Typically Dutch series will continue with the following subjects: dogs (12 February), horses (25 March), songbirds (13 May) and cats (12 August).

Cows: Cattle have long been kept by humans as pets – probably for over 10,000 years. Long-term domestication and breeding programmes have resulted in many different breeds. Cattle are descended from the aurochs, a wild bovine that became extinct in the Middle Ages. For humans, cattle farming is now one of the main sources of meat, milk and leather. Cattle terminology is as follows: a female bovine is called a cow, a male bovine is called a bull, a young bovine is called a cow calf or bull calf, a yearling is a one-year-old bovine and a heifer is a cow that has calved for the first time. Around 3.8 million cattle are registered in the Netherlands, including 1.6 million dairy cows (2022 CBS figures). The average dairy farm has 110 dairy cows and 58 female young livestock.

Delftware: The history of Delftware is closely linked to that of Chinese porcelain. Delft was one of the Dutch East India Company (Vereenigde Oost-Indische Compagnie in Dutch)’s trading posts, with warehouses where large stocks of this porcelain were stored. Delft potters developed a type of tin-glazed earthenware that could be compared to Chinese porcelain in terms of shape, shine and decoration. Delftware became very popular within a short time and experienced its heyday between 1650 and 1750, when it had around 100 pottery factories. Today, only a few factories still produce Delftware in the traditional way, including De Koninklijke Porceleyne Fles and Heinen Delfts Blauw. The traditional paintwork can be recognised by the mark on the underside of the product.

Artificial intelligence: AI relates to learning computing systems that are capable of extrapolating large amounts of data and algorithms, making decisions and choices, and coming up with interpretations. The developments in artificial intelligence are coming thick and fast. It is used in numerous applications, from face recognition on smartphones and self-driving cars to smart thermostats and deep fakes – digitally manipulated images, sounds and texts. Within AI there is a separate discipline called generative art, which is when a computer algorithm creates an original work of art or design.

Design: The stamps on the sheet depict two cows standing near each other, potrayed as figurines made from shiny Delftware pottery. The image of the two cows was created using MidJourney, an AI programme, which creates images based on textual descriptions.

Typically Dutch – Cows was designed by Total Design, an Amsterdam-based design agency which has been responsible for the Typically Dutch series since 2020. For the 2024 series, PostNL asked Total Design to elaborate on the Delftware theme by combining photography and illustration. Delftware did, in fact, end up on the stamps, albeit with a contemporary twist.

The designers “wanted to see whether we could go further than using images of vases, plates and figurines,” said Graphic Designer Adam Lane. “We were looking to create a modern twist, and that’s when we came up with the concept of working with artificial intelligence. Our AI expertise gave us some ideas, but we wanted to explore properly how it would work.”

Around 25 designers participated in a brainstorming session. “In small teams, we used the AI programme MidJourney to combine typically Dutch subjects with different decoration styles. Delftware proved to work the best, as other Dutch decorative styles were simply too unfamiliar within AI,” said Lane. “The results were magnificent – dreamlike, often surreal images of a wide variety of subjects. From ice skates, cheeses and board games such as goose game to Dutch interiors and garments… you name it. By the end of the evening, the portrait of a dog suddenly cropped up. We decided that was an interesting option and we wanted to go in that direction. Why not produce a series on the animals that are close to the hearts of the Dutch people?”

By the same token, the designers considered some lesser-known breeds of cattle, but MidJourney didn’t recognize them. Instead, they took red-pied and black-pied cattle and made blue-pied cattle.

Technical Details:
Postage stamp dimensions: 30 x 40 mm
Sheet size: 170 x 122 mm
Paper: normal with phosphor print
Glue: gummed
Printing technique: offset
Printing colours: cyan, magenta, yellow and black
Print run: 75,000 sheets
Appearance: sheet of six stamps in identical designs
Design: Adam Lane, Edwin van Praet and Huub van Veenhuijzen from Total Design, Amsterdam
Printing company: Cartor Security Printers, Meaucé-La Loupe, France
Item number: 440163

ATA Launches 2024 My One-Page Exhibit Program

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[press release] [click on any of the pictures for larger versions]
ATA Launches Year Four of My One-Page Exhibit
By Michele M. Bresso and Thomas W. Broadhead [left]

The American Topical Association announces the opening of year four of its successful virtual exhibiting program, My One-Page Exhibit, starting next month and running through February 15, 2024. The exhibit program is free to enter and open to all. ATA membership is not required to participate.

Rather than offering judging or popularity votes, the program focuses on expression, storytelling and sharing. Exhibits are submitted as PDF file uploads on the ATA website during the submission period.

The previous three years’ entries realized hundreds of exhibits from countries around the globe. Many entries were submitted by ATA members giving the global philatelic family a glimpse of our topical and other philatelic interests. Submissions included exhibits from the United States, Australia, Canada, Germany, India, Peru, Austria, Italy, Columbia, Germany, and more. Exhibitors ranged from novice youths to international large gold recipients.

Literally a single page, either 8.5” x 11” or 11” x 17” in size, the exhibit represents an accessible way for newcomers to philatelic exhibiting to become engaged in this aspect of the hobby. For experienced one- and multi-frame competitive exhibitors, the My One-Page Exhibit Program provides a place to explore new themes and topics and share important stories.

Last year’s exhibits displayed in 13 categories on the ATA website including animals, arts, culture, health and safety, nature, philately, plans, postal history, science and technology, sports, transportation, U.S. history, and world history. Exhibits are not limited to these categories, and new categories are added as needed to accommodate the exhibits received.

For example, in the science and technology category in 2023, exhibits shared the story of how a thunderstorm develops [right], a look at wristwatches, and a survey of women astronomers on stamps [below]. Narratives developed by exhibits can be serious, questioning, comic, and everything in between. Every exhibit offers an opportunity for viewers to be introduced to or learn more about a topic, according to ATA Executive Director Jennifer Miller.

“Our hope is that the philatelic world will learn from the exhibits and that one-page novice exhibitors will be inspired by the examples to refine their exhibit pages,” Miller said. “Just as important, we hope all exhibitors will consider expanding the scope of their future exhibits for both traditional and virtual exhibiting.”

My One-Page Exhibit is an opportunity for experienced exhibitors not only to create and share interesting items from their collections that may be outliers from their exhibits but also to take an active role in promoting exhibiting to those who want to try exhibiting for the first time.

“We would like every local stamp club and topical interest group to engage in the ATA My One-page Exhibit Program and submit an entry this year,” Miller said.

The 2024 My One-Page Exhibit Program opens for entry submission on December 15, 2023 and closes on February 15, 2024. Exhibits will be submitted on the ATA website – americantopical.org. Exhibit instructions and requirements are posted on the ATA exhibit page. Exhibits in the 2024 program will be available for viewing on the ATA website by April 1, 2024 and will remain online throughout the year. Visit americantopical.org for updates and details.

ATA Offers Free Mistletoe Checklist

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[press release] [click on any of the pictures for larger versions]
Free ATA Holiday Stamp Checklist Now Available To All

What’s green, leafy and a happy holiday tradition? It’s the American Topical Association’s annual free stamp checklist of mistletoe on stamps! The 2023 free checklist identifies 22 stamps containing mistletoe issued by 15 countries from Australia to Yugoslavia.

Similar to the more than 1,600 topical checklists ATA makes available to its members, this year’s free checklist includes each stamp’s country of origin, date issued, denomination, Scott number, and a description of the stamp.

“ATA Checklists are offered in 48 categories including Aviation, Inventors, Nature, Space, and World Landmarks,” said Jennifer Miller, ATA executive director. “Access to purchasing our many checklists is available only to ATA members, but we enjoy making one specially curated list each year to share with all philatelists. The mistletoe topic won this year’s honors.”

Mistletoe holds a place in multiple cultures including Norse culture, where the plant was a sign of love and peace. In 18th century England, mistletoe became an oft-hung Christmas decoration with a twist: a catalyst for kissing a special someone who might be standing beneath the plant. Today, this semi-parasitic plant is studied by scientists for its medicinal properties to treat anxiety, according to a paper in the National Library of Medicine’s National Center for Biotechnology Information.

Explore more about mistletoe by downloading your free mistletoe PDF checklist. Go to the ATA website at americantopical.org or click here to take you to the free checklist page.

Healthful balm, holiday aphrodisiac or philatelists’ tool—no matter what you think of mistletoe, ATA’s free mistletoe checklist is sure to bring joy to your holiday season.

Nature: Birds on Bonaire (Netherlands 2024)

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[from PostNL press material] [click on any of the pictures for larger versions]
Experience Nature – Birds on Bonaire

Date of issue: 2 January 2024
Format: sheet of ten stamps in ten different designs, marked with ‘1’, the denomination for post weighing up to and including 20g with destinations in the Netherlands
Item number: 440161
Design: Frank Janse, Gouda
Photography: Dreamstime and Wikimedia Commons (Charles J. Sharp, Mike’s Birds, Stephen J. Jones, Steve Wilson, Wolfartist)

On 2 January 2024, PostNL will issue the Experience Nature – Birds on Bonaire issue: a sheet of ten stamps in ten different designs. The denomination on these stamps is ‘1’, the denomination for items weighing up to 20g with destinations in the Netherlands. A sheet of ten stamps costs €10.90 [currently US$12.00). The sheet is part of the 2024-2026 Experience Nature series dedicated to the Caribbean Netherlands. Four sheets of 10 stamps will be issued each year.

The stamps depict plants and animals found in this part of the Netherlands. With thousands of species of plants and animals, the islands in this area have a biodiversity that is unprecedented by Dutch standards. 2024 will consecutively focus on the birds, butterflies, underwater life and flora on the island of Bonaire.

The stamps on this sheet are:

  • the crested caracara
  • red-footed booby
  • mangrove warbler
  • southern lapwing
  • Venezuelan troupial
  • Caribbean flamingo
  • red ibis
  • yellow-shouldered amazon
  • magnificent frigatebird, and
  • ruby-topaz hummingbird.

Just like Sint Eustatius and Saba, the island of Bonaire holds a separate status within the Netherlands. The collective name for these three islands is the Caribbean Netherlands. Alongside the countries of Aruba, Curaçao and Sint Maarten, they form the Caribbean part of the Kingdom of the Netherlands. Bonaire spans almost 29,000 hectares [about 112,000 square miles], and is home to around 24,000 people, most of whom speak Papiamentu as their first language. The main sources of income are tourism and salt extraction, and the island is a popular destination for diving holidays and cruise ships.

Bonaire is home to over 200 different bird species: breeding birds, winter visitors as well as regular visitors and wanderers. The Caribbean flamingo is Bonaire’s national symbol. Its image and colours recur everywhere, right down to the name of the reddish-pink coloured Flamingo Airport. The yellow-shouldered amazon is also synonymous with Bonaire. Bonaire is one of the few places on earth where this unique species of parrot is found.

Design
The Experience Nature – Birds on Bonaire stamp sheet was designed by graphic designer Frank Janse from Gouda. On the sheet, each bird is depicted in its natural environment on its own stamp. All bird photos are incorporated in a graphic layer with circle shapes that are also visible on the sheet edge. Some images also continue onto the adjacent stamp and onto the sheet edge. In several places on the stamp sheet, the designer has added graphics derived from symbols on old topographical maps. These symbols can indicate landscape forms, contour lines, plantings, soil structures and watercourses.

At first, Janse only wanted to use photographs taken in Bonaire but “I quickly abandoned that idea. There were simply too few photos, he said. “Lots birds had been photographed in other places, so I used those photos too.” The photos were edited, blurring some of the backgrounds, and “I avoided using an image of a bird with a tree or bush visible in the background that is not found on Bonaire.”

The design also features an additional transparent layer featuring monochrome images (both white and in colour) of flora and fauna that are typical of this area. The monochrome images are almost abstract cross the perforations and connect the stamps to each other and to the sheet edge. The following plants and animals are depicted: red ibis and ceroid cactus (top left), melon cactus and yellow-shouldered amazon (top right), mangrove warbler (middle left), magnificent frigatebird (bottom right) and common lantana (bottom right and centre).

Although Janse has never been to Bonaire, he is a bird enthusiast and so he is familiar with many of the species featured on the stamps. “As a child, I found the magnificent frigatebird extremely interesting. It’s huge bird that can stay in the air for months without landing. It stands pontifically on the stamp in the left-hand corner, with its red breast puffed out and its large beak. The crested caracara is just as interesting. This falcon species is an incredibly opportunistic beast; it eats just about anything, and preferably steals food from other animals. It’s a real predator. And, of course, the hummingbird had to fly onto the stamp. It’s a clever photo that’s been taken with a very good camera. Its stance really catches your eye – it’s as if it is turning a corner mid-air.”

Other Dutch stamps designed by Janse include 2017′ bird species of the Netherlands, the Experience Nature series from 2018 to 2023, and, also in 2023, he designed the personal stamps Holland America Line’s 150th anniversary, Girl with a Pearl Earring and Inauguration of Queen Juliana, containing 24 -carat gold.

Technical Details:
Stamp size: 40 x 30mm
Sheet size: 122 x 170mm
Paper: normal with phosphor print
Glue: self-adhesive
Printing technique: offset
Printing colours: cyan, magenta, yellow and black
Print run: 285,000 sheets
Appearance: sheet of 10 stamps in 10 different designs