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Books > Arts & Architecture > Antiques & collectables > Stamps, philately
This is a newly updated guide to getting the most out the world's
most popular hobby, with countless examples of rare, vivid and
historical stamps spanning two centuries, plus advice on price and
guidance about acquisition. Read some of the fascinating stories
behind the world's most sought-after stamps, from the famous
commemoratives of American presidents to issues from some of the
most remote post offices in the world. Stamps trace the character
and history of the country from which they originate, and this
encyclopedic visual directory is an engrossing account of some of
the most bizarre, vivid and poignant examples ever created.
Today, European nations still use stamps to commemorate aspects of
a nation's culture, history and achievements. During the Second
World War, however, stamps were considered far more important in
conveying political and ideological messages about their country's
change in fortunes - whether it was as triumphant occupier, willing
or unwilling ally, or oppressed victim. Some issues and overprints
contained obvious messages, but many others were skillfully
designed and subtle in their intentions. Stamps and their
accompanying postmarks offer an absorbing and surprisingly detailed
insight into the hopes and fears of nations at this tumultuous
time. This remarkable collection examines and interprets the stamps
of twenty-two countries across western and eastern Europe. The
glorification of the Fuhrer and Germany on the stamps of countries
he most oppressed was inevitable, but many issues are ambiguous and
indicative of the rival ethnic and political forces striving to
attain influence and power. Desperate to unite the people, Soviet
Russia resorted to images of the nation's heroic achievements under
the Tsars; the mutually hostile puppet states Hitler and Mussolini
allowed to emerge out of conquered Yugoslavia lost no time in
issuing stamps proclaiming their cultural diversity; and Vichy
France sought to justify its existence with issues linking past
glories under Louis XIV and Napoleon with an equally glorious
future alongside Hitler. These and many more stories reveal the
aspirations, assumptions and anxieties of so many nations as their
destinies hung in the balance.
Robert Gillmor, one of Britain's most influential wildlife artist,
has illustrated four sets of pictorial stamps featuring birds for
Royal Mail's Post & Go. Brought together and reproduced here
for the first time, in larger-than-stamp size, these prints
demonstrate the author's lifelong love and appreciation of our
nation's birds. His own account of the process by which his
linocuts are made, along with anecdotal descriptions of his bird
encounters, bring the pictures to life. This beautifully produced
collection will be coveted by wildlife lovers, artists and stamp
collectors alike.
Worldwide, urbanization is steadily increasing, yet many modern
cities are becoming less and less able to accommodate the growth in
their population. Congestion, pollution, low-quality housing,
social fragmentation, noise, crime and inadequate social services
all contribute to a declining quality of urban life. Planners and
policy makers are battling to alleviate the problems with a variety
of urban renewal initiatives, and energy-environmental policies
have become central to their quest for urban sustainability.
Sustainable Cities in Europe gives a comprehensive introduction to
the available urban energy and environmental policies. Drawing on a
detailed analysis of the CITIES programme of the Commission of the
European Communities, the book includes detailed case studies of
European cities which are devising and implementing alternative
strategies for sustainable growth and development. The cities
discussed include: Amsterdam, Besancon, Braganca, Cadiz, Dublin,
Esch/Alzette, Gent, Mannheim, Newcastle, Odense, Thessaloniki and
Turin. The policy discussions and case studies in this book will be
invaluable for all those professionally or academically involved in
the pressing issue of city planning development. Peter Nijkamp is
Professor in Regional, Urban and Environmental Economics at Free
University, Amsterdam. Author of numerous books, he is a world
authority on environmental economics and urban policy. Adriaan
Perrels is head of the research department of the Energy Studies
Centre in Petten, The Netherlands. He has worked extensively in the
field of energy planning and electricity load management.
Originally published in 1994
This is the ultimate guide to getting the most out the world's most
popular hobby, with countless examples of rare, vivid and
historical stamps spanning almost two centuries, plus advice on
price and guidance about acquisition. Read some of the fascinating
stories behind the world's most sought-after stamps, from the
famous commemoratives of American presidents to issues from some of
the most remote post offices in the world. Stamps trace the
character and history of the country from which they originate, and
this encyclopedic visual directory is a stunning account of some of
the most bizarre, vivid and poignant examples ever created.
Every picture tells a story-even one on a postage stamp. Presented
hugely enlarged, the 144 stamps in this book chronicle a stylish
era of design: mid-20th-century America. Spanning the late 1950s to
the early 1970s, these mini-masterpieces were created when the US
post office started to lavish color on its stamps and to hire the
best midcentury talents to design them. The roster includes
Japanese American children's book illustrator Gyo Fujikawa,
barrier-busting Black graphic artist Georg Olden, industrial design
legend Raymond Loewy, and sultan of psychedelia Peter Max.
Photographed at five, ten, and even fifteen times actual size, each
stamp is presented with a morsel of fun info that will broadly
appeal to stamp collectors, history and nostalgia buffs, midcentury
design fans, and everyone who likes to geek out on magnified views
of tiny, beautiful images.
Stamps are not only small masterpieces of design, but give a wealth
of information about world history, reflecting monumental
historical events and often telling fascinating stories about the
people caught up in them. With over 18 full-page illustrations to
colour in, each accompanied by a contextual history, alongside
colouring activities to make and create, this book provides hours
of fun for stamp enthusiasts of all ages.
A celebration of one of the world's most recognized stamp
engravers, Frantisek Horniak, this photographic collection features
more than 1,000 reproductions of his artwork. The book, which is
available in both English and Slovak language, also explores the
technique of steel stamp engraving and biographical information
about the artist. A limited print run of 100 copies contains
original stamp prints.
Stamps and other postal documents are an attractive vehicle for
presenting astronomy and its development. Written with expertise
and great enthusiasm, this unique book offers a historical and
philatelic survey of astronomy and some related topics on space
exploration. It contains more than 1300 color reproductions of
stamps relating to the history of astronomy, ranging from the
earliest observations of the sky to modern research conducted with
satellites and space probes. Featured are the astronomers and
astrophysicists who contributed to this marvelous story - not only
Ptolemy, Copernicus, Kepler, Newton, Herschel, and Einstein but
also hundreds of other minor protagonists who played an important
role in the development of this, the most ancient yet the most
modern of all the sciences. The book also examines in depth the
diverse areas which have contributed to the history of astronomy,
including the instrumentation, the theories, and the observations.
Many stamps illustrate the beauty and the mystery of celestial
objects: galaxies, nebulae, stars, planets, satellites, comets, and
minor celestial bodies.
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