The Athens 2004 Games: Olympic Commemorative Postage Stamps

Postage stamps commemorating all the editions of the modern Olympic Games will go on show at the Athens 2004 Games. The exhibition, which will cover some 3,000 square metres, has been organized under the auspices of the International Philatelic Federation and the Greece's Postal Services.

In another event dedicated to collectors of Olympic memorabilia, the Olympic Museum in Laussane, Switzerland will exhibit from May 28-30, Games-related items.

ANSA.IT
May 28, 2004

National World War II memorial postage stamp to honor those who served

The achievements and ideals of the men and women who served in the armed forces of the United States during World War II will be the focus of attention May 29 in Washington, DC, when the U.S. Postal Service issues a postage stamp depicting the National World War II Memorial.

"The thousands of dedicated employees who carry the mail salute the millions of Americans who defended our nation," said Postmaster General John Potter, who will dedicate the stamp. "This stamp will recognize and pay tribute to the men and women from the front lines to the home front who worked to preserve the freedom of our great nation during World War II."

The stamp image features a computer-generated design by stamp artist Tom Engeman depicting the National World War II Memorial in Washington, DC. The memorial itself was designed by Providence, RI, architect Friedrich St.Florian The stamp image highlights one of two 43-foot memorial arches and shows a section of a curving row of 56 pillars, each representing one of the states, territories and District of Columbia that comprised the U.S. in the World War II era.

USPS
May 27, 2004

Special stamps to mark historic ties between Malaysia and China

Commemorative stamps to celebrate the 30th anniversary of the establishment of diplomatic ties between Malaysia and China will be issued at the end of the month.

The stamps, which come in 30 sen and RM1 denominations, comprise four designs – two by Pos Malaysia and two by China Post.

Chief Minister Datuk Seri Mohd Ali Rustam will launch the stamps in Malacca on May 31.

The stamps feature illustrations of two ships from Malaya and China that symbolise the start of the relationship between Malacca and China 600 years ago when Admiral Zheng He sailed to Malacca on 1405.

For the RM1 stamp, the Pos Malaysia-designed stamp features two hands locked in a firm handshake with the currencies of both countries forming the backdrop, alluding to the importance of trade between the two nations.

A unique feature of the Chinese stamp is the inclusion of the Malaysian and Chinese flags, a feature rarely used in stamps. Both stamps are adorned with a drawing of a trade ship.

THE STAR
May 26, 2004

Ireland stamps out Cyprus

Philatelists and politicians accused Ireland's postal service of geographic illiteracy for producing a stamp of the European Union that unifies Ireland, and appears to turn Cyprus into Crete.

The 65 cent stamp - 330,000 of which were issued on May 1 to commemorate the EU's expansion and for use to mail letters to all 25 member states - places Cyprus off the south-east coast of Greece, much closer to the location of Crete than Cyprus. The horizontal sliver bears scant resemblance to the chubby, rhino-horned shape of Cyprus but comes uncannily close to the long and slim Crete, Greece's largest island.

Anna McHugh, spokeswoman for Ireland's mail service, An Post, insisted that the geographic accuracy of the stamp had to be compromised to get Cyprus, normally deep in the eastern Mediterranean Sea, into the picture at all.

"That really is meant to represent Cyprus, but we've had to take some cartographic licence. We simply didn't have room," Ms McHugh said.

The critics have whipped out their magnifying glasses to inspect the stamp, which comes in a standard size for Irish commemoratives: 40.64mm by 29.8mm (1.6 inches by 1.2 inches). It is clear to anyone familiar with the map of the Mediterranean that the country used to represent Cyprus is in fact Crete.

GUARDIAN.CO.UK
May 23, 2004

Extraordinary Artists Commemorated on U.S. Postage Stamps

Four outstanding choreographers of the 20th century-Alvin Ailey, George Balanchine, Agnes de Mille and Martha Graham-were honored by the U.S. Postal Service when the American Choreographers 37-cent commemorative postage stamps were issued at the New Jersey Performing Arts Center's Victoria Theater. The School of American Ballet, Ailey II, the American Ballet Theater and Martha Graham Dance performed live, showcasing each choreographer's style.

Alvin Ailey was one of the leading choreographers of his era. His work incorporated elements of jazz, modern dance, classical ballet, and African and Caribbean movements-different styles that made tremendous demands on his dancers-and helped popularize dance in America.

A graduate of St. Petersburg's Imperial Theatre School, George Balanchine's choreography blends the classical with the modern and is intensely musical. Balanchine, who founded the School of American Ballet, created more than 200 ballets.

The genius of Agnes de Mille lay in her ability to blend the language of classical ballet, the expressive quality of modern dance and the traditions of American folk dance. The result was superior choreographic entertainment that appealed to a broad audience.

The principal founder of modern dance in America-Martha Graham-created dances distinguished by their expressive qualities-their sharp, angular movements and blunt gestures imbued with tension and pathos.

USPS.COM
May 21, 2004

Sculptor Isamu Noguchi work to be celebrated on 20 stamps featuring 5 works

The Postal Service will honor internationally renowned sculptor Isamu Noguchi, with the issuance of a commemorative stamp pane on the 100th anniversary of his birth.

Noguchi was noted for merging Western and Eastern influences and expanding the definition of sculpture. His creations ranged from portraiture and abstract sculpture to graceful meditation gardens, set designs and sprawling landscapes.

The Isamu Noguchi stamp pane will be available at Post Offices and Philatelic Centers nationwide May 19. Five different works by Noguchi are featured on this pane of 20 stamps: Margaret La Farge Osborn, 1937; Black Sun, 1960-63; Mother and Child, 1944-47; Figure (detail), 1945; Akari 25N, circa 1968.

Throughout his career, Noguchi strived to expand the role of the sculptor. In addition to working with an extremely imaginative range of materials-including wood, stone, marble, steel, bamboo, paper and even water-he also created works on an ever-increasing scale, including gardens that were inspired by Japanese tradition, but clearly marked by Western influence.

USPS.COM
May 18, 2004

Olivia Newton John seeks to stamp out breast cancer

Veteran singer Olivia Newton-John has requested Australian politicians to think of new ideas to fight the battle against breast cancer.

According to The Herald Sun, Olivia made the plea during the launch of Liv Kit, a self-examination aid aimed at making breast examination more convenient.

The "Don't Stop Believing" star wants the Australian Government to introduce a special breast-cancer research stamp. The proceeds of the breast cancer stamp that will retail a few cents higher than a regular stamp would be used for the breast cancer research.

A similar stamp already exists in America and has so far raised 57 million dollars for research on breast cancer.

However, the Newton-John plan has been rejected by Australia Post.

WEBINDIA123.COM
May 17, 2004

International Olympic Committee, United Nations and Swiss Post to team up

Following the announcement by the United Nations Assembly General that 2005 will be the Year of Sport and Physical Education, the International Olympic Committee (IOC), the United Nations (UN) and Swiss Post have decided to issue a joint stamp.

The proposal for issuing the stamp came from the International Olympic Philately Federation (FIPO) and will also involve the Universal Post Office Union (UPU). A jury will select the winning design and it will be issued in November. The joint venture represents the first time that the UN, IOC and Swiss Post have collaborated.

Meanwhile, this year’s Olympic Games in Athens are to be the subject of two new stamps from Swiss Post. They were set for release on 6th May.

GIBBONSSTAMPMONTHLY.COM
May 15, 2004

Lewis and Clark stamps mark bicentennial

Lewis and Clark are blazing cross-country once again, in the form of three commemorative stamps issued today by the U.S. Postal Service.

One depicts the famous explorers surveying the countryside. The others are individual portraits of Meriwether Lewis and William Clark, who set out from St. Louis on their 8,000-mile trek 200 years ago today.

The release of the 37-cent, self-adhesive stamps coincides with bicentennial celebrations from Louisiana to Astoria.

"The issuance of the Lewis and Clark stamps has broad appeal, not only for stamp collectors but from a historical standpoint and the fact that their expedition is such an integral part of Northwest history," said Ron Anderson, a spokesman for the Postal Service in Oregon.

REGISTERGUARD.COM
May 14, 2004

'Legends of the West': Jim Bridger

A mountain man, fur trader, guide and scout, Jim Bridger has had a mountain range, fort, town, trail and National Forest named after him. So having been chosen as the subject of a stamp in the 1994 "Legends of the West" series, which honored people instrumental in the opening of the American West, seemed entirely appropriate.

Following his first fur-trapping expedition up the Missouri River in 1822, at age 18, Bridger covered vast areas of the West on foot. He was the first white man to come upon the Great Salt Lake in 1824 and among the first to see the geysers and hot springs in what is now Yellowstone National Park. In terms of effect upon western expansion, his discovery in 1827 of South Pass as a means of crossing the Rockies had even greater impact.

Establishing Fort Bridger on a tributary of the Green River in southwest Wyoming in 1843, he saw it become an important trading post and way station for westward migration along the Oregon Trail.

His reputation as a walking atlas of the West resulted in his association with explorers of the importance of William Ashley, John C. Fremont, Kit Carson, and others. His prowess as a guide extended to assisting the U.S. Army in the Mormon War of 1857-1858 to serving Gen. Grenville M. Dodge in surveying the route for the transcontinental railroad.

A First Day of Issue ceremony for the "Legends of the West" pane was held at the University of Wyoming in Laramie on Oct. 18, 1994. The panes issued in Laramie were of the revised version after it was discovered that an earlier printing had portrayed an incorrect image on the stamp in the series honoring rodeo cowboy Bill Pickett.

CASPERSTARTRIBUNE.NET
May 07, 2004

Stamp of personal fulfilment for Games swimmer

The Olympic stamps may be worth 50c each but for Melissa Morgan what they symbolise is priceless.

The 19-year-old swimmer from Wynn Vale is the first state athlete to qualify for the Games in Athens – and has been honored with a set of 10 personalised stamps.

The initiative sprang from a partnership between Australia Post and the Australian Olympic Committee.

The stamps are not for public sale but are mementos for each national athlete, as they qualify.

For Ms Morgan, it has been 14 years leading up to this day.

"It's been a goal to swim at the Olympics ever since I first started swimming as a five-year-old," she said.

THEADVERTISER.NEWS.COM.AU
May 04, 2004

Rimini boy wins stamp contest

Eight-year-old Ryan Eakin likes birds and he likes to draw. So, it was a natural progression for the homeschooled Rimini resident to put pencil to paper recently, exploring his favorite subject matter while competing against other budding artists in the Montana Junior Duck Stamp contest.

"It's colorful," Eakin said, explaining why he decided to draw a Wood Duck to enter in the contest. "I like it."

Apparently the panel of judges in the contest liked Eakin's duck, too - they awarded him the first place prize in the kindergarten through third grade category.

The Montana Junior Duck Stamp contest is part of a national competition that brings together the best in show winners from across the country, including the District of Columbia and the U.S. territories.

HELENAIR.COM
May 03, 2004

Hitler parchment stamp displayed

An entire segment of parchment from a Torah scroll that was folded into an envelope, affixed with a Hitler stamp, and used by a Nazi soldier to send a letter to a relative – believed to be the only one of its kind in the world – will be exhibited for the first time on May 3 at the Telabool 2004 stamp exhibition at the Tel Aviv Fairgrounds, The Jerusalem Post has learned.

The bloodcurdling object was purchased recently for an undisclosed sum by Dr. Yitzhak Ron, a lecturer in Bible at Bar-Ilan University, from the family of a man who owned it for many years.

The parchment measures 51 centimeters by 33 cm. Text includes the second portion of the Shma Yisrael prayer, which is recited every morning and evening by all observant Jews and has traditionally been recited by Jewish martyrs before their deaths by execution.

According to Ron, Cpl. Herman Nelleke – who served in a German military unit that participated in the invasion of the Soviet Union – sent a letter from the front using the Torah parchment folded as an envelope. He inscribed on the opposite side, in German, the address of his family home in Nurndorf, Germany, and added his own name and military postal unit, D-44688. He addressed it to Mrs. Kati Nelleke, apparently his mother or wife.

Adjacent to her address and stuck to the back of the scroll is a 20-pfennig stamp with a profile of Hitler and the words "Deutsche Reich" on a blue background. The postmark, from the Ukraine, was dated September 11, 1942, and is over-printed with the words "Ukrania" in black letters.

JPOST.COM
May 02, 2004

Two-stamp set to mark EU accession

Maltapost plc will be issuing a set of two stamps on May 1 to commemorate Malta's accession to the European Union. The two stamps, with a 16c and a 28c value, have been designed by Jean Pierre Mizzi of JP Advertising Ltd and have been offset printed by Bundesdruckerei GmbH of Germany. The 16c stamp shows the 10 flags of the new member countries, nine of them grouped together in the centre and surrounded by the European Union stars, and the tenth, the Maltese flag, on its own at bottom left of the stamp. The 28c stamp shows former Prime Minister Eddie Fenech Adami and former Foreign Minister Joe Borg signing the Accession Treaty in Athens. Maltapost will be offering a special United Europe joint issue pack containing all mint stamps issued by the 10 new member countries.

THE TIMES OF MALTA
May 01, 2004