Altered Monkey

Altered postcard and hand-made envelope sent to FinnBadger (the USA). He uploaded the envelope to his blog, and added the monkeys to his mail art call about... monkeys.

Crane & Fish

Postcard and decorated envelope sent to Heleen (the Netherlands). They arrived safe and sound even if, as Heleen wrote, the South to North trip in the Autumn is rather strange for a crane...

By Pigeon

Envelope drawn by Heleen (the Netherlands), that this gentle pigeon brought smoothly to my mailbox.

Europa Stamps are special stamps issued by European postal administrations/enterprises under the aegis of PostEurop. Since 1993, there is a common theme. In 2016, the theme was Ecology in Europe: Think Green. But in order to celebrate Europa stamps 60th anniversary (1956-2016), all the countries issued the same design.

Despite of all these countries participating in 2016, I had received only the Italian. So I was happy to get another one!

British Inventions

Today's theme in Sunday Stamps-II is 20th Century Inventions. So many stamps to choose!

I am going to share only three, belonging to a set of eight stamps issued by Royal Mail in February 2015. Under the title Inventive Britain, they depict eight key inventions created by Brithish inventors over the 20th century.

COLOSSUS
world's first electronic digital computer

The Colossus, built during the Second World War to decipher messages, is acknowledged as the world’s first electronic, digital and programmable computer. It has a close association with Royal Mail. It was designed and built by GPO employee, engineer Tommy Flowers. The new stamp includes a representation of the ticker tape that inputted data, and on it is the symbolic word Peace.

STAINLESS STEEL
non-corrosive, versatile, 100% recyclable alloy

CARBON FIBRE
high-strength, lightweight, composite material

The rest of inventions depicted on the set (which I have not received) are: World Wide Web, Catseyes, Fibre Optics, DNA Sequencing and the i-limb. You can see the whole set here.

Universities on Postcards

I sort of collect postcards showing universities. These are the latest I have got:

University of Essex (the UK)
Sent by Alan

Ohio State University (the USA)
Sent by Phillip

I also added this post to Postcards for the Weekend, the theme being Museum/university/library.

Paradise Will Be a Kind of Library

I have always imagined paradise
will be a kind of library
(J. L. Borges)

Postcard sent by FinnBadger (the USA), made of a page of a calendar. Stunningly perfect stamps on the back:

Postcard sent by Laura (the UK). It shows the ceiling of the library at Kenwood house.

The library was built by Robert Adam between 1767 and 1770, and it is one of the most famous neoclassical interiors. The central painting is by Antonio Zucchi, 1768, and depicts the story of Hercules resisting temptation with the sculpture of  'Glory' in the temple beyond.

Postcards sent by John (the UK). It shows one of the oldest libraries in Europe: the Bodleian Library, the main research library of the University of Oxford. With over 12 million items it is the second largest library in Britain after the British Library.

Looking west

I had received previously other postcards of this paradise...

This is also a post for Maria's linky party Postcards for the Weekend. Today's theme is Museum, university, library; see the contributions here.

Thank You Mail

Thank you hand made card and postcards, sent by Nic (the USA), Laura (the UK). and the girls and boys of this classroom. (Yes: mahalo means `thank you'. I learned that with Nic's card.)

The postcard below shows De Efteling, a beautiful theme park that, according to the writer (named Shara, and with a wonderful handwriting), all the Dutch children love. And not only the children.

The Specialists Say

«So will stamps die? The consensus is that they will not.»

Christopher B. Yardley, The representation on Science and Scientists on Postage Stamps

Spread Your Words

Aerogram sent by Naomi (Australia). The Japanese words say: "Letter - Spread your words and fly" (I am told that is the meaning, at least!).

He Did Not Burn the Stamp!

This three-horned, fire-breathing, stamp-scorching, letter-delivering monster (as defined by the recipient) was a good mail carrier eventually, and the letter landed in Phillip's mailbox (the USA) safe and sound.

But don't blame the monster... This originally shaped stamp commemorates the 75th anniversary of the great fire of the city of Santander, on 16 February 1941. It is estimated to have destroyed the homes of 10,000 of the city's approximately 100,000 inhabitants at that moment.

Fear Makes the Woolf Look Bigger

This is the postcard I sent to Germany, in order to participate in the mail art call about the Grimm Brothers. Of course, I had to choose this character...

Children's Welfare Stamps

Each year, since 1924, PostNL issues the Children's Welfare Stamps, sold with a surcharge. The proceeds of the benefits go to the Foundation for Children's Welfare Stamps, whose mission is "give vulnerable children development opportunities for a better future", through different programs within the Netherlands and abroad. 

The issues include the Children's Stamp Campaign: Every year in September, more than 200,000 students in grades 7 and 8 of the primary school hit the streets to sell the children's Welfare Stamps. In November, the children visit their customers again to deliver all orders.

Besides the charity purposes, they are usually striking and clever designs. These were issued on 29 October 2011, with the theme Give children a safe home, and designed by Solar Initiative.

Every stamp shows a single child playing. But, if you look at the whole sheet, you can see they are building a paper house together, as a metaphor of a secure environment.

Another sheet that I find especially eye-catching was the issued  on 4 November 2013, with the theme Let Children Learn.  The stamps were designed by Anton Corbijn; he photographed the children while his visit of an educational project in Ethiopia. 

The stamps highlight the contrast between children who attend school and children who have to work. Three children play a leading role on the stamp sheetlet, whereby each of the three is photographed both at school and at work.

See more children on stamps on Sunday Stamps-II.

Reading... People

Reading is a favourite theme for postcards, so I am glad that it is today's theme in Postcards for the weekend. I have received (and uploaded to this blog) a lot of postcards with reading people and characters. These are the latest reading postcards I have got:

Noch'n Gedicht, by Rudi Hurzlmeier (Illustration for Lord Brummel), on a postcard sent by Heleen (the Netherlands).

Reading, by Christi Lu, on a postcard sent by John (the UK).


Two great addictions for the albums: Reading Animals and Reading Women. Of course, I have also an album for Reading Men, because men also love to read.

GPO of Dublin

I received some time ago a postcard of the General Post Office of Dublin (Ireland), posted from there. My friend has also sent some pictures of this special post office. Don't you feel like visiting this place?

A plaque commemorating the Easter Rising 

As a bonus, some green Irish pillar boxes...

The Lost Island of the Prehistoric Post Office

This amazing hand-painted was sent by Naomi (Australia). No cancellations on the stamps, so I do not know how many days it travelled. It belongs to her series of prehistoric post... enjoy!

It even contained a snail mail kit...

... sealed with wax that I did not dare to break (but I opened it, of course!).

Military Stamps

Some military stamps for today's Sunday Stamps-II, theme: War or Peace. Military matters are far away form my interests. I wish I have found more stamps showing the idea of peace.

From the Netherlands, issued on 9 December 1978, to commemorate the 150th anniversary of the Royal Military Academy. When this stamp arrived on a postcard, at first sight I thought it was a red postbox!

One of the stamps issued on 21 June 2016 in the UK. I think the only stamp I really love from that set is the soldier writing a letter...

This is the historic explanation of the stamp (taken from here):

After Jutland, unofficial medals were struck to commemorate the battle. Designed by Prince Louis of Battenberg, a former First Sea Lord, these medals were made by Spink and Son of London and sold in gold, silver, bronze and white metal versions to raise money for naval orphanages. The design features a trident, a symbol of naval power. Crossed flagstaffs bear a Union flag and the Royal Navy’s White Ensign, and a shield carries the date of the battle: 31 May 1916. This particular example belonged to Captain AC Green of the Royal Marines.

And more medals, from the USA. The Purple Heart is a military decoration awarded to those wounded or killed while serving with the U.S. military. It is the oldest military award still given to U.S. military members. These particular stamps were issued in 2012, but it seems that the purple heart is a recurrent theme in USPS stamps.

Then Why?

«Your letters they all say that you're beside me now.
Then why do I feel alone?»

Leonard Cohen, So Long, Marianne

Coffee or Tea?

That is the eternal question! In order to have a cup of coffee you need first to bring it, and roast it...

Sent by Bryon (the USA)

Then grind it...

Coffee from Lviv
Sent by Julia (Ukraine)

And finally, find the right place to enjoy it, of course!

Mol's Coffee House in Exeter, South Devon, the UK
Postcard sent by Laura (the UK)

Actually, my friend Laura (the UK) prefers tea. It doesn't seem easy to find the perfect French porcelain for you tea, neither...

But, once you have it, it is just follow the instructions! What kind of tea would you prefer?

I added this post to Maria's linky party Postcards for the weekend. The theme this week is Coffee/Tea/Pastries (but no pastries here...).