vintage and contemporary postcards and stamps from around the world


29 December 2019

P

I love these 'road trip Australia' series.
Here we have a sideways placed stamp for a platypus and a 'road trip' to see the penguins in Australia. For an extra P the penguins live on Phillip Island. The platypus lives in freshwater streams and rivers of eastern Australia from Queensland to Tasmania.
I never had the good fortune to see a platypus, but I have seen the penguins of Phillip Island, near Melbourne. There you can see the penguin parade as the precious little guys waddle back to land at sunset.

for the final Sunday Stamps of 2019.

27 December 2019

banking

I haven't really thought about Canadian banks in other countries, but apparently RBC has been in the Caribbean for over 100 years and is in 17 different countries. In The Bahamas, only the Freeport Branch, Port Lucaya and Settlers Way ATM are available and only the Freeport Branch is open regular hours until further notice. I've tried to find where this bank on the 2008 stamp is located but haven't had much luck. Apparently, in 2017 there was a move to a (unpopular) digital platform, so it's possible this building no longer exists as a bank.

26 December 2019

hockey forever

Today is Boxing Day ... and also the start of the World Juniors Hockey.
Canada won 6-4 over the USA
These 2017 stamps were issued as part of the History of Hockey series.
"These stamps celebrate the shared love of hockey, a game now rooted in the lore of both nations"

22 December 2019

gifts of the magi



The fun secular Christmas stamps seem to be more popular than the more serious religious ones. Above, illustrated by Michael Little, closes the gap a little, I think (my own unscientific survey).

In 1965, this stamp featuring the gifts of gold, frankincense and myrrh was issued.

And in 1964, the very first Christmas stamp,
showing a family looking out at the Christmas star.

Both of these early stamps were issued in 3 and 5 cent denominations with the 5 cent used for regular sealed letters and the 3 cent for unsealed Christmas cards.
for Sunday Stamps - Christmas, religious

Wishing Everyone A Happy Christmas

21 December 2019

20 December 2019

19 December 2019

17 December 2019

packing up

from Germany
I worry about these presents if that Volkswagen actually moves!

16 December 2019

snow

I think this young girl is fashionably well protected from the snow

15 December 2019

Christmas trees

The evolution of Christmas trees from 1781 (bottom) to 1881 (top right) to 1981 (top left).
designed by Anita Kunz

The Christmas tree was introduced to French Canada by the wife of a German general working for the British. Baroness Riedesel put up the first Christmas tree in North America in their dining room on Christmas Eve 1781, at Sorel Quebec. Her husband had been sent to Canada to help put down the American Revolution, and on that Christmas they were hosting a party for British and German officers after spending two years in captivity in the US. Those decorations included fruit and the tree was lit with candles. Later, by 1881, the decorations included toys and gifts. By 1981, the tree had its own specially made ornaments. (and no lit candles!)

for Sunday Stamps - Christmas (secular)

13 December 2019

haunted




The Landmark of Chicago Hospitality
The Congress Plaza Hotel may be the most haunted building in all of Chicago.
Among the ghostly many stories, there's the elevator that is known to stop at the 8th floor even if no-one has pushed the button. On the 12th floor one of the rooms has been permanently shuttered due to its frighteningly paranormal activity.

11 December 2019

09 December 2019

the bluffs

at the east end of Toronto are the Scarboro Bluffs (should really be Scarborough, no idea why it was spelt 'wrong' in early to mid 1900s)

"The shore is extremely bold, and has the appearance of chalk cliffs,but I believe they are only white sand. They appeared so well that we talked of building a house there and calling it Scarborough"
Elizabeth Simcoe, diary 1793

08 December 2019

wooden gem

Considered one of the most beautiful wooden churches from southern Poland.
A roof detail of Saints Philip and James Church in Sekowa.  Built around 1520 from larch wood, it was extended in the 13th C with a spire and veranda. During 1914-15 some of the wood from the altar was used for trenches and firewood. There was some reconstruction done in 1918 and again in 1948 after the second world war ended. 

for Sunday Stamps - places of worship

06 December 2019

05 December 2019

04 December 2019

views

16 Mile Creek                Dunn and LakeshoreRd
Oakville Centennial Building        Gairloch Gardens

03 December 2019

yorkdale

the largest shopping mall in the world when it opened in 1964
61 stores in 1 million square feet
and Canada's first indoor mall

Several expansions later, it now has 270 stores in 1,845,725 square feet.
Good luck finding parking for your holiday shopping.

01 December 2019

foxy

The red fox, with the great name of vulpes vulpes, can be found all across the Northern Hemisphere. They are known as "wise and cunning", or alternately, as "sly and sneaky". A mature fox can weigh anywhere from 3-14kg with a luxurious tail that is one third of its body size. I live in the downtown core of a medium sized city and for a couple of years we had a three-legged fox that wandered the streets. Last year there was a litter of three born somewhere nearby and it is exciting to see two of them (there were always two together and the third off by itself) still roaming around.

for Sunday Stamps - small animals