Sunday Stamps Ii A-Z 'W' USA

The 150th anniversary of the Ratification of the Constitution of the USA was commemorated with a stamps issued on 21 June 1938.

In case you wondered how this links to 'W' the building shown is the Old Courthouse at Williamsburg.

Franklin D Roosevelt was the only US President to serve 12 years. He died in 1945.

Roosevelt and the White House - 27 June 1945

In 1903 Wilbur and Orville Wright's plane flew 120 feet in 12 seconds. This stamp commemorated their feat.

The Wright Bros with their plane - 17 December 1949

For other 'w' related stamps fly over to Sunday-Stamps-w.

Sunday Stamps II A-Z 'V' Canada, China, New Zealand

The first flying boat made for Canadian conditions was the Vickers Vedette commemorated in a transportation series issued in 1979.

Canada - 15 November 1979

First made in 1924 the Vedette gave improved access to lakes and rivers opened up by canoes. The three seater was designed for forest fire patrols and photographic work. It starred in mercy missions and saw some service with the RCAF until the beginning of WWII.

May 1949 saw China issue a stamp dedicated to victory in North Kiangsu. Today Jiangsu formerly Kiangsu, capital Nanjing, is an eastern central coastal province of the People's Republic of China. I presume that the victory refers to the war with Japan.

China - 7 May 1949

Victory stamps from New Zealand were issued in 1920 to celebrate the end of WWI.

New Zealand - 27 January 1920

The British Lion represents the British Empire with the allegorical figure of Peace.

For other 'V' stamps go over to Sunday-stamps-v.

Sunday Stamps II A-Z 'U' UNESCO

UNESCO (United Nations Educational, Scientific & Cultural Organisation) was established in 1946. Since then many of its World Heritage Sites have been commemorated on stamps.

At  the UNESCO General Conference in Paris, 1968 it was decided that activities would be initiated to commemorate the centenary of the birth of Lenin, including the organisation of a symposium on the theme: 'Lenin and the development of science, culture and education'.

The symposium was held in Tampere, Finland, from 6 to 10 April 1970. Tampere was chosen because Lenin lived here from 1905 to 1907. The city houses the only Lenin Museum outside the former Soviet Union.

Finland - 6 April 1970

The medieval centre of the city of Regensburg in Bavaria was listed as a UNESCO World Heritage site in 2006 and appears on a joint issue stamp with Japan in 2011.

Germany - 3 February 2011

One of my favourite Canadian stamps shows the Kluane, Wrangell-St Elias, Glacier Bay and Tatshenshini-Alsek national parks declared a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 1979  for its spectacular glacier and icefield landscapes and for its habitats for grizzly bears, caribou and Dall sheep.

Canada - 3 July 2015

For other stamps related to 'U' please visit the links at Sunday-stamps-u.

Sunday Stamps II - A-Z 'T' USA and Great Britain again,

At school many years ago I studied American history but only the War of Independence. So in checking my stamps for today I never knew that Texas was once a part of Mexico and even existed for a short while as the independent Republic of Texas. It was only in 1845 that Congress approved it to become a member of the United States.

USA Texas State Centennial - 29 October 1945
Flags of USA and Texas

During the American Revolution a group of Green Mountain Boys lead by Ethan Allen  and Colonel Benedict Arnold captured Fort Ticonderoga in 1775 from the British. A commemorative stamp was  issued ii 1955.

Map of Fort Ticonderoga, Ethan Allen and Artillery - 18 September 1955

But when it comes to historic buildings Great Britain has - 

Great Britain - 1 March 1978
The Tower of London 

The White Tower was built by William the Conqueror in 1078.

Even older is the discovery made by Howard Carter in 1992 in the Valley of the Kings.

Great Britain - 26 April 1972
Statue of Tutankhamun

For other 'T' stamps visit Sunday-stamps-t. where there will be others to admire.

Sunday Stamps II - A-Z 'S' Germany

I have a number of Swastika stamps from the time of the Third Reich but I have no intention of ever showing those. I've settled instead for the poet/playwright and compatriot of Goethe - 

Germany  - Friedrich Schiller (1759/1805)

I must confess I do not know of any of Schiller's work, but knew of - 

DDR (East Germany) - 18 March 1975

It was Albert Schweitzer who won the Nobel Peace Prize in 1952,  and who is possibly more famous for setting up his hospital in Lambaréné in what was then the French Equatorial Africa (now Gabon). Schweitzer used his prize money to set up the leprosarium there. He died at his hospital in 1965.

For more 'S' related stamps check out the links at Sunday-Stamps-s.

Sunday Stamps II A-Z 'R' USA, Great Britain

Back in the 1950s when I was at school, I won my boxing colours and was captain of the boxing team. I wish I could say that I was undefeated like Rocky Marciano, the world heavyweight champion of the time,

USA -26 May 1999

Rocky (not the film) was on the stamp for the 1950s in the Celebrate the Century series.

From boxing to a gentler pastime of poetry for my next stamp from the USA.

" I wake to sleep and take my waking slow.

I feel my fate in what I cannot fear.

I learn  by going where I have to go."

USA - 21 April 2012

Theodore Roethke (1908-1963) is one of the ten 20th century poets that appeared on this set in 2012. He won the Pulitzer Prize for Poetry in 1954.

At this time so many years since England won the football world cup, I have chosen a stamp from back then (1966) showing what is claimed to be Britain's favourite bird.

Great Britain - 6 August 1966

Just like the one that chases other birds away from our feeders when it wants to eat.

This year sees the 100th anniversary of the founding of the Royal Air Force. For the 50th anniversary in 1968 a commemorative stamp showed a Sopwith Camel from WWI and English Electric Lightning Fighters from the 1960s.

Great Britain - 29 May 1968

For other 'R' related stamps fly over and pick up the links at Sunday-stamps-r.

Sunday Stamps II - A-Z; 'Q' USA, Great Britain

I was expecting to show Queens on many stamps today, Last week when covering 'P', I considered focusing on pilots but then found this for today,

USA - 27 April 1991

Harriet Quimby was the first woman pilot in the USA and the first (in 1912) to fly over the English Channel. Tragically she died in a flying accident the same year at the age of 37.

In 1969 the Investiture of HRH the Prince of Wales was held at Caernarfon Castle. One of the set of stamps commemorating this depicted - 

Great Britain - 1 July 1969
Queen Eleanor's Gate, Caernarfon Castle

Queen Eleanor  was the wife of Edward I and gave birth to a son at the castle in 1284 who was to become King Edward II.

To see what other 'Q' related stamps are on show this week just follow the links at Sunday-stamps-q.