Photographs - Sunday Stamps II

Photographs of four different types of bat appeared in a commemorative set on 13 September 2002. I found these by searching for 'photographs' on the US stamp gallery. This one is in my collection.

USA

I never considered that the 2006 Christmas stamps could have been photographs too.

USA Snowflakes - 17 Oct. 2006

Physicist Kenneth Libbrecht took photos of two basic patterns of snowflake. Because snowflakes melt so quickly he used a paintbrush to quickly transfer the flakes from cardboard to glass slides where he photographed them in a temperature regulated enclosure, using a digital camera attached to a high resolution microscope.

Until I searched the stamp gallery I had no idea which of my stamps were 'photographs'. Now I shall have to look at other countries. But not for this Sunday-stamps-ii-127.html

Architecture - Thematic Photography

Two years ago I posted some views of our village church. Here are some more.

Kirklevington Church of St Hilary & St Martin

For more architectural views visit Carmi's Thematic-photographic-412.

As some of you may know it was my birthday this week and it was a sobering thought that with Carmi's the previous week I came to realise that our sons are older than him.

George V Commemoratives - Sunday Stamps II

King George V (1910-1936) was a keen stamp collector who played a large role in turning the Royal Philatelic Collection into the most comprehensive collection of UK and Commonwealth stamps in the world, including setting record purchase prices for them.

A set of four stamps was issued to commemorate his silver jubilee in 1935. I can show two of them.

Great Britain - 7 May 1935

A 1 penny red and a 2.1/2d blue made up the set.

For other commemorative stamps check out the links at Sunday-Stamps-II-126.

Places of Worship - Sunday Stamps II

There are two cathedrals among my Mexican stamps.

Puebla Cathedral - Mexico (1950)

The construction of this Roman Catholic cathedral began in 1575; it was consecrated in April 1649 but was not completed until 1690.

The airmail stamp showing Guerrero Cathedral was issued in 1963. So far I have been unable to locate more information about the building itself. However it does, like the Puebla stamp, depict colonial architecture.

Guerrero Cathedral (on the skyline)

For other places of worship from around the world please visit the links on Sunday-Stamps-II-125.

Gardens Galore -Thematic Photography

Gardens change so rapidly at this time of year; snowdrops and daffodils have come and gone, along with most of the tulips too.

White tulips survive

The apple tree is in full bloom - 

And wall border plants thrive - 

Bluebells appear in unexpected places no matter how often you think you have dug them up,

The small lilac tree is excelling itself this year - 

Aquilegia seed themselves everywhere - 

And just for Gilly as I got it wrong before -

A pansy shows its face

Definitely not a primula this time.

No hens and chickens to show as in Carmi's Thematic-photographic-411-gardens-galore.

Kings and Queens - Sunday Stamps II

I tried to get a link between the Kings and Queens I am showing. Let me know what you think.

Victor Emmanuel III - 21 April 1929

He was King of Italy from 28 July 1900 until he abdicated on 8 May 1946 in favour of his son Umberto II. Umberto was the last King of Italy but only from 9 May to 12 June 1946. Italy then became a republic.

Victor Emmanuel also claimed the thrones of Ethiopia and Albania as Emperor of Ethiopia (1936-1941) and King of Albania (1939-1943)

King Paul I of Greece

This stamp was issued on 6 May 1964 as a memorial to King Paul, King from 1 April 1947 to 6 March 1964. He was the last but one King of Greece before the country became a republic in 1973.

Queen Juliana of the Netherlands 1954

Juliana was Queen from 1948 until she abdicated in 1980. Her daughter  Beatrix succeeded  her as Queen; she abdicated in 2013 to be followed by her son, King Willem - Alexander

For more Kings and Queens visit Sunday-Stamps-II 124.

A-Z Challenge 2017 - Houses, some real, some not, -'Z'

Z - Zimbabwe House

Zimbabwe House, London

This Grade II Listed Building on the Strand is now occupied by the Zimbabwean Embassy.

It was designed by Charles Hoden in 1907-1908 as the Headquarters of the British Medical Association. It featured naked statues by Joseph Epstein.

For the startled Edwardian public the full-frontal nudity, not to mention the wrinkled flesh of a grand maternal woman holding a baby, proved too much. A campaign against the statues began, with protests from a group called the National Vigilance Society and a raging debate in the press. The Evening Standard declared that ‘no careful father’ would let his daughter see such depravity,

The statues remain today in a mutilated state following the removal in the 1930s of projecting features after pieces, some say of a phallus, fell off on to a gentleman passerby.

What a way to end A-Z this year.