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Sunday 7 August 2016

Lakes/Rivers - Sunday Stamps II

Struggled with lakes but found some interesting rivers this week.

The longest river in the world had a dam completed on 19 July 1970, but was commemorated first in 1964.


Egypt (UAR) - 15 May 1964
The Aswan High Dam, 11 years in construction and more than 2 miles long, ended the cycle of flood and drought in the Nile region but has also resulted in the loss of fertile soil previously washed down the river.

American river explorers' exploits have appeared on stamps.

USA - 20 September 1968
Marquette, a Jesuit missionary, explored the Great Lakes and the Mississippi Valley with Louis Jolliet. He had founded the St Ignace mission on the north shore of the Mackinac Straits when Jolliet arrived with orders to look for the great river to the west which the Illinois Indians had described.
They set out in May 1673 by way of Green Bay and the Fox and Wisconsin Rivers. They reached the Mississippi and went downstream to the Arkansas River before they returned, convinced the Mississippi flowed into the Gulf of Mexico.


USA - 1 August 1969
Financed by the Smithsonian Institution John Wesley Powell explored the Green and Colorado river canyons in 1869. The federal government financed further explorations in the 1870s which and to the information on public lands in the Rocky Mountain area and laid the groundwork for irrigation and conservation projects.

Back then of course neither Marquette nor Powell could have listened to -


Great Britain - 7 July 2016
 the Pink Floyd album, Endless RIver. (More about this next week)

For other watery offerings visit the links at Sunday-Stamps-II-86.

6 comments:

Joy said...

I like the idea of river journeys (and they look nice on stamps) but don't think I would enjoy going down rapids in a rowing boat. I enjoyed the album link, good spot.

Heleen said...

The way the river is imaged on the Egyptian stamp I think fascinating. Nice combination of colours, too.

I love to see your different 'river journey' stamps, which together make one big adventure (and I agree with Joy, I think I would have been a little (?) scared at some locations in the river.

FinnBadger said...

The Egyptian stamp is fascinating, it almost doesn't look like a stamp at first glance. And clever tie in to the Pink Floyd set, as well as next week's topic.

Jo said...

I absolutely love that British stamp. What a lovely picture to use on a stamp.

Hilary Melton-Butcher said...

Hi Bob - the Aswan Dam hasn't probably been the most 'intelligent' engineering project of its time ... I'd love to see the Great Lakes ... while Endless River ... looking forward to that post ... cheers Hilary

Linda said...

What wonderful stamps!