Sunday Stamps - Different Fonts/Scripts: Iceland

 When in Norway I found out about various sagas. I heard of some from Iceland but never saw or read any. And this week's stamps have set me off looking for what they were.

Iceland - 1 October 1953

Iceland - 20 March 1970

It looks like a long job to identify what they are.

For other typeface and fonts check out the Writing at Sunday Stamps

Sunday Stamps - Front Line Workers: Great Britain, Iceland

I understand hat a number of countries will issue stamps relevant for these COVID times. However I have been disappointed to find that we do not really have many stamps that address front line workers at all.

the Salvation Army provides support to many and their centenary was celebrated as long ago as 1965.

Great Britain - 9 August 1965

A set of stamps  was issued for the police, 150 years after it was formed.

Great Britain - 28 September 1979

When it comes to nurses I could only find a District Nurse - in a set commemorating the centenary of the first telephone call.

Great Britain - 10 March 1976

For a stamp depicting a nurse  I had to visit Iceland - 

Iceland - 19 June 1970

 and that was for the 50th anniversary of the Icelandic Nurses Association.

To see front line workers found by others just visit the links at Sunday Stamps.

Sunday Stamps I4 Iceland, Ireland, Sweden

I could have show this under H - for but saved it for this week.

Iceland - 6 October 1961

This commemorated the 50th Anniversary of the University of Iceland. Björn M. Ólsen was the first rector in 1911.

Another 50th anniversary occurred on 21 January 1969 - for the Irish Parliament.

Ireland 

On 5 September 1969 Sweden issued a set of stamps - Three Swedish Artists - which included --

Karl Isakson

Karl Oscar Isakson was a Swedish painter who spent much of his professional life in Denmark where he is considered to be one of the fathers of Modernism.

For other 'I' related stamps please visit Sunday-stamps-i.

Sunday Stamps X3 - Denmark, Tanzania

A Danish King provides me with an X (and by chance the only King of Iceland too as Kristján X from 1918-1944).

Denmark - 1942

King Christian X of Denmark became the symbol of Danish resistance to German occupation during WWII and helped finance the transportation of Danish Jews to neutral Sweden. He reigned from 1912 to 1947.

A Tanzania butterfly's Latin name provides me with two Xs - 

Tanzania - 10 December 1975

Axiocerses styx 

For other X related stamps cross over to seeitonapostcard.blogspot.com x.

Sunday Stamps II: A-Z 'K' Iceland Malawi Norway

50 years ago today Iceland issued a Europa stamp depicting a - 

CEPT Key

Conférence européenne des administrations des postes et des télécommunications.

No translation needed for a pastime in Malawi,

Kayak Riding - 25 April 2014

And finally a Norwegian geologist who I know nothing about.

TR Kjerulf - 4 September 1974

For more stamps under 'K' follow the links at Sunday-stamps-k.

Sunday Stamps II ; A-Z 'I'

Back home from our travels, our plane's route from the USA took us to the south of Iceland.

The 150th anniversary of the birth of Icelandic poet, Grimur Thomsen was commemorated by this stamp - 

Iceland - 19 June 1970

Thomsen was the son of a goldsmith - this provides me with a link to Ireland. Oliver Goldsmith was an Irish novelist, playwright and poet.

However it's a different literary giant from Ireland whose birth was commemorated by this stamp - sorry about the postmark -

Ireland - 30 Nov 1967
300th anniversary of the birth of Jonathan Swift

It's Swift's famous work, Gulliver's Travels, that provide me with a link to last week's post - Hungary and Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs fairy tale.

I'm sure you all remember Walt Disney's version of Snow White, but how many of you have heard of the link to Swift via Gulliver Mickey, a Mickey Mouse short animation. 

For more 'I' related stamps don't forget to visit Sunday-Stamps-II-147.

Horses - Sunday Stamps II

This proved a harder theme that I thought as I have used all my stamps of real horses before.

However Iceland and Sweden rode to the rescue with a horse or two, even if the Iceland stamps show a pony.

Iceland - Icelandic pony 1958

My Swedish stamps are slightly newer, the first from a postal history and nature series.

Sweden - 16 October 1967

From an earlier time in history a block of four,

Sweden - Horse & Viking ship, 26 April 1973

A mosaic embroidery sheet  issued on 26 November 1974 depicted some horses. I don't have that sheet but one of the horses is in this pair.

Sweden - 1974?

Now you may ride over to Sunday-Stamps-II-85. and follow the links to some splendid 'real' horses.

Bridges - Sunday Stamps II

Having selected a bridge as my favourite choice last week I had to search my collection for something different this week.

From Iceland I found the Skeioara River Bridge, a stamp posted in 1978.

Iceland - 1978

At 900 metres the bridge was the longest in Iceland.

Two stamps from Sweden left me wanting to know more.

Sweden - 1969

This shows one of the bridges to Tjörn Island. I am still trying to find out whether this was the one destroyed by an out of control ship in 1980.

My second stamp from Sweden shows an aqueduct carrying ships along part of the Daislands Canal.

Sweden - Aqueduct in Håverud

I believe the bridge in the back ground is a railway bridge.

I've also found this video which is worth including.

Thanks to Paul Christiansen for the video and the following information. The aqueduct was planned in 1863 but due to lack of ideas, it wasn't finished until 1868. It was made in Stockholm and transported to site, where it was put together with 30000 rivets. It is 32.5m long, 4.05m wide and 1.8m deep. The whole system has 4 sluice gates, operated manually.

You can see that Sunday Stamps gets me to all sorts of unexpected places just from researching the background to the stamps I show.

To see other bridges check out the links at Sunday-Stamps-ii-55.

Happy New Year

Flags/Maps - Sunday Stamps II

I've used all my stamps showing maps before so I'll just wave flags instead.

Great Britain - 25th anniversary of NATO, 1969

Great Britain - White Ensign 2001

This was issued to commemorate the centenary of the Royal Submarine Service as a set of four in a mini-sheet.

I received four stamps from the USA in 2012 - all the same flag but ...

USA

Finally one from Iceland.

Iceland - 1958(?)

To see other flags waving or to find maps from around the world cross over to Sunday-Stamps-II-44.

Trades/Professions - Sunday Stamps

Greetings from the USA this week where we are staying with my daughter, her husband and three dogs. Yesterday was a bit traumatic as Gem, her oldest dog, had to be put to sleep after a remarkable 15 and a half years. Gem was the last of the original "Gang of Four."

The lady vet from the Lap of Love, a veterinary hospice was a true professional. However I do not have a stamp that is appropriate for her.

Nevertheless I was surprised to find how many stamps meet Viridian's 'trade/professions' theme.

Algeria - Job Mechanics; 18 April 1965

Hungary - Welder series 1955

Lebanon - Potters work

Iceland - Nurse and patient

This stamp was issued on 19 June 1970 to commemorate the 50th anniversary of the Icelandic Nurses Association.

My last stamp this week is from Tunisia.

Tunisia - Nass-work - Handicrafts; 15 August 1979

I was pleased to be able to include my one and only stamp from Algeria as the theme forced me to identify what it represented.

I wonder whether anyone will have a stamp of a philatelist this week. To find out you will have to check the links at Sunday-Stamps-193.

Undersea Life - Sunday Stamps

There is a bit of a fishy tale about the theme of undersea life this week. I had used all my undersea creatures before so I had to trawl the world for my stamps this week starting with the National Fish of South Africa.

South Africa - Coracinus capensis

The Galjeon inhabits South Africa's coastal waters, confined mostly to the shallows. Its colour varies depending where it lives - almost black in rocky areas and silver bronze where it's sandy. KwaZula-Natal knows it as the black fish or black bream; elsewhere it is called the Damba, much easier to say than coracinus capensis

It may seem strange to include a stamp from a landlocked country like Hungary especially as Xiphophorus Helleri is part of their tropical fish series issued in 1962.

Hungary - Xiphophorus Helleri

The green swordfish (Xi-H) is a freshwater/brackish water fish. Where it has been introduced elsewhere in the world it has become a nuisance pest. Significant numbers exist along the east coast of Australia.

'Wars' have been fought over fish, the Cod Wars between Iceland and the United Kingdom in the 1950s and 1970s being well known disputes over fishing rights. It's not surprising to find that fish are featured on Icelandic stamps.

Iceland - Salmon (I think)

Iceland - Haddock and Cod

Britain would be at a loss with a supply of melanogrammus aeglefinnus (Haddock) and gadus morhua (Cod) to go with their chips.

These days though fission chips may be found subsea.

Great Britain - Nuclear Submarine

For other subsea sights and creatures just follow the links at Viridian's Sunday-Stamps-183.

Iceland Landscapes - Sunday Stamps

I'm off to Iceland for this week's landscapes theme. My stamps have forced me to look into their background.

Iceland - Landscapes

Myvatn is a shallow eutropic lake in an active volcanic area of northern Iceland. The lake and its surrounding are exceptionally rich in fauna, especially waterfowl. It was created by a large basaltic lava eruption 2300 years ago. The surrounding landscape is dominated by volcanic landforms including lava pillars.

Bulandstindur, a mountain in eastern Iceland is a pyramid-shaped stack of basaltic strata and stands 1069 metres high. 

Dyrholaey is a 120m high promontory. It gets its name from the massive arch the sea has eroded from the headland. Its name means, literally, 'door-hole.'
The stamp is one of a series showing Iceland's lighthouses. If you look closely you may be able to make it out on the skyline of the promontory.

For other landscapes please visit the links at Viridian's Sunday-Stamps-179.

Iceland Wildflowers - Sunday Stamps

In the 1960s Iceland issued a set of wildflower stamps. A simple design but they are quite effective even if I can't name all the flowers.

Iceland Wildflowers

However I had more success with the next lot.

Iceland Wildflowers

Even I can recognise the clover and the dandelion. 

This year has been a particularly good year for the dandelion on our roadside verges. I'm less enamoured with the huge ones growing in our flower beds.

For more floral stamps visit Viridian's Sunday-stamps-170.html

Post - Sunday Stamps

On a previous postal theme I put up this stamp from Iceland.

Iceland - Universal Postal Union 

I must have been blind at the time, not to see the stamp right next to it.

Iceland - UPU centenary 1974

I have also discovered some Italian stamps of a design that seem to be issued every year in different denominations.

Italy (2009 issues)

I like the way the design gives the illusion of post 'speeding' on its way.

Italy - Priority Post

I wonder whether this helps to get them there quicker.

For more post and postcard related stamps just follow the links at Sunday-stamps-162.

Arctic and Antarctica - Sunday Stamps

I struggled with this theme until I remembered a stamp I have shown before.

Argentina and its Antarctic Territory

When it came to the Arctic I was a bit miffed when I found Iceland is just below the Arctic Circle. Then I found that the island of Grimsey off its north-east coast lies partly in the Arctic. What's more there is a stamp showing the island.

Iceland - Grimsey

For other stamps associated with the polar regions please visit Viridian's Sunday-stamps-144.

Postal Services - Sunday Stamps

As I am on holiday in the USA this is what I prepared in advance for this week's theme.

Iceland - UPU Anniversary

Last week when admiring wild animals on stamps from South Africa another of their stamps caught my eye.

Republic of South Africa - Mail Coach

This set me looking for similar stamps - and led me to this;-

Sweden - Mail Coach

which was issued in 1971. It shows an oil painting from 1928 by E Schwab which is now in the Postal Museum in Stockholm.

If you look closely you will see the posthorn signal used by many countries on their stamps so it seems appropriate to include a video.

I may have trouble taking part for the next three weeks - it depends what I can find in my daughter's albums.

I will however check in as you should at Sunday-stamps-136.

Trees - Sunday Stamps

The theme this week proved more difficult than I thought. Perhaps I couldn't see the wood for the trees.

However I am reasonably sure what this is.

Bangladesh - Palm Tree

Still in the southern hemisphere I came across a log, even if I don't know what tree it came from.

New Zealand

In colder northern climes a make believe tree.

Iceland - Europa CEPT

Perhaps this one is easier to identify.

Iceland - Spruce?

My final tree is one produced by a Norwegian romantic painter.

Norway - Slindebirken by Thomas Fearnley (1802-1842)

I believe this is a birch of some sort.

I'm hoping someone will be able to show some trees from Britain. I know of at least two that have appeared - the horse chestnut and the oak.

To see other varieties please cross over to Sunday-stamps-131.