Christmas on Sunday Stamps II

Happy Christmas, everyone.

Today's stamps have a Madonna theme and I don't mean Madge.

Malawi, in 1972, had the Madonna and Child Enthroned from a painting of the Florentine school.

I have been unable, so far, to establish who painted it.

Vincenzo Foppa's wood panel from the Bottigella altarpiece now resides in the Musei Civice in Pavia. Malawi showed this on a Christmas stamp in 1977.

The first Madonna painting by Raphael to enter a North American collection sits in the Walters Museum in Baltimore and appeared on the USA's 2011 Christmas stamp.

Ireland's Christmas stamp of 1999 depicts children in a nativity scene and provides a less formal view in a clear cut design.

You may see another Irish stamp and what others have chosen by following the links at Sunday-Stamps-II-Christmas

Secular Christmas - Sunday Stamps II

The Christmas cards we have received so far this year have produced only one 'secular' stamp and none on a religious theme. Thank goodness then for Denmark's

Christmas seal

For the USA I have had to go back to 2007 for these - 

Our one and only Christmas stamp from Great Britain has been the second class snowman.

With that I wish you all a Happy Christmas time.

For more secular stamps check out what others have presented this week at Sunday-Stamps-II

Dirty - Thematic Photography

You don't have to look far before subjects for dirty pictures come into view.

Phone box covered in a green slime

Inside, the box seems to have seen better days.

But this is not why its days are numbered - I blame the mobile phone.

Its 42 days were up in October - but still it stays.

A big complaint at the moment is the mud deposited on our roads by the lorries servicing unwanted new housing estates.

Little fellows like this may not move mountains - 

A mole not in a hole

At least they know how to make a start.

Molehill collection

Some people even collect this soil for their gardens while a local farmer needs volunteers to spread some -

Muck

In the meantime Sherlock is on the trail of who

Put their foot in it

Too small, I think Watson, for the Hound of the Baskervilles.

If you have a penchant for more dirty photos, please check out those to be found at Thematic-Photographic-393.

Mountains - Sunday Stamps !!

I've posted many mountain stamps before so had to try harder this week.

In 1949 Algeria issued an airmail stamp showing a plane flying over the El Kantara Gorge.

Algeria

I believe those are the Aures mountains on either side.

The Australian Alps make up the highest range in south-east Australia, straddling eastern Victoria and south-east New South Wales.

Australia - 1 Oct 2015

This stamp is slightly damaged but still enables you to see the Victoria Alpine National Park.

Now get your crampons on and trek over to other mountains on view at Sunday-Stamps-II-104 starting with the Matterhorn in Europe's Alps.

Colours of the Rainbow - Thematic Photography

This is a difficult theme at this time of year. I almost gave up, but thought I could stretch it a bit to show some different hues just by looking out of my office window,

That cobweb is outside

How many colours of the rainbow appear here? Go on! Use your imagination for testing out - Richard of York gave battle in vain.

For colours of various hues check out those posted at Thematic-photographic-392.

Wild Animals - Sunday Stamps II

After struggling last week, this week couldn't have been more different with so many stamps to choose from.

Africa is a continent with many animals depicted on stamps, some of which I have included before. The King of them all for me is shown on a Malawi stamp from 2011, one of the Big Five.

Not quite as attractive is the animal on stamp from 1954 - head and shoulders only.

South Africa - Warthog

The Czech Republic has many wild animal shots; some smaller one are shown in these stamps from April 1996.

They are from left to right:

• Eliomys quercinus - Garden Dormouse
• Dryomys nitedula - Forest Dormouse
• Spermophilus citellus - European Ground Squirrel
• Sicista betulina - Northern Birch Mouse

For more wild animals visit Sunday-Stamps-II-103. to see what you can find.

Repetitive - Thematic Photography

What is the repetitive issue associated with my photos this week?

Fire station

Vent manifold

Studded footpath

If you are visually impaired the studs warn  you , through your shoes, that you are approaching a road and that you need to ensure you cross safely.

By now you should have seen the issue connecting my repetitive photos.

For more repetitive approaches visit the links at Carmi's thematic-photographic-391.