Andorra 1944 - Definitives (Part 3)

Andorra is a landlocked sovereign microstate on the Iberian Peninsula, in the eastern Pyrenees. It borders Spain to the south and France to the north. It is traditionally believed that Andorra was created by Charles the Great (Charlemagne) in the 8th century where he was said to have installed some five thousand soldiers in the area to act as a protective force in return for local help in defeating the Moors. Whatever the case, it is certainly known that the state was transferred to the Roman Catholic Diocese of Urgell in 988. And the principality, as it to this day stands, was formed by a charter in 1278. This is, of course, a fly by version of the fascinating history of Andorra. To read more of its history, click HERE. 

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Between 1944 and 1947 Andorra issued a stunning set of twenty definitive stamps. The set includes four different designs, all engraved by Achille Ouvré. In this blog we shall study the third design in this set, depicting Old Andorra, Andorra La Vielle. To study the first two designs, click the relevant link. Part 1. Part 2.. This design was printed in five values, each with its own unique colour. The 5f green was issued in 1947, th 6f carmine in 1945, the 10f ultramarine in 1946. The rest were issued in 1944. So let's now turn to the stamps.

As mentioned above, this stunning design features a birds-eye view of Old Andorra, which is the capital city of Andorra. An interesting factoid about Old Andorra, it is the highest capital city in Europe at an elevation of 1,023 metres (a similar elevation to where I presently live).

Until next time...

Andorra 1944 - Definitives (Part 2)

It was built in 1580 by the Busquet family in Andorra la Vella, the capital of Andorra. The "House of the Valley", or in Catalan, which happens to be the official language of Andorra, La Casade la Vall. Constructed in a rectangular fashion, the building includes a dovecote, which served as a defense tower and gives the complex the appearance of a small fortress.

In 1702 the house was acquired by the Consell de la Terra "Council of the Earth", which is an assembly comprising representatives of all the valleys. Once acquired, several areas of the house were converted to suit its new purpose more adequately. For example, the first floor became the new council chamber, in which was placed the "cabinet with seven keys". It takes this name "because it has seven locks each of whose keys is the property of the parishes of Andorra, and contain historical documents of the principality like the Manual Digest" (Wikipedia).

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Between 1944 and 1947 Andorra issued a stunning set of twenty definitive stamps. The set includes four different designs, all engraved by Achille Ouvré. In this blog we shall study the second design in this set, depicting the House of the Valley. To study the first design, click HERE. It was designed and engraved by Achille Ouvré. This design was printed in five values, each with its own unique colour. All but one value, the 2,50f, which was issued in 1946, were issued in 1944. So let's now turn to the stamps. And I have to say,  I love this composition. There are so many areas of interest. The cottage and perimeter wall at the bottom right. The tiny minaret-like structure jutting from the corner of the building at the centre of the stamp. And in the background we are given a glimpse of the tower, behind which looms a stunning mountain range. 

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Above I listed some of the key features I admire in this design. In fact, I believe each aspect deserves its very own close-up. For the purpose of these close-ups I have chosen to use the 3f brown-black, which is think showcases the details best.

Until next  time...

Andorra 1944 - Definitives (Part 1)

Constructed in the 11th century or possibly as late as the 12th century, the church of Saint Joan de Caselles (L’église Sant Joean de Caselles) is a stunning example of Andorran Romanesque art. The church is located in Canillo in the North-East of Andorra.

Upon entering the church one will immediately note its Romanesque church style: from the rectangular nave with wooden roof to the semicircular apse and Lombard style bell tower. And if you love to study interior decoration, this church won't disappoint on that front either. Perhaps one  of the most important pieces is the remains of a 12th century stucco depicting Christ. Around the stucco is a beautiful mural scene depicting the crucifixion with Longinus (the name given to the soldier who pierced Christ in his side with a spear) and Stefaton (the name given to the soldier who offered Christ a wine-soaked sponge), accompanied by the sun and the moon. If one were to venture beyond the gate behind the altar, you would be delighted to discover a magnificent altarpiece, depicting the life and martyrdom of Saint John, author of the Apocalypse (Revelations) and patron saint of the church. This altarpiece was influenced by the Italian and German Renaissance. 

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Between 1944 and 1947 Andorra issued a stunning set of twenty definitive stamps. The set includes four different designs, all engraved by Achille Ouvré. In this blog we shall study the first design in this set, depicting the church of Saint Joan de Caselles. It was designed and engraved by Achille Ouvré. This design was printed in four values, each with its own unique colour. And all four values were issued in 1944.

I love the composition of this design. Ouvré has chosen an excellent angle to showcase the ruined church nestled in the surrounding mountains. In the foreground stands a person, perhaps a caretaker and a weary traveller. dominating the left of the design is the church's striking bell tower. Beautiful. I can't wait to explore the rest of Ouvré's work on this series. Stay tuned!

Until next time...

France 1935 - Unemployed Intellectuals Stamps

It would become known as Black Tuesday. The stock market crash on October 29, 1929, had devastating ramifications, plunging the globe into The Great Depression. In France, the Depression didn't take root until 1931, but between 1931 and 1935, as its effects assumed a tighter stranglehold on the country, there was a marked increase in unemployment levels. Struck particularly hard were those previously employed in intellectual and artistic pursuits. In fact, jobs for intellectuals and artists had been on the decline since the conclusion of World War I. Indeed, a body known as the CTI (Confederation of Professional Workers) was created in 1919 in an attempt to aid intellectuals in re-injecting themselves into the workforce. So what exactly was the definition of an intellectual? According to the CIT:

"An intellectual worker is one who derives his livelihood from a work in which the effort of the mind, with what it entails, initiative and personality, usually prevails over physical effort " (Chariot, 2006) 

But however noble the cause of the CIT, it was not all that successful. Then on 6 February 1933, a body known as Help for Intellectual Workers (ETI) was created. This body and its president, Paul Grunebaum-Ballin, seemed to have far more insight than the CIT regarding potential schemes for the establishment of work for intellectuals and how to raise money to implement these schemes. One such scheme used as  its model an idea implemented in the US. Basically the idea was to provide jobs for intellectuals in public libraries performing such tasks as the "classification of books and the establishment of directories and catalogs." (Chariot, 2006)  But how does one raise funds to implement such an initiative? Simple. Surtax postage stamps!

"Surcharge stamps are "special stamps": the stamp has franking value only for its face value without the surcharge. It is not used to pay for a postal service. It is usually paid to a charity (In this case, intellectual aid)." (Chariot, 2006)

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On 9 December 1935, France issued a set of two stamps, printed in recess, for the benefit of unemployed intellectuals. Master engraver, Achille Ouvré, was commissioned to design and engrave one stamp. The other stamp in the set was designed by René Grégoire and engraved by Omer Désiré Bouchery. Interestingly, this is the one and only stamp Omer Désiré Bouchery engraved for France. He was known primarily for his illustrations. A bit of a shame he didn't engrave more stamps; he certainly had a talent for it.

The stamp designed by René Grégoire and engraved by Omer Désiré Bouchery had a value of 50c with a surcharge of 10c to aid those unemployed intellectuals we spoke of earlier. This stamp features France, personified as a woman, lending aid to an intellectual. Interestingly, the setting of this stamp lends itself to the environment of a library.

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The stamp designed and engraved by Achille Ouvré, and a favourite of mine, had a value of 50c with a surcharge of 2f, a much higher surcharge than the previous stamp. Perhaps a surcharge that was too steep, but we'll get to that in a moment. In this stamp we see a beautiful young woman representing the arts, holding a small lyre. Truly stunning.

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Then on 14 October 1936, a little under a year later, this stamp was reissued with a brand new overprinted surcharge of 20c. Was 2f simply too much money to expect the average citizen to pay? Maybe. Maybe not. But it certainly makes for an interesting addition to any Ouvré collection.

Until next time...

France 1936 - Louis Blériot

What do truck headlights and astounding feats of aviation have in common? Louis Blériot, aviator, inventor, and engineer.

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Louis Blériot, born 1 July 1872 in Cambrai, France, was drawn to engineering and design from at young age. Indeed, while attending the Institut Notre Dame in Cambrai, he won many class prizes for his engineering drawings. He then attended the prestigious École Centrale in Paris, after having spent a year gaining special tuition in order to pass the rigorous entrance exam. He graduated École Centrale around the middle of his class, which considering the high level of competition was a pretty decent result.

His first job was at an electrical engineering company in Paris, called Baguès. It was during this time that he came up with an invention, which would eventually bankroll his other passion, aviation. He designed and created the first ever practical headlamp (headlight) for automobiles. His new headlamp used a compact integral acetylene generator. In 1897, he decided to leave the company he had been working for and opened his own showroom in Paris, selling his headlamps. Turns out, this was an excellent business decision, for he quickly gained contracts with two of the foremost automobile manufacturers of the time, Renault and Panhard-Levassor.

Ever since his school days, Blériot had had an interest in aviation, but it wasn't until his visit to the 1900 Exposition Uniiverselle that he thought seriously about aircraft experimentation. It was seeing Clément Ader's Avion III, an experimental steam-powered aircraft, that seemed to really get his creative juices flowing. I can understand why. This 'plane' must have, at the time, seemed quite extraordinary. Check the Avion III out HERE

As I mentioned earlier, Blériot's headlamp business was going great guns so he could afford to splash about a bit of cash with some aviation experiments of his own. His initial experiments were with ornithopters, which are craft propelled by flapping wings, in the fashion of a bird. Many of these were powered by men with the wings strapped to their arms. Then they set about flapping like crazy in an attempt to achieve flight. Ornithopters have always been a bit hit and miss, and Blériot's attempts fell into the 'miss' column.

Then in 1905, he met a fellow aviation enthusiast, a man who would also later become his business partner, Gabriel Voisin. At the time Voisin was working for a fellow named, Ernest Archdeacon, on experimental gliders. Blériot, also an avid photographer, filmed Voisin the during the trials of a floatplane glider Voisin had built. Witnessing this event sparked Blériot into commissioning Voisin to build a similar plane for him. This plane, another glider, was called the Blériot II. Although this plane crashed and Voisin, who was flying it, nearly drowned, the two men were not deterred. Indeed, they soon established their own company, Ateliers d' Aviation Edouard Surcouf, Blériot et Voisin.

The partnership lasted until the end of 1906. During which time the pair built the Blériot III and IV, two powered aircraft that both proved unsuccessful. Their lack of success coupled with the success of rival aviator of Alberto Santos Dumont, who flew his 14-bis a distance of 220 m (720 ft), winning the Aéro Club de France prize for the first flight of over 100 metres, saw the dissolution of the pafrtnership.

After the partnership with Voisin, Louis Blériot established his own business, Recherches Aéronautiques Louis Blériot, This business was primarily funded by Blériot, who employed his own engineers and designers. Over the next couple of years Blériot developed a whole series of aircraft, bearing his name, each one slightly better than the rest. This aircraft research culminated in the construction of the Blériot XI.

At 4:41 am on the 25 July 1909 Blériot made history in his Type XI by setting off from Calais, France in an attempt to cross the English Channel. "Flying at approximately 45 mph (72 km/h) and an altitude of about 250 ft (76 m), he set off across the Channel. Not having a compass, Blériot took his course from the Escopette, which was heading for Dover, but he soon overtook the ship." (Wikipedia)

During the crossing, visibility rapidly deteriorated. In fact, Blériot later said, “for more than 10 minutes I was alone, isolated, lost in the midst of the immense sea, and I did not see anything on the horizon or a single ship”.

Thankfully, a short time later, Blériot spotted the English coast. Unfortunately for Blériot, he had not previously visited Dover to find a good spot to land, so he had to wing it. After spotting Charles Fontaine, the correspondent from Le Matin waving a large Tricolour as a signal, Blériot "circled twice to lose height, and cut his engine at an altitude of about 20 m (66 ft), making a heavy 'pancake' landing due to the gusty wind conditions; the undercarriage was damaged and one blade of the propeller was shattered, but Blériot was unhurt. The flight had taken 36 minutes and 30 seconds." (Wikipedia) Thus history was made!

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On 21 November 1934, France issued a stamp celebrating the 25th anniversary of Louis Blériot's English Channel crossing. The stamp was designed and engraved by Achille Ouvré. It is a stunning design featuring a map of the English Channel overlaid by Blériot's Type XI aircraft.

Until next time...

Achille Ouvré Stamp List

Below is a list of stamps engraved and/or designed by Achille Ouvré. Click on the individual stamp sets for detailed descriptions.

1934

France, Jacquard (19 March)
France, Jacques Cartier (20 July)

1935

1936

1937

1938

1939

1940

1941

1942

1943

1944

1945

1946

1947

1948

1949

1950

1951

France 1934 - Jacques Cartier

French explorer Jacques Cartier has become famous for his explorations along the St. Lawrence River, and also for giving Canada its name. Born 31 December, 1491, in Saint-Malo, Brittany, France, with the heart of an adventurer, Jacques Cartier came to the attention of King Francis I of France in 1534. It was after this first meeting that Cartier's name was destined for the record books.

The King, impressed by his already strong skills as a mariner, commissioned Cartier to embark on a voyage to the eastern coast of North America, to an area then called the "northern lands". This was the first of three voyages Cartier would take across the Atlantic for his king. Cartier was given command of two ships and 61 men for the journey. His mandate: to search for gold, spices, and a passage to Asia. The small fleet set sail on 20 April 1534, arriving on the west coast of Newfoundland 20 days later. On this first voyage, Cartier discovered Prince Edward Island and sailed through the Gulf of St. Lawrence, past Anticosti Island. But alas, no gold or passage to Asia was found. Nonetheless, when he returned to France, King Francis was so impressed by his report that he decided to send Cartier on a second trip, scheduled for the following year.

In May 1535, Cartier set sail again for North America. This time round his fleet consisted three ships with 110 men, including two Indians Cartier had captured previously (perhaps his last voyage). The two Indians were taken to serve as guides. On this journey Cartier navigated his way down the St. Lawrence river, as far as Quebec, where he established a base. There he remained until September when he decided to push further downriver to what would become Montreal, the promise of all that wealth setting his blood aflame. In the Montreal area he stumbled across the Iroquoi, who lived in that region. They welcomed him and his men, and went on to tell him that there were other rivers that led farther west, where gold, silver, copper and spices could be found. This was exactly what Cartier had been yearning to hear! But before they could continue any further downriver, winter came. The river morphed into angry rapids, rendering it impassable. Additionally, it is said that Cartier and his men somehow angered the Iroquois during this visit. Cartier was forced to wait until spring, however, for the ice to melt. But as soon as the ice was gone, he beat a hasty retreat back to France, taking with him some of the Iroquois chiefs he had met and captured. This was not the wisest diplomatic move! Upon his return, Cartier could only report to the king that he had been told that untold riches lay farther west. And also that a large river, said to be about 2,000 miles long, possibly led to Asia. This information seemed to be enough to convince King Francis to fund a third voyage west. A voyage that proved to be Cartier's last.

Six years later Cartier left for the west for the last time with a fleet of five ships. This time, however, his mandate had changed. The idea of finding a passage to Asia had now been abandoned. His mission this time was to establish a permanent settlement "along the St. Lawrence River on behalf of France" (Wiki). A few months after he left, a group of colonists were sent in his wake. On arrival, Cartier again set up his base at Quebec. While waiting for the colonists, they explored the area and happened upon what they thought to be an abundance of gold and diamonds. Cartier must've thought all his Christmas' had come at once! Here before him was the mother-lode he'd been dreaming about. having discovered what he conceived to be his ticket to untold wealth, Cartier abandoned the base and made a bee-line back to France. Unfortunately on his way back, at a stopover in Newfoundland, he happened across the colonist fleet. The leader of the fleet was disgusted with Cartier and ordered him back to Quebec. But Cartier had other ideas. There was no way he was going to jeopardise his dreams of being filthy rich and the envy of all society. He thus ignored the leader of the colonists, and that night, under the cover of darkness, sailed for France, his riches safely in his grasp.

As is often the case with grandiose thoughts, Cartier's dream was nothing more than an illusion. In a twist of tragedy, fit for the pages of a Greek play, Cartier returned to France to discover his precious gold and diamonds were completely worthless! This was the sad conclusion to Cartier's state-funded explorations. He eventually retired from the spotlight with a career tarnished by his shady dealings with the Iroquoi and abandoning the colony in Quebec (the colonists actually abandoned the settlement a year later after only just surviving a bitter winter). As an interesting footnote to this story, France didn't return to Canada for a half a century.

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On 20 July 1934 France issued a set of two stamps commemorating the 400th anniversary of Jacques Cartier's first voyage to Canada. The set consisted one design issued in two values, drawn and engraved by Achille Ouvré from a portrait by Canadian painter, Théophile Hamel (1817-1870), of François Riss (since a portrait of Cartier himself doesn't exist). There are some who believe Pierre Gandon's statement that Ouvré used him as the model for his portrait of Cartier. But this I will leave for a future blog. For now let's simply take a look at Ouvré's beautiful design!

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Incidentally, this design is one of many featuring the explorer, Jacques Cartier. One of my favourites is a stamp issued in Canada on 1 July 1934.

Until next time...

France 1934 - Jacquard

Computers, tablets, smartphones, and all that other technology we rely on and take for granted these days, may not have even existed without the pioneering efforts of people such as Joseph Marie Charles, nicknamed Jacquard. And yet before a couple of days ago I will freely admit I'd never heard of the man. So who is he?

Jacquard, born 7 July 1752, was a French weaver and merchant, and perhaps most importantly, somewhat of a mechanical genius. Jacquard's father was a master weaver and property owner, so the family had a decent amount of money, yet Jacquard had no formal schooling. In fact, he was illiterate until the age of 13 when his brother-in-law, Jean-Marie Barrett, who ran a printing and book selling business, started teaching him. Barrett also introduced him to the world of scholars and high society. It is thought that initially Jacquard worked for his father, assisting him in the operation of his loom. Jacquard didn't particularly like the physical nature of the work, so he tried his hand at bookbinding and then with a maker of printers' type, an occupation known as a type-founder.

In 1772 his father died, leaving him a substantial inheritance including his house, looms, and workshop, as well as a vineyard and quarry in Couzon-au-Mont d’Or. It seems, however, that Jacquard was not much of a businessman, since there is evidence to suggest he ran up a substantial debt and lost all of his father's estate. Fortunately, his wife's dowry was substantial and included her own house, in which they were able to live.

By 1800 Jacquard was working as an inventor. It was in this capacity that he did his best work. In that very year, he invented a treadle loom. Then in 1803, a loom to weave fishing nets. But it was in 1804 that he came up with his best creation yet, a machine that became known as the “Jacquard” loom. This loom was designed to weave patterned silk automatically. The loom worked by using "pasteboard cards with punched holes, each card corresponding to one row of the design. Multiple rows of holes are punched in the cards and the many cards that compose the design of the textile are strung together in order" (Wikipedia). This early form of programmable machine played an important role in the development of other programmable machines, such as an early version of digital compiler used by IBM to develop the modern day computer. After some teething problems, the Jacquard loom took off. By 1812 there were 11,000 Jacquard looms in use in France. Jacquard died on 7 August 1834 in Oullins, a suburb in the city of Lyon, France.

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On 19 March 1934, France issued a stamp for the 100th anniversary of the death of Joseph Marie Charles, honouring his contribution to industry. The stamp was designed and engraved by Achille Ouvre based on an artwork by Claude Bonnefond. Incidentally, this was the first small format stamp printed in intaglio issued by France. The source from which I got this information doesn't specify if it was the "world's first" or "France's first" small format intaglio issue. Anyway, to the stamp. It is a beauty. It also happens to be Achille Ouvre's first engraved stamp.

I have only just started studying the work of Ouvre, and I have to say I love what I have seen so far. I look forward to showcasing more of his stamps in the future...

Until next time...

French Zone 1945 - German Writers

The best decision I ever made in my stamp collecting story was to pursue a collection of engraved stamps. True, it is the type of collection I will probably never even get close to completing. But that's not what really matters, is it? What matters is the adventure, the things we learn, and the little engraved gems we discover along the way. Now, I'm very new to the study of engravers. To be honest I only know the names of a handful, but the number is growing daily, and it's rather exciting!

In fact, I just added a new name to my repertoire today - Achilles Ouvré. I know very little about this engraver yet, but I found a few of the stamps he worked on and I thought I'd share them with you. They are stunning!

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The first stamp depicts Johann Wolfgang von Geothe. The detail on this stamp is remarkable. Just look at the expressive beauty in the face.

Johann was a German writer (1749-1832) who penned poetry, drama in verse, and an autobiography. I found when I did a search on him that Johann was also responsible for the odd cool quotable quote. Here's one I like:

We do not have to visit a madhouse to find disordered minds; our planet is the mental institute of the universe.

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The next stamp features Friedrich von Schiller. Again the detail is amazing and so life-like.

Friedrich (1759-1805) was another German writer who wrote poetry and plays. He was also a physician, philosopher, and historian.

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The third stamp depicts Heinrich Heine (1797-1856).

Not surprisingly, Heinrich was also a German writer. He was also a poet, essayist, journalist, and strangely, considering he was a writer, he was a literary critic.

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I really like the engraving style of Ouvre. I will definitely be on the lookout for more of his work.

Until next time...

Stay Engraver Crazy!