Marie-Noelle Goffin

It seems to me, from my study of stamp engravers so far, that there seems to be very few female stamp engravers. I consider this such a shame. There are just as many talented female artists out there as there are men. This got me to wondering: how many female stamp engravers have there been over time? Well, I haven't been able to answer that yet, but I have found a couple of wonderful engravers in my search. The one engraver who stands out to me so far is Marie-Noelle Goffin from France.

Marie-Noelle Goffin began her training at the School of Fine Arts in Rouen. During her studies she decided to specialise in engraving. In 1962 she received a National Engraving Diploma, which earned her a scholarship to study for a year at the School of Fine Arts in Amsterdam. Marie-Noelle then went on to teach at the school of Fine Arts in Lilie for 26 years. She has also worked for the French Post since 1976.

On 11 October 1976 the first Marie-Noelle Goffin stamp was issued in France. The subject of the stamp was Theirs, a commune in the Puy-de-Dôme department in Auvergne in central France. As mentioned above the stamp was designed by Goffin, and it was engraved by Eugène Lacaque.  The design is fantastic.

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In 1977 Goffin designed and engraved her first stamp for France, showcasing the Collegiate Dorat. It was part of a set of six tourism stamps.

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Over the years Goffin has engraved some 70 odd stamps for France and several for the French Colonies. Below is a small sample of some of the beautiful stamps she engraved for France. As I continue to collect her stamps, I will feature them on this blog.

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This first example is from 1985.

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Here's a beauty from 1992.

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This one is from 1996. I love the sense of depth in this design.

I'd like to thank my stamp friend Natalie for kindly allowing me to use her lovely stamp images.

Until next time...

Stay Engraver Crazy!

France 1953 - Tour de France

What famous race began as a result of a rivalry between two newspapers? If your answer is the Tour de France, then you are absolutely right! It all started on 20 November 1902 at a crisis meeting at the offices of the  French newspaper L'Auto. The newspaper had been struggling with stagnating sales, and all the while their rival newspaper Le Vélo was dominating the news stands. Naturally the backers of L'Auto were rather unhappy with the situation. Something had to be done...

Enter one  Géo Lefèvre, the 26 year old chief cycling journalist for the paper. He had a radical idea based on the knowledge that cycling races sell lots of papers. That being the case, why not host a cycle race, a race larger than anyone had ever seen? If this audacious idea should work, then perhaps L'Auto may just match its rival in newspaper sales, or even better, put its rival totally out of business! After more excited meetings L'Auto announced the race on 19 January 1903. After much debate, a format for the race was finally agreed upon. The race was to be run over 19 days, commencing on 1 July. 

On 1 July some 80 competitors lined up outside the Café Reveil-Matin in the village of Montgeron for the very first Tour de France. The race commenced at 3:16 pm on 1 July 1903. It goes without saying that L'Auto featured the race on its front page that day. After a gruelling race where only 24 of the 80 entrants finished, the title of winner went to Maurice Garin (pictured below). 

And it should be noted that sales for the newspaper L'Auto doubled due to the race. So it was a cracking success. Not only that, its continued popularity has ensured its longevity. The race still runs annually with competitors from all over he world vying for a place on the winner's podium.

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On 25 July 1953 France issued a stamp celebrating the 50th Anniversary of the Tour de France. The stamp was designed and engraved by Albert Decaris.

The design of this stamp is fantastic. In the centre of the stamp we see a map of France with the course for the Tour de France plotted out. The space within the roughly circuitous route has been used for the title of the stamp. Flanking the map of France are two cyclists. The cyclist on the left is wearing clothes consistent with the early years of the race. Perhaps this is the winner of the first race, Maurice Garin. The cyclist on the right is a 'modern' rider from the 50's. 

Until next time...

Stay Decaris Crazy!

Austria 1948 - Friedrich von Schmidt

Friedrich von Schmidt was born in Frickenhofen, Gschwend, Württemberg, Germany on 22 October 1825. Von Schmidt was a gifted artisan. For many years he worked as a guild worker, participating in the construction of Cologne Cathedral, where he gained a tremendous amount of experience. In 1856 he passed the state examination to become an architect. He then moved to Milan where he taught architecture and was involved in the restoration of the cathedral of Sant'Ambrogio. In 1859 he relocated to Vienna. It is in Vienna where one can find some of his most impressive architectural feats. One of his crowning achievements was the design of the Vienna City Hall, pictured below. It was built in the Neo-Gothic style. 

Friedrich von Schmidt died on 23 January 1891, aged 65.

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On 5 June 1948 Austria issued a set of 7 semi-postal stamps. The highest value of the set depicts Friedrich von Schmidt. The stamp was engraved by Hans Ranzoni. 

What drew me to this stamp was the beard and the wonderfully engraved moustache. The textures are vivid and the depth of the beard is believable. I really must one day compile a virtual collection of engraved beards.

Until next time...

Stay Engraver Crazy!