Date of Issue : 9 June 2011
Art Deco Stamps
This new set of stamps issued by Canada Post on 9 June 2011, features five Canadian structures built during the Art Deco period.
Emerging in France between the two world wars, Art Deco was a creative response to the dull austerity of the First World War that permeated the design of furniture, household goods and textiles. Still, the movement made its most lasting contribution to early 20th century architecture. Beginning between 1908 and 1912, Art Deco gained mainstream exposure at the exposition from which it took its name: the Exposition des Arts Decoratifs et Industriels Moderne in Paris, France in 1925, and the period continued well into the Great Depression. In fact, several prominent Canadian Art Deco buildings were constructed as a result of federal employment initiatives
According to designer Ivan Novotny of Taylor | Sprules, "Many of the great (Art) Deco buildings across this country have very distinct silhouettes that were defined by the principles of the movement. It's the commonly overlooked extraordinary details that adorn these great spires that demand a closer look."
In addition to dramatic black and white photography, Novotny adds that the stamp design "uses bold geometric forms and vibrant colours, to capture each building's unique character."
According to Alain Leduc, Stamp Design Manager, "With stamps, it's the details that count, that elevate the design to something more than merely representative. For that reason, the emphasis on detail on the Art Deco period was so very inspiring. It's the details that allow an architect to take a functional structure and make art of it."
The stamps show Burrard Bridge, R. C. Harris Water Treatment Plant, Cormier House, Supreme Court of Canada and Dominion Building.
Metz - FFPA Congress stamp from France
The French Post has issued a stamp dedicated to the city of Metz which welcomes in 2011 the 84th Congress of the FFPA (French Federation of Philatelic Associations).
An important Gallo-Roman city, Merovingian capital of the Austrasia kingdom, birthplace of the Carolingian dynasty, cradle of the Gregorian chant, and one of the oldest republics of the common era in Europe, Metz has a rich 3,000 year history. The city has been steeped in Romance culture, but has been strongly influenced by Germanic culture due to its location and history.
The stamp illustrates one of the largest Gothic buildings in Europe, St. Stephen's Cathedral, built from 1220 to 1522. On the vignette, the Gate of Germans (12th-15th century), remnants of the old medieval fortification could be seen.
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