Monday 17 December 2012

The Stamp Of Quality








The design evolution of a set of stamps to commemorate the maiden voyage of Concorde on 2nd March, 1969. I'm not a philatelist, but I have a framed set of these in the house.

The stamps featured are the 9d and the 1s 6d, both designed by David Gentleman (the fellow in the screenshots), who also created the equally iconic World Cup 1966 stamp with 'the sexy footballers kicking their legs up in the air' (as David Hockney once described it) and the wonderful set commemorating The Battle Of Hastings. In fact, it was Gentleman who more or less invented the British stamp as we know it, writing to postmaster general Tony Benn in 1965 to suggest that, if Her Majesty didn't mind not having her head so large on every stamp, a more interesting and varied approach could be taken. Good work, David.


Mr. Gentleman also designed the mural at Charing Cross tube station, which is lovely and folky and well worth a special stop.     

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