July 1, 2019

Photos by Edwin Olaf on Dutch stamps

Filed under: Photography by Orangemaster @ 7:57 pm

In a series entitled ‘Erwin Olaf: 40 years of photography’, postage stamps commemorating the tens of thousands of photos the Dutch photographer Erwin Olaf has taken in his lifetime have been issued by Dutch post.

Only five images were chosen for the sheet of stamps, which could not have been easy. Olaf has carried out assignments for big names such as Louis Vuitton, Vogue, Amsterdam’s Stedelijk Museum and Rijksmuseum, among numerous others.

The country can now enjoy five iconic photos in stamp format: Pearls, from the Squares series, 1986; Julius Caesar, from the royal Blood series, 2000; Nadia, from the Paradise Portraits series, 2002; Portrait # 5, from the hope series, 2005 and Portrait of Alex, from the Palm Springs series, 2018.

The stamp sheet itself was designed by Rienus Gündel Franciscus in Amsterdam.

Olaf has also designed Dutch coins.

(Link and image: shop.postnl.nl)

Tags: , ,

October 7, 2014

Five top Dutch DJs adorning postage stamps

Filed under: Music by Orangemaster @ 10:49 am

postzegels-nederlandse-djs_tcm10-18490

During the now world-famous Amsterdam Dance Event that runs from October 15 to 19, five Dutch DJs will receive their very own set of Dutch postage stamps with their faces on it. PostNL, who issues Dutch stamps, considers these five DJs to be, “leading names in the dance music world,” and it would be hard to disagree with that considering the monies they generate.

Then again, since DJing is too often synonymous with dance music, many other Dutch DJs probably deserve a stamp, which is what VICE argues, a few of which have inspired the ones that made it onto the stamps.

The multicoloured faces of Afrojack, Armin van Buuren, Dash Berlin, Hardwell and Tiësto are the ones on the stamps, while VICE suggests other major names like Dimitri, Antal and Joris Voorn. It’s simple: you’re famous and rich because you’re known outside the country then stamp, you’re great, but remain a domestic or European affair, no stamp. And of course, there’s the glaring lack of women such as Isis and maybe some from this list.

(Links: www.nu.nl, thump.vice.com, Image: www.postnl.nl)

Tags: , , , , , ,

November 1, 2013

English colonial stamp sold for record amount

Filed under: General by Orangemaster @ 11:30 am

Originally valued at 150,000 euro, an African postage stamp from Kenya-Uganda has fetched 208,000 euro at an auction house in Weesp, North Holland this week. The stamp was sold for 170,00, but with a 20% commission on top, the total comes to the record amount of 208,000 euro, the most ever paid for a stamp at a Dutch auction.

The stamp features the portrait of British King George V who ruled over East Africa, and was bought by a German collector. The stamp was never hinged, with only four other known copies of such a high quality left in the world.

(Links: nos.nl, ed.nl, Photo by Wikimedia user Jonathunder, some rights reserved)

Tags: , ,

December 6, 2012

‘Dutch send the most Christmas cards in Europe’

Filed under: General by Orangemaster @ 1:08 pm

Dutch postal company PostNL surveyed 18 European countries and it’s the Dutch that apparently send the most Christmas cards, at an average of 40 a household. The Brits, Danes, Fins and French also send a lot of Christmas wishes through the mail, at an average of 17 to 30 cards, while Southern Europeans send the least amount of cards.

Almost all European countries have special Christmas stamps at a reduced rate. In the Netherlands they’re called ‘decemberzegels’ (‘December stamps’, more generic) and ‘kerstzegels’ (‘Christmas stamps’).

Interestingly, Germany actually has Christmas stamps that are more expensive, costing 55 euro cent with 25 euro cent extra going to a good cause.

The photo above are Environmentally incorrect Santa Claus cards I scored at the cheap Asian import store down the street two years ago. However, while researching this piece, these blonde Caucasian German angels jumped out at me.

(Link: www.telegraaf.nl)

Tags: , , , , ,

May 7, 2012

Mobile Rube Goldberg machine for stamping postcards

Filed under: Design by Branko Collin @ 8:40 am

Eindhoven based design studio Hey Hey Hey came up with this intricate mobile device called Melvin the Machine. It stamps postcards. No, that is not a Dutch post box you see in the end (at least not a current one, to my knowledge), although that is a real Hema alarm clock starring in the clip.

Via The Pop-Up City. Video: Hey Hey Hey.

Tags: , , , ,

January 31, 2012

Dutch pop music on postage stamps

Filed under: Music by Orangemaster @ 4:32 pm

Yesterday, the Dutch post office started selling a special postage stamp with the music of famous Dutch singer songwriter Boudewijn de Groot, which, if you scan it in with your smartphone you can hear his hit Land van Maas En Waal. Other Dutch artists are also featured in this series of Dutch pop music (‘Nederpop’), including Doe Maar, Het Goede Doel, Guus Meeuwis and Frank Boeijen, which will be out eventually.

I hope they include some women as well, dear post office.

(Link: www.entertainmentbusiness.nl)

Tags: , , ,

November 23, 2008

New Braille postage stamps

Filed under: Design,General by Orangemaster @ 1:48 pm
Braille postzegel

Graphic designer René Put has designed new Dutch postage stamps with Braille called “Voel je mee” (“Sympathize”, but also a play on words with “to feel along”) for the visually impaired. The stamps combine letters with the Braille alphabet featuring missing letters filled in with Braille ones. The postage stamps pay tribute to Frenchman Louis Braille whose devised this alphabet 200 years ago.

Modern Dutch stamps have always been quite interesting. Here’s a unique one, the Dutch silver stamp, which was minted not printed with real silver.

(Link: rtl.nl)

Tags: , , ,