Sunday, March 8, 2015

Envelope 285 - Go Green Line & Sunday Stamps





Cathy's green lettering made me think of this one to send in return.





I don't have any trains or trams for today's Sunday Stamps theme - the best I can do is fake it with the bus on the green line of this envelope (and even the green line is a fake).

!Update!

Ignore that bit about not having any trains or trams....I had a rummage through mail sent to me last year to find several.

Here's a toy train stamp from the US, Christmas 1992.





Royal mail issued this stamp featuring a Hornby miniature train in 2003 as part of their Classic Transport Toys special issue. This one didn't scan too well, unfortunately - in reality it is a crisp, uncluttered design.




And a fantastic ghost train stamp from the Haunted Canada set issued in 2014. These stamps have some reflective coating on, so they are really impressive to look at in person - the scan doesn't do it justice.




And here's one I haven't sent. It is one of the Earthscape stamps, from the row of Urban images, and features an aerial view of a roundhouse. The initial concept of the Earthscape stamps, according to an interview on USPS with the stamps' art director, was to take a set of aerial images of 1 square mile and turn them into stamps, however that dimension was too restrictive.   They certainly give a unique perspective on urban, rural and natural landscapes.


Bonus stamp, just received on mail this week. It was issued in 1991 to celebrate DC's bicentennial. The image is a vignette from the early 20th century, with streetcars running down Pennsylvania Avenue. The last streetcar ran in DC in 1962, the system having been replaced by buses. Streetcars are being re-introduced with the first line nearing completion, with expected opening later this year.

18 comments:

  1. Keep rummaging Finn if you can come up with finds like these.

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    1. Will do - I am sure I have stamps for a lot of the Sunday Stamps themes.

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  2. Thankfully,you decided to do some digging and you found quite a collection. :)

    Willa @ Postage Journal
    My Sunday Stamp:Train

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    1. A somewhat disconnected collection, but a collection nonetheless.

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  3. That railroad roundhouse stamp is really neat. I was just recently looking at a design website that featured landscape views taken from google earth. I love the aerial views. And aren't those Haunted Canada stamps magnificent. This reminds me I should get more before they disappear from circulation...

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    1. I think I have received the our four of the haunted Canada stamps, they are spectacular. I hope the post office will consider another series like earthscapes and cloudscapes. I think they should do one of snow and ice, although maybe not soon, as this winter has been so harsh. Except in anchorage, which has only had 2 feet of snow this winter.

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  4. Anchorage had only 2' of snow? Why did I stay in Boston when I could have to Alaska for a better winter... In total agreement on the Canadian stamps. I need another pen pal from Canada so I can get these beautiful stamps.

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    1. Crazy, right? I think we've had more than 2 feet, but nothing like Massachusetts.

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  5. I just love the first envelope! I may have to try that on one! And I had the last stamp, but didn't think to include it!

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    1. This is what Jean calls a 'stealable' idea - go for it!

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  6. The stamp with the roundhouse (I didn't know the name in English) is really wonderful. I'm a big fan of railways. Unluckily, I couldn't participate this week because I was travelling.

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    1. I usually schedule my posts in advance for Sunday Stamps, otherwise I would never participate ;)

      I love that set of stamps - they are so abstract yet depict real things. Hope you had fun travels.

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    2. Almost all my posts are scheduled in advance. But this time I couldn't!

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    3. I've seen some people add a link on Monday instead of Sunday :)

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  7. Also I love trains. The roundhouse is so original - the first time I see it on a stamp. And a good view to us: we usually don't see places like this in real! (except for the Brio wooden toy-train railroad roundhouse.. :-) ).

    The Canadian ghost train is wonderful, too.
    Thank you for sharing!

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    1. Thank you. The ghost train is even better in person because of the foil/hologram/whatever it is. Hard to get a good scan, actually.

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  8. Nothing like a theme search to rediscover forgotten gems from a collection. Love the roundhouse and the linked letter envelope.

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    1. You're right, it was fun to sort through my mail to find these.

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