The Ceska Republic issued this stamp in 1992. It anguished in the Czechoslovakia book vor years before I image was conveying. There is a small set of similarly designed stamps I think though I have not set out to put them together. These are several interesting elements; I can't tell if it's a mouse of what sort of creature that is at the very bottom of the stamp.
Vanus and a certain organ player certainly do ger around! In addition to this painting, there is a similar work, on a slightly smaller scale. Differences in details abound, soon too many to enumerate. The present stamp is unusual in that it seems to an unlikely figure in the larger scope of the painting; but we thereby ger a nice, detailed look at the organ. There is still not enough information to know any details about the instrument.
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This set of stamps slipped past me to a while. I didn't realize if was around for a couple of years. The set us notable for the fact that two organ related stamps are part of the sets. The stamps are reproductions of paintings by various artists. "Angel playing the organ" and "The Graham children" both include representations of organs. Six of the stamps have fairly standard formats. The Hogarth
I was diagnosed with glioblastoma brain cancer in 2022. I have had to curtail come of my collecting activities. I am trying to catch up with that I already have and get things sorted and out away. You may notice differences as I hurry to post to this blog items that I have already.
Guinea-Bissau issued this stamp in 2010 to mark the 260th anniversary of the death of JS Bach. The stamp is a single high-value stamp, issued along with a set of five smaller stamps of the composer with various musical instrument, in various poses and in various denominations (not shown). There does not appear to be any specific connection between the composer, and anyone related to Guinea-Bissa. The
Francs issued this small sheet of stamps in 2015. If seems that these are each small music boxes. One of them is an ornate pipe organ. The description tells us only, "the organ clock." Once can assume that there is a wind-up mechanism within that provides music of some sort and perhaps some motions. The stamp is gummed, part of a set of 6, and each are denominated .68 Euros. It was issued in 2015. There is a large bar code in the lower left corner presumably for tracking and sales information. The reverse of the sheet is completely blank. I have not tried to identify the location of the various instruments.
Equatorial Guinea issued a set of three stamps in 1996 honoring three diverse famous people. Those depicted are Alfred Nobel (1833-1896), Anton Bruckner (1824-1896), and Giovanni Tiepolo 1696-1770). The year of issue, 1996, was an anniversary year for each of these persons. There seems to be no other connection between these figures and that nation. Scott does not give a more specific issue date other than 1996 for this set (SNC 217a, b, c). There was a higher-denominated souvenir sheet issued as part of the set; I do not have an example of that. The three stamps were issued together: most collectors maintain them as a strip of three attached stamps. Bruckner is shown in front of an organ facade. I believe it is the St Florian Monastery instrument, closely associated with him.
The Czech Republic issued this pair of stamps in 1995 celebrating two large rock formations, under the category of "natural beauties" in that nation. Of course there is no organ present; the basalt formation shown on the 8k stamp looks somewhat like organ pipes. I have included the stamp in this pipe organ stamp inventory for completeness, as this stamp has appeared on "pipe organ" lists for some time. There are several basalt formations that mimic organ pipes. I think this is the only one that features on a postage stamp. The stamps were issued 3 May, 1995. My copies are in mint condition, purchased from County Stamp Center.
Burundi issued sheet of stamps in 2011. It is four stamps in a mini-sheet. My version is not perforated. I am fairly certain a perforated version is available. This sheet is Scott #975. It shows Amadeus Mozart with a keyboard and musical score; Beethoven with organ pipes; Antonio Vivaldi with a violin; and Chopin with a piano. It seems there were also issued a set of 4 individual stamps, #971-974 showing the same composers but with different background elements. (Hans Timmerman's site shows the Beethoven stamp as a sheetlet of four identical stamps. It is denominated 1020 francs, rather than 1090 as described in Scott, and it has the same background (pipes) instead of the monument described in the catalog.) It may be possible to discern what organ is shown in the Beethoven stamp, but I am not able to figure it out. My version is in mint condition, from County Stamp Center.
Aruba issued this stamp (Scott #317) in March 2008 for the Arubian Cultural year. It is part of a set of four, the second value in the set. the other stamps show various celebrations and dancing. The present stamp shows a positif organ with two musicians. It is not possible to discern any more about the instrument shown.
Cameroun (Cameroon) issued this stamp as part of a set of 2 for Christmas in 1972. Both show paintings of Mary, mother of Jesus. Both are airmail stamps. The 45-franc stamp is a painting by Cimabue. This stamp shows "The Virgin of the Rose Arbor," by Stefan Lochner. There is an angel playing a small portatif organ in the LL corner. Other angels playing other instruments are seated around the blue-robed Madonna. Scott #C194 was issued December 21, 1972. My copy is unused.
The most recent issue in Poland's "historic organs" series shows the instrument in st Andrew's Basilica in Olkusz. This stamp was issued in the latter half of 2019. It is in a similar format to other stamps in the series. The instrument was built by Jan Hummel and his apprentice Jerzy Notrowski in the early 1600's. By 1972 the organ was not playable, and a long series of improvement projects was begun. This Polish organ site gives great details about the instrument, including specifications and photographs. the level of research that has gone into the reconstruction of the instrument is laudable. I must thank my friend Mark Jameson who has generously shared with me copies of the stamps, various FDC's, and some of the large folios the Polish post office has prepared related to the stamps in this series.
Poland continued its "historical organs" series with two stamps in 2019. The first to be issued was for Torun Cathedral. Similar to others in the series, there is a single large format stamp in a mini-sheet. The cathedral church of St John the Baptist and John the Evangelist contains two instruments. The smaller of the two is shown on the stamp. It's believed that an instrument was in place by 1497. A new instrument was installed in 1688. Work was done on this instrument over many years though it remains mostly as it was installed. This site provides good details, the stoplist as it has evolved over the years, and several helpful pictures. The stamp was issued 21 June 2019.
Poland continued its Historic Organs series in 2018 with a stamp showing the instrument in Holy Trinity, Gdansk. The first mention of an organ here seems to be from the early 1600's, an instrument by Merten Freise. Freise himself continued to work on the instrument for many years. It received significant attention in the mid-1700's by Friedrich Dalitz. The instrument was stored away from the church during World War II. Work to restore the organ began in 2008 and was completed in 2018.
The stamp is embossed, such that one can feel elements of the design, in addition to the visual representation. As with other stamps in this series, the format is large, a 10x7cm mini-sheet format containing a single 8x5 stamp.
My friend Mark Jameson has prepared a detailed summary of the instrument, including a specification. One may view it here.
The Malaysian postal service issued this stamp celebrating the St George Anglican Church in Georgetown (Pulau Pinang, or just Pinang, or Penang) in 2019. It is part of a series of stamps noting various religious structures in that nation. The stamp shows the iconic exterior of the facility; the selvage includes an image of a new pipe organ by the Mander firm of Great Britain.Pinang may refer to the Malaysian state, Pinang, or to the Pinang Island, though they appear to be essentially one and the same. The church is the largest in South-East Asia.
The British East India Company seized the bit of land that includes Georgetown in the late 1700's. It was a British enclave that affected British characteristics for many years. The church of St George was begun in 1815 and consecrated in 1819. A pavilion was erected in 1886 in the lawn in front of the west end doors.
A new organ was installed by the Mander firm in 2018. The firm's website give s bit more history: the church was built by Indian convict laborers. The building was bombed in 1941 and looted. It was restored and re-opened in 1948. The first organ was a second-hand Bryceson instrument originally serving a church in Singapore. That was replaced in 1899 by a Forster and Andrews instrument. That organ received some work in 1931, but was then destroyed in the 1941 bombing. Electronic instruments served the church until 2017. The area in which the church is situated was declared a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 2008, and major restoration of the church was done again in 2009.
The Mander site gives some interesting details about the placement of the instrument in the church, as well as specification.
The sheet of stamps has 20 stamps arranged in four columns of five stamps each. There is narrow selvage on all sides, and a wider selvage dividing the four columns in the center. The organ, and church steeple, are shown there. Other religious buildings appear in the outer selvage. The stamps include an indication "4/5." I have not investigated yet, but I suspect that may relate to the stamps appearing in the series being produced by the postal authorities.
In 2018 Great Britain issued a set of stamps celebrating the Hampton Court Palace, most strongly associated with King Henry VIII. Six stamps show views of the exterior of the building, and two landscape shots. A mini-sheet of 4 stamps shows interior views. Shown inside are the Great Hall, the King's Bedchamber, the Chapel Royal, and King's Staircase. Two of these stamps pay the FirstClass postage rate, and two of the stamps are denominated 1.45 British pounds. The chapel image includes the facade of the organ contained therein. The first organ in the chapel was installed in 1711-1712, built by Christopher Schrider. Harrison and Harrison Ltd did the most recent work on the instrument in 2013. The current instrument is contained in the case for the original Schrider instrument, built by Grinling Gibbons.
https://www.chapelroyalhamptoncourt.org.uk/the-organ/
