Liechtenstein: Chur Cathedral, Christmas

Liechtenstein issued this stamp in 1982 for Christmas. It is part of a set of three stamps (Scott 751-753) featuring architectural details from Chur Cathedral (Vadux, St Florin). I do not have a copy of the individual stamp, only this postcard with stamp affixed. This was a gift from my friend in Great Britain, Mark Jameson, for which I am deeply grateful. The image is an angel playing a portatif organ. I have looked at several pictures of the interior of the Vaduz St Florin Cathedral, but have not found where exactly with the facility this statue is located.  Joseph Rheinberger, organist and composer, was born here. Below is a picture of the organ in the rear gallery, for the sake of completeness. At the bottom of the image one can see statuary in a similar vein to that on the stamp.

Liechtenstein: Music Year

The year 1985 was a very important year for pipe organs on stamps. European nations for many years issued stamps on a selected theme yearly. In 1985 the chosen theme was music. This year was the 300th anniversary of the birth of both Handel and Bach. Liechtenstein issued a set of two stamps for the Music Year theme. The low value includes a portativ organ. The artist of this painting is not identified. The Scott catalog  (#804) describes it as "three muses." The organ looks like a typical single rank of pipes instrument, with fewer than 30 keys. An angel is working the bellows for the player. Other instruments are a flute and some variety of stringed instrument.

Liechtenstein: Rheinberger

The first organ stamp was issued by Liechtenstein in 1938. It featured a portrait Joseph Gabriel Rheinberger and a row of pipes. Rheinberger of course was a native of Liechtenstein born in 1839. The Rheinberger stamp was issued in a mini-sheet of four in 1938 for a philatelic exhibition; the same image was used in 1939 for a stamp issued in a pane of 20 format. This stamp is the first to include images of any part of an organ in the image.