Paraguay: Christmas, 1975

The South American nation of Paraguay issued a set of 8 stamps in 1975 for Christmas, showing various paintings related to the season. The stamps are generally collected as an attached set (Scott 1547, a-h), which is what I have. However that strip is rather tall, and doesn't fit into standard binders such as those I use for my collection. Therefore mine is generally folded twice to fit into storage. Though they are on the same sheet of stamps, and strip, each of the 8 stamps is differently denominated, 5c through 50c. There is also a souvenir sheet of a single stamp (Scott 1548). The 15c stamp is a painting by Hans Memling showing the mother of Jesus surrounded by angels in white attire. One of the angels is playing a portatif organ. Memling's painting now is part of the collection at the Alte Pinakothek in Munich, Germany.

 

Germany: youth music, solved (Part 3)

One of the first stamps I added to my collection years ago was this stamp from Germany-Berlin, from a set of 4. The surtax was for the German Youth Stamp Foundation. There was a second set of stamps for regular postage issued at the same time that featured rock musicians. The present set included images of a piano ensemble, a wind instrument ensemble, a collection of stringed instruments, and this stamp showing an ensemble of singers. From early on I suspected that the background included a pipe organ, but I wasn't sure for the longest time. I wrote about my work to that point here. Now that I am sharing the results I will go ahead and share an image of the first day cover the stamp's designer sent to me, and her kind letter from 2003.

Antonia Graschberger identified the church in her letter, but that created almost as many questions as it answered, for an internet search for images of the interior of the Himmelfahrtskiche didn't look much like the image on the stamp. Around that time I published an article in 2004 in the Baton a journal for stamp collectors of music-related stamps. By this point I had also tried to write directly to the music director of the church, with no response. My article in the Baton did generate some interest on the part of Peter Lang who was very interested in stamps related to Munich, Germany. He was able to establish contact with the church's music director and confirm the origins of the stamp, and the history of the organ. In the meantime the church has also expanded its website making a great deal of information available to visitors.

Part 1
Part 2
Part 3
Part 4
 

Germany: Children's choir, update (Part 2)

I've sent an email to the Cantor of the Church of the Ascension in Munich, asking if this church is indeed the locale for the stamp issued in 1988 featuring a children's choir and organ. Just for kicks, here is my English version of my query along with what Google translate did with it, plus a couple of my own corrections. I hope it makes sense to Herr Cantor!

I would like to know if the interior of the Himmelfahrtskirche has appeared on a German postage stamp. I have a stamp issued by Germany in 1988. It shows a children's choir and pipe organ inside a church. The stamp designer told me it was the Himmelfahrtskirche in Munich. However the image on the stamp does not resemble the interior of the church as shown on the website. However, I noticed that the church underwent renovations 1988-1992 and an organ dedication in 1994. So I wonder if the stamp shows the interior of the church before renovations to the facility. Otherwise, is there another Himmelfahrtskiche in Munich that is shown on this stamp. Thank you for any insight you can share.

Ich würde gerne wissen, ob das Innere der Himmelfahrtskirche auf einer deutschen Briefmarke erschienen ist. Ich habe einen Briefmarke von Deutschland im Jahr 1988 ausgegeben. Es zeigt einen Kinderchor und Orgel in einer Kirche. Die Briefmarke Designer sagte mir, es war der Himmelfahrtskirche in München. Allerdings wird das Bild auf der Briefmarke nicht ähnelt das Innere der Kirche als auf der Website gezeigt. Allerdings bemerkte ich, dass die Kirche renoviert 1988-1992 und eine Orgelweihe im Jahr 1994 unterzogen. Also ich frage mich, ob Die Briefmarke in das Innere der Kirche vor Renovierung der Anlage zeigt. Ansonsten ist es eine andere Himmelfahrtskirche in München, die auf dieser Marke angezeigt wird. Vielen Dank für die Einsicht kann man teilen. Ich hoffe, meine internet-Deutsch ist verständlich!

Part 1
Part 2
Part 3
Part 4
 

Germany (-Berlin) musicians (Part 1)

This stamp (Scott Germany 9NB260) was issued in 1988 to raise fund for youth welfare. I won't go into the details of the set of stamps of which this is a part nor of the Germany and Germany-Berlin designation in this post. But I want to give a little pre-history of my connection with this stamp. I have been saving writing about this stamp, and my exchange with the designer described below, until I had details about the organ. But as I explain below, that may not be quite possible. Hence, this pre-update!

I was fairly certain the stamp included an organ, but because of the photo technique, it's not quite clear. I conversed with some collectors years ago, who put me in touch with the stamp's designer in Munich. We exchanged letters and I learned some wonderful details related to the stamp. The image was shot, according to the stamp designer, at the Himmelfahrtskirche in Munich (Thalkirchen). She told me about hiring the children's choir of the church and the photo-process she used. I sought diligently for information about the church and organ, hoping to find a stop list, etc. I was never able to.

Recently I have been exploring again, hoping the Internet would provide me with images of the church, the organ and a stop list. I kept encountering this image of the chancel, with a very different organ.  I wondered if I had the right church even; perhaps, I thought, there was more than one Himmelfahrtskirche in Munich or its outlying communities.

But FINALLY, today I noticed a brief history of the church. It includes the notation " Umbau und Renovierung von Kirche und Gemeindehaus (1994 Orgelweihe)," giving the years 1988-1992. So now I wonder if there was an "old organ" in the "pre-alteration" church, which made it onto this stamp, and that the instrument seen here in the church photo is a "new organ," consecrated in 1994, that came as part of the renovation work in the early-1990's.

I intend to write to the cantor of the church to see if I can get the details straight, and to see if I can get an image of the church/organ prior to the renovation work.

Part 1
Part 2
Part 3
Part 4