UPU Art
The set of eight stamps at the top of this album page are reproductions of famous art showing people writing or reading letters. They’re meant to celebrate the anniversary of the Universal Postal Union. Started in 1874, it sets the standards for postage and mail delivery throughout the world. Unfortunately, I’m not sure how much longer people willl be sending mail.
Most people don’t write letters any more. They used to put so much thought into writing each other letters. It’s so nice to receive a hand-written letter, to correspond with someone – especially somoeone you love, for whom you care and who lives far away. Writing a letter is a chance to tell your latest stories, uninterrupted and with your own observations and twists. The recipient can respond to your comments – praising you and congratulating you, consoling you and encouraging you. The recipient can then take their turn telling you their newest stories. It’s a delightful and soothing form of communication.
We began to stop writing letters when talking on the telephone was quicker and more immediate. Still, there was some letter writing; there was still a need to tell of something without interruption. Then emails took over, pretty much ending the need for hand-written letters. Then on-line chat provided written and immediate messaging, eliminating the need for phone calls and emails. The only envelops I receive now in the mail are government notices that I don’t want, like a parking ticket. The only emails I get are bills and junk mail. No one calls me, not even friends and family. And most chat messages I see are filled with fragmented sentences, mostly just phrases with abbreviations, typing mistakes, and small icons meant to express something – and then repeated. After tens of thousands of years, it seems that most human are still grunting instead of speaking, instead of communicating clearly.
Note
These stamps showing paintings of people writing and reading letters are pretty. They’re very much multiple color stamps. Stamps at this point are starting to look more like photographs, albeit photos of paintings in this case. I like them, but I prefer drawings, etchings. I feel that the use of multi-color printing has gone too far. I know, I’m sounding like an old grump.
Contains 12 spots: own 12 – 12 unused, 0 used.
Page is finished.
Album or Web Page Last changed May 4, 2025
Stamp Details
The table below lists information about the stamps shown on this page of Lighthouse’s stamp album. For more details about a particular stamp, click on its description. That will take you to the related web page of Colnect.
spot |
own |
catalog |
subject |
description |
comment |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
✓ |
1534 |
Lady Writing Letter |
10c (jun 1974) |
||
✓ |
1535 |
10c (jun 1974) |
|||
✓ |
1536 |
Mrs. John Douglas |
10c (jun 1974) |
||
✓ |
1537 |
Don Antonio Noriega |
10c (jun 1974) |
||
✓ |
1530 |
Michelangelo |
10c (jun 1974) |
||
✓ |
1531 |
Five Feminine Virtues |
10c (jun 1974) |
||
✓ |
1532 |
Old Scraps |
10c (jun 1974) |
||
✓ |
1533 |
The Lovely Reader |
10c (jun 1974) |
||
✓ |
1540 |
10c (jun 1974) |
|||
✓ |
1541 |
10c (jun 1974) |
|||
✓ |
1538 |
10c (jun 1974) |
|||
✓ |
1539 |
10c (jun 1974) |
Footnotes
Spot refers to the postion of the stamp on the album page (e.g., 3.2 indicates row 3, position 2).
Amt. is an abbreviation for the face amount of the stamp.
Own indicates the stamp status: ✓ for unused; ✗ for used or canceled; ⭑ signifies I ordered one; ; ✨ indicates it was bought recently; ✠ means an auction bid is pending; and ◎ is used, and it costs too much for unused.
To search by catalog number, go to the search box and enter it in the catalog number box. However, it’s a bit broken; I need to fix it.
