cursus
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Posts: 1,770
What I collect: Catalan Cinderellas. Used Switzerland, UK, Scandinavia, Germany & Austria. Postal History of Barcelona & Estonia. Catalonia pictorial postmarks.
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Post by cursus on May 27, 2020 3:31:25 GMT
As there are a number of nice cinderellas issued in Catalonia that don't fit in the existent threads, and I would like to show you, and I have material enough to have this running for years, I decide to open this thread devoted to Catalan cinderellas.
I would like to start with some cinderellas which hold a special meaning for me. They were issued in Gràcia, now a Barcelona district, but for many years an independent village. Most of its character (of "our character"!) has reached our days. In all Catalan villages and towns, it's traditional to hold a summer celebration. Related to harvest, we call it "Festa Major".
In Gràcia, the tradition since about 200 years ago is to ornate streets and squares. This decoration is made and founded by the neighbours of each street. The results, can be very beautiful. To organize all, committes are set. For getting money for the Festa Major, people resort to a number of ways, like selling "stamps" or cinderellas.
For the August 1936 Festa Major there was issued a very nice cinderella, showing the "civic" (not-religious) belfry of Gràcia's main square. It was issued of ten units booklets sold for 1 pesseta (our currency up to 2002). So the value of each "stamp" was 10 cents (cèntims, for us).
Due to the tragic events of July 19th (militar uprising, leading to 1936/39 war) the Festa Major had to be cancelled and the money went to the building of underground shelters to protect Gràcia's people from the foe's bombing.
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cursus
Member
Posts: 1,770
What I collect: Catalan Cinderellas. Used Switzerland, UK, Scandinavia, Germany & Austria. Postal History of Barcelona & Estonia. Catalonia pictorial postmarks.
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Post by cursus on May 27, 2020 3:52:29 GMT
For whatever reason, I could not upload images on the previous post. So I had to made another one
We know it in 3 colours
Why these humble cinderellas hold a special meaning to me? These people preparing their summer celebration were my grandparents, among many others. These children, being sheltered from bombs, were my mother and her sister and brother. I can recall histories being told of bombing. And, you can nowadays visit the underground shelters. One, next to the nice square where, two years ago, I had the pleasure of sharing a beer with someone who's certainly reading this.
For this reason I wished to use these cinderellas to start this thread devoted to Catalonia cinderellas. More, with happier subjects, to come.
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cursus
Member
Posts: 1,770
What I collect: Catalan Cinderellas. Used Switzerland, UK, Scandinavia, Germany & Austria. Postal History of Barcelona & Estonia. Catalonia pictorial postmarks.
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Post by cursus on May 28, 2020 4:34:40 GMT
The Carrer Petritxol, is a tiny street in the medieval Barcelona, close to the Gothic church of Nostra Senyora del Pi (Our Lady of the Pine tree). An area, developed between the XII and XV centuries, but most now standing buidings date from the XVIII and XIX ones. The street has kept a very strong Barcelona character.
In 1956, there was commisioned a sheet of nice wood-engraved cinderellas showing some aspects of the street's history. The work was done by Ricard Vives i Sabaté.
The text, is in Spanish, as it was compulsory during the 1939/75 dictatorship. But, if you look closely to the cinderellas (and are familiar with our city and its history) you can see the underground, resistant Catalonia, alive even on its darkest hour. We'll see that on a later post.
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cursus
Member
Posts: 1,770
What I collect: Catalan Cinderellas. Used Switzerland, UK, Scandinavia, Germany & Austria. Postal History of Barcelona & Estonia. Catalonia pictorial postmarks.
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Post by cursus on May 28, 2020 11:05:58 GMT
The first cinderella, shows a pine tree with the letters "P" and "I". Which is the name of the said plant in Catalan (in Spanish is "pino") as the church is been first built nearby a pine tree, most like from the species Pinus pinea, very common on this area. Ar both sides of the tree, we can see the symbols of industry (cog-wheels) commerce (Hermes & caduceus) and arts (a painter in action).
On the second cinderella it can be seen "Our Lady of la Mercè", one of the three patronesses of Barcelona, under whose advocation the carrer Petritxol was placed. For this reason, the arms of the Holy Order of la Mercè (a cross over four stripes) are placed at the upper right and lower left corners. The arms of Barcelona are on the other two corners.
The portrait of the third cinderella is that of Santiago Rusiñol (Barcelona, 1861 - Aranjuez, Spain, 1931). Writer, modernist painter and cultural activist, who many times hung his paintings at the Sala Parés Art Room of carrer Petritxol.
Angel Guimerà (Santa Cruz d Tenerife, Spain, 1845 - Barcelona, 1924). Play-writter, poet, as well as cultural activist and Catalonia's Freedom fighter. He lived at the end of his life at carrer Petritxol.
Pompeu Gener, known as "Peius" (Barcelona, 1846-1920), writter, cultural activist and Catalan Freedom fighter. He lived at carrer Petritxol.
Joan Parés (Vilanova i la Geltrú, 1812 - Barcelona, 1889) Merchant, who in 1840 founded an artsware shop at carrer Petritxol, which became the first Barcelona arts exhibition room, known since then as "Sala Parés". There, many Catalan painters, from Rusiñol to Salvador Dalí have hung their works over the years and up to now.
Enric Clarasó (Sant Feliu del Racó, 1857 - Barcelona, 1941). Modernist sculptor and cultural activist, good friend of Rusiñol and Casas. He often had his works at Sala Parés.
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cursus
Member
Posts: 1,770
What I collect: Catalan Cinderellas. Used Switzerland, UK, Scandinavia, Germany & Austria. Postal History of Barcelona & Estonia. Catalonia pictorial postmarks.
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Post by cursus on May 29, 2020 4:10:43 GMT
Ramon Casas (Barcelona, 1866-1932). Perhaps, the greatest Catalan Modernist painter of portraits and posters (some, leading to outstanding poster-stamps!), cultural activist and "bon vivant". A supplier of Sala Parés.
Leandro F. de Moratín (Madrid, Spain, 1760 - Paris, France, 1828). Spanish writer. He spend some years exiled in Barcelona and lived in carrer Petritxol, which he hated. Most likely "the Spanish quota" (those were the times!) of this cinderella sheet.
Views of carrer Petritxol, at different moments of the day. A dark, narrow street!:
Even at mid-day!
A "goig" ("gozo" in Spanish) is a song to be sung to honour a Virgin or a saint; very typical of Catalan Catholicism. On this poster-stamp, we can see a goig in honour of Our Lady of la Mercè. We can see that the "goig" is written in Catalan: "Goigs en llaor de la Mare de Déu de la Mercè". A symbol of Catalan resistance.
Goig in honour of carrer Petritxol. Also written in Catalan: "Goig en llaor de l'antic carrer de Petritxol". Goigs, are so popular in Catalonia, that there's even an association of collectors of these, that makes special editions of goigs.
To end, a decoration on a wall of carrer de Petritxol
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cursus
Member
Posts: 1,770
What I collect: Catalan Cinderellas. Used Switzerland, UK, Scandinavia, Germany & Austria. Postal History of Barcelona & Estonia. Catalonia pictorial postmarks.
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Post by cursus on Jun 1, 2020 10:43:23 GMT
Another cinderella with a special meaning for me: 50 years of Club de Natació Barcelona (Barcelona's Swimming Club), one of the oldest and most famous of our city. My late father was a keen member up to his death, going there nearly every day. For us, it was just "the club".
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Londonbus1
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Cinderella Stamp Club Member 3059
Posts: 4,872
What I collect: Cinderellas and some Ephemera from Great Britain, France and Israel plus a few beautiful bits from elsewhere !! Topical interests include Flags & Judaica, the latter with an emphasis on the Jewish National Fund.
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Post by Londonbus1 on Jun 2, 2020 19:45:26 GMT
Souvenir sheets issued by the Catalan Government Propaganda department, 1936-39. Also issued as a fund-raiser.
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ameis33
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What's in a name? That which we call a rose, by any other name would smell as sweet
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Post by ameis33 on Jun 2, 2020 21:17:31 GMT
Sometimes we refer to these things as fund-raising lables... Just i wonder if some of the actual stamps could be considered as a fund-raising label too...
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cursus
Member
Posts: 1,770
What I collect: Catalan Cinderellas. Used Switzerland, UK, Scandinavia, Germany & Austria. Postal History of Barcelona & Estonia. Catalonia pictorial postmarks.
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Post by cursus on Jun 3, 2020 3:13:13 GMT
Well, I would say that 95% of current stamp issues by "serious countries" are just fund raising labels. Anyway, the production of the Comissariat de Propaganda de la Generalitat de Catalunya (posters, films, magazines, cinderellas...) are of such a quality, that we speak about a "good taste revolution". An exhibition on that was held some years ago at the Catalonia's History Museum and a number of books have been printed.
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cursus
Member
Posts: 1,770
What I collect: Catalan Cinderellas. Used Switzerland, UK, Scandinavia, Germany & Austria. Postal History of Barcelona & Estonia. Catalonia pictorial postmarks.
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Post by cursus on Jun 4, 2020 4:11:39 GMT
Penya Rhin, 1936. Car races on a Barcelona city circuit. Just before the 1936/39 war. It was run on the Pedralbes circuit. Today, this area is the main South gate to Barcelona, with universities and high standard housing. By 1936 and up to 1955, just "the end of the city".
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cursus
Member
Posts: 1,770
What I collect: Catalan Cinderellas. Used Switzerland, UK, Scandinavia, Germany & Austria. Postal History of Barcelona & Estonia. Catalonia pictorial postmarks.
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Post by cursus on Jun 5, 2020 2:34:13 GMT
Cinderellas issued on Nov. 1957 for an exhibition held at Barcelona's Catalonia and Balearic Islands Savingd Bank (now, Caixabank) then main premises (Via Laietana), commemorating the 50 years of Catalonia's first pro-tuberculose seal, in 1907.
Book of the exhibition, with information on fight against tuberculose and pro-tuberculose seals (not easy to find!)
I like the image on the back page, with the children and Barcelona's buildings, as I was born there just a few months later that the exhibition.
And, to end, the original 1907 cinderella. A Modernist one (much enlarged). On the lady's tablet you can read: "People's health is always my law".
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Londonbus1
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Cinderella Stamp Club Member 3059
Posts: 4,872
What I collect: Cinderellas and some Ephemera from Great Britain, France and Israel plus a few beautiful bits from elsewhere !! Topical interests include Flags & Judaica, the latter with an emphasis on the Jewish National Fund.
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Post by Londonbus1 on Jun 5, 2020 13:00:48 GMT
cursus.....That is a very beautiful sheet and folder, thanks for showing it. A real keeper ! While I am here..............
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cursus
Member
Posts: 1,770
What I collect: Catalan Cinderellas. Used Switzerland, UK, Scandinavia, Germany & Austria. Postal History of Barcelona & Estonia. Catalonia pictorial postmarks.
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Post by cursus on Jun 8, 2020 15:32:29 GMT
1977/78 & 1978/79 Pro-Turberculoses cinderella sheets in Esperanto and Catalan, issued by the Philatelic Club of el Vendrell (80 km South of Barcelona) with drawings from the artist Joan Junceda (Barcelona, 1881 - Blanes, catalonia, 1948).
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cursus
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Posts: 1,770
What I collect: Catalan Cinderellas. Used Switzerland, UK, Scandinavia, Germany & Austria. Postal History of Barcelona & Estonia. Catalonia pictorial postmarks.
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Post by cursus on Jun 11, 2020 17:45:12 GMT
1911 Catalonia's general Exhibition at Vilanova i la Geltrú (60 km South of Barcelona). A Modernist cinderella by Joan Llaverias printed at Oliva de Vilanova works. On the background, it can be seen the library-museum Víctor Balaguer of Vilanova.
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Londonbus1
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Cinderella Stamp Club Member 3059
Posts: 4,872
What I collect: Cinderellas and some Ephemera from Great Britain, France and Israel plus a few beautiful bits from elsewhere !! Topical interests include Flags & Judaica, the latter with an emphasis on the Jewish National Fund.
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Post by Londonbus1 on Jun 14, 2020 19:47:00 GMT
Maybe cursus can tell me if 'Madelon' is a reference to the WW1 French propaganda song ? I have been looking but came up blank so far.
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cursus
Member
Posts: 1,770
What I collect: Catalan Cinderellas. Used Switzerland, UK, Scandinavia, Germany & Austria. Postal History of Barcelona & Estonia. Catalonia pictorial postmarks.
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Post by cursus on Jun 14, 2020 20:06:08 GMT
Yes Michael. For sure it's a reference to the French WWI song "La Madelon".
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cursus
Member
Posts: 1,770
What I collect: Catalan Cinderellas. Used Switzerland, UK, Scandinavia, Germany & Austria. Postal History of Barcelona & Estonia. Catalonia pictorial postmarks.
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Post by cursus on Jun 16, 2020 7:49:37 GMT
Barcelona, Catalonia, fall of 1914. Due to the WWI, there's not much work for Catalan printing works. On a time without unemployement pay (like in today's Europe), that meant the misery for ther workers and their families. So, some artists decided to draw some cinderellas, print at a very good printer (Oliva de Vilanova, Barcelona) and collect some money to help.Hence the text "Socors, per a la vaga forçosa" (help for the unvoluntary strike). Some printings are known and identified.
Although, because of altruism, none of the cinderellas is signed, we (the people studying Catalan cinderellas) have managed to identify most authors. The "stamps" have a face value of 5 cents of pesseta (our currency up to 2001). So, the whole shet, sold for just a pesseta, about 1/166 €. A fraction of today's value.
Perhaps, my favourite one is the iddle printing machine from a drawing by Víctor Oliva, the owner of the printing works.
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cursus
Member
Posts: 1,770
What I collect: Catalan Cinderellas. Used Switzerland, UK, Scandinavia, Germany & Austria. Postal History of Barcelona & Estonia. Catalonia pictorial postmarks.
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Post by cursus on Jun 18, 2020 8:48:28 GMT
Barcelona, October 1948, 100 years of the first Iberian railway running between the Catalan cities of Barcelona and Mataró (35 km NE). We know the sheet in brown, green, red and purple.
The promoter: Miquel Biada i Sunyol (Mataró, 1789-1848)
The English-built "Mataró" engine
The Mataró station
The Catalan coast with the railway
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cursus
Member
Posts: 1,770
What I collect: Catalan Cinderellas. Used Switzerland, UK, Scandinavia, Germany & Austria. Postal History of Barcelona & Estonia. Catalonia pictorial postmarks.
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Post by cursus on Jun 20, 2020 5:05:05 GMT
1936-1939 war. Poster stamp from a poster by Carles Fontseré (Barcelona, 1916 - Girona, 2007) issued by the Catalan Gov. War Propaganda Dep.
The high quality of the Catalan War Propaganda Dep. production (posters, photos, magazines, films...) has led to spaek about "The good taste revolution"
"Freedom" (in Catalan) "Help Spanish People" (in Spanish). The figure of the man, a harvester, is also very symbolic for Catalans, as our anthem is called "Els segadors" (the harvesters). Coming from a 1640 upraisal that lead to the First Catalan Republic. I'm sorry for the quality of the item. It's not an easy cinderella.
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cursus
Member
Posts: 1,770
What I collect: Catalan Cinderellas. Used Switzerland, UK, Scandinavia, Germany & Austria. Postal History of Barcelona & Estonia. Catalonia pictorial postmarks.
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Post by cursus on Jun 23, 2020 6:09:30 GMT
Saint John's Day (Diada de Sant Joan) is considered Catalan Speaking Lands' National Day. So Saint John's Eve bonfires (Focs de Sant Joan) are light all across our land.
On the eve of June 22th, a fire is light by using the sun on the summit of Mount Canigó (now, in Southern France). Is what we call "La Flama del Canigó" (Canigo's Flame) and is distributed to light Saint John's Eve bonfires across all Catalan Speaking Lands on the current South of France, Iberian Peninsula, Balearic and Pitiuse Islands and Sardinia.
Cinderellas issuedin Northern and Southern Catalonias in 1983 and 1982.
On the first vertical cinderella of the first sheet, you can see an oultline of Pau Casals, a well known Catalan music, cello player and patriot who spent some years after the 1936/39 war at Prada de Conflent (Northern Catalonia).
On the third cinderella of the 2nd sheet, there can be seen a map of the Catalan Speaking Lands, on the Western bank of the Meidterranean Sea.
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cursus
Member
Posts: 1,770
What I collect: Catalan Cinderellas. Used Switzerland, UK, Scandinavia, Germany & Austria. Postal History of Barcelona & Estonia. Catalonia pictorial postmarks.
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Post by cursus on Jun 27, 2020 17:16:02 GMT
Barcelona, October 1958. Stamp & Coin Exhibition on the les Corts district. The cinderellas (also issued on pink/red) show different landmarks of the area: the town council of the old town of les Corts de Sarrià (annexed to Barcelona on 1897), a street of the old village showing the church tower, and old pine tree on the middle of the street (still standing there, after more than 60 years!) and a typical Catalan country house (still there, surrounded by modern buildings).
Very close to the last item, the stadium of Football Club Barcelona was built in 1957. Too new for old philatelics to care!
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cursus
Member
Posts: 1,770
What I collect: Catalan Cinderellas. Used Switzerland, UK, Scandinavia, Germany & Austria. Postal History of Barcelona & Estonia. Catalonia pictorial postmarks.
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Post by cursus on Jun 30, 2020 3:40:28 GMT
Barcelona January 1917. Catalonia's Rowing Championship organised by the Centre Autonomista de Dependents del Comerç i de la Industria (Catalonia's White Collar Workers Union) on Barcelona's harbour, under the auspices of Catalan Governement.
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cursus
Member
Posts: 1,770
What I collect: Catalan Cinderellas. Used Switzerland, UK, Scandinavia, Germany & Austria. Postal History of Barcelona & Estonia. Catalonia pictorial postmarks.
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Post by cursus on Jul 3, 2020 4:17:00 GMT
In 1932/34 Barcelona's Tourism Board issued a series of poster stamps, showing different views of our city, in two colours:
I can easily recognize most places. They haven't changed that much. When so, for the better, as trees have grown and buildings, new by then, now have the age's patina. Some buildings are no longer there, like Colon hotel on the left of the sixth sepia stamp, that used to be the finest of the 1920-30's Barcelona. W. Churchill. once was tere.
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cursus
Member
Posts: 1,770
What I collect: Catalan Cinderellas. Used Switzerland, UK, Scandinavia, Germany & Austria. Postal History of Barcelona & Estonia. Catalonia pictorial postmarks.
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Post by cursus on Jul 5, 2020 10:58:01 GMT
Perfumes Dana, Barcelona, around 1970. Gold-embossed cinderella
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cursus
Member
Posts: 1,770
What I collect: Catalan Cinderellas. Used Switzerland, UK, Scandinavia, Germany & Austria. Postal History of Barcelona & Estonia. Catalonia pictorial postmarks.
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Post by cursus on Jul 9, 2020 17:49:55 GMT
Cinderella, issued on October 1971 by Barcelona's province body to commemorate the 400 years of the Christian fleet beating the Turks at the Lepanto battle. Many ships of the fleet were built at Catalan shipyards, including the flagship "Galera Real". A life-size replica of the later can be seen since 1971 al Barcelona's Sea Museum, located at the old shipyard.
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cursus
Member
Posts: 1,770
What I collect: Catalan Cinderellas. Used Switzerland, UK, Scandinavia, Germany & Austria. Postal History of Barcelona & Estonia. Catalonia pictorial postmarks.
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Post by cursus on Jul 17, 2020 8:43:13 GMT
Around 1929 it was issued this poster stamp sheet with many Barcelona landmarks as well as a few from other places in Catalonia:
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cursus
Member
Posts: 1,770
What I collect: Catalan Cinderellas. Used Switzerland, UK, Scandinavia, Germany & Austria. Postal History of Barcelona & Estonia. Catalonia pictorial postmarks.
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Post by cursus on Jul 19, 2020 9:21:00 GMT
The stamps showing views from outside Barcelona are:
Roman remains near Tarragona (100 km South of Barcelona)
XIII century cathedral of Lleida (170 km West of Barcelona). By then, a Spanish army barracks, now a heritage site and museum.
Sitges (40 km SW of Barcelona) a nice sea-side village
View of the hills range at the back of Barcelona city, the Serra de Collcerola and the "peak" of Tibidabo.
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cursus
Member
Posts: 1,770
What I collect: Catalan Cinderellas. Used Switzerland, UK, Scandinavia, Germany & Austria. Postal History of Barcelona & Estonia. Catalonia pictorial postmarks.
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Post by cursus on Jul 23, 2020 4:28:53 GMT
A much modern cinderella (actually, 22 years old!)issued for the 1998 "Spanish Philately Championship", held at our city's Estació de França (France's Railway Station) in September 1998.
From an idea of my friend Jordi Campderrós (one of the "gurus" of current Catalan philately) and designed and printed by late friend and great philatelist Sebastià Sabaté. It show Barcelona's Font de Canaletes, located at the top of the Rambles we say that the froreigner that drinks water from this fountain is bound to come back to our city. Just a funny thing, as it's just tap water.
A curiousity is that you can see a short-lived version of Barcelona's arms. it was a ill-fated trial of the city council to "modernise" that met the disaproval of most of us. The traditional and current arms of the city of Barcelona, dating from the XIII century (at least) are those from the right half of the below Hospital de la Santa Creu i Sant Pau:
On Barcelona's arms, you can see the alternance of a red cross of a white background (Saint George's Cross) and four red stripes on a yellow field. The cross is the ancestral arms of Catalonia while the four red stripes are those of the Barcelona's counts dinasty, later to become rulers of the whole of Catalonia as well as many other lands. Through the years, the arms of the rulers, became those of the County of Barcelona and from XVIII century, the whole of Catalonia consider "the four stripes" (we call them, "bars") our national arms and flag. So, the arms of the city of Barcelona, actually, symbolize it's role as Catalonia's capital.
The yellow cross on a red field on the left half of the above arms, are the traditional (dating from XV century) arms of the "Hospital de la Santa Creu" ("creu" stands for "cross" in Catalan), that became "Hospital de la Santa Creu i Sant Pau" at the end of XIX century.
Now, there's a state of the art hospital, that bears this name, whose staff is currently bravely facing covid.
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cursus
Member
Posts: 1,770
What I collect: Catalan Cinderellas. Used Switzerland, UK, Scandinavia, Germany & Austria. Postal History of Barcelona & Estonia. Catalonia pictorial postmarks.
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Post by cursus on Jul 25, 2020 10:51:36 GMT
For the Barcelona 1992 Olympics the organizing commitee issued a series of 20 cinderellas showing the Game's mascot, Cobi, playing the different Olympic sports. Although at the beging, not everybody liked Javier Mariscal's creation, it was nevertheless a depart from the "too Disney factory· look of previous mascots, and, at the end, most people from Barcelona loved it. I must say that I was among "the converted".
Barcelona's Stamp and Coins Traders Gild, also issued a commemorative cinderella on their long running series on Catalonia's history and evens,
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cursus
Member
Posts: 1,770
What I collect: Catalan Cinderellas. Used Switzerland, UK, Scandinavia, Germany & Austria. Postal History of Barcelona & Estonia. Catalonia pictorial postmarks.
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Post by cursus on Jul 27, 2020 3:06:27 GMT
Barcelona 1929 International Exhibition. Poster stamp. showing a Romanic (XII century) "Majestat", Catalan wooden representation of Jesus at the Cross.
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