Explorers

Oops ! I did not realize this was an older thread..oh well, two Shackleton items are better than none !

Juan Sebastián Elcano (1476-1526) was a Spanish Basque explorer who is best known for completing the first circumnavigation of the world. As Ferdinand Magellan's second in command, Elcano took over after Magellan's death in the Philippines. During the homeward voyage in the expedition's sole surviving ship, the Victoria, Elcano discovered Amsterdam Island on March 18, 1522 (although he did not name it). Here are images of the two stamps in a set commemorating Elcano's discovery of the island, designed and engraved by Claude Andréotto, and issued for use in French Southern and Antarctic Territories in 1979, Scott Nos. 87 & 88.

- nethryk

Juan Sebastián Elcano


The Victoria

Samuel de Champlain (1567?-1635), "The Father of New France," was a French navigator, cartographer, draftsman, soldier, explorer, geographer, ethnologist, diplomat, and chronicler. Here is an image of a semi-postal (charity) stamp featuring a "portrait" of Champlain, designed and engraved by Albert Decaris, and issued by France on June 9, 1956, Scott No. B305, Y&T No. 1068. Note: No authentic portrait of Champlain is known to exist.

- nethryk

Nine Polar explorers.

Scott USA 1359 issued 9 October 1968 honoring eleventh century explorer Leif Erikson.

Here are images of the three stamps in a set commemorating the bicentenary of the circumnavigation of the world by an expedition led by French admiral and explorer Louis-Antoine, Comte de Bougainville (1729-1811), designed and engraved by Jacques Combet, and issued for use in New Hebrides Condominium (now the independent nation of Vanuatu) on May 5, 1968, Scott Nos. 143-45.

- nethryk

Globe and a world map showing route of Bougainville's voyage.


French Navy sailing ships used during the expedition: The frigate La Boudeuse and the fluyt L'Étoile, and a map showing the location of Bougainville Strait, Vanuatu.



Portrait of Bougainville, a ship's figurehead and a bougainvillea flower.

Ok, its time to bring out the big guns ! This is one of my 3 favorite items in my collections...French Polynesia c47a discovery of Tahiti by Bougainville !

Although some would call Alexander von Humbolt just "a traveller", rather than a "explorer", he broke new ground on field sciences. So I think he deserves a place on this thread.

Diogo Cão (c.1452-c.1486) was a Portuguese navigator and explorer who made two voyages to the west coast of Africa as far as Namibia in the 1480s. He was also the first European to explore the Congo River. Here is an image of a stamp featuring a portrait of Cão, designed by Portuguese artist Jaime Martins Barata (1899-1970), possibly after an old Portuguese escudo bill, engraved by Robert George Godbehear, printed by Bradbury, Wilkinson & Co., Ltd., and issued by Portugal on July 29, 1945 as the high value in a set of eight stamps honoring Portuguese navigators, Scott No. 649.

- nethryk

1940 New Zealand Abel Tasman, op "Official"

André-Frank Liotard (1905-1982) was a French explorer of the Antarctic region who led scientific expeditions to Adelie Island in 1948-1951. Here is an image of a stamp featuring a portrait of Liotard dressed for the great outdoors, designed and engraved by Pierre Béquet, and issued for use in French Southern and Antarctic Territories on January 1, 1985, Scott No. 117.

- nethryk

Jacques Marquette, French Jesuit missionary and explorer of the upper Mississippi River. Scott USA 1356.

Gustav Nachtigal (1834-1885) was a German explorer of Central and West Africa. Like Heinrich Barth (honored on a stamp previously posted in this thread), Nachtigal was primarily interested in ethnography, and additionally in tropical medicine. His works stand out because of their wealth of details and above all because of his unbiased convictions about Africans. Here is an image of an airmail stamp featuring a portrait of Gustav Nachtigal, a map, a caduceus, and a view in the Tibesti Mountains, of which he was the first European explorer, designed by Pierre Béquet, engraved by Michel Monvoisin, and issued by Chad on February 17, 1969, Scott No. C49, plus an undated photo of the explorer.

- nethryk

Here is a series of colourful explorer . There is a school (francaise) in Toronto to honour Etienne Brule

stamps from Canada

The French Memorial Fountain in Hobart, Tasmania was created in 1972 by Tasmanian sculptor Stephen Walker (1927- ) to mark the bicentenary of the first of a number of French voyages of discovery that visited Tasmania. Here is an image of a stamp depicting the sculpture, and listing these explorers names, designed by Jacques Gauthier, engraved by Jean Pheulpin, and issued for use in French Southern and Antarctic Territories on January 1, 1979, Scott No. 81.

- nethryk