Inventors On Stamps

Ludwik Lazarus Zamenhof (1859-1917), a Russian physician whose parents were of Lithuanian Jewish descent, was the inventor in 1873 of Esperanto, the most widely spoken constructed international auxiliary language. Here is an image of a stamp featuring a portrait of Dr. Zamenhof, printed by photogravure, and issued by Brazil on March 10, 1960 to commemorate the inventor's birth centenary, Scott No. 905, plus an image of a photograph of L.L. Zamenhof in 1908.

- nethryk

This 2013 mexican issue is illustrated with drawings from Thomas Edison's patent for the electric light bulb.

Dom Prokop Diviš (1698-1765) was a Czech canon regular, theologian and natural scientist who was the inventor of the first grounded lightning rod. Here are images of the two similar stamps in a set featuring a portrait of Diviš and depicting his lightning rod, designed by Czech artist Cyril Bouda (1901-1984), engraved by Bohdan Roule, and issued by Czechoslovakia on June 15, 1954 to commemorate the bicentenary of Prokop Diviš's invention, Scott Nos. 661 & 662.

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Happy Birthday to Benjamin Franklin (1706-1790), one of the Founding Fathers of the United States, and a renowned polymath. As an inventor, he is best known for the lightning rod, bifocals, and the Franklin stove. Here is an image of an engraved airmail stamp honoring Benjamin Franklin, and issued by Cuba on October 5, 1956 to commemorate the 250th anniversary of his birth, Scott No. C150, plus an image of a painted portrait of Ben Franklin by French artist Joseph-Siffred Duplessis (1725-1802).

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Here is an image of a stamp depicting the 1892 patent (No. 4066) diagram for the adjustable spanner (wrench), invented by Swedish industrialist Johan Petter Johansson (1853-1943), designed by Swedish artist Eve Ede, engraved by Martin Mörck, and issued by Sweden on April 25, 1983 as a EUROPA stamp, Scott No. 1461, Facit No. 1255, plus a photo of J.P. Johansson holding another of his inventions, the plumber wrench. Note the adjustable spanner in his breast pocket!

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Josef Madersperger (1768-1850) was an Austrian tailor and one of the inventors of the sewing machine. Here is an image of a stamp featuring a portrait of Madersperger and depicting his invention, the "Sewing Hand" (1825) designed by Austrian artist Wilhelm Dachauer (1881-1951), engraved by Ferdinand Lorber (1883-1957), and issued by Austria on October 2, 1950 to commemorate the centenary of the inventor's death, Scott No. 571, plus images of a portrait of Josef Madersperger which was surely a model for this stamp's design, and of a photo of his invention.

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Johann Alois Senefelder (1771-1834) was a German actor and playwright who invented the printing technique of lithography in 1796. Here is an image of a stamp featuring a portrait of Senefelder, along with a se-tenant label depicting diagrams of his invention, designed by Slovakian artist Ivan Schurmann (1935- ), combined engraved by Miloš Ondrácek (1936- ) and photogravure, and issued by Czechoslovakia on February 18, 1991, Scott No. 2824, plus an image of a lithograph portrait of Alois Senefelder from Specimens of Polyautography. Bonus: Signature.

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Juan Vucetich (1858-1925) was a Croatian-born Argentine anthropologist and police official who pioneered the use of fingerprinting to identify criminals. Vucetich's method was adopted by the Argentine police, and soon spread among police forces all over the world. Here is an image of a stamp featuring a portrait of the inventor, designed by Horacio Álvarez Boero, printed by photogravure, and issued by Argentina on October 6, 1962, Scott No. 741, plus an image of a photograph of Juan Vucetich.

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Édouard Belin (1876-1963) was a French inventor who in 1907 invented a phototelegraphic apparatus called the Bélinographe, a system for sending photographs over telephone and telegraphic networks. Here is an image of a semi-postal (charity) stamp honoring Belin, designed by Pierre Béquet, engraved by Claude Hertenberger, and issued by France on June 24, 1972, Scott No. B456, Y&T No. 1708, plus a photograph of Édouard Belin receiving a telephotograph with his invention. Just the FAX, M'am!

- nethryk

Happy Birthday to Reverend William Webb Ellis (1806-1872), an Anglican clergyman and the alleged inventor of rugby football whilst a pupil at Rugby School. Here is an image of a stamp featuring a portrait of Ellis and depicting several rugby players, designed and engraved by French artist Pierre Forget (1923-2005), and issued by Monaco on April 30, 1973 to commemorate the 150th anniversary of the invention of rugby, Scott No. 877, plus a photo of the statue of William Webb Ellis at Rugby School, Warwickshire, England.

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Jan Józef Ignacy Lukasiewicz (1822-1882) was a Polish pharmacist and petroleum industry pioneer who was the inventor of the modern kerosene lamp, and in 1856 built the world's first oil refinery. Here is an image of a stamp featuring a portrait of the inventive industrialist and depicting a lamp, designed by Polish artist Waldemar Andrzejewski (1934-1993), and issued by Poland on March 22, 1982, Scott No. 2508, plus an image of a painted portrait of Ignacy Lukasiewicz by Polish artist Andrzej Grabowski (1833-1886).

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János Irinyi (1817-1895) was a Hungarian chemist and inventor of the noiseless and non-explosive match. Here is an image of a stamp honoring the inventor, designed by Hungarian artist Sándor Légrády (1906-1987), printed by photogravure, and issued by Hungary on December 5, 1954, Scott No. 1102, plus an image of a portrait of János Irinyi which was surely a model for this stamp's design. Note: Irinyi's birth and death years are erroneously indicated, respectively, as 1819 and 1865 on the stamp!

- nethryk

Happy Birthday to Ányos István Jedlik (1800-1895), a Hungarian inventor, engineer, physicist, and Benedictine priest who in 1828 demonstrated the first device containing the three main components of practical direct current motors: the stator, rotor, and commutator. Here is an image of a stamp honoring the inventor, designed by Hungarian artist Sándor Légrády (1906-1987), printed by photogravure, and issued by Hungary on December 5, 1954, Scott No. 1100, plus images of the portrait of Ányos Jedlik which was probably the model (in mirror image) for this stamp's design, and of his electric motor.

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Friedrich Otto Schott (1851-1935) was a German chemist, glass technologist, the inventor of borosilicate glass, and a co-founder of Schott & Associates Glass Technology Laboratory in Jena. Here is an image of a stamp honoring Schott, designed by German artist Jochen Bertholdt (1936- ), printed by lithography, and issued by East Germany (DDR) on January 10, 1984 to commemorate the centenary of Jenaer Glas, Scott No. 2389, Michel No. 2848, plus a photograph of Dr. Otto Schott. Bonus: Signature.

- nethryk