Collecting By Engraver

Glenn - Thank you for the improved image of the die proof which shows that its engraver had style. I particularly like the way the engraver dealt with the facial features of the person. The poor resolution of the first image played havoc with the engraving when magnified.

August 11th, 1943 fell on a Wednesday. What major WWII events in 1943 had preceded the date? The German public had been informed about the failure at Stalingrad in early February 1943, the Africa Corps had capitulated in North Africa in May 1943, and finally, in July 1943, the Allies had invaded Sicily, Operation Citadel had failed in Russia and Operation Gomorrah had begun to devastate Hamburg. That was the setting for the die proof.

As for the German stamp scene, the names of five German stamp engravers had been disclosed for the first time with the German Wehrmacht issue of March 21, 1943 (Michel Nos. 831-842, see lithograving's post of 11/17/2012 7:46 pm on p. 76 of this thread) but only two of them reappeared later on, that of Leon Schnell (1888-1961) - only once in 1944, and that of Jan Piwczyk (1897-1972) - once more in 1943 and three times in 1944, both continuing to work for the Berlin Bundesdruckerei after WWII. The names of B. Chabada, W. Göritz and W. Hertz never appeared again.

Of the three Austrian engravers working for the State Printer in Vienna, Arthur Schuricht (1882-1945) engraved two more stamps in 1943 and another in 1944 and died in 1945, while both Ferdinand Lorber (1883-1957) and Rudolf Zenziger (1891-1978) engraved two more stamps each in 1943 and both of them continued working for the Vienna Österrechische Staatsdruckerei after the war.

Note the difference between the products of the Berlin Reichsdruckerei and the Vienna Staatsdruckerei, the former using the Goebel printing machine (with the Bogenzähler salvage marking or an extension hole showing sheet number), the latter using the Koenig & Bauer one (no extension hole showing sheet number). As the Viennese process required no tempering, no copying under enormous pressure to a transfer roll, it was capable of reproducing a much more delicate, finer line than the Berlin transfer process required for the Goebel printing machines.

Florian, I am most grateful for the extensive information setting the scene for my die proof, which has quickly become a favourite item of mine. I hope to be able to replicate the image quality seen in scans by Nethryk and others once I acquire my new scanner. GLENN MORGAN

Czech engraver Bohumil Šneider (1936- ) graduated from the High School of Fine Art and also attended the Special Fine Art School in Prague. During his career, which began at the State Printing Works in 1969, Šneider has engraved postage stamps and banknotes for Czechoslovakia, the Czech Republic, Slovakia and other countries. Here are images of four examples of Šneider's engraving skill on stamps designed by various artists, and printed by combined engraving and photogravure.

- nethryk

View of Olomouc, designed by Jirí Bouda, and issued by Czech Republic on July 1, 1993, Scott No. 2892.


World Cup (Soccer), designed by S. Mydlo, and issued by Slovakia on June 10, 1994, Scott No. 182.


"Suppressed Laughter," a sculpture by Franz Xaver Messerschmidt (1736-1783), a German-Austrian sculptor most famous for his "character heads," a collection of busts with faces contorted in extreme facial expressions, issued by Slovakia on October 5, 1996, Scott No. 259.


Stove from Šternberk Castle, designed by Michal Vitanovský, and issued by Czech Republic on October 15, 2008, Scott No. 3399.

Elsa Catelin (1975- ) is a French artist and engraver who was educated at the Université de Haute-Bretagne (Rennes II) and at l'école Estienne. In 2004, she began designing and engraving postage stamps for France and other francophone postal authorities. Here are images of four examples of Catelin's engraving work on stamps designed by various artists, including one she designed herself.

- nethryk

Thionville, Moselle, designed by Elsa Catelin, and issued by France on September 16, 2006, Scott No. 3196, Y&T No. 3952.


Delamaire Farm, designed by Jean Claireaux, and issued for use in Saint Pierre and Miquelon on September 8, 2007, Scott No. 847.
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Marcel Kroenlein Arboretum, 20th anniversary, designed by Gérard Haton Gauthier, and issued by Monaco on January 3, 2008, Scott No. 2481.


Little Africa Gardens, designed by Richard Seren, and issued by Monaco on July 1, 2010, Scott No. 2603.

Florian,

was the Goebel-press reel-fed and the Koebau sheet-fed??? I read it that the Goebel plates were prepared using a transfer-roll [molette] and the Koebau using the galvano-process?

groetjes, Rein

For the after-war German stamps only two names pop-up in the Michel Spezial as engravers: Leon Schnell and Jan Piwczyk!

What does that mean???? There were no other engravers? Michel does not know or care? All stamps in recess without a name were NOT engraved but etched!?

A similar thing goes for the Netherlands! Most of the after-war recess stamps had been printed using plates prepared by etching!! An occasional "engraver" made a lovely mess in 1979... Until we met Inge Madlé ! :)

groetjes, Rein

the Africa Gardens stamp is nice -- I like the greens.

Hello, Rein,

What I know about Österrechische Staatsdruckerei engraved stamps printed in the 1950s is based on an article published in No.5/1957 of the Czechoslovak bimonthly Filatelie reporting a guided tour of the postage stamp printing section of the Österreichische Staatsdruckerei Wien, which I tried to summarize in my post of 10/04/2012 06:12 am on p. 67 of this thread.

A similar experience might have been described in "A Visit to the State Printing Works, Vienna", G N Moriss, Stamp Magazine [GB], March 1956 mentioned on Glenn Morgan's
http://www.stampprinters.info/SPI_B....htm#AUSTRIA

It would be interesting to compare the two reports. My rendering of the the former can prove to be be less accurate as I am an amateur only.

Some of the recent developments in OeSD are described on http://www.post.at/privat_briefmark..._lexikon.php

Unfortunately, in order to get a clear picture we have to rely on our inferences from occasional disclosures by other sources. I think your conjectures about the printing machines are right and similar to mine.

Quote from Galeoptix: A similar thing goes for the Netherlands! Most of the after-war recess stamps had been printed using plates prepared by etching!


Rein: This is what I thought studying the Netherlands 1956 Rembrandt series.

However, the quality of, for example, the 1949 VOOR HET KIND stamps engraved by Hubert Levigne does look much the same as that of the stamps engraved by him in the pre-war period. Did you really mean what you said?

On the other hand, I quite agree with you that, for example, recent Italian or French stamps (or those of French provenance) engraved by computer graphics are a far cry from the classic hand-engraved ones.

Even if I quite enjoy (as KirkS does) the colour scheme of Monaco's Little Africa Gardens shown above by nethryk, which reminds me of the palette of tender, lovely greens around me at this stage of spring. (I really am looking forward to my tomorrow's walk in the country.)

Best wishes, Florian

Florian,

I will publish the Dutch stamps here there have been etched!

The 1956 Summer stamps are one of the worst examples! Etched and split up in tiny dots in the same manner as photogravure by using a screen!

But even that can not stand up against the barbarians who did this!


How bad a nicely engraved design can be damaged!



At the left the stamp engraved by René Cottet, at the right its modification:






The screen points still had been nicely "engraved" - or rather etched photomechanically .....

groetjes, Rein

Screened recess was used quite frequently by the Joh. Enschedé Security Printing Works in Haarlem during the 1950-ies uptil the 1970-ies!


A few examples!

The Netherlands Stamp Exhibition Amphilex 1967:





Practically all Joh. Enschedé productions for Luxemburg in the 1950ies-1970ies had etched plates!

Luxemburg Roman Art in 1973:

The Luxemburg stamp also had the Giori process!








Note the blue spots in the letters "U", "X", etc. :)


The best way to see it is by keeping the stamps 45 degrees turned!! That goes for most stamps when you want to see screens!! Turn your head!

All together now: "Gimme that old time engraving, it's good enough for me!"

Phillip Goodwyn Hall (1905-1979) was a British engraver who studied at the Kingston Art School in Surrey. He served his apprenticeship and spent his early career at Bradbury, Wilkinson & Co, Ltd. Eventually, Hall also worked at both Waterlow & Sons and at Thomas De La Rue & Co. Here are images of five examples of Hall's engraving work for various British Commonwealth postal authorities. The first four stamps were printed by Bradbury, Wilkinson, the last one by Waterlow & Sons.

- nethryk

Temple of the Tooth, Kandy, issued for use in Ceylon on January 15, 1938, Scott No. 284.


Sigiriya (Lion Rock), issued for use in Ceylon on February 1, 1938, Scott No. 281.


Arrival of the Maoris, 1350, designed by New Zealand commercial artist Leonard Cornwall Mitchell (1901-1971), and issued by New Zealand on January 2, 1940, Scott No. 229.


Upland Goose or Magellan Goose (Chloephaga picta), designed by Falklands artist George Roberts, and issued for use in Falkland Islands on June 15, 1949, Scott No. 101.


Postal mule cart and motor van, issued for use in Jamaica on January 4, 1960 to commemorate the centenary of postal service in the West Indies, Scott No. 179.

KGVI makes my knees weak

Phil Hall was a vignette engraver; Here are two photographs of Phil at his desk at Bradbury; the New Zealand stamp being engraved will give an approximate date to the photograph; the calendar on the wall has 29 days = February = a leap year; I have not been able to get the exact date; the 1940 Centennial stamp was issued in 1940 = photo is from February 1940;
The Canterbury Centennial stamps were issued in November 1950 = Hall would have been engraving the die in early 1950; again, I do not have the exact date the photo was taken. Sharp eyed readers will note that Phil is not wearing glasses in the 1950 photograph; was this just an archival photo? I doubt it; the art work would have been sent back to the party controlling the contract in London = correct period of early 1950, but perhaps taken when Phil was not required to concentrate on the engraving, but a set-up to capture the moment; most unfortunate that light falls on the die and obscures the surface rendering it impossible to know which one of the two parts to the stamp was on the die.
Phil had disagreement with management at Brads and quit; he worked free lance during latter part of his career;

*imagines Kirk swooning dramatically* "What a DREAMBOAT!"