Collecting By Engraver

fifia, cynical & Cjd - Thanks. I'm glad you're enjoying some of my posts in this thread. Austria was fortunate to have been endowed with so many gifted stamp designers and engravers. Like lithograving, I am particularly a great fan of the engraving work of Austria's Hans Ranzoni, Jr. (1896-1991). So, before continuing with our survey of the world's stamp engravers, I'd like to pause for a moment and share with you an image of one of the Ranzoni gems in my collection.

- nethryk

Costume of Vienna, 1850, designed by Professor Josef Seger (1908-1998), engraved by Ranzoni, and issued by Austria on March 13, 1950, Scott No. 556, SG No. 507. Sheer elegance!

I would like to start the New Year off with a special tribute to Pierre Gandon (1899-1990) of France, winner of the Grand Prix de Rome in 1922, who was not only a first rate engraver, but was also an outstanding artist and stamp designer.

Much earlier in this thread, Stallzer posted an image of a used example of the 50f value in this set of four airmail stamps designed and engraved by Pierre Gandon, and issued by France. Here are images of mint examples of the complete set featuring Greek mythological figures and airplanes, Scott Nos. C18-21, Y&T Nos. PA16-19.

- nethryk

Sagittarius, issued on July 1, 1946.


Iris, issued on May 27, 1946.


Zeus (as an eagle) abducting Aegina, issued on January 20, 1947. Note that Scott misidentifies the maiden in question as Hebe, who was Zeus's daughter.


Apollo driving his sun chariot, issued on May 27, 1946.

Here are images of two stamps honoring notable French literary figures, designed and engraved by Pierre Gandon, and issued by Monaco on January 18, 1972, Scott Nos. 818 & 820.

- nethryk

Jean de La Fontaine (1621-1695), a famous fabulist and one of the most widely read French poets of the 17th century. Animals rule!


Charles Baudelaire (1821-1867), poet, essayist and translator whose most famous poetic work is Les Fleurs du mal (The Flowers of Evil). This stamp offers a veritable smorgasbord for topical stamp collectors!

More animals: Here are images of the three airmail stamps in a set designed and engraved by Pierre Gandon depicting different species of lemurs, issued by Malagasy on December 9, 1961, Scott Nos. C67-69, SG Nos. 32-34.

- nethryk

Diademed sifakas (Propithecus diadema)


Indri lemurs (Indri brevicaudatus)


Verreaux's sifaka (Propithecus verreauxi)

Pierre Gandon also produced enchanting stamps depicting buildings; here are images of four examples from France. Again, all stamps were designed and engraved by Gandon.

- nethryk

Abbey of Conques, Aveyron, issued on December 18, 1947, Scott No. 590, Y&T No. 792.


Abbey of Saint-Bertrand-de-Comminges, issued on July 20, 1949, Scott No. 630, Y&T No. 841.


Château of Châteaudun, issued on November 25, 1950, Scott No. 640, Y&T No. 873.


Château de Chambord, issued on May 30, 1952, Scott No. 678, Y&T No. 924.

Pierre Gandon also had a talent for depicting exotic birds in flight. Here are images of three examples from Africa, the first two of which were also designed by Gandon.

- nethryk

Great White Egrets (Ardea alba), issued for use in French West Africa on March 24, 1947, Scott No. C13.


Great White Egret, issued by Togo on January 15, 1959, Scott No. C30.


Lyre-tailed Honeyguide (Melichneutes robustus), designed after an illustration by French naturalist Pierre-Claude Rougeot, and issued by Gabon on May 30, 1961, Scott No. C4.

Absolutely wonderful Nethryk. I have been concentrating on sorting out my France material recently.
Hare are a few recent additions. The first two from the 1949 Citex exibition sheet are also by Gandon followed by three lovely Ceres reprints and lastly the Smile of Reims semi-postal.

AnthonyUK - Thanks, and I like the images you have posted , too.

Here are images of several other stamps featuring various subjects, designed and engraved by Pierre Gandon, which demonstrate his artistic and engraving abilities.

- nethryk

Metal worker, semi-postal stamp issued by France on February 14, 1949, Scott No. B236.


Maryse Bastié (1898-1952), French aviator, airmail stamp issued on June 4, 1955, Scott No. C33, Y&T No. PA34.


Marceline Desbordes-Valmore (1786-1859), French poet, issued by France on June 20, 1959, Scott No. 924, Y&T No. 1214.


Tarn Gorge, Lozère, issued by France on July 10, 1965, Scott No. 1128, Y&T No. 1438.


Balumbu Mask, issued by Congo (People's Republic) on December 12, 1966, Scott No. 153.


Albert Schweitzer (1875-1965), issued by Monaco on May 13, 1975 in celebration of Dr. Schweitzer's birth centenary, Scott No. 969.

Well, I suppose I could go on posting images of stamps designed and engraved by Pierre Gandon all day.

But instead I'll wind up this special tribute now with four more stamps that simply begged me to be included.

- nethryk

Arrival of Sainte Dévote, semi-postal stamp issued by Monaco on December 7, 1944, Scott No. B84, SG No. 301.


Polar expeditions, issued by France on May 2, 1949, Scott No. 611, Y&T No. 829.


Porcelain and crystal glassware, issued by France on May 6, 1954, Scott No. 713, Y&T No. 972.


Soldiers' grave in wheat field, issued by France on November 11, 1958 to commemorate the 40th anniversary of the Armistice ending World War I, Scott No. 895, Y&T No. 1179.

As much as I like engraved French stamps I think it's time
for a change of pace.

Here are some from Czechoslovakia.


Hydrological Decade 1965 - 1974

Designer : Josef Liesler (1912-2005)

Engravers : Josef Hercik (60h, 1.69 k), Ladislav Jirka ( 1k ), Jan Mracek (1.20k) and Jindra Schmidt (2K)

Print process : multicolour engraving



Scott 1931 - 1935 issued in sheets of 4

This mini sheet from 1973 features paintings held in various Czechoslovakian galleries.



Engravers : Jindra Schmidt (1.80k, 2.40k) Josef Hercik (2k, 3.60k)

Print process : combination engraving & photogravure
multicolour engraving

Scott 1910 - 1913








The following site about Czechoslovakian designers & engravers has been mentioned before.
I will post it again in case someone is interested and isn't aware of it's existence.

http://www.batz-hausen.de/stampeng.htm

Czechoslovakia issued this Souvenir Sheet in 1976 for the second anniversary of the
Conference on Security and Cooperation in Europe, held in Helsinki, Finland.



Designer : Vincent Hloznik (1919 - 1997)

Engraver : Josef Hercik (1922 - 1999)

Printing process : combination engraving & photogravure
multicolour engraving


Scott 2076

Zlatko Jakuš (1945- ) is a Croatian postage stamp engraver, but most of the stamps that he has engraved have been for Swedish Post. Here are images of six examples of Jakuš's work on stamps issued by Sweden from the 1970s to the 1990s.

- nethryk

Razorbill auks (Alca torda) and a Black Guillemot (Cepphus grylle), designed by J. Magnusson after a photo by T. Jacobsson, and issued on March 10, 1976, Scott No. 1153, Facit No. 954A.


Atlantic herrings (Clupea harengus) age determination, booklet stamp designed by Tom Hultgren, and issued on October 6, 1979, Scott No. 1299, Facit No. 1099.


A two-stamp set designed by Eva Jern after photos by (respectively) Sven-Eric Delér and Georg Mirskij Oddner (1923-2007), issued on April 22, 1980 to promote the parents' insurance system and care for the elderly, Scott Nos. 1321 & 1322, Facit Nos. 1120 & 1121.

Child's hand in adult's


Aged hand clasping cane


"Day and Night," designed by Swedish artist Olle Kåks (1941-2003), and issued on September 9, 1981, Scott No. 1376, Facit No. 1175. This stamp won a Swedish voting competition for the best design of a definitive stamp.


Parliament building, Stockholm, designed by Ingalill Axelsson after a photo by noted Swedish photojournalist Göran Assbring (who was killed in 1983 while on an assignment in Eritrea), issued on August 27, 1992 for the 88th conference of the Interparliamentary Union (IPU), held in Stockholm, Scott No. 1961, Facit No. 1747.

Silvestro Vana engraved stamps for Italy, San Marino, and Vatican City during the 1950s and 1960s. Here are images of five examples of Vana's work.

- nethryk

Olive branch growing from a shattered tree, designed by Italian artist Luigi Gasbarra, and issued by Italy on April 13, 1959 to publicize the International War Veterans' Association Convention, held in Rome, Scott No. 770, SG No. C516. The Latin quote "nobis, Pax alma, veni" (Then come to us, gracious Peace) is from a work by Roman poet Albius Tibullus (c. 55 B.C. - c. 19 B.C.)


Battle of Palestro, also designed by Luigi Gasbarra, and issued by Italy on June 27, 1959, Scott No. 781, SG No. C527.


The Prophet Joel, designed by Casimira Dabrowska after a painting by Michelangelo Buonarroti (1475-1564) in the Sistine Chapel, and issued by Vatican City on June 16, 1964, Scott No. 391.


Charon ferrying a boat across Acheron, designed after an illustration for Dante's La divina commedia by French artist, engraver, illustrator and sculptor Paul Gustave Doré (1832-1883), and issued by San Marino on November 25, 1965, Scott No. 623.


Catherdral of Siena, completed between 1215 and 1263, designed by Italian illustrator and modeler Ercole Arseni (1920- ), and issued by San Marino on September 21, 1967, Scott No. 672.

Index page updated with about 1/3 left to do.
Feels like drilling the Channel Tunnel

Index of Engravers