Iceland

Stamp Day

Date of issue: 9 October 1986

Printed in recess

Catalogue Nos: Michel 660 (Block 7)  Scott 634

Hvita River crossing at Ioa

The drawing of a ford on the River Hvita, by Auguste Mayer in 1836, was taken from the 'Travelling Book' by Paul Gaimard.

Czeslaw Slania recalled an amusing event concerning this souvenir sheet: one day when he was working on it, his daughter was with him and watched him engraving on the steel plate. When he stopped to take a break, she took up his burin and imitated the grandmaster by making cuts across the steel plate, which unfortunately destroyed it of course. Slania had to start the job a second time around.  However, he was actually quite grateful this happened as he wasn't very happy with his depiction at the first attempt. Having worked on it once though, gave him the experience he needed to bring out the mood in the scene.

Stamp Day

Date of issue: 9 October 1987

Printed in recess

Catalogue Nos: Michel 672 (Block 8)  Scott 646

The commercial station at Djúpivogur Harbour

This drawing by Auguste Mayer was also taken from the 'Travelling Book'

Mayer was a member of an expedition to Iceland and Greenland equipped by the French government in 1836.  He later visited and painted Nordkapp (Norway) in 1838.  Some of his works from the expedition were first published in 'Atlas Historique' in 1842. The 1836 expedition was called the Gaimard expedition, and it lasted several years.

Stamp Day

Date of issue: 9 October 1988

Printed in recess

Catalogue Nos: Michel 693 (Block 9)  Scott 667

"Farmhouse Núpsstadur í Fljótshverfi" by Auguste Mayer

Núpsstaður is the easternmost farm in Fljótshverfi in Skaftárhreppur region. An old turf farmhouse remains stending at Núpsstaður, together with an ancient chapel, one of very few turf churches remaining in Iceland. This is my personal favourite of the three souvenir sheetlets.