Plenty of Nothing

Nova Scotian Three Pence Postage Stamp

Nova Scotia had control of its own postal system from April 5th, 1851 until July 1st, 1867. The province issued its own postage stamps, like this 1857 three pence stamp featuring the British Crown surrounded by shamrock, rose, thistle and mayflower. Source. And. During this phase of postal history the Postmaster General of Nova Scotia was John Howe, brother of Joe, who got the job from their dad.

Anne of the Post Office

In 2008 the Japanese and Canadian post offices jointly issued this Anne of Green Gables commemorative set, on the hundredth anniversary of the publication of the first Anne novel. The two stamps at the top were designed in Canada, while the rest reference the 1979 anime Akage no An.

Go Genji

Here is a game of go reconstructed from the Genji Monogatari Emaki, as reproduced on a 1989 postage stamp. Source.

Victor Ambrus

I'm a huge fan of Victor Ambrus, an illustrator whose eye for historical costume is unsurpassed in our day and age. You might know him from Time Team, or from one of about a million children's books he's illustrated. Here's a set of stamps he designed for the Isle of Man. I pretty desperately need to study his book Ways of Drawing Hands. His website. Time Team Isle of Man episode.

Bécassine

This postage stamp, issued in France in 2005, commemorates the hundredth anniversary of the Breton cartoon character Bécassine, who first appeared in a girls' magazine in 1905, a generation before Tintin.  It's also an illustration of how the modern world is not as globalised as we believe.  There are plenty of cultural icons out there who are happy to go on representing national or local identity without the benefit of a Disney contract.

Personification of Ankh-Morpork

Heather's been after me for a while to read Terry Pratchett.  But you know me, I won't do something unless it's my own idea.  And I'm reasonably certain the Discworld books were recommended to me by coworkers in the 1980s, back in my "I used to read science fiction, but then I grew up" phase.  So I've just finished Going Postal and of course it's brilliant.  And another period of willful ignorance comes to a close.  The upside is that he's been writing these for decades, so I won't be able to burn through them in a week.  And there's stamps!  Douglas

Stamps

Is there a portrait of Eva Peron in your house?  We have two.