France
I have several sets of French materials. My, how the French love their La Fontaine!
1938 LaF Portrait
1938 One 55c French stamp from 1938 featuring a portrait of Jean de la Fontaine and a panel showing WL. Scott France #351. $2.25 from Babette Omland, Daytona Beach, FL, through Ebay, August, '01.
I have been able to verify the Scott number on the web. I am afraid this stamp does not tell me more than that, even in 1938, the French liked to think about La Fontaine!
1955 Florian
1955 Two FDC envelopes celebrating the 12 Franc stamp from 1955 featuring a portrait of Florian. Both have a postmark "Premier Jour Sauve - Florian - 2 Avril 1955." One envelope features a duochrome bust of Florian. The other presents a full-color collection of scenes from his fables. $4 each from Loic Marchat, Villeurbanne, France, through eBay, Oct. 11, 05.
I had not been aware of this Florian stamp. He was born in Sauve in Gard in 1755. Poor Florian. Even this celebration of him includes, in the prose under his portrait: "Author of lovely pastorals and especially of numerous fables, which rank him as the follower, even if from a great distance, of our own good La Fontaine" (italics mine). Perhaps the easiest scene to recognize on the fable composite has the monkey lecturing with a magic lanterne. The stamp itself classifies him as "Fabuliste Romancier Autour Dramatique." Click on either stamp to see an enlarged version of it.
1955 First day Cancellation of Florian anniversary stamp and postcard, April 2, 1955. Cancelled at his birthplace, Sauve (Gard). $5 from Topical Paradise Limited, Oct., '12.
1978 Croix Rouge
When the French post office issued two new La Fontaine stamps in December of 1978 to celebrate the Red Cross, they promoted the stamps with two different sets of FDC postcards, FDC envelopes, and an FDC commemorative panel. Click on a button here to see any of these:
1978 Stamp Booklet
1978 Booklet enclosing four each of the 1978 Red Cross stamps of TH and TMCM. About 3" x 4". £.99 from Brian Chilton, Nairn, Highland, Scotland, through eBay, Oct., '06.
The front cover of this little booklet mixes red, green, brown, and black. The green background may be Paris in La Fontaine's time. There is a cameo bust of La Fontaine in the lower left. The script reads "République Française: Secretariat d'Etat aux Postes et Télécommunications 1978: émission au profit de la Croix-Rouge Française." The center presents a quadrant of four of either stamp postmarked Strassbourg, December 11, 1978. The back page is a monochrome mélange of several fables, perhaps FC, TMCM, MM, FK, TH and "The Heron." Click on any stamp to see a larger version of both stamps. Creating the larger version helped me to discover that both stamps are signed "Andreotto."
1978 CR Postcards
1978 5 French First Day Cover postcards dated "2 Decembre 1978" celebrating and carrying stamps of TH (3) and TMCM with art by Lucien Achille Mauzan. Two with cursive titles and giving "X. Mauzan" as the artist for $9.50 from A. Przopiorski, Sully Philatelie, Maisons Alfort, France, through Ebay, Oct., '99. TH with sweating rabbit and capped turtle for $4 from Topical Paradise Limited through eBay, August, '08. TH with golden frame, zigzag path, and "Croix-Rouge 1978" title for $5.01 from Loic Marchat, Villeurbane, France, through eBay, August, '05. Two cards with rather garish coloring of TH and TMCM for $.99 each from Filkom NV, Bornem, Belgium, through eBay, Feb., '09.
The postmarks on all the cards celebrate "La Croix Rouge et la Poste," as do the backs of the Mauzan cards. The place of each postmark is La Fontaine's own Chateau-Thierry. The Mauzan illustrations show particular whimsy. I had never before seen a snail decked out as a hot rod! The genteel rats of TMCM belong among my mother's soft sculptures! The backs of the cards give Mauzan's dates as 1883-1952. The "sweating rabbit" representation of TH appears on the 8½" x 12" sheet that is an accessory to the 1978 series, while the rabbit on the zigzag path appears on one of the envelopes done at the same time. The illustration shows a zig-zaggy yellow path through green landscape. There is a straight-line golden border around the illustration. The coloring of the garish TH card seems, except for the two main characters, to be done in horizontal strips.
1978 CR Envelopes
1978 Six French First Day Cover envelopes (and five extras) dated "2 Decembre 1978" celebrating and carrying stamps of TH and TMCM. The colored pictures on these envelopes show respectively La Fontaine in a pastoral setting with animals; TH at the start; TH along the way; town and city rats in the country; and two versions of the town and city rats at the city meal. La Fontaine: Between $2 and $5 from Karen Ross, Iron Mountain, MI, through Ebay, April, '99; Alexandre Prozopiorski, April, '99; Charles Legault, Gloucester, Ontario, through Ebay, Jan, '00; and Annick Tilly, Clignancourt, July, '01. TH envelope at the finish for $3 from Topical Paradise, Feb., 20. Envelope with La Fontaine portrait and Château-Thierry coat of arms for $1 from Topical Paradise, Jan., '20.
The postmark on each celebrates "La Croix Rouge et la Poste." The place of the postmark is La Fontaine's own Chateau-Thierry. The La Fontaine illustration is signed HR(?), and I seem to recognize the work, but cannot pin it down. The La Fontaine envelope proclaims "First Day Cover" twice. The woodland scene on it is lovely. "TH Start," "TMCM Country," and one of the "TMCM City" envelopes have a straight-line golden border around the illustration. "TH Along the Way" and one "TMCM City" envelope share a different format from these other two, including a number (No. 1103 and No. 1104 respectively). They alone present the text of their fable on the verso of the envelope. TH at the finish seems to present yet another format.
1978 Folded Serigraphs
1978 Four French First Day Cover folded papers with screen prints, plus duplicates of two. Two serigraphs are of TH and two of TMCM. The rabbit image is by Perdeau, the tortoise image by Lavidiasse, the salmon colored of TMCM by Berthou, and the golden by Naxos. Cancelled December 2, 1978 in Chateau-Thierry. "Numérotation et Cotation sur Catalogue Thiaude." $12 from Topical Paradise through ebay, April, '12. Extra pair for $4 each from Loic Marchat, Villeurbanne, France, through eBay, Oct., '05.
I am still trying to figure out just what this folded paper is. Whatever it is, it is exquisitely done! A heavy sheet about 8" x 13" is folded into a nine-rectangle packet measuring about 3¾" x 6½". The left half of the resulting front shows the serigraph surrounded by a raised ridge; on the right one sees the stamp, two or three cancellation marks, and an identification of the author (e.g. "Sérigraphie de Lavidiasse"). The Perdeau front adds a green stamp showing a hare to the two cancellations from the standard red stamp; the Lavidiasse front has only these two. Similarly, there is an added TMCM cancellation on the Berthou paper. The verso of either includes an embossed seal, a comment on the visual artist, and a longer comment on La Fontaine's achievement. I seem to be able to make out a "TH" inside the embossed seal on the verso; might that be for Thiaude?Perdeau's comment has the unfortunate typo "plaisr."
1978 CR Panel
1978 "Série 'Croix-Rouge,' Fables de la Fontaine." French First Day Cover commemorative panel celebrating and displaying stamps of TH and TMCM. 8¼" x 11". 2 Decembre 1978. #46-78 Document Philatélique Officiel edité par L'Administration des Postes et Télécommunications pour le Musée Postal. Tiré sur les presses de l'Imprimerie des Timbres-Poste. $29.50 from Alexandre Prozopiorski, Lyon, France, April, '99.
This sturdy page comes from the French post office's "historical collection of the stamp." It offers a short overview of published illustrations of Aesop and an artistic analysis of the elements of each stamp. There is even a lovely imprinted seal of the Imprimerie at the bottom. At the top is a brown-and-white drawing of animals found in La Fontaine's fables. The artist's signature, difficult to read, is something like "Aldreono" or "Aldreorro."
1978 CR Album Panels
1978 Two three-holed TH and two TMCM landscape album pages, almost 8½" x slightly over 12", containing both the TH and TMCM 1978 Red Cross stamps, a large illustration, and some explanatory text in French. No. 481 (TH) and No. 481S (TMCM) du catalogue CEF. #887 and #7216 (TH) and #3328 and #6385 (TMCM) of 20,300 offset exemplars. Imprimé par Editions CEF à Nice. Distribué par Les Oeuvres Sociales du Personnel des PTT. $20.50 from Alexandre Przopiorski, Lyon, France, March, '99. #6385, an extra, for $5.55 from Gilles Descary through eBay, July, '05. #7216, also an extra, for $5 from Loic Marchat, Villeurbane Cedex, France, through eBay, June, '05.And in April of 2013 a copy of No. 363 -- in fact, Copy # 04105 of 4900 -- for $5 from Topical Paradise.
The TMCM illustration is the simple cartoon-like country scene on the envelopes from the same "croix rouge 78" promotion. There are comments on the history of illustration of La Fontaine's fables and on the illustrations found in the stamps themselves, which are meant to celebrate an illustrative style almost exactly a hundred years old at the time. TMCM 2 does the same for its single stamp, with a lavish illustration added at the city banquet. The TH illustration shows a sweating runner on the left, but the tortoise—complete with sun-hat—finishing on the right. The shorter comments on the TH page are taken verbatim from the longer comments on the TMCM page.
1978 French LaFontaine Biography
1978 "Série 'Croix-Rouge,' Fables de la Fontaine." French First Day Cover commemorative panel celebrating the Fables of La Fontaine and displaying the newly issued stamps of TH and TMCM. 6½" x 9". 2 Decembre 1978. No. 334. $5 from Lois Marchat, Villeurbanne, France, through eBay, August, '05.
This unusual card pictures La Fontaine and five of his most famous fables. There is then a presentation of his life and work along with judgments on the work. The artist's signature, difficult to read, is something like "F.L."
1978 Flamex 3
1978 Flamex 3 envelope. Postmarked 11 - 3 -78 (March 11, 1978) at Chateau-Thierry. The postmark includes text and illustration of FS celebrating Flamex 3, April 22-23, 1978. The envelope itself has a duochrome illustration of FS and text: "Flamex 3, 22-23 Avril 1978, Chateau-Thierry." $4 from Loic Marchat, Villeurbanne, France, through eBay, Oct., '05.
This envelope was sent by C. Ablard of Chateau-Thierry to J.C. Coste in Hérouville-St.-Clair. Flamex 3 seems to have been a philatelic exposition at Chateau-Thierry.
1995 French LaF
Tricentennial Booklet
1995 Six fables en timbres: Timbres émis pour le tricentennaire de la mort de Jean de La Fontaine. La Poste. Claudine and Roland Sabatier. Paperbound. Paris: La Poste. $8.50 from John Plouffé, The Stamp Doctor, San Juan Capistrano, CA, through eBay, Dec., '06. Extra copy for $3 from Topical Paradise, April, 20.
Since this is a book that presents stamps, I am listing it in both places, but will place it among the books. This sixteen-page pamphlet seems to have been issued at the same time as the stamps commemorating the three hundredth anniversary of Jean de la Fontaine's death. Each of six pages contains a clever little transparent holder holding the appropriate stamp for one of six fables. On the same page as the stamp is La Fontaine's text. Facing the page is a full-page reproduction of the stamp itself. I scanned these pages for future use. Before these six pairs of pages presenting stamps and fables, there are three introductory pages. The first has a preface, surrounding which is the only original piece of art in the booklet, a three-sided frame presenting faces of the characters found on the stamps. The verso presents the first of two non-stamp "vignettes" issued with the stamps, namely a portrait of La Fontaine. One lovely feature of this portrait is that his neck-kerchief opens out to become the curtain of a small theater, with the town and country mice playing upon the stage. This page gives the basic dates and events of La Fontaine's life. Facing it is a "Sommaire" or T of C, accompanied by the second vignette, a list of the six fables presented on the stamps: GA, OF, WL, FC, "Le Chat, la Belette et le petit Lapin," and TH. The second-to-last fable has a longer text; its stamp-illustration is thus reduced to less than full-page size to accommodate the extra text. Illustrations and more on other materials issued along with the stamps can be found under "Stamps and Mail" here. The number of publications surrounding the issue of this stamp series is astounding!
Individual Stamps
1995 Set of eight Republique Française "Fables de La Fontaine" postage stamps. Mint. Marked "La Poste 1995." A T of C stamp lists the last six stamps of the series amid a border showing FG. Then on the second stamp the neck-scarf of a portrait-bust of La Fontaine reaches out to enclose a scene of TMCM. The six stamps follow, all showing a value of 2,80. The art is by R. and C. Sabatier. The last seven stamps in the series show "ITVF" in the lower right corner. £4 from Rowan S. Baker, The Covent Garden Stamp Shop, July, '98. One extra set for the same price at the same time. See the set of almost-identical postcards for a larger blow-up of each scene.
(right top) "Le Lièvre et la Tortue" shows the tortoise breaking the finish-line tape while the hare chases a butterfly with a net.
(center top) "Le Corbeau et le Renard" gives the serenading fox a violin.
(left top) "La Cigale et la Fourmi" has the grasshopper playing an accordion and a tambourine.
(right bottom) "Le Chat, la Belette et le petit Lapin" shows a cat already licking his chops as he holds a scale with one of the contestants in each pan.
(center bottom) "La Grenouille qui se veut fair aussi grosse que le Boeuf" manages to present the nose-holding frog as being as big as the steer in the background.
(left bottom) "Le Loup et l'Agneau" is one of the best; the wolf leers at the lamb, but as a reflection seen by the lamb in the water.
I had heard of a recent set of French La Fontaine stamps and had asked for them at several places. It was luck and a whim that led me to ask for them when I passed this stamp shop during a very brief London visit. The eight stamps are a single strip, and the better copy has a margin attached on the left. Here's the way the strip looks as originally published with the stamps together:
Sabatier Postcards
1995 6 cards each stamped with the scene it portrays from La Fontaine's fables. R. & C. Sabatier in the larger format of a post card. $19.50 from Alexandre Prozopiorski, Lyon, July, '99. And a version of GA signed by Sabatier for $4 from Topical Paradise, July, '16.
The more I see of these designs, the more I like them. They play with the fables. As far as I can tell, there is little or no difference from the stamps themselves. The result is that one can see here in larger scale what happens on the smaller stamp. "La Cigale et la Fourmi" has the grasshopper playing an accordion and a tambourine. "La Grenouille qui se veut fair aussi grosse que le Boef" manages to present the nose-holding frog as being as big as the steer in the background. "Le Loup et l'Agneau" is one of the best; the wolf leers at the lamb, but as a reflection seen by the lamb in the water. "Le Corbeau et le Renard" gives the fox a violin. "Le Chat, la Belette et le petit Lapin" shows a cat already licking his chops as he holds a scale with one of the contestants in each pan. "Le Lièvre et la Tortue" shows the tortoise breaking the finish-line tape while the hare chases a butterfly with a net.
Hologram Postcards
1995 Set of six FDC postcards featuring a first-day postmark, one (or on the first card, three) of the La Fontaine fable stamps issued on June 24, 1995, and a hologram-like reproduction of art, especially by Auguste Delierre. FDC: Paris: Carte Philatélique. $29.50 for the set of six from Alexandre Przopiorski, Lyon, France, April, '99.
"Le Chat, la Belette et le petit Lapin," FC, TH, and WL all feature work of Delierre in a strangely irridescent medium. The illustrations for OF and GA are attributed to "Imagerie de Paris," identified as from the 19th century. The illustration for GA is perhaps the most unusual, with its red mountain and a serpent that is not mentioned in any version of the fable of which I am aware. The illustration for FC is, for my money, a piece of excellent work. Is the monkey often, as here, the judge of the race in TH?
Éditions Philatéliques Maxi Postcards
1995 Six maxi postcards, about 4" x 6", each offering a different illustration of the scene shown on its stamp. Each cancelled with a first day postmark on June 24, 1995 at Chateau-Thierry. Éditions Philatéliques, Nice. $15 from Topical Paradise through eBay, August, '11. Extra copy of GA for $12.50 from Loic Marchat, Villeurbane, France, Nov., '05.
These postcards may be other than the official French sets. Each bears a title, between two foxes with top-hats, of "Les fables de La Fontaine." The images can be found at only one other place among the extensive printings celebrating the issuing of six stamps in 1995, namely on the hologram envelopes with golden dentils.
Éditions Philatéliques Envelopes
1995 Six envelopes, about 3¾" x 6½", each offering a different illustration of the scene shown on its stamp. Each image has a border made up of animals against a differently colored background for each envelope. Each cancelled with a first day postmark on June 24, 1995 at Chateau-Thierry. Premier Jour d'Emission/First Day Cover. Éditions Philatéliques, Nice. $15 from Topical Paradise through eBay, August, '11.
The images on these envelopes are the same as on the postcards by the same publisher. Each bears a title above its image of "Les fables de La Fontaine." The images can also be found at on the hologram envelopes with golden dentils.
Hologram Delierre Envelopes
1995 Six (out of six?) FDC envelopes featuring a first-day postmark, one (or on the GA envelope, three) of the La Fontaine fable stamps issued on June 24, 1995, and a hologram-like reproduction of art, especially by Auguste Delierre. FDC: Chateau-Thierry. Set of six for $15 from Loic-in-France through eBay, June, '05. Extras of "Le Chat, la Belette et le petit Lapin," GA, OR, and WL for $9.55 from Gilles Descary, St-Jean-sur-Richelieu, Canada, through eBay, April, '04.
The illustrations on these envelopes are the same as those on the set of "hologram" postcards I catalogued earlier. Thus "Le Chat, la Belette et le petit Lapin," FC, TH, and WL feature work of Delierre in a strangely irridescent medium, while the illustrations for OR and GA, using the same medium, are attributed to "Imagerie de Paris" identified as from the 19th century. The illustration for GA is perhaps the most unusual, with its red mountain and a serpent that is not mentioned in any version of the fable of which I am aware. The verso of each envelope contains three elements: a short quotation from the fable, the first six lines from La Fontaine's verse preface to the fables on their purpose, and an identifying number after "1995/": GA has 39, OF 40, WL 41, FC 42, "Le Chat, la Belette et le petit Lapin" 43, and TH 44. It took just over a year to find the last two in the series after I had found the first four. It took three and a half years to catalogue those last two!
1995 French Envelopes with Gold Rectangles
1995 Set of six FDC envelopes featuring a first-day postmark, one (or on the first card, three) of the La Fontaine fable stamps issued on June 24, 1995, and a hologram-like art work surrounded by a gold frame like the outer edges of a stamp. Nice: Éditions Philatélique. $29.50 for the set of six from Alexandre Przopiorski, Lyon, France, April, '99.
The art work here is simpler than the work of Delierre and others on the FDC postcards issued the same day. There is no acknowledgement of the artist. Perhaps the work among these with the most vigor is WL. I presume that Éditions Philatélique in Nice, which published this set, is allied with Carte Philatélique in Paris, which published that set.
Line-Design Envelopes
1995 6 envelopes, each featuring on its left a line-drawing dramatizing one of the series of La Fontaine fable stamps issued on June 24, 1995. The envelope bears that same stamp in the upper right. All are postmarked, as is appropriate for an FDC, on June 24, 1995 from Chateau-Thierry . Éditions J.F. Courbevoie. $15 from Philippe Soriano, Paris , through eBay, August, '05.
I wrote earlier about another set that I was amazed to find that there was yet another incarnation of the designs of this series. So here is yet another! The line-drawings are humorous, particularly in the case of "Le Chat, la Belette et le Petit Lapin." Again I say: When the French post office does a promotion, it promotes vigorously!
1995 French Envelopes with Stamp Image
1995 6 large envelopes, each featuring in its upper left corner an enlarged representation of one of the series of La Fontaine fable stamps issued on June 24, 1995. The envelope bears that same stamp in the upper right. The envelopes came with five matching cards (see the next entry) bearing the same characteristics; only the FC envelope lacks a matching card. All were sent to members of the Romi family in Lyon or St. Mandé. $15 for the envelopes and cards from Loic Marchat, Villeurbanne, France, through Ebay, Jan., '02.
I was amazed to find that there is yet another incarnation of the designs of this series. As opposed to other items in the collection, this set is not a first day cover; the envelopes were sent at various times. The five with cards were sent from Vincennes, while FC was sent from Lyon. When the French post office does a promotion, it promotes vigorously!
Stamp-Image Notecards
1995 5 notecards, made to match their appropriate envelopes by placing an enlarged image of the fable stamp at the left edge of the landscape paper. Almost 4" x 8¼". The stamps in question are the Fables of La Fontaine stamps issued on June 24, 1995. $15 for the cards and envelopes from Loic Marchat, Villeurbanne, France, through Ebay, Jan., '02.
The five notecards are all inscribed by a young hand, most with warm messages like "Je vous aime" or "Je vous adore." The cards are unusual in having no apparent identifying marks. Other than a title, a picture, and a verse or two, there is nothing printed on either side of these cards.
Stamp Cartoon Envelopes
1995 6 small envelopes, each featuring in its upper left corner a cartoon in the same style as the stamp but showing a different scene. Its stamp is then from the same fable in the series of La Fontaine fable stamps issued on June 24, 1995. All are postmarked on that day, and each envelope is noted as "Premier Jour d'Émission." On the back of each envelope is La Fontaine's fable and acknowledgement of Claudine and Roland Sabatier as the creators of both the stamp and the illustration on the envelope. $24 from Loic Marchat, Villeurbanne, France, Sept., '04.
Now here is yet another incarnation of the designs of this series. Here the stamps' artists create another scene from the same fable in the same style as the stamp that they created. The tortoise checking his watch as he goes is especially cute. FC's scene seems to be a daylight counterpart to the stamp's night-time scene. The grasshopper in this series comes off as not just an artist but a weirdo!
Humorous Maxi-Cards
1995 Maxi-postcard depicting FC in highly humorous fashion. Monique Touvay, "Les Quatre Zéphires." Cancelled at Chateau-Thierry at noon on June 24, 1995. $4 from Topical Paradise, Ltd., August, '14.
The delight the French took in their set of 1995 La Fontaine stamps seems unlimited. I thought I had collected all the forms this issue took, but here is something new and delightful. The fox here holds out a hand to catch the round cheese as it falls. The last image has the fox sitting in his striped pants with both hands upraised in a gesture of frustration. This single card also raises the question of whether it is part of a series….
New year's Card
1995 One folded card, about 4" x 6", using an image of La Fontaine with animals by Odette Baillais. Editions Philatéliques, Nice. Distribué par SODOP. $8 from Loic Marchat, Villeurbane, France, April, '04.
After Baillais' composition on the cover, the inside left-page has wishes for a good and happy new year, signed and dated on January 6, 1999. The right-page has the FC 2,80 stamp marked cancelled with a first-day seal from Chateau-Thierry. See my comment on Ballais' picture in the large commemorative panel where I first encountered it.
Commemorative Panel
1995 One three-holed FDC landscape page, almost 8½" x 12", containing the stamps, a colored hologram-like image of La Fontaine with the animals by Odette Baillais, and a good section of prose on La Fontaine. No. 1233 S du catalogue CEF. #2451 of a limited edition. Imprimé par Editions CEF à Nice. Distribué par SO.D.O.P. $29.50 from Alexandre Przopiorski, Lyon, France, April, '99.
The chief interest on this massive page is, I believe, the Ballais' picture putting La Fontaine's head in the midst of various animal figures. I myself find it a difficult picture to read.
Documentation Folder
1995 One four-page documentation folder on the series of La Fontaine stamps issued in 1995. "Collection Historique du Timbre-Poste Français." €9.99 from Philatelicpassion, Paris, through eBay, Oct., '06.
This is a large (8¼" x 11¾") folder done in full color on its front and back. The front makes La Fontaine's scarf into a stage curtain over the two characters of TMCM. Surrounding his portrait are animals from the most famous fables, rendered in the distinctive style that R. and C. Sabatier bring to the stamps. Underneath one finds his own description of what he presents: "Une ample Comédie aux cent actes divers et dont la Scène est l'Univers…." Above LaFontaine's head is another fine description of his work from the dedication to the Dauphin: "Everything speaks in my work, even the fish. What they say addresses all of us, whoever we are. I use animals to instruct people." The back cover presents a lovely view of Château-Thierry from under a tree that happens to have a cheese falling from its branches! This page also features the embossed stamp "Controle Imprimérie Timbres-Poste." The interior has a pasted-in set of the stamps, a life of La Fontaine, and a few lines of the appropriate fable for each of the six stamps. I am surprised that there is not something about the artists.
USA Album of FDC from Around the World
1995 "First Day Covers from Around the World." USA album page and specimen. FDC envelope of June 24, 1995, from Chateau-Thierry to an address in Voorheesville, NY with a 2.80 Franc stamp and a colorful mélange of fable scenes. With a page from a USA album presenting FDC specimens from around the world, ©Postal Commemorative Society. $.99 from Joyce Lapointe, Perkinsville, VT, through eBay, March, '16.
The page offers a map-sketch showing France's relative position in Europe and several paragraphs on La Fontaine, fables, and French literature. The envelope in English is clearly designated for use in this album or albums like it and is labelled "First Day of Issue, France." Its verso has the title apparently of the whole album, "First Day Covers from Around the World." The envelope fits into a slot in the oversized page. This is one of those eBay experiences where our postage for some postage costs more than the postage item we are purchasing!
2010? Philatelic Rabier Souvenirs
2010? Five postal souvenirs of the Fables of de La Fontaine, each with a perforated section to be removed from the surrounding image. GA; FG; CJ; “The Worker and His Children”; “The Snake and the File.” Benjamin Rabier. About 5.5" x 7". $5 each from Bertrand Cocq, Calonne-Ricouart, France, Sept., ’20.
I believe I have never seen something like this. And I can find no exemplars on the web. The reprinting of Rabier’s pages is exquisite; it is of the sort one would expect from the makers of postage stamps. The choice of the portion perfectly circumscribed with perforation is fascinating, as when CJ focuses on the bumpkin ready to sell his valuable book. Similarly, “The Worker and His Children” focuses on a sickle ready to be wielded in bringing in the bumper crop. Some searching on the web revealed other such philatelic productions, particularly in France. The “stamps” generated here have apparently no value for the posting of a letter. Curious!
2021 Philatelic La Fontaine Souvenirs
2021 Postal souvenir of the 400th anniversary of the birth of Jean de La Fontaine, together with a smaller gummed scene including two stamps featured on the postal souvenir page. Those stamps are perforated sections to be removed from the surrounding image. $25.35 from empirefondation1965 through Ebay, July, '21.
The two stamps picture La Fontaine's home in Chateau-Thierry and a lovely rendition of the frog about to explode before the ox. There is a first day cancellation covering both stamps. Unfortunately the two items are presently pasted to each other. The larger card features BC and a biographical account of La Fontaine.
2021 Postal souvenir of the 400th anniversary of the birth of Jean de La Fontaine, consisting of a gummed scene including two stamps. Those stamps are perforated sections to be removed from the surrounding image. £8.99 from The Joy of Stamps through Ebay, Nov., '21.
The two stamps picture La Fontaine's home in Chateau-Thierry and a lovely rendition of the frog about to explode before the ox. These are uncancelled stamps ready for the mail.
2021 “Souvenir Philatelique” celebrating the 400th anniversary of the birth of Jean de La Fontaine. Two parts: a folded leaflet jacket imaging La Fontaine writing among many animals and a page inside featuring the two new memorial stamps. $19.77 from empirefondation1965 through Ebay, July, ’21.
The stamps are situated as wall coverings, each above a fireplace, in a palatial building. The stamp itself is defined by surrounding perforations. The combination of black-and-white art with the colored stamp – all on one gummed page – is striking! The cover of the leaflet is marked by deeply rich colors.