450th Birth Anniversary of Galileo

 

Date of Issue : 5 April 2014

Italian Post issued a stamp on 5th April, commemorating Galileo Galilei on the 450^th anniversary of his birth.

Galileo Galilei, often known mononymously as Galileo, was an Italian physicist, mathematician, astronomer, and philosopher who played a major role in the scientific revolution. His achievements include improvements to the telescope and consequent astronomical observations and support for Copernicanism. Galileo has been called the “father of modern observational astronomy”, the “father of modern physics”, the “father of science”, and “the Father of Modern Science”.

His contributions to observational astronomy include the telescopic confirmation of the phases of Venus, the discovery of the four largest satellites of Jupiter (named the Galilean moons in his honour), and the observation and analysis of sunspots. Galileo also worked in applied science and technology, inventing an improved military compass and other instruments.

Galileo’s championing of heliocentrism was controversial within his lifetime, when most subscribed to either geocentrism or the Tychonic system. He met with opposition from astronomers, who doubted heliocentrism due to the absence of an observed stellar parallax. The matter was investigated by the Roman Inquisition in 1615, which concluded that heliocentrism was false and contrary to scripture, placing works advocating the Copernican system on the index of banned books and forbidding Galileo from advocating heliocentrism. Galileo later defended his views in Dialogue Concerning the Two Chief World Systems, which appeared to attack Pope Urban VIII, thus alienating not only the Pope but also the Jesuits, who had both supported Galileo up until this point.

He was tried by the Holy Office, then found “vehemently suspect of heresy”, was forced to recant, and spent the rest of his life under house arrest. It was while Galileo was under house arrest that he wrote one of his finest works, Two New Sciences, in which he summarised the work he had done some forty years earlier, on the two sciences now called kinematics and strength of materials.

The stamp shows the statue of Galileo Galilei sculpted by Aristodemo Costoli, on display in the Courtyard of the Uffizi Gallery in Florence.

Stamp on Michelangelo’s 450th Death Anniversary

Issue of a regular stamp on 23 March 2014, belonging to the "Il Patrimonio artistico e culturale italiano" (Italian Artistic and Cultural Heritage) series, dedicated to Michelangelo on the 450th anniversary of his death. The stamp shows  detail of the statue of “David”, sculpted by Michelangelo between 1501 and 1504 and held at the Galleria dell’Accademia in Florence.

 

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Indian Antarctic Expedition – Philatelist’s Guide

 

 

 

A book titled "Indian Antarctic Expedition-Philatelist's Guide" by well known philatelist Sh. Abhai Mishra was released by Sh. RC Agarwal, Outstanding Scientist & Director DEAL in a glittering function, held at DEAL Officers Institute, Raipur Road, Dehradun. The function was attended by large gathering of scientists, philatelists and veterans of Indian Antarctic Expedition.

Indian involvement with Antarctic Expeditions dates back to year 1911 when Captain Scott attempted to reach the South Pole. The book traces the history of Indian Antarctic Expeditions through mails and letters carried with the expedition. It documents the Indian Antarctic postal history through cancellations, cachets, labels, envelopes, letter heads, QSL cards, postcards used during the expedition. The book reveals very rare and lesser known facts of Antarctica. The Himalayan mules for the Capt. Scott, south polar expedition of 1911 were provided by the Indian Government and were trained by Lt. Pulleyn at Landour, Mussoorie. In 1961, Dr. Giriraj Singh Sirohi became the first Indian to visit South Pole. To honour his contribution a point was named 'Sirohi Point' in Antarctica by the US Navy. In 1971, Dr. Paramjit Sehra became the first Indian to winter over in Antarctica and was honoured by the Soviet Antarctic Medal. The book illustrates, hundreds of rare letters carried with the expedition and describes each and every Indian Expedition in detail.

Various institutes from Dehradun has been integral part of the Antarctic Expedition. DEAL has been pioneer in providing communication support to the Indian Contingent. HAM radio operators from DEAL have done tremendous job in Antarctica. QSL cards used by the HAM operators have been listed in the book. The author himself was part of twenty-first Indian Antarctic Expedition in 2002 as communication officer. The book is first of its kind to be written here. Others present were Sivakumar, AK Shukla, Jaya Mishra, Rajesh Varma, Sudhir Porwal, Vipin Kaushik and Sanjay.

 

About the author

Abhai Mishra is a defense scientist at DEAL, Dehradun and  an amateur philatelist . He is an ardent photographer and has designed over fifty special covers and cancellations for Department of Post. He was a member of XXI (2002-03) Indian Scientific Expedition to Antarctica. His philatelic interests include early Antarctic expedition postcards (1890-1850), Indian Antarctic Expeditions and Uttarakhand Postal History. He has authored a book titled "Uttarakhand - A philatelic Journey", published by Department of Post, Uttarakhand Circle . He has also participated in several  stamp exhibitions and won awards. 

Mr Abhai Mishra may be contacted at email : abhai_mishra@rediffmail.com

Receiving award at Stampmania 2009, Vadodara

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New stamp from India…

 

 

International Year of Crystallography

Date of Issue : 30 January 2014

India Post released a Rs 20 stamp on International year of Crystallography on 30th January 2014.

Image Courtesy : Mansoor B. – Mangalore

Stamp release ceremony at Bangalore

 

Photo Credit : Jagannath Mani - Bangalore

The United Nations (UN) has declared 2014 as the International Year of Crystallography (IYCr2014).IYCr2014 aims to increase public awareness of the importance of crystallography, which is the branch of science that studies the formation and structure of crystals.

Club News

RAIPEX-2014 at Raipur
Chhattisgarh Circle of India Post is going to organise a division level philatelic exhibition in Raipur from 31st Jan to 2nd Feb2014 at Town hall Raipur.This will be organised along with Philatelic council of Raipur & Chhattisgarh philatelic society.This exhibition is divided into competitive  and invitee class. There is no entry fees.  During this exhibition one special cover on Budhism depicting  Sirpur  a heritage place recently visited by Dalai Lama and one  booklet on GANDHI containing one Philately Day MS will be issued.

- Dr. Pradeep Jain - Balod (C.G.)

3 Seasons of Ukraine

Here are 3 seasons of ukraine featured on MS issued in year 2011, 1012 & 2013.

Generous Ukraine - Spring"

Date of Issue : 25.11.2011

The unit consists of six stamps, which depicts a young woman symbolizing spring. Bouquet of mimosa in one hand, blooming apple tree branch with a bird sitting on it in the other hand, snowdrops at the feet, lilies and daffodils, tulips and jasmine - all that can be enjoyed in the spring. The block looks bright and rich, but at the same time very gentle and not intrusive like springtime. In the background - unique awakened from severe frosts Ukrainian nature.

"Generous Ukraine - Summer"

Date of Issue : 01.09.2012

The unit consists of four stamps, which depicts a young woman symbolizing summer. They show the French marigold (Tagetes patula), common hollyhock (Alcea rosea), wild strawberry (Fragaria vescа), sour cherry (Cerasus vulgaris). This unit won the 6th place in WIPA among 70 countries-members of exhibition in 2013.

" Generous Ukraine – Autumn "

Date of Issue : 14.10.2013

The unit consists of four stamps, which depicts a young woman symbolizing autumn. The stamps are: rowan (Sorbus aucuparia), watermelon (Сitrullus lanatus),  georgina (Dahlia), penny bun (Boletus edulis).

Courtesy : Shrikant Parikh – Ahmdabad

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Stamps on 50 years of Television

 

Date of Issue : 22 November 2013

Here are new stamps from Singapore featuring development of television in the last 50 years.Television has entered its golden age, as Singapore Post commemorates 50 years of TV broadcasting this year by issuing a series of stamps. This stamp issue  illustrates the journey of TV over the last 50 years.

Over the last 50 years, local television has helped to entertain, inform, and unify the Singapore nation in times of adversary and triumph, and it continues to play these roles today.

Since the inaugural black and white broadcast on a single channel on 15 February 1963 and the commencement of colour transmission some 10 years later, the local TV landscape has undergone significant changes. With the introduction of more free-to-air channels over the years, the launch of pay-TV services in 1995, and more recently, high-definition TV, local television continues to evolve to offer local audiences greater programming choices and enhanced viewing experiences. Alongside these changes, the emphasis on quality local content remains unchanged. Home-grown programming, from current affairs to drama series and animation, continues to enthrall viewers and has given rise to many iconic television characters that audiences continue to remember fondly till today.

As TV marks its golden jubilee, Singapore will enter a new chapter in its television broadcasting history. From end 2013, Singapore’s free-to-air TV will switch from analogue to digital TV. Razor-sharp images and superior audio will become a reality, when all seven free-to-air channels are transmitted digitally using the Digital Video Broadcasting – Second Generation Terrestrial (DVB-T2) broadcasting standard. The move will prepare Singapore for the future of TV, paving the way for more high-definition channels and new services that local viewers can enjoy for many years to come.

 

Club News

Indian Thematic Society has issued a new issue no.64 December 2013 of its quarterly magazine "ITS Stamp News". Those who wish subscribe the magazine may contact editor @ email : indianthematicsociety@gmail.com

Editor : Suraj Jaitly     
MIG # 3464, Phase Two, Dugri Road, Ludhiana - 141 013 INDIA Mobile: +91 98728 51244

ITS at http://indianthematicstamps.webs.com/
ITS Stamp News at http://itsstampnews.blogspot.com/

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Indian Theme on foreign stamps

 

 

Grenada released these MS for World Radio Day .  WRD falls on 13th Feb but the MS was released on 10th Oct 2013.

Sheet depicts Indian Flag and Sir Jagdish Chandra Bose.

Sir Jagadish Chandra Bose, was a physicist, biologist, botanist, archaeologist, as well as an early writer of science fiction. He pioneered the investigation of radio and microwave optics, made very significant contributions to plant science.

 

The Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers  (IEEE) in NY, USA named him one of the fathers of radio science. He also invented the crescograph. Bangladesh also issued a stamp in 1999.

: Kenneth Sequeira – Dubai ( UAE)

email : kenneth.sequeira@hotmail.com

 

New Special Covers

50 years of changing Diabetes : 15 November 2013 , Bangalore

To commemorate World Diabetes Day, a special cover was released on 14th November 2013 at Bangalore.

Bicentenary of Kartik Mahotsav Procession - 18th November 2013

 

To commemorate 200 years of Kartik Purnamasi, famous Sawari festival, a Special Cover was issued on 18th November 2013 at Kolkata. Cancellation depicts towering Indra Dhwaja (about 60 feet tall). The towering three storey high Indra Dhwaja is one of highlights of the procession.

Courtesy :  Indian Philately Digest , Sreejesh Krishnan - Trivandrum, Pradip Jain - Patna

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New stamps from Germany..

 

Date of Issue : 2 November 2013

Here are new stamps from Germany, released on 2nd November 2013. The stamps  commemorate great physicist Heinrich Hertz and Professor Rachel Hirsch. The stamps are best suitable for Science and Medical themes.

125 years of electric power radiation - Heinrich Hertz

Heinrich Hertz (born February 22, 1857, died January 1, 1894) is one of the world's greatest physicists and was the most prominent researchers in the former Technical University of Karlsruhe, where until 1889 he taught as a professor in 1885.Previously, he was a lecturer in 1883 for Theoretical Physics at the University of Kiel and then from 1889 professor of physics at the University of Bonn.

The main results of the work are that he named after his electromagnetic waves , discovered that we know today as radio and microwaves, and has demonstrated in an experiment in Karlsruhe. He confirmed the report drawn up by the English physicist JC Maxwell in the form of the so-called Maxwell's equations of the theory of propagation of electromagnetic fields. Heinrich Hertz also showed experimentally that electromagnetic waves behave like light waves. In the treatise "On rays of electric force," he summed up his work together.

Hermann von Helmholtz introduced the report of Heinrich Hertz at the Academy meeting of the Royal Prussian Academy of Sciences in Berlin on 13 December 1888 with great success before.

 

100 years title of Professor Rachel Hirsch

Date of Issue : 2 November 2013

Rachel Hirsch (born September 15, 1870 in Frankfurt, died October 6, 1953 in London). was among the first women in Germany who worked in medical research. Hirsch's experiments were primarily the study of metabolic processes and metabolic diseases . It supplied experimental evidence that under certain conditions also unresolved substances penetrate the mucosa of the small intestine and can then be excreted in the urine ("Hirsch" effect).

Because the inclusion of a medical school for women in Germany was not possible, Rahel Hirsch wrote in 1898 in Switzerland for a corresponding study of a. After his degree and doctorate, she worked as a physician at the Charité Berlin and was only the first and the second internist doctor at all in this clinic. Despite manifold disadvantages compared with male colleagues, she was appointed as the first woman in the Kingdom of Prussia as Professor of Medicine in 1913.

1919 different Rachel Hirsch from the Charité to operate a private practice on the Kurfürstendamm. After the takeover of power by the National Socialists, they could only be a very limited working as a Jewish doctor, she finally had to give up their practice and emigrated to England in 1938, where she worked as a laboratory assistant and translator.

Drawn by mental illness, Rachel Hirsch died at the age of 83 years in a mental hospital in London.

My recent cover

Received this nice Registered cover from Mr Wolfgang Beyer of Germany. Many Thanks to Mr Beyer.

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New Stamp from India..

 

50 Years of Indian Academy of Pediatrics

Date of Issue : 8 November 2013

 

Indian Academy of Pediatrics is celebrating Golden Jubilee this year. India Post released a commemorative stamp today on 8th November 2013 to mark this event.

: Mansoor B. – Mangalore - Blog : http://mbstamps.blogspot.in/

Pediatrics as a specialty of medicine has come a long way indeed, from the time when children were treated by adult physicians, to the current times when super specialties exist within the field of pediatrics. Indian Academy of Pediatrics, the singular body connecting pediatricians from all parts of the country in a common ideological thread, has also grown in size and stature, from the time when it was launched by 159 pediatricians, to the present time when it boasts of membership strength of 20,300.

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Tributes to C.V. Raman

 

Birth Anniversary  - 7th  November

Today is Birth Anniversary of great Indian Scientist, CV Raman. Sir Chandrasekhara Venkata Raman,(7 November 1888 – 21 November 1970) was a physicist whose work was influential in the growth of science in India.

He was the recipient of the Nobel Prize for Physics in 1930 for the discovery that when light traverses a transparent material, some of the deflected light changes in wavelength. This phenomenon is now called Raman scattering and is the result of the Raman effect.

Comores 1977 stamp featuring Noble Prize winners. CV Raman is also on the stamp.

: Kenneth Sequeira – Dubai

New stamps on Christmas

  

Date of Issue : 2 November 2013

Gibraltar Post issued a beautiful set of five stamps for this year’s Christmas.

 

Christmas and New Year stamps from  Spain

Spanish Correos issued a set of two stamp celebrating Christmas and New Year. The first stamp depicts a traditional nativity scene. Happy New Year! is the message featuring in the second Christmas stamp which is illustrated with the clock from the Puerta del Sol in Madrid and the traditional twelve grapes.

Spanish custom

A custom in Madrid in the late 19th century imposed the intake of twelve grapes at the chimes of the clock in the Puertadel Sol. The practice soon spread throughout Spain and seems to have its origins in a surplus of grapes in the area of Alicante and Murcia.A grape is eaten at each chime with the wish for a prosperous and happy new year.

This Spanish tradition became popular in Latin American countries where in some places fresh grapes are replaced by raisins like in Argentina. The arrival of the New Year is celebrated differently in each country. In Italy for example, it is customary to make a lentil soup and in Greece a cake is baked with a coin inside which promises a year of happiness for the person who finds it.

Club News

Special Covers

Tamil Naidu Postal Circle of India Post released a Special Cover on 26 June2013 on Anjuham Higher Secondary School Chennai.

: Ankit Agarwal - Pune

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Otto Wichterle - Inventor of Contact lenses..

 

Date of Issue : 16 October 2013

Czech Post issued a postage stamp commemorating the inventor of Contact lenses, Prof.  Otto Wichterle.   This world-renowned scientist became famous for silon and soft contact lenses which he invented.

He was born on 27 October 1913 into a rich business family in Prostějov. At the age of 6, he almost died from a persistent fever. He was therefore home-schooled. After his recovery he went directly to the fifth year and, at the young age of 9, he was admitted to a state-run grammar school. He graduated with honours. He wanted to study mathematics and physics at university, his was choice was therefore between mechanical engineering and chemistry. He decided to study chemical technology engineering at the Czech Technical University in Prague.

He wrote his thesis under the tutelage of Professor Votoček, an important chemist and co-author of the Czech chemical nomenclature. His idea of a scientific study free of any commercial or political interests had a strong impact on Wichterle. Wichterle continued his studies at the school of medicine, which offered him the possibility to join a new discipline, biochemistry.

Following the events on 17 November 1939, when all Czech universities were closed by the Nazis, he took up a job in Baťa Shoe Company’s chemical research laboratory. He began with the research of Nylon 66, a synthetic polymer which was not suitable for the fibre spinning process. His previous experience helped him find a treatment which made nylon suitable for fibre applications. This led to the industrial production of silon, a synthetic material used mainly in men’s socks and women’s tights.

But his best known invention are gel contact lenses. The start-up of their production suffered from many problems, inaccuracies and low yields. In 1961, Wichterle used a Merkur modelling kit for children and a gramophone motor to build a prototype of the production machine; the process was eventually simplified and ready for large-scale production. In 1965, his invention attracted large U.S. companies which started the production of contact lenses abroad.

Wichterle’s political neutrality caused him a lifetime of problems, especially during the communist regime. He had to wait until after 1989 for well-deserved honours and awards. In 1990, he was elected President of the Czechoslovak Academy of Sciences. He remained in the office until the split of Czechoslovakia in 1993. In 1993, Charles University awarded him a degree honoris causa and a planet in our solar system was named after him. Starting from 2002, talented scientists younger than 35 years may receive an Otto Wichterle Award granted by the Academy of Sciences of the Czech Republic. He died on 18 August 1998 in Stražicko.

200th anniversary of the Battle of Leipzig

Date of Issue : 2 October 2013

The Battle of Leipzig, fought on 16-19 October 1813 in Germany, was the largest and decisive battle of the Napoleonic wars. It was a clash between the army of the French Emperor Napoleon and the allied armies of Austria, Prussia, Russia and Sweden. The grandiose battle involved over half a million soldiers and more than two thousand cannons, making it the largest battle in the world prior to World War I. The coalition army, under the command of Karl von Schwarzenberg and several other princes, had over 300,000 troops. It outnumbered the Napoleon’s army of less than 200,000 troops.

Both armies achieved no success on the first day of the battle which ended in a stalemate. The second day was used by both armies to reorganise their forces and wait for reinforcements. The French received only 14,000 troops as reinforcements; the coalition was strengthened by the arrival of 145,000 troops. On the third day, the coalition army launched a huge assault from all sides. In over nine hours of fighting, both sides suffered heavy casualties. Napoleon saw that the battle was a lost cause and he began to withdraw his army across the river Elster. However, because of a mistake of his own commanders, the bridge over the Elster which was the only exit route was destroyed before the entire army was able to cross the river. Those who survived began to flee towards France. Shortly afterwards, Napoleon was exiled to the island of Elba. The defeat dealt a harsh blow against Napoleon himself, who was finally defeated two years later in the Battle of Waterloo.

The Czech troops, who defeated Napoleon in the battle of Chlumec nearby Ústí nad Labem prior to the battle of Leipzig, considered the victory as their own triumph. Even more so because one of the commanders-in-chief of the Allied army, field marshal Karl von Schwarzenberg, was considered as a Czech prince. None of the battles fought before or after the Leipzig campaign involved so many Czech high ranking commanders including the highest ones (John Joseph Wenceslaus, Count Radetzky of Radetz was Schwarzenberg’s chief of staff). A memorial for the battle, the “Völkerschlachtdenkmal”, was unveiled in 1913 in Leipzig.

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