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Catalonia's cinderellas

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Printed Date: 28 March 2024 at 02:06
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Topic: Catalonia's cinderellas
Posted By: cursus
Subject: Catalonia's cinderellas
Date Posted: 28 July 2017 at 16:39

Following the indications of Bruce and Michael, I open this new thread on the cinderellas issued in Catalonia.

Catalonia, is an old and small country in SW Europe (32.000 sqkm, 7.5 mio people). By now, politicaly belonging to the kingdom of Spain, but currently strugling to break free.

On the last 120 years, as we don't have "proper stamps", a number of cinderellas have been issued, to let the world know about us and our fight for freedom. In some cases, the quality of them is quite outstanding, as our artists are (Miró, Dalí, Tàpies, Picasso...).

I'll begin by showing a small (24 x 34 mm) cinderella, printed in Barcelona (capital of Catalonia) in 1921. It was issued by the Association of Catalan Language Teaching to raise money (hence, the 5 cents of pesseta face value), as Spanish governements have always tried to erase our language. The original work was a poster by the Catalan artist Josep Obiols. I remember this poster hanging (somewhat hiden) on the walls of my school in Barcelona, during the long night of franco's genocide regime (1939/1976).

 

If you like the thread, many more can come...





Replies:
Posted By: cursus
Date Posted: 29 July 2017 at 06:36

Barcelona, 1916, war stamps exhibition.




Posted By: Londonbus1
Date Posted: 29 July 2017 at 09:02
Was this an actual Exhibition for stamps depicting War Scenes ? It sounds rather specialist and macabre !!


Posted By: Panterra
Date Posted: 29 July 2017 at 17:15
These are wonderful Joan!  I have never seen these beautiful old cinderellas before.  It is fortunate that they have survived down the years after all the turbulence in Catalonia since then.


Posted By: cursus
Date Posted: 29 July 2017 at 18:35

Well, Micheal, putting aside the fact that war itself is an evil thing; by 1916, stamps were not showing explícit war scenes. So, I guess, stamps shown, just depicted weapons, uniforms, occupation issues and the like. Nothing macabre at all.

Anyway, cinderellas issued for the exhibition were nice:




Posted By: cursus
Date Posted: 29 July 2017 at 18:58

Thank you very much Panterra for your nice words. It also surprises me the huge amount of cinderellas that have survived our turbulent history. But, tucked away by old collectors, they keep on apearing on our Barcelona Sunday stamp market.

Like this one, issued in 1937 (during the 1936/39 war), by Barcelona's Baker's Industry Workers Unions, to raise money for war front-line hospitals. I picked it, just a week ago. 



Posted By: Londonbus1
Date Posted: 29 July 2017 at 19:41
I was just curious that they would have an Exhibition for War Stamps but then again why not, there are other specialist Expos too when I think about it !
Those 2 blocks are really nice as is the latest addition to your collection.
When I was last in Barcelona, I was with my wife and teething baby so my only philatelic 'outing' was to the Post Office to buy some latest issues (sold long ago). I don't recall that I knew about the market, I think I found out about that much later.

Next time I will make sure I am in Catalonia on a Sunday !!


Posted By: cursus
Date Posted: 29 July 2017 at 20:03

I'm glad that you like them.


This one, was issued in 1937 by the anarchist CNT/FAI union, to help war front hospitals.



Posted By: cursus
Date Posted: 30 July 2017 at 06:04
Barcelona, 1900. Unió Catalanista (Catalan Nationalist Party). Saint George, patron of Catalonia under our national arms: four red stripes on a yellow field.



Posted By: cursus
Date Posted: 01 August 2017 at 18:50

Gràcia, is an old village that, in 1897, became a district of Barcelona. Nevertheless, each August we still hold our anual feast. For the 1936 Edition, our grandfathers had prepared this cinderella, showing one of our twon's landmarks: the civil belfry (1865), located on Gràcia's main square. 

Unfortunately, the outburst of the 1936/39 war, in July 19th, aborted the celebrations.

This cinderella exists on, at least 3 colors: red. green and yellow.



Posted By: cursus
Date Posted: 02 August 2017 at 20:38

1929, Barcelona International Fair.



Posted By: cursus
Date Posted: 05 August 2017 at 06:59

October 1920, Barcelona Trading Fair.



Posted By: cursus
Date Posted: 06 August 2017 at 22:35

Reus, South of Catalonia, May-June 1933. Exhibition on the use of electricity on agriculture.



Posted By: Londonbus1
Date Posted: 07 August 2017 at 02:50
Very clever design even if a little painful looking ! Nice ones Cursus. When I come to Barcelona I will go to the market and start my own collection !!


Posted By: cursus
Date Posted: 07 August 2017 at 04:59

Thank you very much Michael. The design, is very much on line with the 1930's style in Catalonia: advanced and free. Our society was very open minded, then. As it's, nowadays again.

I bought it just two weeks ago. I manage to get new cinderellas nearly every Sunday. Normally 4 or 5, sometimes some more. Even in sumer I find some. Sellers, know me and keep the good items, altough I can't pay a lot of Money for them, I'm a weekly customer! That helps.

I look forward to show you Barcelona. Things, are changing quite fast, here!



Posted By: cursus
Date Posted: 08 August 2017 at 20:13

Barcelona 1913 Export Fair. It exist on diferent papers and colours.



Posted By: Panterra
Date Posted: 09 August 2017 at 03:14
Curious that the right-hand stamp is all in Russian!


Posted By: cursus
Date Posted: 12 August 2017 at 17:41

A modern (1999) patriòtic cinderella, showing Catalan flag (four "blod" stripes on a "golden" background) and a map of the Catalan speaking lands, which embrace molt of the Easter Iberian Peninsula, plus the Balearic Islands.

The "postmark" shows the "Three Branches Pine", meaning the 3 main Catalan speaking territories: Catalunya, València and the Balearic Islands.




Posted By: cursus
Date Posted: 13 August 2017 at 19:43

Three more Barcelona 1929 International Exhibition cinderellas:



Posted By: Londonbus1
Date Posted: 13 August 2017 at 22:49
Originally posted by cursus cursus wrote:

Thank you very much Michael. The design, is very much on line with the 1930's style in Catalonia: advanced and free. Our society was very open minded, then. As it's, nowadays again.

I bought it just two weeks ago. I manage to get new cinderellas nearly every Sunday. Normally 4 or 5, sometimes some more. Even in sumer I find some. Sellers, know me and keep the good items, altough I can't pay a lot of Money for them, I'm a weekly customer! That helps.

I look forward to show you Barcelona. Things, are changing quite fast, here!


I have penciled in a trip for myself to Barcelona next year sometime. Visiting Mum in September for Stampex and the Cinderella Stamp Club auction so hopefully next year we can finally meet in person !!Big smile

I need to make sure it's a weekend for the market !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!


Posted By: Londonbus1
Date Posted: 13 August 2017 at 22:54
Originally posted by Panterra Panterra wrote:

Curious that the right-hand stamp is all in Russian!

Many Exhibitions, Expositions, Events and Fairs, especially European ones, have issued labels in different languages, they make quite an interesting and often beautiful collection in their own right.
The 1912 Stockholm Olympic games spring to mind but there are many.
Might make for a nice thread that can be added to as labels are found or seen.

LB1


Posted By: cursus
Date Posted: 14 August 2017 at 02:56

It will be a pleasure to have you in Barcelona, Michael. And, you're right; althought our language is Catalan, we've cinderellas in Spanish, French, English, Esperanto...Even, in Latin.

 



Posted By: cursus
Date Posted: 17 August 2017 at 01:26

October, 1920, Barcelona Trade Fair.



Posted By: Londonbus1
Date Posted: 17 August 2017 at 06:09
Are you OK Joan ? Bad news is coming to our screens...........


Posted By: cursus
Date Posted: 28 August 2017 at 04:45
After a mourning period for the tragegy of August 17th. Im showing some cindererellas and a mini-sheet showing the Catalan Freedom Fighting Flag, issued just yesterday on our annual stamp gathering at Artesa de Segre (150 km West of Barcelona).




Posted By: Londonbus1
Date Posted: 28 August 2017 at 09:54
I was worried about you hence the messages and email. Terrible times.
On a brighter note, can you get me a copy of those labels and what looks like a folder ? I will pay all costs. They are lovely and are made for my Cinderella Flag Collection !!

Pretty Please !

Londonbus1


Posted By: cursus
Date Posted: 28 August 2017 at 19:41

Thank you for your interest, both in us and in our cinderellas. There are, actually, 6 cinderellas and a dozen mini-sheets printed on a number of papers and inks. All of them inside a special cover.

They were printed by a friend of mine, who organizes the gathering. As he's not rich, he just prints cinderellas for the attendants. I'll ask him if he have any left and I'll be very glad to send them to you.

By the way, cannot show material like this on Spanish speaking fòrums, as they're mad against anything related to the Catalan Independence. I've stopped posting there. 



Posted By: cursus
Date Posted: 31 August 2017 at 03:50

Click to enlarge

Postcard with a cinderella with the real colours of Catalonia's Freedom flag, cirdulated on August 28th 2017, from Artesa de Segre to Barcelona, "cancelled" with a private "postmark".




Posted By: cursus
Date Posted: 15 September 2017 at 00:13

2006 Catalonia's National Day

Click to enlarge



Posted By: Krygon
Date Posted: 09 October 2017 at 23:36
Perhaps it's time for Catalonia to issue some more stamps - perhaps commemorating the recent push for independence. Maybe some capable artistamp producer will offer his/her services?


Posted By: Londonbus1
Date Posted: 10 October 2017 at 02:54
Originally posted by Krygon Krygon wrote:

Perhaps it's time for Catalonia to issue some more stamps - perhaps commemorating the recent push for independence. Maybe some capable artistamp producer will offer his/her services?

Please see recent issue news in posts above.


Posted By: cursus
Date Posted: 10 October 2017 at 03:22
Thank you Michael. These, are politicaly complicated days. As soon as things settle somewhat, we'll be able to start thinking on issuing commemorative cinderellas; although not many people write letters today. So they not even know about stamps! We'll do our best!


Posted By: IslandPost
Date Posted: 18 October 2017 at 01:17
Many thanks for bringing these great stamps to light. Looking forward to more of your posts!

-------------
Visit https://www.ebid.net/uk/stores/Alpha-Thematics/CINDERELLA/Local-Posts" rel="nofollow - Alpha Thematics for Canvey Island Local Post stamps and covers & more...


Posted By: cursus
Date Posted: 24 November 2017 at 00:49
In 1914 there was a printer's lock-out in Barcelona. The reason is unknown to me; but, in the years before the wellfare state, that meant missery for the families of the printing workers. To help them, some of the Barcelona's artists drawn 20 cinderellas to be sold for the benefit of the printers.
Each cinderella had a face value of 5 cents of pesseta (our currency between 1868 and 2001) and went on sheets of 20 different items. So, a sheet sold for 1 pesseta.
The text, in Catalan, says "Socors per a la vaga Forçosa, Barcelona 1914" (Help for the forced strike, Barcelona 1914)
Printed in trichromy, you can see many differents designs depending on each artists style, but the one that I like most is the shadow of an iddle printing machine...
In these days, printing was equal to people's education and culture.




Posted By: cursus
Date Posted: 24 November 2017 at 00:53


Posted By: cursus
Date Posted: 24 November 2017 at 00:55


Posted By: Colin
Date Posted: 24 November 2017 at 01:08
Wow! Some very beautifully crafted hand-lettering there.  Did anyone record the names of the individual artists involved or was that considered too risky?



-------------
My Etsy shop - FarFetchedPhilately - new 'stuff' coming soon...




https://www.etsy.com/uk/shop/FarFetchedPhilately

.


Posted By: cursus
Date Posted: 24 November 2017 at 20:34

Actually, it's a quite well studied cinderella sheet. Two friends of mine (both, from Barcelona) have written three articles on philatelic magazines on this subject. Between them and my self, have managed to identify the authors of most cinderellas.

There was not risk at all. They were just well known artists, helping the printer's workers. It was charity, not polítics.

With some friends, we're cataloging Catalan cinderellas, and already know the artists who designed a great number of them 



Posted By: cursus
Date Posted: 24 November 2017 at 20:39
Bartomeu Robert, was a Medical doctor, major of Barcelona and Catalan political activist. This cinderella dates from early XX century


Posted By: cursus
Date Posted: 25 November 2017 at 20:00
The 1914 printers' strike cinderella sheet, was printed at Oliva de Vilanova Printing Works in Barcelona. The iddle printing Machine was designed by the owner of the works. Originated on the coastal town of Vilanova i la Geltrú (60 South of Barcelona) on late XIX century, it was later transfered to Barcelona, where it become quite successful, doing a lot of artistical printing, including a lot of Barcelona City Council local revenue stamps and cinderellas. They closed on the early years of the 1980 dècade.


Posted By: Daniel
Date Posted: 26 November 2017 at 02:52
Originally posted by cursus cursus wrote:

The 1914 printers' strike cinderella sheet, was printed at Oliva de Vilanova Printing Works in Barcelona. The iddle printing Machine was designed by the owner of the works. Originated on the coastal town of Vilanova i la Geltrú (60 South of Barcelona) on late XIX century, it was later transfered to Barcelona, where it become quite successful, doing a lot of artistical printing, including a lot of Barcelona City Council local revenue stamps and cinderellas. They closed on the early years of the 1980 dècade.
 

That's a great set with an very interesting story. When I looked see if it was available to buy anywhere, I found them on delcampe but, as is sadly so common these days, they were being sold individually and on an auction basis. I had a little more luck on ebay where I found a couple of strips of five and purchased one of those, including the Iddle printing press stamp. 

I also found a nice set of miniature sheets of 3 Cinderellas for Expo Figueras 1960 and designed by Salvador Dali.

Finally, I recently purchased a fantasy banknote for Catalonia featuring Dali and Gaudi!




Posted By: cursus
Date Posted: 26 November 2017 at 03:59

In 1907, there was a Catalonia's General Exhibition, held at Vilanova i la Geltrú. Cinderella, printed at Oliva de Vilanova's Works from a drawing by Joan Llaverias.



All this information, and more to come, are from the most interesting book "Barcelona, Art i Aventura del Llibre" (Barcelona, Book's Art and Adventure) by Santi Barjau & Víctor OLiva, printed in 2002 by Barcelona City Council. I only know the Catalan version.



Posted By: cursus
Date Posted: 27 November 2017 at 19:47
Montserrat, meaning "Sawed Mountain" in Catalan, is a very distinctive isolated mountain located right in the middle of Catalonia, about 40 km SW of Barcelona. Since 881 A.D. it has been the site of a Benedictine Monastery (la Abadia de Montserrat), that holds the shrine of the Virgin of Montserrat, a Romanic black virgin patroness of Catalonia. The mountain and its monastery are both an spiritual, cultural and patriotic reference for Catalans. Also, geographic, as it's easily identified when you're travelling (or trekking) in our country.
Even Richard Wagner placed there the Holy Graal hidding place on this opera "Parsifal". True, in 1941 Goebbels came here to try to find the Graal...
In 1947, after he trauma of the civil war, Catalans gathered to place a new crown on the Virgin's image. It was both a religious and patriotic event, of great significance at that time.
As it was normal by then, there was a cinderella issue to rise founds.
I've carried on a little search on them, as not much information is available.
There are 13 wood engraving cinderellas. The printer was "Oliva de Vilanova", the Barcelona's printer that did also most of Barcelona city council stamps. They were the work two engravers: Antoni Ollé I Pinell (Barcelona, 1897-1981) and another one that signs "C" and that, so far, I've not been able to identify.
The cinderellas show:
Saint Benedictus (Nursia, Germany, 480 - Montecassino, Italy, 547). Founder of the Western Monacate, and Patron of Europe. Montserrat monastery belongs to the Benedictine order.
Abbot Oliba (?, Catalonia, 971 - Cuixà, Catalonia, 1046) one of Catalonia's fathers and founder of the Montserrat Monastery.
Saint Francis of Assisi (Assisi, Italy, 1196 - 1226), Saint Ignatius of Loiola (Azpeitia, Basque Country, 1491 - Rome, 1556), Saint Joseph of Calassanç (Peralta de la Sal, Spain - Rome, 1648)& Saint Antoni Maria Claret (Sallent, Catalonia, 1807 - Fontfreda, France, 1870). Both, are said to have "mystical experiences" on the mountain.
Josep Torras I Bages (Cabanyes, Catalonia, 1846 - Vic, Catalonia, 1916). Bishop of Vic and religious writter, that was very fond od Montserrat.
Mossén Jacint Verdaguer (Folgueroles, Catalonia, 1845 - Sarrià, Catalonia, 1902). Priest and the most important Catalan poet, that wrote Montserrat hymn, the Virolai.
The Virgin of Montserrat image in two sizes. A big. bicolour one and another, smaller in one ink.
A view of the mountain, a rock with some climbers and one of the many hermits that are on the mountain.
All cinderella were issued perforated, but imperforate also exist.
Text is in Latin. As Catalan language was prohibited by Franco's fascist regime, and they didn't want to use the compulsory Spanish language; they preferred to use Latin, by then the official Catholic Church language, that not even Franco dared to ban.
All but the Virgin small cinderella, have printed on the back the apportation: 0.50 pta for the Virgin cinderella and 0.25 pta for the others. In nowadays money, 0.5 pta should be about 1.20 € (1.6 US$).
Sorry for the, too long, explanation.


Posted By: cursus
Date Posted: 27 November 2017 at 19:49
Click to enlarge


Posted By: cursus
Date Posted: 27 November 2017 at 19:51


Posted By: cursus
Date Posted: 27 November 2017 at 19:55
Click to enlarge


Posted By: cursus
Date Posted: 27 November 2017 at 19:57
Click to enlarge


Posted By: cursus
Date Posted: 27 November 2017 at 19:59
Note: the size of the 1st, 2nd and 4th cinderellas of the last post is the same as the above ones.


Posted By: cursus
Date Posted: 27 November 2017 at 20:01


Posted By: cursus
Date Posted: 28 November 2017 at 19:42

In May/june 1952 it was held in Barcelona the 25th International Eucharistic Congress. Used by Franco's regime to cleanse its bad (well deserved) international image. The undergroung Catalanist opposition, took also advantage to show the world, that Catalonia was still alive. For example a gigant Catalan flag was flown from the hills backing Barcelona, at the very moment went a big mass, attended by Franco himself, was being celebrated at Barcelona's main avenue.
To support this event a minisheet with four cinderellas well designed and printed (by the printer Oliva de Vilanova, responsible also for the Barcelona's local stamps)and two sepparate ones. The donative for the sheet was of 15 pta (today, 40 €) and for the two items, 0.5 pta (today 1 €) and 1 pta, corrected to 0.25 pta.

Just to give you and idea of the real cost: on the same years the people of Barcelona staged a two weeks strike of no taking the tram (by then, the most popular públic transport), the first strike under the fascist dictatorship, to protest for a rise of just 15 cents (0.15/186 €) on the tram faré. No wonder, these cinderellas sold very badly and you're still able to buy them quite cheap. But, the quality is good.







Posted By: cursus
Date Posted: 05 December 2017 at 20:18
Just as a sample, I show two cinderellas of the "Album Catalunya" (April - October 1933).
The first one depicts Pau Casals, better known worldwide by the Spanish translation of "Pablo Casals", (el Vendrell, Catalonia, 1876 - Puerto Rico, USA, 1973). Perhaps the best cello payer in the history. Author of the UN anthem, he played in 1963 at the White House for Pres. JFK.




Pau/Pablo Ruiz Picasso (Málaga, Spain, 1881 - Mougins, France, 1973) Although, Spanish born, Picasso spent all his youth in Barcelona, where he had lifelong friends, spoke fluent Catalan and considered himself one of us. So, its fit that he's is on the Catalunya Album, among the other Catalan painters of the time.





The Catalan text under the cinderella reads: "The purest modern painting representative. The colectionists compete for his works"


Posted By: cursus
Date Posted: 20 December 2017 at 01:10
Two cinderella sheets just issued by the Catalan pro-independence party Estat Català, to divulge the brutal represion of the democràtic and peaceful Catalonia Independence Movement by the so-called "democràtic" kingdom of Spain.


Posted By: cursus
Date Posted: 24 December 2017 at 21:06
With these cinderellas, issued around 1930 and showing Barcelona's Cathedral, I wish our CSF a Merry Xmas and a Happy New Year 2018.Click to enlarge


Posted By: cursus
Date Posted: 28 December 2017 at 01:24

The Basilica de la Sagrada Familia, is Barcelona's molt famous landmark. The work, began in 1882 and it's still in progress. It's also the most known of Antoni Gaudí's Building. Cinderellas issued around 1930. It also exists in blue.

Click to enlarge

 



Posted By: cursus
Date Posted: 31 December 2017 at 18:30

From the same series as above, showing Barcelona's GPO, just being built (1930)

Click to enlarge



Posted By: cursus
Date Posted: 05 January 2018 at 21:47
Issued around 1910. Souvenir stamps of Montserrat Abbey and mountainClick to enlarge


Posted By: cursus
Date Posted: 05 January 2018 at 21:48
Click to enlarge


Posted By: cursus
Date Posted: 21 January 2018 at 21:17

July 1957, el Vendrell (80 km South of Barcelona). Children's school stamp competition.



Posted By: cursus
Date Posted: 08 February 2018 at 00:25


Tarragona (100 km South of Barcelona), June/July 1936, Turism exhibition.



Posted By: cursus
Date Posted: 13 February 2018 at 03:52
Larger Version Avalable! Click Image to Enlarge.


Posted By: cursus
Date Posted: 21 February 2018 at 03:26

International transports agency, in Barcelona.



Posted By: Daniel
Date Posted: 06 August 2019 at 13:12
Here is a sheet of a Cinderella stamp depicting a mermaid blowing a conch shell and holding a model of Discobolus, the classical Greek statue of a discus thrower which was issued to commemorate the II Juegos Mediterraneos, The Second Mediterranean Games, held in Barcelona from 16th to 25th July 1955.  There were 102 events across 19 sports and all of the participants were male. France came 1st, Italy 2nd and Spain 3rd.

https://flic.kr/p/2gRGmCc" rel="nofollow"> https://flic.kr/p/2gRGmCc" rel="nofollow - Il Juegos by https://www.flickr.com/photos/101603119@N05/" rel="nofollow - Spicer57 , on Flickr


Posted By: Daniel
Date Posted: 20 May 2020 at 06:55
https://flic.kr/p/2j3Yjfr" rel="nofollow"> https://flic.kr/p/2j3Yjfr" rel="nofollow - Scan_20200520 (2) by https://www.flickr.com/photos/101603119@N05/" rel="nofollow - Spicer57 , on Flickr

Designed by Dali for a coin and stamp exhibition in 1960 held in Figueras, Catalonia, Dali's birthplace. there were various other commemorative philatelic items.



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