Captain Robert A. Bartlett

Traditional Houses

Title: Traditional Houses
Date of Issue: 7 July 2009
Country: Malaysia
Denominations: 50 sen x 16

Roadside Attractions

Title: Roadside Attractions
Date of Issue: 6 July 2009
Country: Canada
Denominations: 54c

Nothing beats a Canadian road trip. From the rocky splendours of the west, through spectacular stretches of alpine meadows, towards the sweeping ocean vistas of the east—it seems that, no matter which way we steer the wheel, there’s something to see. But it’s not all natural scenery; the landscape abounds with quirky landmarks that capture the spirit of small-town Canada and never fail to get tourists talking. This July, Canada Post will issue the first set in a three-year stamp series showcasing Canada’s famous roadside attractions.

We kick off our cross-country journey in the wonderful west, home to vistas of snow-peaked mountain ranges, panoramic seascapes, and, of course, Mr. PG. At a staggering 8 metres tall, this giant “log” man is hard to miss. He’s been welcoming visitors to Prince George, BC, since 1960.

Next stop: Watson Lake, YK, where a special kind of forest—a signpost forest—is nestled within spectacular stretches of untamed wilderness. It all began in 1942, when a homesick U.S. Army G.I. working on the Alaska Highway put up a sign pointing the way and showing the mileage to his hometown. Others followed suit, and the Watson Lake Signpost Forest’s count today exceeds 64,000 signs.

So many signs—which way to go? We follow the eastbound arrow until, as luck would have it, we stumble upon Hay River, NWT’s Inukshuk. Built in 1978 as a symbol for the Arctic Winter Games, this stunning sculpture belongs to the age-old Inuit tradition of building stone giants to guide travelers through Canada’s vast landscape. Our guide points south, and on we go.

A long journey down the Yellowhead Highway leads us to Vegreville, AB, where a massive Easter egg—the largest in the world, in fact—is on display at the entrance to Elk Island National Park. Its name, Pysanka, is Ukrainian for “Easter egg,” and it symbolizes Vegreville’s vibrant folk culture.

This set of stamps is as fun and whimsical as the attractions they celebrate. Designer Fraser Ross of Halifax’s Semaphor Design Company notes, “They’re all iconic in their own way, so we wanted to give them each a monumental quality.” The stamps feature traditional oil paintings by Nova Scotia artist Bonnie Ross. The detail and dimension within them was captured by adding layer upon layer of graduated colour. Meanwhile, the lively colour scheme lends a cartoonish aspect to the scenes. Fraser adds, “This quality highlights the originality and quirkiness of these attractions; they’re so much fun and we wanted the stamps to speak to that.”

While getting acquainted with the roadside attractions, Ross came to see that their excitement extends well beyond their quirks. “They’re like historical landmarks in both a literal and figurative way,” he says. “They literally mark a location, but they also mark a time and place. On family vacations, we all stop; we stare; and we rarely leave without a picture. Over time, we may forget the details of a vacation, sometimes even the destinations themselves, but somehow the roadside attractions we meet along the way find a permanent place in our memories and photo albums.” This July, these lively landmarks can also find a permanent place in your stamp collection.

Flora & Fauna

Title: Flora & Fauna
Date of Issue: 1 July 2009
Country: Italy
Denominations: 0,32 €, 0,62 €

The two self adhesive stamps of this Flora and Fauna series are devoted to the Geranium and the butterfly Graellsia isabelae, and depict images of the both.

- Geranium
The plant commonly known as Geranium belongs to the family of the Geraniaceae and the genus Pelargonium. Confusingly, "geranium" is also the common name of members of the genus Pelargonium. Geranium is a genus of over 400 species of flowering biennial, perennial and annual plants. These attractive flowers and their various colours make them very popular in gardening. They are grown throughout the temperate regions of the world and the mountains of the tropics, but mostly in the eastern part of the Mediterranean region. Propagation is by semi-ripe cuttings in winter and early spring or by seed. They are normally grown in part shade to full sun, in well draining but moisture retentive soils.

- Graellsia isabelae
The butterfly depicted in this stamp belongs to the nominal subspecies Graellsia isabelae ssp.isabelae. It is a female specimen and according to entomologists, this Spanish butterfly is the most beautiful in Europe. It takes its name from its describer and naturalist Dr. Graells Agüera, who discovered it in 1849 in the Sierra de Guadarrama (Madrid). He first gave it the name of Saturnia isabelae in homage to Queen Isabel II of the Borbon dynasty, her protector. The main colour of this Iberian Lepidoptera, of an exotic nature, is pale green with the wing veins heavily outlined with reddish-brown scales and with yellow replacing the pale green on the hindwing tails and wing submarginal areas. The broad, outwardly curved tails are more than twice as long in males than in the females. This moth primarily feeds on the leaves of pine trees where it lays its eggs after fertilization. This specimen lives in the Pyrenees, the central mountain range of the Iberian Peninsula and the mountains of Albarracín, Javalambre, Gúdar, Cazorla, Segura, Alcaraz and Guadarrama. The photograph depicted in the stamp belongs to Enrique Aguilar and the butterfly is form the collection of entomologist Tomás Latasa who has kindly supplied it.

The 16th Asian Games

Title: The 16th Asian Games
Date of Issue: 30 June 2009
Country: China
Denominations: 1.20 yaun x 2

1.20 yaun (2-1): Emblem
The design of the official emblem, inspired from the statue of the Five Goats in Guangzhou Yuexiu Park, features soft and uplifting lines to outline a contour of the Five Goats that resemble the shape of a torch. The design, a combination of grace and delicacy, represents the city symbol of Guangzhou, embodies the enthusiasm of Guangzhou citizens in hosting the event, manifests the ever-burning sacred flame of the Asian Games, and conveys the vigor and vitality to be staged at the 16th Asian Games.

1.20 yaun (2-2): Mascots
The Official Mascots of the Guangzhou 2010 Asian Games are Le Yangyang and his four friends, A Xiang, A He, A Ru and A Yi, each with their own character and style. Put together, their names make the China phrase, Xiang He Ru Yi Le Yangyang, which means Peace, Harmony and Great Happiness, with everything going as you wish. As an important symbol of Guangzhou, the Five Goats also represent the five colors of the Olympic rings, emblematizing the Olympic spirit of friendship, cooperation, equal participation and fair competition. Conveying the vision of the 16th Asian Games, "Thrilling Games, Harmonious Asia," the mascots express anticipation for the Asian Games of Chinese people, especially Guangzhou people, as well as their warm welcome to people from Asia and the rest of the world.

2009 Scenic Definitives

Title: 2009 Scenic Definitives
Date of Issue: 1 July 2009
Country: New Zealand

Denominations: 30c, $1.80, $2.30, $2.80, $3.30, $4.00.

For the first time since 2007, New Zealand Post has produced a selection of Scenic Definitive stamps, covering some of New Zealand’s favourite scenic locations. Join us, and you’ll catch a tantalising glimpse of our country’s stunning natural environments and sophisticated urban landscapes.

30 c – Tolaga Bay

$1.80 – Russell

$2.30 – Lake Wanaka

$2.80 – Auckland

$3.30 – Rakaia River
Rising in the Southern Alps and travelling 150 kilometres to the

$4.00 – Wellington

Bee Gees

Title: Bee Gees
Date of Issue: 1 July 2009
Country: Isle of Man
Denominations: £ 4.93

Isle of Man commemorate the long and illustrious career of this world-famous Manx-born band with this set of 8 stamps which, almost literally, chart their progress through the years. The images are derived from the covers of many of their milestone album covers.