Messages on Stamps
Celebrating Front Line Workers During COVID
An exhibit associated with the Carleton-Ingenium Experiencing COVID-19 through Science and Technology: Adjusting, Adapting, Innovating project
Messages on Stamps
Celebrating Front Line Workers During COVID is an exhibit associated with the Carleton-Ingenium Experiencing COVID-19 through Science and Technology: Adjusting, Adapting, Innovating project. Our exhibit’s title was taken from a speech by Philippe Wahl CEO of La Poste launching the French stamp booklet #TousEngagés (shown below) on September 14, 2020: “Symbol of our history, our culture, and our heritage, the stamp is also a messenger in our society.”*
Stamps across the globe
Throughout the pandemic, countries have issued stamps marking the arrival of COVID-19 from the first released by Iran on 17 March 2020 to the most recent by Great Britain (23 March 2022).
They convey messages of solidarity and community, of reassurance that governments are working hard to adjust, adapt, and innovate to protect the population, and of encouragement to take the right actions to combat the spread of the virus. Those designed by children offer messages of hope and celebration. With the remit of our project in mind, this exhibit focuses on some of the stamps that commemorate those working on the front line.
* « Symbole de notre histoire, de notre culture et de note patrimonie, le timbre est aussi un messager dan notre société », https://www.facebook.com/laposte/posts/10160206113939046/
Iran
Iran issued the world’s very first stamp honouring front line workers fighting COVID-19 in March 2020. It is inscribed “National Heroes” in both Farsi and English
The workers featured are three masked medical workers offering victory signs, and a gas masked soldier.
The Czech Republic
In June 2020 The Czech Republic honoured front line workers with this joint pair of stamps designed by Filip Hejduk.
Each stamp represented an occupation: healthcare (red cross), military (camouflage), police (blue and yellow stripes), postal workers (bugle), volunteers, delivery workers, and those helping others (polka dots), and the fire brigade (flames).
Each stamp carries the text Děkujeme (”we thank you”). [B indicates this is a standard letter rate stamp]
France
Six months into the pandemic France issued a booklet of twelve stamps each featuring front line workers. The CEO of La Poste declared that the stamp, as a “messenger in our society” applauded the heroes dealing with the upheaval the outbreak had caused to everyday life in France.
Designed by Miles Hyman, the stamps celebrate workers in medicine and health care, emergency services, home care, agricultural, delivery services, garbage collection, and postal services
Australia
At the height of the omicron variant Australia issued a set of stamps honouring front line workers in February 2021.
Designed by Robert Elliott, the stamps featured caregivers, food and postal delivery workers, teachers and supermarket staff as well as medical and emergency workers.
Canada
Canada did not issue a stamp commemorating front line workers but chose to give this special thank-you gift to all employees. A colourful gift box with the words “THANKS MERCI” contained two 12-stamp picture postage booklets.
Designed by Andrew Lewis, the stamps featured a cartoon-style postal delivery truck soaring through the clouds leaving a rainbow in its tracks.
Austria
In each year of the pandemic Austria issued characteristically unique stamps with innovative designs.
The 2020 stamp featured a baby elephant. Each stamp sheet is 10cm wide which if ten are put together equals the average length of a baby elephant (1 metre). The stamps were printed on three-ply toilet paper in reference to the hoarding that many countries experienced at the start of the pandemic.
The 2021 stamp featured an embroidered mask in non-woven materials featuring a fuzzy image of the coronavirus and ear loops.
The stamp of 2022 is a fabric bandage with a stylized coronavirus and needle with the words “Tut Gar Nicht Weh!” (Doesn’t Hurt At All)
Acknowledgements
Stamp sheet issued by the United Nations Postal Administration 11 August 2020 paying tribute to frontline works in the fight against the global pandemic. It depicts key steps in combating the spread of the virus (clockwise): personal hygiene, social distancing, symptom recognition, solidarity, kindness, and myth-busting. Designers: Rorie Katz (sheet); TBWA Global (icons); healthcare worker wearing with mask saying “thank you” in many languages (Chiara Fiore).
Experiencing COVID-19 through Science and Technology: Adjusting, Adapting, Innovating
Project leaders:
David Dean (Carleton Centre for Public History) Rebecca Dolgoy (Ingenium)
Project team:
Helin Burkay, Emily Gann, Kate Jordan, Danielle Mahon, Molly McCulloch, Kirstan Schamuhn. In association with the Workers’ History Museum. Funded by a Carleton University COVID-19 Rapid Research Grant. This project was carried out with clearance by the Carleton University Research Ethics Board-A in compliance with the Tri-Council Policy Statement: Ethical113273 Conduct for Research Involving Humans (TCPS2). Project #.