Herman Herbert Schwartz (1885-1962) brilliant Canadian stamp designer

Herman Herbert Schwartz (1885-1962) brilliant Canadian stamp designer

Canadian designer Herman Herbert Schwartz created many of Canada’s most recognizable stamps. His portfolio includes what is considered one of the great classics in stamp design, the 50c Bluenose. He brought a keen eye for detail to his job and was a lion among Canadian designers. He’s my personal favourite, partially because he is responsible for all of Canada’s airmail stamps. It was my acquisition of the 5c Daedalus in flight stamp that kicked off my obsession with airmail decades ago.

I was hard put to find much information on Herbert Schwarz, beyond a few lines. He doesn’t even rank a mention in the Canadian Encyclopedia. The only details on Schwartz I found, came via his family’s Halifax, Nova Scotia spice company W.H. Schwartz & Sons. He came from a family of successful merchants but wasn’t interested in joining the firm. Instead, he pursued a career as an illustrator, apprenticing with the American Bank Note Company of Ottawa in 1909. This started his long association with Canadian stamps that spanned from his first design in 1927 to his last stamp in 1955.

It’s difficult to understand why so little is written about Schwartz given his contributions in creating a distinctive Canadian stamp design. When Covid lifts, I’ll head off to the reference library and see if I can find any information to fill in the gaps. Until then, I have to make due with the few scraps I found.

Herman Herbert Schwartz designed over 80 stamps for the Canadian post office, starting with the 2c Fathers of Confederation in 1927 and finally the 1955 Prime Minister series. He was involved in several other projects in the late 50s, but did not act as designer, so I haven’t listed them here. I will add engraver information when I find it or get the time to list the information. Without the engravers work, none of these stamps would have been so outstanding.

When going through my collection, picking out which ones to scan, I was amused by what was missing. You can tell which ones I’m not fond of. I’ve never attempted to replace the 3c George V & Mary stamp or 2c Duke of York. I’ve always found them bland and lifeless. I acquired these space fillers 40 years ago or more and have never bothered buying mint versions. One day, maybe when I retire or run out of stamps to hunt down.

I’m in the process of creating lists of designers and their stamps. This is the first, of hopefully, a series. I’ve already begun to write up Paprika Designs, who are responsible for some fabulous modern stamps. While I’m pulling the next one together, I’ll create a new category – Stamp Designers and put it in the menu above. I have, in spreadsheet style, over 50 designers from Canada, Norway, Denmark, Macau and Australia. And of course, this will be a long-term project that will grow slowly. The aim is to recognize the work done by illustrators and designers who have created so many collectable works of art in a mini format.

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If you find an error or omission, leave a message in the comments section below. Please note, some images are missing because I don’t have them in my collection. I might upload stock images at a later point, I haven’t made up my mind yet.

Stamps designed by Herman Herbert Schwartz

Regular stamps 1929 – 1949

1927 60th Anniversary of Confederation

2c Fathers of Confederation
2c Fathers of Confederation stamp at Charlottetown Herman Herbert Schwartz

3c Parliament Buildings
3c Parliament Buildings in red

1c Sir John A
1c Sir John A MacDonald Canadian Prime Miniser

5c Sir Wilfred Laurier
5c Sir Wilfred Laurier

12c Map of Canada
12c Map of Canada Herman Herbert Schwartz

 

1928-29

King George V Scroll Issue (6 stamps)
King George V scroll stamp - 4cents

 

1928
10c Mount Hurd
Canadian stamp showing Mount Hurd

 

1929
12c Quebec Bridge

 

20c Harvesting

 

50c Bluenose 
High quality photo of 1929 Bluenose stamp Herman Herbert Schwartz

 

$1 Parliament buildings

 

 

1930-1931
King George V Arch/Leaf Issue (11 stamps)
King George V Arch issue 8 cents

10c Library of Parliament
King George V Arch issue 8 cents

 

1935
10c RCMP
10c Canadian stamp showing RCMP on horse Herman Herbert Schwartz

 

13c Charlottetown

 

 

20c Niagara Falls
Niagra Falls stamp 20c  Herman Herbert Schwartz

 

50c Victoria Parliament
50 cent Parliament Hill stamp in deep blue Herman Herbert Schwartz

 

$1 Champlain Monument

 

 

1c Princess Elizabeth
Princess Elizabeth stamp From King GV silver jubilee

2c Duke of York
Duke of York stamp From King GV silver jubilee

3c George V & Mary
KGV & Queen Mary From King GV silver jubilee

5c Prince of Wales
Prince of Wales Edward From King GV silver jubilee

12c Royal Yacht Britannia
HMS Britania in a stamp From King GV silver jubilee

10c Windsor Castle
Windsor Castle stamp From King GV silver jubilee Herman Herbert Schwartz

KGV series – crown | Pictorial (6 in series)
King George V pictorial issue

 1937 
King George VI – Mufti issue 6 issues
King George VI 5c stamp - civilian dress

1938 
13c Halifax Harbour
1938 - Halifax Harbour stamp Herman Herbert Schwartz

10c Parliament
Parliament - 10 cents 1938

20c Fort Garry
1938 - Fort Garry stamp Herman Herbert Schwartz

50c Vancouver Harbour
1938 - Vancouver Harbour stamp

$1 Château de Ramezay
1938 - Château de Ramezay Herman Herbert Schwartz

1939 Royal Visit
1c Elizabeth & Margaret Rose
1939 - Elizabeth & Margaret Rose stamp

2c National Memorial
Ottawa War Memorial on 2c stamp

3c KGVI & Elizabeth
1939 - George VI & Elizabeth stamp Herman Herbert Schwartz

 


1942 – 1954

1942
King George VI in uniform series (6 stamps)
KGVI in military uniform Herman Herbert Schwartz

4c Grain Elevator
1942 - Grain Elevator on stamp

8c Farm Scene of Eastern Canada
1942 - Farm Scene

10c Parliament
1942 - Parliament on stamp Herman Herbert Schwartz

13c Ram tank

 

20c Corvette
20c stamp showing 1942 - Corvette being built

50c Munitions Factory
50c 1942 - Munitions Factory stamp Herman Herbert Schwartz

$1 Destroyer
1$ stamp showing destroyer ship Herman Herbert Schwartz


1943
14c Ram Tank

 

1946 Peace Issues
10c Great Bear Lake in NWT
10c stamp 1946 - Great Bear Lake designed by Herman Herbert Schwartz

14c Quebec Hydro-Electric Station
14c Quebec Hydro-Electric Station

20c Tractor Drawn Thresher
20c Tractor Drawn Thresher Herman Herbert Schwartz

50c Loggin in BC

 

 

$1 PEI Train Ferry
$1 PEI Train Ferry

 

1947 
4c Alexander Graham Bell
Canadian stamp showing Alexander Graham Bell and an angel

4c Citizen
1947 stamp celebrating Canadian citizenship

 

1948
4c HRH Princess Elizabeth marriage
1948 Canadian stamp showing portrait of Princess Elizabeth

4c Responsible Government
Herman Herbert Schwartz 1947 Canadian stamp showing QV and KGVI and Canadian parliament

 

1949 
4c Cabot’s “Mathew” NFLD
4c Cabot's

4c Halifax
4c Halifax showing British redcoats and log buildings

King G VI peace issues
King George VI peace time portrait Herman Herbert Schwartz

 

1950 
50c Oil development in the west
50c Oil development in the west

10c Canada’s fur resources
10c Canada's fur resources showing fur trying on frames and teepee

 

1951 
5c Ships
5c Ships stamp showing sail and steam ships Herman Herbert Schwartz

7c Stagecoach and Plane
7c Stagecoach and Plane

15c 3 pence beaver stamp on stamp
15c 3 pence beaver stamp on stamp

4c Princess Elizabeth and Prince Philip
4c Princess Elizabeth and Prince Philip portraits

 

1952 
4c International Red Cross
4c International Red Cross showing large red cross with rays of light

3c Abbott (PM series)
3c Abbott (PM series) Portrait of PM Abbott

3c McKenzie (PM series)

3c Mackenzie King (PM series) Herman Herbert Schwartz

 

1953
Karsh Queen Elizabeth II (5 stamps)
Karsh portrait of Queen Elizabeth II

 

1954
Wilding Queen Elizabeth series
6c Canadian stamp showing Dorthy Wilding portrait

4c Prime Minister Thompson
4c Prime Minister Thompson Herman Herbert Schwartz

5c Prime Minister Bowell
5c Prime Minister Bowell

 

1955 
4c Prime Minister Bennett
4c stamp depicting PM Bennett

5c Prime Minister Tupper

5c stamp with portrait of PM Tupper


All airmails designed by Schwartz and engraved by Silas Robert Allan

Canadian Express & Airmail stamps Herman Herbert Schwartz

Air Post Special Delivery

1942-43 
16c Trans-Canada airplane
16c airmail special deliver showing Trans-Canada airplane Herman Herbert Schwartz

 

17c Trans-Canada airplane
17c Trans-Canada airplane

1943
17c Trans-Canada airplane special delivery
17c Trans-Canada airplane special delivery

 


Airmail 1927 – 1947

1928
5c allegory of flight

Air - 5 cents 1928 - Canadian stamp - alegory of flight and monoplane

 

1930
5c Mercury circles the globe with “Air” print

 

1932
Allegory of flight 6c surcharge
Allegory of flight 6c surcharge

 

Mercury, air – Ottawa Conference
Mercury, air - Ottawa Conference overprint Herman Herbert Schwartz

1935
5c Daedalus in flight 
1935 Canada Post airmail - Daedalus

1938 
6c Mackenzie River, Northwest Territories
6c Mackenzie River, Northwest Territories Herman Herbert Schwartz

 

1942
6c WW2 Pilot, training
6c WW2 era airmail stamp showing pilots training

 

1943 
7c WW2 Pilot, training
7c WW2 era airmail stamp showing pilots training Herman Herbert Schwartz

1946 
7c Canada Geese near Sudbury, On
Canadian airmail stamp showing a Canada goose flying over a lack


 

Herman Herbert Schwartz Canadian Special Delivery stamps

1927 Confederation Issue

20c Special Delivery Expres 

Confederation Commemorative Issue Herman Herbert Schwartz

1935

20c Special Delivery Expres 

 

1938
20c Special Delivery Expres 

Herman Herbert Schwartz Special Delivery by Expres

1939
10c Special Deivery Express

20c overprinted on 10c

 

1942
1942 10c War Issue

Herman Herbert Schwartz Special delivery .10c

 

1946
1943 10c Peace Issue

Herman Herbert Schwartz Special delivery stamp 10c


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For a deeper dive into Canadian airmail, see this article:

Canada’s last airmail stamp – Canada Geese in Flight 1946

Bluenose is 100 – a stamp celebration

Bluenose is 100 – a stamp celebration

Canada’s beloved Bluenose is 100 years old this March and of course, we’ll celebrate with a new stamp. The Bluenose issue will likely be unveiled in Feb, with a release date in March. 

Dates Bluenose has appeared on a Canadian stamp:

  1. 1929 – original stamp based on  a Wallace MacAskill photo
  2. 1982- featuring the original stamp on a new issue
  3. 1988 – showcasing the Bluenose & her captain
  4. 1998 – featuring both boat & it’s designer
  5. 2021- TBA

Designed to be both a fishing boat and a racing schooner, the Bluenose excelled in both roles.  It was the first boat designed by Halifax born W. J. Roué who became known as Canada’s premier naval architect. He designed over 200 vessels, including yachts, barges, ferries, freighters, and schooners.

The Bluenose, manned by its fishing crew and captained by Angus J. Walters, raced the best in the world. In its 17 years, the “queen of the North Atlantic” was beaten just once.

Bluenose Schooner in full sail - the Bluenose is 100

Bluenose Schooner in full sail. Photo 1921 Photographer: MacAskill, Wallace R., 1893-1956 courtesy Archives / Collections and Fonds

The original stamp 1929

High quality photo of 1929 Bluenose stamp

Bluenose Schooner – January 1929 | [Bluenose] [graphic material] / Based on photographs by W.R. MacAskill – Library and Archives Canada (bac-lac.gc.ca)
High quality photo. Click on stamp to see details

This stamp is instantly recognizable around the world. I remember when I acquired mine nearly 20 years ago. I still get excited every time I think back to that day. The ’29 Bluenose is one of those stamps every young Canadian collector dreams of owning. It’s a thing of beauty, in both subject and design. The level of detail in this small rectangle is staggering. Engraved by American Bank Note Company, New York City, the stamp was based on photos by Nova Scotian photographer Wallace R. MacAskill.

The stamp above is a high-quality photograph that will allow you zoom in and see the stunning detailed work.  From a design standpoint, this is as close to perfect as you can get.

Stamp essay showing bluenose, engraved border and black and white photo in middle

Bluenose specimen stamp 1928

Buried in the Canadian archives was this specimen. I have to say, I’m not sure which I prefer. The contrast of the deep blue and grey/black engraving is breathtaking. The use of grey/black gives the stamp a sense of photo-realism. It would be interesting to know why all blue was picked.

Bluenose stamp 1982

Original Bluenose stamp on a modern stamp

Stamp on a stamp

The International Philatelic Youth Exhibition in 1982 featured this stamp-on-stamp commemorative. This issue, part of a set showing classic Canadian stamps, was designed by Stuart Bradley Ash of the design firm Gottschalk+Ash . Ash was a legend in the design industry and was the man behind Canada’s centennial logo in 1967.

Canadian Centennial log showing stylized multicoloured maple leaf

100 years

1988 Bluenose and Captain Walters

1988 stamp showing Bluenose and Captain Walters

1988 Bluenose and Captain Walters

1988 finally saw Captain Walters honoured with a stamp. This one, designed by Roger Hill, doesn’t excite me; I find it bland. Given the thrill of captaining the schooner, I had hoped for a more vibrant addition to the Bluenose family.  I confess, I still haven’t picked it up for my collection. It’s a sound design, just lacks a sense of vigour.

1998 Roué and Bluenose stamp

Bluenose designer Roue and Bluenose

Roue and Bluenose 1998

The original stamp made a return in 1998 to honour Roué. Graphic designer Louis C. Hébert did an excellent job blending the classic engraving with a lithograph portrait of Roué.

Bluenose is 100 – the latest

This space is reserved for the new issue. As yet, it’s unknown who the designer is, or what the stamp will look like. I’m a bit torn. I’m fond of the 1929 version but after seeing it in 3 stamps to date, I’m hoping for something fresh. We’ll know soon.

UPDATE: The stamp was released June 29, 2021Bluenose, 100th Anniversary  souvenir sheet Bluenose is 100

The newest member of the Bluenose collection was released June 29, 2021.  See the entire set here Awesome 2021 Canadian stamps UPDATED | Bitter Grounds Magazine. It was designed by Dennis Page and Oliver Hill.  Canadian collectors will know Page from his 2014 Silver Dart 100th anniversary stamp. Hill and Page also designed the Canadian Titanic stamps and Ann of Green Gables stamps, among many others. 

The first stamp shows it at work fishing and the second, it’s first race appearance in 1921. Although the original is still my favourite, but this one is a great addition. I like the way it honours the Bluenose’s working history.

Did you enjoy this article? Consider supporting Bitter Grounds Magazine. You can buy merch at my Red Bubble store. There are a number of stamp related designs to choose from and more on the way.  Or, click the small cup down at the left corner and buy me an espresso.

Find out more about Canada’s 2021 stamp issues:

Awesome 2021 Canadian stamps

1895 Kinetoscope, tech as art

1895 Kinetoscope, tech as art

I found the coolest patent design while looking for something entirely unrelated – an 1895 Kinetoscope, also called the Viviscope. The diagrams are wonderful.

Sketches from an 1895 patent showing parts of a Kinetoscope

Technology as art – the Kinetoscope by W. C. Farnum, Arlington, Vermont

A kinetoscope was a forerunner of moving pictures machines. They allowed the viewer to watch moving images through a tube or window.

In it, a strip of film was passed rapidly between a lens and an electric light bulb while the viewer peered through a peephole. Behind the peephole was a spinning wheel with a narrow slit that acted as a shutter, permitting a momentary view of each of the 46 frames passing in front of the shutter every second. The result was a lifelike representation of persons and objects in motion. Kinetoscope | Definition, Inventors, History, & Facts | Britannica

The original concept was developed by Thomas Edison, but the work creating a functioning kinetoscope, was done by William Kennedy Dickson. Edison, in typical Edison style, took sole credit for its creation, although historians tend to see it as a collaborative effort. Dickson finished work on the kinetoscope by 1892 and Edison patented the work shortly afterwards.

There were several kinetoscope patents filed in the late 1890s, but this one by William Carleton Farnum was the best looking of the lot. Now, that doesn’t mean it would have been functional. But as far as technology as art goes, this one is stunning. The diagrams show a far better attention to detail than many I see during my patent searches.

Patent No. 547,775 was granted to Farnum on Oct. 15, 1895. He envisioned the kinetoscope as a new method for advertising. His design utilized what he called a “transfer roller” to move the pictures instead of mirrors used in other kinetoscope designs.

…wave-movement is applied through the medium of a flexible band which encircles the periphery of a cylinder, so that the slack loop is taken up on a roller, which I have called a “transfer roller,’ and by it can be carried completely around the cylinder very much as the tides move around the earth, and as the wave takes

1498408811142477720-00547775 (storage.googleapis.com)

Kenitoscope roller

Diagram of the Kinetoscope roller

When I tried to find information on the inventor nothing came up in my searches, until I turned to European sources and there it was, a working Farnum’s Viviscope.

Photo of W.C. Farnum's Kinetoscope

Viviscope/Kinetoscope, image courtesy

Not only are the design schematics fameworthy, but the entire machine is a work of art. It was manufactured by Elias Bernard Koopman of New York, 50 Union Square, N. Y. Koopman was one of the founders of American Mutoscope and Biograph Company and is known for his contributions to early cinema. One of the other founders of was William Kennedy Dickson, the same man who worked for Edison. Dickson left Edison’s company shortly after creating the kinetoscope and started the American Mutoscope. It’s an interesting bit of intersecting cinema history,

The Viviscope consisted of a hand driven geared mechanism working on a vertical spindle mounted in a hollow column, attached to the base. Fixed to the top of the column was a platform, having a shallow tin cylinder. An arm carrying a roller fixed to its longest end, was attached to the vertical spindle, which imparted the necessary movement to the paper figure bands and passed each successive picture in the form of a loop, in front of the viewing aperture.

The strips of pictures were somewhat similar to those used in the zoetrope, with the exception that the two ends were joined together to form an endless band, and by placing one of these bands of pictures in correct position on the instrument and turning the handle the figures were shipped in rapid sequence from one phase of movement to the next, and when viewed through the framed opening, apparent movement could be observed.

It is interesting to read the patent specification of the Viviscope, as the inventor claims for the application of its use as being eminently suitable for advertising purposes in railway trains and for exhibition purposes. There were also suggested different forms, amongst which was a rather elaborate multiple instrument, but it achieved no commercial success”

(Will Day, manuscript, 25,000 Years to Trap a Shadow, archives Cinémathèque française).

“It achieved no commercial success” answered one of the questions I had while researching the machine – what happened to the design? There was quite a bit of competition and despite making it off the drawing board, never found a market. Farnum patented one or two other devices and then seems to have disappeared off the pages of history.

If you like the design, check out the t-shirt, “1895 Kinetoscope – Antique cameras and film” T-shirt by BitterGrounds | Redbubble. The clean lines in the schematic are appealing and work well on ts etc. Yes, this is a shameless plug for my Redbubble store. Many of these old patents are beautiful and worthy of remembering and celebrating. There is a vibrancy and excitement to the inventions that is contagious.

Photo of a tshirt showing the Kinetoscope diagrams

Technology as art

If you enjoyed this article, I have more early patents here: Articles About History Of Tech | Bitter Grounds Magazine I tend to wander all over the technology map looking for intriguing designs. You never know what will pop up.

Cheers for now.

 
 
 
250th! Celebrate Beethoven’s birthday with stamps

250th! Celebrate Beethoven’s birthday with stamps

I’d be remiss if I didn’t offer up stamps for Beethoven’s birthday. As expected, Germany and Austria both issued special stamps commemorating the event.

Germany’s 250th Beethoven birthday stamp

Beethoven was born in Bonn 250 years ago so it’s not surprising Germany issued more than a stamp to celebrate the day.

Stamp issued for Beethoven's birthday - Germany's stamp showing Beethoven's face, with a blue background

Happy Birthday Beethoven

Wer kennt sie nicht, die Mondscheinsonate, das Klavierstück Für Elise, die 5. Sinfonie, die auch Schicksalssinfonie genannt wird, und die 9. Sinfonie, deren letzter Satz die Grundlage der Europahymne bildet. Alle vier Musikstücke stammen von Ludwig van Beethoven, der als einer der berühmtesten und meistgespielten Komponisten aller Zeiten gilt. Mit seinem Werk hat er die Wiener Klassik zur höchsten Entwicklung geführt und der Musik der Romantik den Weg bereitet. Seine Schöpfungen zählen zum kulturellen Erbe der Menschheit und seine handschriftliche Aufzeichnung der 9. Sinfonie ist Bestandteil des Weltdokumentenerbes der UNESCO.

Ludwig van Beethoven (getauft 1770, gestorben 1827) war der Spross einer musikalischen Familie und ein klavierspielendes Wunderkind. Er lebte und wirkte zunächst in Bonn, danach bis zu seinem Lebensende in Wien. Er hat, trotz seiner Ertaubung, ein umfangreiches musikalisches Werk hinterlassen. Aus dem beeindruckenden Gesamtwerk ragen vor allem die neun Sinfonien, die fünf Klavierkonzerte und 32 Klaviersonaten sowie eine Vielzahl kammermusikalischer Werke heraus.

Who doesn’t know the Moonlight Sonata, piano piece For Elise, the 5th Symphony, also called the Symphony of Destiny, and the 9th Symphony, the last movement of which forms the basis for the European anthem? All four pieces of music are by Ludwig van Beethoven, who is considered one of the most famous and most played composers of all time. With his works, he led Viennese classical music to the highest development and paved the way for the music of Romanticism. His creations are part of the cultural heritage of mankind and his handwritten 9th Symphony is part of UNESCO’s World Documentary Heritage.

Ludwig van Beethoven (baptized 1770, died 1827) was born to a musical family and was piano prodigy. He lived and worked first in Bonn, then, until the end of his life, in Vienna. Despite his deafness, he left behind an extensive musical work. The nine symphonies, five piano concertos and 32 piano sonatas as well as a variety of chamber music works are stand outs in his impressive complete works. 250. Geburtstag Ludwig van Beethoven, Briefmarke zu 0,80 €, 10er-Bogen | Shop Deutsche Post

Deutsche Post offers several products, including the expected single stamp, souvenir sheet, maxicard and coins. Check them out at their online shop, Shop der Deutschen Post | Porto online kaufen (deutschepost.de), and use “Beethoven” in the search box if you want to see all items.

The souvenir sheet is attractive and displays the design better than the single stamp. It hides a mildly irritating design element. The top of the stamp spills off the edge, creating a bit of an unbalanced look by making it appear improperly cropped. it’s a jarring feature that doesn’t sit well with the stamp collector in me. The lack of top margin works on the full sheet though. I haven’t quite figured out why, but I suspect the stamp was designed with a sheet in mind. The lack of white margin on the top helps the eye run down the full sheet. Without the top margin, the stamps space out better.
 
Souvenir sheet of 10 stamps from German post office Beethoven's birthday

Souvenir sheet for Beethoven’s 250th birthday

Maxi card celebrating Beethoven’s birthday

Beethoven's birthday Photo of a First Day Cover showing stamps, special cancel mark and photo of Beethoven's bust

Beethoven’s birthday – 250th on a postcard

 

Austria – Beethoven’s birthday offerings

Not to be outdone, Österreichische Post also issued a stamp for the occasion.
 
Austrian Post office stamp commemorating Beethoven's birthday. Stamp shows Beethoven's profile

Austrian Post’s offering

 

Die Österreichische Post ehrt den 250. Geburtstag des großen Komponisten mit einer mit Folienprägung veredelten Sondermarke, die sein bekanntes Porträt von Joseph Karl Stieler zeigt.
 
During his entire life, Ludwig van Beethoven had close ties to Vienna, the city of music, even though he was originally from Bonn. 2020 marks the 250th anniversary of his birthday. Österreichische Post celebrates this occasion by issuing a commemorative stamp dedicated to this genius of music. This stamp features a detail from the well-known portrait of the artist by Joseph Karl Stieler from 1820 along with Beethoven’s signature in silver foil embossing. Post AG
Of the two, I prefer this one. The colours stand out and with the addition of the foil embossing, the overall design has a stronger visual appeal. Combined with balanced margins, this is stamp with a better overall look. Designer Karin Klier did an outstanding job on this issue.  Klier is with the design firm Bureau Cooper. I know Cooper has designed several stamps for Austria Post since 2010, but unfortunately, their website isn’t the most informative. You can take a look at previous stamps here Bureau Cooper | Österreichische Post.
 
Envelope showing the Austrian Beethoven's birthday stamp with special cancel mark

Austrian cover for Beethoven’s birthday by Cooper Design

Österreichische Post |Austrian Post Maxi-card

Maxi Card by Austrian post Beethoven's birthday

Impressive post card

 

The maxi-card (aka post card) would be a nice souvenir to send to a Beethoven lover. You can buy all items at Post AG. Use the search menu to see all Beethoven related stamps and/or coins. As of today (Dec 16th, 2020) all are still available for sale at their respective post office online stores.

If you are a collector of world-wide stamps, check out my growing spreadsheet of post offices around the world. It’s ever changing as I acquire more details. It has links to post offices and (if available) online stores. If you spot an error, pop me a comment.  It’s easy to edit someone else’s work, but a royal pain editing my own. Post Offices Around World | Bitter Grounds Magazine

 

Banner reading "Big List of Post Offices from around the world"
 
 
Pen tools in Photoshop & a Penny Farthing

Pen tools in Photoshop & a Penny Farthing

For over a decade I’ve avoided Photoshop’s pen tools. The struggles I’ve encountered using them have been, well, monumental. And embarrassingly frustrating. You can do wonderful things with pen tool such as take a muddy, mundane sketch and create a beautiful image with sharp, clean lines.

I had a breakthrough last week ago. I finally figured out why I struggled with them. My problem turns out to be basic. I have no sense of left/right, horizontal/vertical, clockwise/counterclockwise. If you ask me to turn counterclockwise, I stop and envision a clock face first. My brain tells me the left is -> that way. You get the picture. I’ve always known this. But it wasn’t until last week that I realised this was the root of the problem.

Those mildly quirky bits of how my brain processes certain things turns into a hinderance when working onscreen. I can’t anticipate which direction a curved too will go. I struggle to flip things and end up going through all the options before hitting the correct one. It’s impossible to work on autopilot because I need to think through every move. So, I sat down and devised a solution.

Why was it such an issue? I’ve gotten along without figuring out how to use shapes and the pen tool until now. It boils down to this – I can’t stand not figuring out how something works. I did, in fact, fire up pen tools every now and then, over the years. Frustration was the result. When I began playing around with cleaning up old patents, so they were viewable, I realised now was the time to tackle pen tools. They offered the only way of getting the crisp lines I wanted.

The line tool is basic enough. I just get impatient and oft times don’t line things up correctly. It’s the old issue of horizontal vs vertical flip and nudge a little to the right or left.  So, I sat down with the Antoinette Flyer and used it to discipline myself into getting lines even and laid down properly. Old airplanes were wonders of straight lines and cables, so it was the perfect thing to work with. Wheels were easy – the shape tools took care of that.

The propeller was problematic. I initially thought I could fudge my way through using the freehand pencil tool. It was a disaster. I wandered over to YouTube and watched a couple videos on using pen tools and that’s when I had an epiphany. Pen tools are about understanding directions. I spent a frustrating hour trying to get the curves right for the propeller and thought this isn’t going to work without someone standing over my shoulder yelling “the other left”. Little post it notes turned into the next best thing. I often have left / right notes on my screen when I’m running through a tutorial with a customer. I stuck them back on, included notes on horizontal / vertical, etc. All the little directional indicators I needed.

The propeller looked ok.

Now I felt frisky and time for more lessons with pen tools

Original sketch from an 1886 patent for a Penny Farthing bike

Here’s the starting ground.

I found it in the form of a velocipede – bicycle for we mere mortals. they were nicknamed Penny Farthings. Getting all the bends correct and using different line thicknesses to create a shadow effect was a challenge. I’m a little embarrassed to admit, it took me around 8 hours to get them right. I drew them and erased over and over until I got the basics down on how the pen adjust lines.

Here’s the line drawing of the above Penny Farthing

Pen tools elevate a sketch - Line drawing of a Penny Farthing bike

Pen Tools and Shapes were ideal for this

Yes, it did take a lot of work to get the little curves correct but worth the effort. I looked at the sketch and thought it was time to elevate it to the next level.

Pen tools and a bit of colour

Final drawing of Penny Farthing with colours added

A bit of colour elevated the line drawing

I can already see ways of improving the image with a bit of free hand highlighting. That’ll take practice but will be fun.  This little patent sketch is now poster worthy. And yes, I turned this into merch. How could I not? I’m now trolling through old patents looking for other ideas to work with. This challenges my brain on so many levels. It’s exhausting but fulfilling.

The penny farthing on coasters

Cool!

Wander over by clicking this link -> Bittergrounds.Redbubble to see how it looks on different things. When you get there, click on the Cycles category. I’ve been busy over at the store. Lots of things coming and going as I fuss with designs. So have fun, let me know what you think. Remember, anything you buy goes to supporting this website.

Cheers!

Check out my first pen tools sketch of the Antoinette Flyer mentioned above:

Cleaning up a magnificent 1908 Antoinette Flyer schematic

 
 
Cleaning up a magnificent 1908 Antoinette Flyer schematic

Cleaning up a magnificent 1908 Antoinette Flyer schematic

One of my favourite airplanes is the 1908 Antoinette Flyer. It’s a beautiful monoplane. However, one frustrating aspect of collecting pioneer aviation material is the lack of clean schematics to use for display purposes. 

Photo of the Antoinette Flyer in flight 1908

Fragile and magnificent

I’ve scoured the internet looking for something presentable and concluded last week that I’d have to do my own. When it comes to something like schematics, it’s essential the lines are crisp and easy to follow. They also need to be free of scan artifacts. The little spots of black and paper markings are distracting.

To achieve all of this, I had to get over my phobia of using the pen tool in Photoshop. It was the only way of getting sharp lines and smooth curves. But I’ve never been successful in earlier attempts. And yes, I developed a bit of a fear about using the pen tool. After this job, the fear is gone. I’m embarrassed to admit, it’s easy to use and I’m unsure why I made such a fuss over it through the years. I have a lot of work to do before I become proficient with it, but the Antoinette Flyer schematic was a great start.

Antoinette Flyer schematic – 1908

Schematics for Antoinette Flyer airplane 1908

Cleaned up and ready to display

I used a composite of a couple grainy and badly scanned schematics to build the above. It took hours to lay out the lines and align them correctly. I don’t have all the measurements included yet. I’m hoping to layer them in at a later point.  I also have the entire Antoinette engine somewhere on my hard drive. I might pull it out, clean it up a bit, and post it.

I played with several backgrounds to highlight the airplane as well as thicknesses for the lines. I opted for a very thin 2px white line and a black background. It displays the framework’s delicacy better. I tried traditional blueprint blue, but the airplane didn’t show well. The final schematic is 5,000 px x 3,843 px and prints to 10″ x 7.6″. It looks smashing.

Technology as art

One of my motivations, aside from the sheer joy of watching the Antoinette appear in pristine shape, was to use them over at Redbubble for a few merchandise ideas. I’ve played with a few postage stamps and early aviation photographs from my collection and have been pleased with their overall look. It takes quite a bit of time getting everything the right size and clarity. Schematics like the Antoinette adapt to Redbubble designs well.

Technology as art is an appealing genre. There’s something elegant in a simple schematic. I have a thing for industrial and mechanical style art, so I guess my passion for schematics is a natural extension.  I’ll be working up more ideas in the coming months.

I’m currently taking a stab at a schematic for an Avro CF-100 Canuck. It’s a bit uncharacteristic for me, I’m not normally a jet fan, but it’s a bit of a sentimental journey. The Canuck was the jet my father worked on when he was in the RCAF with the old 440 Nimble Bat squadron. It’s not looking good at the moment, I need a few more drawings and blueprints if I want it to look correct.

Enjoy the Antoinette Flyer in the meantime and pop over to Bittergrounds.Redbubble.com and check out how well the Antoinette Flyer looks.  Wish I had more space for pillows in my little apartment.

Pillow with Antoinette Flyer schematic as the pattern

Worked out better than I expected

If you’d like to learn more about the magnificent Antoinette read my previous article here:

Diving into pioneer aviation with the amazing 1909 Antoinette Flyer

 
 
 
 

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