Canada Issued 5 New Stamps Commemorating its Photographers & their Art

As part of the year-long celebrations commemorating the 150th anniversary of the country’s founding, Canada’s postal service recently released a set of five photography stamps celebrating 150 years of Canadian photographers and photography as an art form. The five new stamps feature iconic images from some of the country’s most renowned photographers and are the final set in a five-part series of stamps dedicated to Canadian photography.

Five Stunning Images Featured on the New Canadian Postage Stamps

The new set of Canadian photography stamps are true works of art and each photo was chosen after many months of careful deliberation in by some of Canada’s top artists, curators, and other art professionals. In order to provide a full representation of the country’s history, Canada Post chose photographs from a range of time periods. The oldest photograph in the series — Samuel McLaughlin’s Construction of the Parliament Buildings, Centre Block — dates back to approximately 1862. On the other hand, the newest photo in the series is Gilbert Duclos’ Enlacées, Montréal, which was taken in 1994.

The new photography stamps also feature work from Quebec’s first female press photographer, Claire Beaugrand-Champagne, whose 1972 photograph Ti-Noir Lajeunesse, The Blind Violinist, Disraeli, Quebec is seen as a stunning portrayal of society and the human struggle. Modern photographer Robert Bourdeau also contributed to the series with his 1989 photo Ontario, Canada. The final stamp depicts William James Topley’s photograph Sir John A. MacDonald from 1883.

Celebrating 150 Years of Canadian Photography

Canada Post planned out the five-part series of photography stamps long in advance with the goal of releasing the fifth and final set of stamps as part of the country’s sesquicentennial celebrations. The first set in the five-part series was released in 2013, and each subsequent year saw collectors treated to a new set. In total, the five-part series provides a truly fascinating insight into the country’s 150-year history.

Unlike some of the previous sets, which also featured U.S.-rate stamps, all five of the new Canadian postage stamps in the 2017 series are domestic-rate stamps. The five stamps are also part of Canada Post’s permanent collection; this means that these five iconic photographs are set to be featured on postcards, letters, and packages for years to come. The five domestic-rate stamps are currently available in booklets of 10, which include two of each photograph. These new stamps are made using a special four-color lithography process and two special inks.

In addition to the domestic-rate stamps, two different souvenir sheets are also available for collectors. The stamps in these souvenir sheets are much larger, measuring 150 mm by 75 mm. Although they were printed with the same four-color lithography process, the souvenir stamps were made using three special inks to ensure an even more accurate, highly detailed depiction of the photographs. Collectors can choose from a souvenir sheet containing either two or three large-sized domestic-rate stamps.

As with all other stamps Canada Post is releasing in 2017, the new photography stamps feature the special Canada 150 logo. On the photo stamps, this logo is repeated across the top and bottom of the stamps. However, the logo is printed using special ink that is only visible under black light; this serves as a security feature to prevent the forging of counterfeit stamps.

Conclusion

The new Canadian postage stamps have already proved a hit among collectors. Still, it’s no wonder, as each of the photographs is truly an outstanding reputation of the country’s rich history. In this way, the new stamps are really something any true Canadian should be proud to own.