Color of stamp

The Smurfs - 50th Anniversary of the Smurfs

2012-02-09T10:09:00.000+07:00

The 50th anniversary of the Smurfs and the 80th anniversary of the birth of its creator Peyo, were celebrated by issuing a high-value collectors' coin: the Belgian 5 euro 50th anniversary of The Smurfs commemorative coin, minted in 2008. Then Belgium Post Issued the celebrating stamp “50th Anniversary of the Smurfs” in souvenir sheet and another 10 pieces of postage stamps depicts all characters of the smurfs.

The Smurfs was named the 97th best animated series by IGN. They called it "kiddie cocaine" for people growing up during the 1980s.

In honor of their 50th anniversary in 2008, the Smurfs began a year long "Happy Smurfday Euro Tour" in connection with UNICEF. The Smurfs visited 15 European countries on the day of their 50th "Smurfday" in the form of publicly-distributed white figurines. In 2011,a film came out named The Smurfs.

The Smurfs is a comic and television franchise centered on a group of small blue fictional creatures called Smurfs, created and first introduced as a series of comic strips by the Belgian cartoonist Peyo (pen name of Pierre Culliford) on October 23, 1958

In the Johan and Peewit stories, the Smurf village is made up of mushroom-like houses of different shapes and sizes in a desolate and rocky land with just a few trees.

The Smurfs' community generally takes a cooperative life, sharing, and kind environment and contributes it to Smurf society . Each Smurf appears to be given their necessities of life, from housing and clothes to food without using any money in exchange.

The cast has a simple structure as well: almost all the characters look essentially alike —mostly male, very short , with blue skin, white trousers with a hole for their short tails, white hat in the style of a Phrygian cap, and sometimes some additional accessory that identifies a personality.

Smurfs can walk and run, but often move by skipping on both feet.The Smurfs fulfill simple archetypes of everyday people: Lazy Smurf, Grouchy Smurf, Brainy Smurf, and so on.

All Smurfs, with the exception of Papa, Baby, Smurfette, Nanny and Grandpa, are said to be 100 years old. There were originally 99 Smurfs, but this number increased as new Smurf characters appeared, such as Sassette and Nanny.

All of the original Smurfs were male; later female additions are Smurfette and Sassette. Smurfette being Gargamel's creation, while Sassette was created by the Smurflings.

The non-Smurf characters who would appear later would include their enemies the wizard Gargamel, his cat Azrael, and Gargamel's godfather Balthazar; and their friends the page Johan and his young friend Peewit, and the wizard Homnibus.

Papa Smurf is the leader of the community. Other Smurfs are generally named after their personality disposition, for example, Brainy, Greedy, Vanity, Lazy, Clumsy, Hefty, Jokey, Dreamy, Grouchy, or their profession, for example, Poet, Actor, Handy, Harmony, Farmer, Clockwork, Painter, Tailor, Miner, Architect, Reporter, Timber, Barber and Doctor Smurf.

Lady Slipper Orchid – Austria

2012-02-08T10:31:00.001+07:00

Austria Post released the single stamp feature the flower Lady Sliper Orchid on January 15, 2008.

Lady's slipper orchids , also known as lady slipper orchids are the orchids in the subfamily Cypripedioidea, which includes the genera Cypripedium, Mexipedium, Paphiopedilum, Phragmipedium and Selenipedium. Lady's slipper orchids are characterized by the slipper-shaped pouches (modified labellums) of the flowers – the pouch traps insects so they are forced to climb up past the staminode, behind which they collect or deposit pollinia, thus fertilizing the flower.

Lady slipper orchid is also known in the United States of America as the moccasin flower, from its resemblance to a shoe or moccasin.

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Tagetes patula–Marigold Flower

2012-02-06T22:19:00.002+07:00

La Poste De Post Belgique issued the stamp feature marigold flower or tagetes patula on September 2008.

The French marigold (Tagetes patula) is a species in the daisy family (Asteraceae) and native to the Americas and South Europe.The flower is an annual, growing to 0.5 m by 0.3 m. Flowering from July to October, and the seeds ripen in September. The flowers are hermaphrodite (having both male and female organs) and are pollinated by insects. They are noted for attracting wildlife. The leaves of the marigold are coated with oily glands that produce a pungent scent.

The whole plant is harvested when in flower and distilled for its essential oil. The oil is used in perfumery.The plant is used in companion planting for many vegetable crops. Its root secretions kill nematodes in the soil and it is said to repel harmful insects, such as white fly amongst tomatoes. (Resources from Wikipedia and Belgium Post information)

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The Grand Pipe Organs of the Grand Duchy III

2012-02-03T18:41:00.001+07:00

On December 02, 2008 , Luxembourg Post issued the third collection of special postage stamps traces in sound and vision the History of some of the most beautiful pipe organs of the Grand Duchy of Luxembourg, and is part of a special series which began in 2006.

Junglinster

The Junglinster instrument has a magnificent casework dating from 1783. In 1887, the manufacturer of the actual version, Charles Wetzel of Strasbourg, installed the organ at Junglinster. It was only in 1939 that it received a pedal with a stop of 16’, now making 14 stops available for the organist. This last upgrade was conducted by George Haupt of Lintgen.

Mondorf-les-Bains

The first organ that we have been able to discover in the Mondorf-les-Bains church dates from 1878. It was built by Dalstein-Haerpfer of Boulay (F). Numerous restorations and remodelings followed, including several to the casework, diminishing somehow the characteristics of this instrument.

In 1983 Gebrüder Oberlinger of Windesheim started the construction of a new organ which used the casework in its last version. Also kept were certain old stops of Dalstein-Haerpfer. The present stoplist is moulded around a rather neo-baroque model, nevertheless updated for more recent period details, such as a swell division and two stops inspired by the French repertoire.

Vianden

The casework of the Vianden organ, designed in the style of instruments found in Picardy in the same era, dates from 1793. Initially it was an organ with a single keyboard. In the 19th century, a pedal section was added.

In 1953 the organ builder Georges Haupt (Lintgen) began the last expansion,adding several contemporary style stops.

Because of the meticulous reconstruction according to the old style, that Georg Westenfelder could provide the church with an instrument whose sound resources are finally once again in perfect harmony with the superb casework and the exquisite acoustics.

Cathédrale

The Great pipe organ of the Cathedral represent a quintessential model in the tradition of organ makers in the 17th and 18th centuries, a sort of anthology of colours and tendencies which organ makers were able to spread across all of Europe.

Georg Westenfelder knew how to intelligently make all the seemingly incompatible basic components coexist under a higher logic in an important organ.

Optically, the organ is a rare beauty and the craftsmanship of the small Positive-casework integrated in the stone balustrade is a master work of art in cabinetry. The richness, and recently-corrected temperament for a more flexible definition, make this organ a favorite with musicians cherishing German, Dutch, and Spanish repertoires as well as others from the eras mentioned.

The Grand Pipe Organs of the Grand Duchy - II

2012-01-30T09:00:00.004+07:00

On December 4, 2007, Luxembourg Post released the second series of special postage stamps illustrated four pipe organs of the country. The issues are composed of 4 postage stamps with different face value plus extra addition value. The four pipe organs depicted are instrument placed in Niederwiltz, Sandweiler, Echternach, and Esch-sur-Alzette .

Niederwiltz

The church of Niederwiltz owns the very first Eisenbarth-organ built for Luxembourg, consecrated in 1997. A three-manual instrument of 39 stops, built on the lines of a synthesis between French symphonic-romantic as well as French classical style, incorporating a light reference to Spain and selective connotations of southern-German baroque sound ideals.

An organ with unquestionable orchestral potential, introducing a necessary esthetic renewal in the landmarks of northern Luxembourg. Among its many characteristic features are the double-mouthed Jubalflute 8’, a very efficient swellbox, excellent reed-voicing, altogether bathing in a resolutely lyrical surrounding of smoothly voiced principals and flutes, always close to the charming touch of mellow south German and Italian mixtures and mutation stops. A Festival has since been created around the instrument.

Sandweiler

The organ of Sandweiler celebrated its hundredth birthday in 2006. Built by Müller Brothers of Reifferscheid (Germany) in 1906 with 17 stops in a German-romantic tonal optic. In the mid-seventies, the organ of Sandweiler was submitted, like many others, to a mainstream effort of “modernization”.

This was fortunately reversible in 1996, with the addition of a swellbox and the enhancement of an initially rather basic colour scheme (works carried out by Gebr. Mayer of Feldkirch, (Austria), voicing by N. Blonigen). A one-off detail is the worldwide first construction of a Deimling-Bassoon 16’, as well as some quite rare romantic stops for this size of organ, which together give it this exquisite unique copper-warm timbre.The new luxuriously equipped console, designed as a contemporary allusion to old masterpieces, rules over electric transmissions. It is one of the most important, valuable and best-preserved organs for the German romantic tradition in Luxembourg and abroad.

Echternach

The instrument of the Echternach Basilica is opus 1010 of Klais-Orgelbau (Bonn, Germany), a manufacturer with huge tradition worldwide. It was assembled in 1952 with Luxembourgish participation (Schilling, Cruchten).

Its tonal philosophy rises out of there formative “Orgelbewegung”, and could be considered as a large 4-manual rather neo-baroque ensemble with a few romantic ingredients (amongst them two swell divisions) and selective modernist additions, such as a cymbale as well as a mutation carrying the 7th harmonic.

In 1991 were added a horizontal reed division in 16’-8’-and 4’ as well as a 32’ Counterbassoon. The instrument now unites the delicate, smooth and brilliant original voicing with new dramatic accents for symphonic and modern repertoires.The original amphitheatre console in the very unique Klais style gives a supplementary signature out of an already legendary period of organ-building.

Esch-sur-Alzette

The organ of the St. Joseph-Church in Esch-sur-Alzette was conceived by G. Westenfelder and completed in 1977, without doubt one of his masterpieces. Sixty stops are housed in a contemporary allusion to the famous “Hambourg style” case-design layout, whose sections are optically easily assignable to each of the 5 divisions (4 manuals and pedal).

Each of the divisions is stylistically related mainly to one well defined sound ideology, thus building around a generally German/French baroque trend, with Spanish ingredients amongst the reeds, classical Cornets as well as lyrical foundation stops, also of the romantic period, a slender and nicely detailed ensemble forming a very personalized entity.

The fully mechanised key traction is astonishingly sensitive for an instrument of this scale. Seventeen stops came from the previous instrument (Haupt, Stahlhut), and have been delicately synchronized to the newly built tonal environment.

Gastronomy of Luxembourg

2012-01-28T08:50:00.001+07:00

Good food is an integral part of the culture in Luxembourg. Because of the unique geographic location of our country, the cuisine of Luxembourg nicely combines German warmth with Franco-Belgian finesse while delivering a personality uniquely its own. Two typical dishes of the Luxembourg region are depicted on the special postage stamps of this gastronomic series “EUROPA 2005” such as : Judd matt Gaardebounen, and Feierstengszalot.

The primary national dish, Judd matt Gaardebounen or collar of smoked pork with marsh beans and brown sauce, is a dish particularly appreciated by gourmands. Accompanied by fried potatoes and a good bottle of white wine from the Luxembourg Moselle, Judd matt Gaardebounen is a true treat to share with friends or family.

Feierstengszalot is a small delicacy well known throughout Luxembourg. Besides its hard-boiled eggs and gherkins, which can’t be ignored, this salad is made up of boiled and diced breast of beef covered with a lightly creamed vinaigrette dressing. It is sure to delight even the most demanding palates.

Grand Duchess Joséphine-Charlotte concert hall

2012-01-27T08:26:00.001+07:00

The Grand Duchess Joséphine-Charlotte Concert Hall, also called the Philharmonie is distinguished not only by the artistic diversity of its proposed performances, but also for uniting artists and new forms of interaction with music. The Philharmonie have opened for a music festival which held from June 26 till July 3, 2005.

Therefore Luxembourg Post celebrated this opening by issued the stamp depicted the exterior view of the building on May 24, 2005.

The Philharmonie decorated with 823 columns arranged in a rhythmic pattern, the façade incontestably acts as the beacon for the newly renovated Place de l'Europe on the Kirchberg plateau. This building constructed in several years.

With its audaciously rounded forms conceived by the renowned architect Christian de Portzamparc, the Philharmonie is an exceptional center and has three complementary halls available to host the most diverse musical events.

Holding up to 1,500 people, the Grand Auditorium combines the acoustics of a classical rectangular concert hall with the qualities of a Shakespearian theatre.

A space both intimate and impressive holding 300 people, the Chamber Music Hall is bounded by elegant rounded partitions and an acoustic reflector placed above the stage.

The Open Space can hold 120 listeners and is a fascinating setting for very diverse musical events: experimental works, film and video, plastic arts, even interactive music workshops for younger people.

Green Renewable Energy Development–Greece

2012-01-26T07:00:00.000+07:00

Hellenic Post of Greece remind the importance of Renewable Energy in the world by issued the stamps set features Green Renewable Energy Development on April 26, 2010. The image on each stamps presented Solar Energy,Hydro Power, Wind Power, Self Contained Man, Wave Power, and Bio Energy.

Solar Energy Hydro power

Solar power is the conversion of sunlight into electricity, either directly using photovoltaics (PV), or indirectly using concentrated solar power (CSP). Concentrated solar power systems use lenses or mirrors and tracking systems to focus a large area of sunlight into a small beam. Photovoltaics convert light into electric current using the photoelectric effect.

Hydro power is power that is derived from the force or energy of falling water, which may be harnessed for useful purposes.Since the early 20th century, the term is used almost exclusively in conjunction with the modern development of hydro-electric power, the energy of which could be transmitted considerable distance between where it was created to where it was consumed.

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Wind Power Self Contained Man

Wind power is the conversion of wind energy into a useful form of energy, such as using wind turbines to make electricity, windmills for mechanical power, windpumps for water pumping or drainage, or sails to propel ships.

A large wind farm may consist of several hundred individual wind turbines which are connected to the electric power transmission network. Offshore wind power can harness the better wind speeds that are available offshore compared to on land, so offshore wind power’s contribution in terms of electricity supplied is higher.

Wave Power Bio Energy

Wave power is the transport of energy by ocean surface waves, and the capture of that energy to do useful work like : electricity generation, water desalination, or the pumping of water (into reservoirs). Machinery able to exploit wave power is generally known as a wave energy converter.In general, larger waves are more powerful but wave power is also determined by wave speed, wavelength, and water density.

Bio Energy is renewable energy made available from materials derived from biological sources. Biomass is any organic material which has stored sunlight in the form of chemical energy. The organic material may composed of wood, wood waste, straw, manure, sugarcane, and many other byproducts from a variety of agricultural processes.

The Grand Pipe Organs of the Grand Duchy -2006

2012-01-25T08:09:00.002+07:00

An imposing musical instrument, the organ derives its name from the Greek word organon, simply signifying tool or instrument. Luxembourg Post issued the stamp set dedicated to the grand pipe organs in several series. On Dec 5, 2006, the first stamp series was issued and composed of four postage stamps features Meri, Bridel, Mondercange, Grund.

Conservatory in Luxembourg–Merl

Georg Westenfelder conceived the organ for the Grand Auditorium of the Music Conservatory in Luxembourg–Merl in 1985, an organ with 53 stops on 3 manuals, tending stylistically towards the “universally suitable” organ: stops with French-symphonic definition, German-baroque and Nordic elements as well as components coming from the romantic period are intelligently ranked. A slight Hispanic influence is evidenced by the horizontal reeds of the “Chamade” stop, standing out of the organ case.

An organ equally useable for solo literature as well as performances with orchestras, and first of all the center of gravity for the organ classes taking place in the house. The very first comprehensive concert-hall organ for Luxembourg and the region, it is perfectly balanced to suit the excellent acoustics of the hall.

Bridel

The organ of Bridel, built in 1990 by the German firm Kleuker of Bielefeld (3 manuals, 19 stops), is conceived as a “soloist-stop organ”. This contemporary concept enhances the idea of the equally important input of the organ’s own personality to the ones of the performer and the score, into creation. The luxurious stop-listing and its seemingly limitless combination possibilities have to be understood as a statement to the future in terms of organ personality. The impressive casework whose sharp, outward-stepping and edged towers give three-dimensional dynamics, integrates perfectly with the multicolour glass-bricks that form the entire building. The Organ Festival Bridel has been the canter of numerous musical activities since 1997.

Mondercange

The organ of Mondercange Parish Church was created in 2004 by Gebrüder Oberlinger of Windesheim. The casework in solid wood with its numerous flat front fields and a balustrade-positive housing a solo flute, contains 27 stops on two manuals. The stoplist shows a large influence of the neo-classic French tradition, with evidence here and there of 19th century habits.

Modern pipe organs offer nowadays the helpful facilities given by computerized stop-action assistance, thus the instrument of Mondercange allows the musician to prepare and select instantly from among 650 different memory-levels.

Luxembourg-Grund

The three-manual instrument conceived by G. Westenfelder in 1979 (41 stops) for Luxembourg-Grund is a partially new construction, taking over restored ancient material, as well as integrating several new additions. Elements of the French “Orgue Classique” as well as southern-German baroque influences mingle together with the lively acoustics to form one of the most desirable instruments around for organ music of the 17th and 18th centuries. The warm and lyrical voice of its stops in parallel with its fine appearance and well-balanced proportions match the baroque nave to perfection. The tuning of the organ is based on a historic model, thus giving back to the old scores their characteristic and unique idiom. (The resources taken from Luxembourg Post Information.)

Industrial Products - Made in Luxembourg

2012-01-24T07:45:00.001+07:00

On October 2003, the Luxembourg Posts and Telecommunications issues the stamp feature the industrial product made in Luxembourg. The issue stamps composed of three postage stamp with non-uniformed face value, which depicted Steel sheet-piles, Valves and other fitting, Polyester film.

Steel sheet-piles produced by ARCELOR

Among the broad range of high end products developed in Luxembourg are the sheet piles shown on the postage stamp. These highly technical products are used in civil engineering applications around the world.

Arcelor, the world leader in steel was formed in 2002 as a joint venture of Aceralia (Spain), Arbed (Luxembourg) and Usinor (France). The Arcelor group, which had sales of 26.6 billion euros in 2002, plays a leading role in all its markets : automobiles, construction, household appliances, packing materials, and general industry. Arcelor has 104,000 partners in more than 60 countries.

The headquarters of the group is in Luxembourg. In Luxembourg, the group is the most important employer in the private sector with activities in production, research, and administration.

Valves, fittings and regulators produced by CEODEUX / ROTAREX .

Founded in 1922 at Lintgen by Auguste Theodore Schmitz, CEODEUX S.A. produced at the time carbon dioxide for breweries as well as for Luxembourg industries.

Today CEODEUX / ROTAREX has, at Lintgen, 149 employees and 300 workers whereas the group has more than 1,700 people employed at 22 other production sites in Luxembourg and in dozens of other countries in Europe, Africa, America, and Asia. With sales offices in more than 28 countries, sales of the group for the past year surpassed 175 million euros.

The medical valves, shown on the stamps, are among the high-technology products developed and manufactured in Luxembourg by CEODEUX / ROTAREX.

Polyester film produced by DuPont de Nemours

Located in the communities of Contern and Hesperange near Luxembourg, the DuPont Luxembourg site employs 1,300 people of 22 different nationalities.

The most important products at this location are: the Mylar®, Cronar® and Melinex® polyester films, manufactured by the joint development company DuPont Teijin Films; theTypar®, Xavan®, Plantex® and Zemdrain® high-resistance, nonwoven sheets; the Tyvek® thermobound polyethylene; as well as the Hytrel® thermoplastic elastomer. The stamp shows the inspection of a roll of polyester film produced in Luxembourg.

Happy Chinese New Year - 2563

2012-01-23T01:10:00.001+07:00

According to the Chinese zodiac calendar the New Year falls on January 23 when the Year of the Dragon begins. The dragon, the only animal of the Chinese zodiac year that is not real, is a creature of special significance for Chinese people.

In the Orient the dragon was not seen as a threatening evil being as in the West but rather a symbol of power, superiority and rule.Today it is a really good omen symbolizing success and happiness.The Year of the Dragon is one of the most popular ones in the Chinese calendar and usually the birth rate increases that year because many parents want to have children born under the sign of the dragon.

The people born in the year of the dragon are idealism, perfectionism, enterprise, passion, self-confidence and they demand attention and respect. Do not to infuriate them because the dragon spits fire, but at the same time they are soft and sensitive.

Estonia Post issued this stamp on January 23, 2012 for celebrating the Happy Chinese New Year 2563. Gong Xi Fa Choi.

The Way into the Best Future of Environment.

2012-01-22T19:06:00.002+07:00

Luxembourg Post issued the second stamp series feature the way for getting the better environment in the world on October 1, 2001. This series composed of three stamp values which illustrate in a contemporary style using a comic strip motif, three of the many challenges threatening the future of human civilization. The three ways depicted are renewable energy, waste recycling, and biological research.

Renewable Energy

Many kind of renewable energy have to be considered which have depend on the nature of every country. An energy source is considered to be renewable if the fact of consuming it does not limit its future use. There are generally by using the wind, the sun, waterways, tides, sea currents, waves, the heat of the earth, and biomass, but not for the greatest portion of our present energy consumption based on petroleum, coal, natural gas, and uranium which are limited sources of energy on our planet.

Waste Recycling

The first step for keeping the better environment is creating ways to manage a waste. Therefore it is important to manage as much as possible the recycling of existing waste in order to convert it once again into useful resources.The process of sensitizing producers and consumers to the need to recycle, which started almost three decades ago, has already produced tangible results, and techniques allowing economically viable processing of waste have been developed as a result. Meanwhile, it is important to strongly reinforce the efforts in the area to ensure that the future generations of us resembles a huge garbage dump.

Biological Research

Recent progress in molecular genetics is already increasing the understanding of how to treat numerous illnesses, such as AIDS or mad cow disease, etc. Discoveries are upsetting the fundamental understanding of biology, but since all new discoveries reveal new mysteries, during the years to come it is necessary more than ever to launch important public and private biological research projects .

Danish Windmills

2012-01-13T22:40:00.003+07:00

In Denmark wind power was an important part of a decentralized electrification in the first quarter of the 20th century, partly because of Poul la Cour from his first practical development in 1891 at Askov.

A giant change took place in 1978 when the world's first multi-megawatt wind turbine was constructed. It pioneered many technologies used in modern wind turbines and allowed Vestas, Siemens and others to get the parts they needed. Especially important was the novel wing construction using help from German aeronautics specialists.

Danish commercial wind power development stressed incremental improvements in capacity and efficiency based on extensive serial production of turbines, in contrast with development models requiring extensive steps in unit size based primarily on theoretical extrapolation. A practical consequence is that all commercial wind turbines resemble the Danish model, a light-weight three-blade upwind design.

On 10 January 2007, Denmark Post issued the stamp to commemorate the development of Danish Windmill in 4 postage stamps. Askov Windmill, Gedser Windmill, Middelgrunden.

Askov 1891

In the 1890s a Danish scientist, Poul la Cour, constructed wind turbines to generate electricity, which was then used to produce hydrogen for experiments and light and the Askov Highschool. His last windmill of 1896 later became the local powerplant of the village of Askov.

In Denmark wind power was an important part of a decentralized electrification in the first quarter of the 20th century, partly because of Poul la Cour from his first practical development in 1891 at Askov.

Gedser 1957

In 1957 Johannes Juul installed a 24 m diameter wind turbine at Gedser, which ran from 1957 until 1967. This was a three-bladed, horizontal-axis, upwind, stall-regulated turbine similar to those now used for commercial wind power development. (Photo image taken from Danish Wind Industry Association)

The Gedser wind turbine was a major technological breakthrough for the modern wind turbine. The design and concept of the wind turbine with an asynchronous generator, 3 stall-regulated blades and break-tips at the end of each blade is still widely used in modern Danish wind turbines.

Bogø 1989

As the 21st century began, fossil fuel was still relatively cheap, but rising concerns over energy security, global warming, and eventual fossil fuel depletion led to an expansion of interest in all available forms of renewable energy. The fledgling commercial wind power industry began expanding at a robust growth rate of about 30% per year, driven by the ready availability of large wind resources, and falling costs due to improved technology and wind farm management.

Middelgrunden 2000- (Photo taken from Wikipedia)

Middelgrunden is an offshore wind farm in the Øresund 3.5 km outside Copenhagen, Denmark. When it was built in 2000, it was the world's largest offshore farm, with 20 turbines and a capacity of 40 MW. The farm delivers about 4% of the power for Copenhagen.

This project is an example for community wind energy. It is 50% owned by the 10,000 investors in the Middelgrunden Wind Turbine Cooperative, and 50% by the municipal utility company. Being clearly visible from the capital of Denmark it states the importance of wind power in Denmark.

(Resources from Wikipedia, Windmill Community)

Lighthouses of Hong Kong - 2010

2012-01-10T18:02:00.003+07:00

On 29 December 2010, Hong Kong Post issued the stamp series features the lighthouse which are declared as monument of Hong Kong.

Two of the five lighthouses are on Green Island while the other three are at Cape D'Aguilar, Waglan Island and Tang Lung Chau respectively.

Cape D’Agular – Lighthouse

Cape D'Aguilar Lighthouse is one of the declared monuments of Hong Kong. It is also known as Hok Tsui Beacon. The lighthouse is one of five pre-war surviving lighthouses in Hong Kong; it is also the oldest lighthouse in Hong Kong.

Old Green Island–Lighthouse –$1.80

Green Island is largely uninhabited and at the east coast is Green Island Reception Centre and Green Island Police Station. Top of the hill is an office of Marine Department and a light house southwest guides the ships in Sulphur Channel.

New green Island-Lighthouse–$2.80

The buildings of the Green Island Lighthouse Compound were declared as monuments in 2008. The historic buildings include the two lighthouses built in 1875 and 1905 respectively and the European quarters of the lighthouse compound. These three buildings are individually Grade II historic buildings.

Tang Lung Chau - Lighthouse

Tang Lung Chau Lighthouse and the former light keeper's house, located on Tang Lung Chau, was declared a monument on 29 December 2000.

The Lighthouse, also commonly known as Kap Sing Lighthouse, was put into service on 29 April 1912; it is one of the five surviving pre-war lighthouses in Hong Kong. It is a skeletal steel tower of 11.8 metres high with a white lantern on top. The steel tower and light apparatus were obtained from England. The lighthouse, now unmanned and automated, is now under the management of Marine Department.

There is a bedroom, a kitchen, a latrine and a store room in the adjoining brick light keeper's house. There was no spring or fresh water supply on the island so the light keeper of Tang Lung Chau Lighthouse use the rainwater which was collected from the roof and then diverted into underground tank.

Waglan - Lighthouse

Waglan Island is a member of the Po Toi group of islands in Hong Kong. It hosts a ground of meteorological observation and recording.The Waglan Lighthouse on Waglan Island has been listed as a declared monument of Hong Kong. It commenced operation in 1893; it is one of the five surviving pre-war lighthouses in Hong Kong.

Portuguese Dams

2012-01-04T13:00:00.000+07:00

The Portugal Post issued the stamp features engineering topics on 19 April 2007. The chosen topics is Portuguese Dam. The Dams are very important for the Portugal Development. The Issue stamps comprises of 4 postage stamps which depict Dam Castelo do Bode, Dam Aguieira. Dam Valeira, and Dam Alto Lindoso.

Barragem de Castelo do Bode

Castelo de Bode Dam is a concrete arch-gravity dam on the Zêzere River, a tributary of the Tagus River, located southwest of Tomar and north of Constância, in Portugal.

The construction of the dam began in 1945.The dam is curved concrete gravity. The maximum height above foundation is 115 meters. The quota is the culmination of 124.3 m, and length of the crown is 402 m. The dam has a total volume of 430,000 m³ of concrete.

Barragem de Castelo do Bode

The dam of Castelo de Bode is one of the most important dams in Portugal. It is part of the whole dam the river basin Zêzere, Portugal, and the amount of the dam Bouçã. It lies within the limits of the municipalities of Tomar and Abrantes in the district of Santarém. It is one of the highest buildings in Portugal.

The Castelo de Bode dam is used for water supply, such as Lisbon, power generation, defense against the full and active recreation. It is used by fans of sports such as windsurfing, sailing, rowing, power boating and jet skiing and sport fishing (trout, bass, eels and crayfish red).

Barragem de Aguieira

The Aguieira Dam is located in the bed of the Mondego River, about 2 miles downstream from the mouth of the Dan River, reaching the limits of the municipality of Penacova, the District of Coimbra, and county of Mortágua, the District of Viseu. Completed in 1979, became operational in 1981.

Dam type "Multiple Arcs," is formed by three arches and two central buttresses, which are located in two flood spillways. It has 89 meters in height and length of crest is 400 meters. Its main objectives are the production and supply of hydroelectric power, agricultural irrigation and flood control, especially in the area called the Lower Mondego.

Barragem de Valeira

The Hydroelectric of Valeira located immediately downstream of the curve that follows the exceptionally tight throat of the river Douro, known as the Cachão Valeira, about 6 km upstream from the mouth of the river Tua and about 9 km from the village of St. John of Fisheries, District of Viseu.

The dam creates a reservoir that extends 36 km and at an elevation of maximum retention (105.00 m) has a total capacity of 81,000,000 cubic meters. In normal operation are used only 12 million m³ corresponding to the retention of quotas I 105.00 103.50 m. This project was the third to enter service in the Douro National in 1976.It has an installed capacity of 216 MW and produces an average of 801 GWh / year.

Barragem de Alto Lindoso

The dam of the Upper Lindoso is located in the Lima River, parish of Lindoso (municipality of Ponte da Barca), within the Peneda-Geres. The dam was designed in 1983 and completed in 1992. Its usefulness is the production of electricity, the largest and most powerful hydroelectric producer in Portugal. It is one of the highest buildings in Portugal. The Crest of dam has length 297 m. The Concrete Foundation with dimension of 308.5 x 1000 m. The Basin Area achieved in 1,525 km ².

Technorati Tags: Portugese dam,Portugal stamp,Castelo do bode,Valeira,Aguieira,Alto Lindoso

Renewable Energies – Espana 2010

2012-01-03T18:19:00.002+07:00

Espana Post has issued the stamp series feature the renewable energies which now as trend topics discussed in the world.The stamps comprised of 3 piece stamps and issued on September 3, 2010.

The development and investigation of renewable energies is nowadays becoming more and more important. They have a lower environmental impact as they come from natural resources such as water, sunlight and wind and have been used by man since the early ages. This issue is devoted to biomass, tidal power and wave power.

Three quarters of our planet’s surface is covered by seas and oceans in continuous movement both at the surface as in the depths and they are energy filled deposits in development by means of wind and tidal energies.

Tidal energy is generated by the relative motion of sea water due to the gravitational attraction by the Sun and Moon.

Tidal generators and turbines use this phenomenon to generate electricity.

The stamp design features some of the symbolic elements used to produce this type of energy such as the sea and the water motion, the influence of the moon and the technical mechanisms.

Wave energy is produced from the surface motion of ocean waves or from pressure fluctuations below the surface. Wave power devices are generally categorized by the method used to capture the energy of the waves.

They can be floating devices or underwater ones anchored to the sea ground and connected to a buoy moving a generator. The stamp design represents the energy captured by the movement of the waves generated by the wind, with a shinning sun and the floating device needed to produce energy.

Biomass is organic matter used as a fuel, especially in the generation of electricity.

There are various types of biomass depending on where it comes from: Natural biomass, produced by nature with no human interference; residual biomass generated by agriculture, stockbreeding, the agro alimentary and wood industries and purpose-grown biomass for fuel. The stamp features a crop transformed into fuel.

Lighthouses of Spain

2011-12-31T08:33:00.000+07:00

On September 09, 2010, Espana Post launched the stamp set features the Lighthouse dedicated to the following lighthouses: Avilés in Asturias, the Punta Cumplida on the island of La Palma, the San Cibrao in Lugo, the Punta de La Polacra in Almeria, Ciutadella on the island of Menorca, and Huertas in Alicante. All these feature in the stamps combined in the mini-sheet.

The Lighthouse of Avilés, also known as San Juan, is located on the east bank of the mouth of the estuary of Avilés, in the municipality of San Juan de Nieva. It began to work in 1863 and was electrified 1927. It is a truncated tower attached to a building rising 40 m. high above sea level and 15 m from bottom to top. It has a range of 20 nautical miles.

The Lighthouse of Punta Cumplida is located in Barlovento, in the far north of the island of La Palma. It became operational on April 1, 1867. It is a cylindrical tower of ashlar and has an approximate height of 33 m. and a dome with a 7 m. diameter.

The lighthouse of San Cibrao is located in Cervo, north of the province of Lugo. It was built in 1864 and consists of a conical granite tower. It has an elevation of 37 m. above sea level and rises 8.80m above the ground. Its range is of 9 miles and has a fix white light. In 1979 a white and black striped 14 m. high new one, with electrical equipment was built next to it.

The lighthouse of Punta La Polacra in Níjar (Almería) is built on the tower known as the Wolves Tower an eighteenth century watchtower serving as a base for the new one. It was built in 1991 and has a height of 14 m. and a range of 14 nautical miles.

The Ciutadella lighthouse is located on the island of Menorca. It is a white tower with black stripes attached to a building. It has a focal plane height of 21 m. and is 13m tall. Its nominal light range is 14 nautical miles.

The lighthouse Cabo de Huertas in Alicante has been operating since 1856 and is located between the neighbourhoods of La Albufereta and Playa de San Juan. It consists of a white circular tower and three overlapping bodies topped with the optical and lighting device of the lighthouse itself.

20th century Euphonium – Music Instrument

2011-12-30T20:00:00.002+07:00

Espana Post issued the stamp series devoted to musical instruments is completed with a new stamp depicting a 20th century euphonium belonging to the collection of the Museo Interactivo de la Música de Málaga on October 5, 2010.

The euphonium is one of the less popular instruments in the West.It is believed to have been invented by Carl Moritz in 1838, although it is also credited to Ferdinand Sommer and Adolphe Sax in 1843.It is built in B flat for concert which means that, by not pressing any piston valve the instrument will produce partial harmonic series in B flat.

The euphonium is a wind brass instrument belonging to the family of the aerophones. It is a conical-bore metal tube which gradually widens from the mouthpiece to the bell.

It is equipped with three piston valves which lengthen the tube to enable it to communicate with other additional tubes, lowering the pitch.

Other elements or parts that make up the euphonium are the bell, the general pump, the valve pumps, a small musical stand, water key corks, valve covers, valve stem felts, a staple and a mouthpiece.

Euphoniums are made of brass, which is an alloy of copper and zinc and depending on the proportions of the mixture of metals, the sound will differ: the more zinc the brighter the sound and on the contrary, the more copper the mellower. It is a band instrument, often a solo instrument, and also used by jazz groups.

The sound of the euphonium is produced by vibration of the lips on the mouthpiece. The vibration of the lips is achieved by a column of air. Thus this instrument is classified in the family of aerophones.

Landmarks: Australian Modernist Architecture

2011-12-29T21:18:00.000+07:00

The principle of "form follows function" was a touchstone for modernist architects. Taking root in architecture in the early part of the 20th century, modernism signaled a new turn, where design was based on a building's purpose rather than on the styles of the pattern book.

Ornamentation was also seen as unnecessary, so the buildings featured strong lines, bold forms and clean design. This was the machine age, and technological advancements brought new materials and methods to buildings and construction.

Australia enjoyed increased prosperity post-war and by the l950s consumerism thrived and a higher standard of living was available to many. This new-found sense of confidence was reflected in its architecture. Therefore Australia Post represented this changes into the stamp series which depicts the chosen four monumental building, Former ICI House, Academic of Science, Council House, and Sydney Opera House, on July 10, 2007.

Former ICI House, Melbourne

The first half of the 20th century saw some innovative new building projects in Australia, especially during the inter-war period. Sydney and Melbourne were the main centers for experimentation in design, and the city of Canberra one of the most ambitious design and building projects. But the social and economic changes that came with the end of World War II saw modernism embraced by the wider Australian public in a way that it hadn't been previously.

Academy of Science, Canberra

The Australian Academy of Science (AAS) was founded in 1954 by a group of distinguished Australians, including Australian Fellows of the Royal Society of London. The Academy is modelled after the Royal Society and operates under a Royal Charter; as such it is an independent body, but has government endorsement. The Academy Secretariat is in Canberra, at the Shine Dome.

The objective of the Academy is to promote science. It does so through a range of activities, including recognizing outstanding contributions to science by issuing awards, education and public awareness though a variety of media, contributing to the formation of science policy, and creating opportunities for international scientific exchange.

Council House, Perth

Architectural design in Australia was influenced by a range of factors, including the arrival of migrant architects from ware-torn Europe, the new focus on American culture and increased access to education, travel and design publications.

Council House is a 13-storey office building set beside Stirling Gardens on St Georges Terrace in Perth, Western Australia. The 47.9-metre building was designed by Howlett and Bailey Architects and opened by The Queen in 1963 after Perth hosted the 1962 British Empire and Commonwealth Games. For most of its history, it has served as the headquarters for the City of Perth.

Built in a modernist style, the building has been the subject of vigorous public debate about its heritage value. Some parties, such as the Royal Australian Institute of Architects, consider the building to be an important example of modernist architecture in the city, whilst others consider it ugly.

Council House is constructed from concrete-encased steel frame, with lifts and service rooms located at its eastern end and a fire escape stairwell at its western end.Level 9 houses the distinctive circular Council Chamber, which features wood paneling and has been restored to largely its original state in the 1990s refurbishment (by contrast to most of the other levels of the building).

The building is almost completely clad with glass, which led to criticism about its excessive air conditioning costs. The glass exterior of the building has T-shaped white sun-breakers superimposed in an alternating pattern across the building, coated with fine mosaic tiles. With the newly-enclosed top floor, the building now has 13 levels above ground.

Sydney Opera House

The Sydney Opera House is a multi-venue performing arts center in the Australian city of Sydney. It was conceived and largely built by Danish architect Jørn Utzon, finally opening in 1973 after a long gestation starting with his competition-winning design in 1957. Utzon received the Pritzker Prize, architecture's highest honor, in 2003

The Sydney Opera House is situated on Bennelong Point in Sydney Harbour, close to the Sydney Harbour Bridge. It sits at the northeastern tip of the Sydney central business district (the CBD), surrounded on three sides by the harbour (Sydney Cove and Farm Cove) and neighboured by the Royal Botanic Gardens.

The Sydney Opera House is a modern expressionist design, with a series of large precast concrete "shells",each composed of sections of a sphere of 75.2 metre radius, forming the roofs of the structure, set on a monumental podium. The building covers 1.8 hectares of land and is 183 metres long and 120 metres wide at its widest point. It is supported on 588 concrete piers sunk as much as 25 metres below sea level.

The roof structures of the Sydney Opera House are in fact not shells in a strictly structural sense, but are instead precast concrete panels supported by precast concrete ribs. The shells are covered in a subtle chevron pattern with 1,056,006 glossy white- and matte-cream-colored Swedish-made tiles from Höganäs AB, though, from a distance, the shells appear a uniform white.

The Sydney Opera House provides a venue for many performing arts companies including the four key resident companies Opera Australia, The Australian Ballet, the Sydney Theatre Company and the Sydney Symphony Orchestra, and presents a wide range of productions on its own. It is also one of the most popular visitor attractions in Australia, with more than seven million people visiting the site each year, 300,000 of whom take a guided tour.

Mode of Gibraltar

2011-12-28T22:26:00.000+07:00

Gibraltar Post has issued the stamp series features the fashion designer of Gibraltar, John Galliano. The complete name is John Charles Galliano CBE, RDI , was born on 28 November 1960 in Gibraltar.

The issue stamp comprises of 4 postage stamp and one souvenir sheet. All stamps depicts his design of fashion.

In July 1995, he was appointed as the designer of Givenchy by Bernard Arnault, owner of luxury goods conglomerate LVMH, thus becoming the first British designer to head a French haute couture house.

On 21 January 1996, Galliano presented his first couture show at the helm of Givenchy at the Stade Francais. The collection received high praise within the fashion media. Some of Galliano's designs for Givenchy were licensed to Vogue Patterns.

Less than two years later, on 14 October 1996, LVMH moved Galliano to Christian Dior, replacing Italian designer Gianfranco Ferré.His first couture show for Dior coincided with the label's 50th anniversary, on January 20, 1997.

He has been quoted as identifying his love of theater and femininity as central to his creations and has gone so far as recreating some of Dior's period clothing for Madonna in Evita. Between his own label and Dior, Galliano produced six couture and ready-to-wear collections a year and a mid-season range under his own name "G Galliano".

Galliano was awarded British Designer of the Year in 1987, 1994 and 1995. In 1997, he shared the award with Alexander McQueen, his successor at Givenchy. He was awarded the CBE (Commander of the Order of the British Empire) in the 2001 Queen's Birthday Honours List for his services to the Fashion Industry as a Fashion Designer. He received his CBE on 27 November 2001 at Buckingham Palace in London, England. He was awarded the RDI in 2002 for his contribution to the fashion industry.

In 2009, Galliano received the French Legion of Honour, previously awarded to such fashion luminaries as Hubert de Givenchy, Yves Saint Laurent, Azzedine Alaïa and Suzy Menkes.

Spanish Folk dance

2011-12-27T18:02:00.000+07:00

Espana Post issued the stamp series feature the Spanish dance and folk dance on May 14, 2009. The stamp set comprised of two stamps depicts La Mateixa, and El Bolero dance.

“La Mateixa” is one of the most deeply-rooted dances in the Balearic Islands and it is usually performed in all public or private events and has different characteristics from similar dances performed in other regions.

In towns and villages in Mallorca it was customary to auction the first dance in parties and festivals where the youngsters in love would bid. However, the winner would not dance with his girlfriend, since she would only dance with a friend or relative of his, whilst the winner held a handkerchief and fan and looked admiringly at her graceful movements. The stamp depicts a couple dancing wearing the typical dress.

La Mateixa means “the same” in Mallorquin (the language of the Balearic Islands). It refers to each step of the dance and to the exchange of couples since when they all dance at a time, they continuously rotate and always end up with La Mateixa or “the same”. The steps are guided by the woman and the man follows her with his glance.

Depending on the area, it is performed in a quiet and reserved manor or with more liveliness and fluency. It is considered to be a courtship dance. The music is played by pipes, guitars, tambourines, and castanets, played to the rhythm of the cheery islands songs.

The origins of “El Bolero” are uncertain and different regions claim to be the birthplace of this type of dance.

It is a castillian dance spread throughout Spain with different denominations such as bolero andaluz or bolero madrileño. The roots of El Bolero can be found in the contradanza of the XVIII century.

It was first performed by the nobility and later on by the common people and in theatres where performances ended with couples dancing the so called national dance, that is a Bolero.

It is made up of three parts: the paseo, coplas and desplante accompanied by guitars, tambourines and castanets. The couple performs the same dance steps but the arm and leg movements of the lady are more expressive than the man’s. The stamp is issued with a vignette with no postal value depicting a goyesco bolero.

Stonecutters Bridge–Hong Kong - 2009

2011-12-26T14:11:00.002+07:00

On 17 December 2009, the Hong Kong Post issued the stamp set features the one of the longest span bridge, Stonecutters Bridge. This issue stamp consist of 4 postage stamps to commemorate the opened of the bridge for public used.

Stonecutters Bridge is a high level cable-stayed bridge which spans the Rambler Channel in Hong Kong, connecting Nam Wan Kok, Tsing Yi Island and Stonecutters Island.

The bridge is part of Hong Kong's Route 8, connecting Sha Tin, Cheung Sha Wan, Tsing Yi Island, Ma Wan and Lantau Island. Other major constructions along the route are Nam Wan Tunnel (completed in 2008), Eagle's Nest Tunnel (completed in 2008), Sha Tin Heights Tunnel (completed in 2008), Tsing Ma Bridge (completed in 1997) and Kap Shui Mun Bridge (completed in 1997).

Construction commenced on 27 April 2004 by Maeda–Hitachi–Yokogawa–Hsin Chong Joint Venture. It cost HK$2.76 billion. It was reported to be over budget.The bridge deck was completed on 7 April 2009, making this the second longest cable-stayed span in the world, and opened to traffic on 20 December 2009.

The bridge spans 1.6 km, with 3 lanes in each direction. It is a cable-stayed bridge with two bridge towers, one on Tsing Yi Island and the other on Stonecutters Island.

With a main span of 1,018 m, Stonecutters Bridge has the second-longest cable-stayed span in the world, after the Sutong Yangtze River Bridge, China (1,088 metres ).

The approaches at Tsing Yi and Stonecutters Island are located near Container Terminal 9 and Container Terminal 8, respectively.

The concept is for a cable-stayed bridge with a twin aerodynamic deck suspended from two 295m-high single pole towers. These towers will have bases measuring 24m x 18m tapering to 7m diameter at the top, and the deck will allow a navigation clearance of 73.5m over the full entrance to the Container Port.

The two towers composed in concrete until level +175m and in composite construction consisting of an inner concrete ring with a stainless steel skin for the top 120m.

The Hong Kong region is susceptible to very strong typhoon winds, a fact that is being taken into account in the design of the bridge.

As a result of the interesting challenges and extreme difficulty in constructing this bridge, the project was featured on two of the Discovery Channel's Extreme Engineering series on November 1, 2006 and April 27, 2009.

The Stonecutters Bridge won the 2010 Supreme Award at the annual Structural Awards presented by the Institution of Structural Engineers, United Kingdom.

(Resources: Wikipedia and Highway Department -The Government of Hong Kong)

Technorati Tags: Hong Kong,Stonecutters bridge,Cable-stayed bridge

Stained Glass Windows on Spain’s stamp

2011-12-25T17:50:00.002+07:00

Stained Glass Windows, as other artwork, have enabled iconographic documentation and made us aware of relevant historic, social, political and religious events throughout the history of mankind.

Stained Glass Windows was made from the small pieces of glass which has arranged following to form patterns or pictures. The design of a window may be non-figurative or figurative; may incorporate narratives drawn from the Bible, history, or literature; may represent saints or patrons, or use symbolic motifs, in particular armorial.

In a church the window within a building may be thematic, depicts like episodes from the life of Christ. Also for other building : within a parliament building depicts shields of the constituencies; within a college hall depicts the figures representing the arts and sciences; or within a home or resident house depicts flora, fauna, or landscape.

On May 29, 2009, Espana Post has issued the stamp features the stained glass window. Only one stamp issued in the souvenir sheet type. In this case of the window depicted in this issue which stands in the main stairways of the paper factory in Burgos, an institution belonging to the Spanish National Mint and which refers to the paper making process. (Resources from Espana Post)

New Crest Bridge built in Wood

2011-12-23T14:46:00.002+07:00

On 11 April 2011, the French Post has issued a stamp features a famous of the wooden bridge, The "Pont en Bois",the longest wooden bridge in France.This bridge constructed for support the development of the timber industry, wood being a natural resource of the Crest region and develop the town northward and southward, according to demanding environmental criteria.

The bridge designed by the partnership the Crest City and other parties (the CNDB -National committee for the development of timber, the General Council of Drôme and the Regional Council, the State and the EU), as an open-air wooden bridge with three spans. Total width between the guard-rails is 8 metres (two 2, 75 m ways for traffic and two 1,25 m pavements.) and total span its 100 metres.The estimated budget is 1.5 million €.

This bridge constructed , remarkably integrated in the site, is more respectful of the environment, wood being the only natural and renewable material which can stock carbonic gas. Priority was given to the local wood species from the nearby Rhône-Alpes and Massif Central areas (Oak and Douglas Pine), reducing problems of transportation of materials. The embedding of the pillars respects the flow of the river, so that the bed of the river cannot be over deepened.

The people of Crest are proud of it and visitors are enthusiastic about it. The visitor can appreciate the elegance, the lightness and the technique of this wooden bridge. The "Pont en Bois" was opened on 30th June 2001 after a 10-month construction period.The "Pont en bois" was awarded by both the National Observatory of public innovation (Prix Territoria 2001) and the Ministry of The Territory and Environmental Development

Technorati Tags: Bridge,French,Crest City,longest wooden bridge,Pont en Bois

Centenary of Powered Flight – Australia 2010

2011-12-21T16:47:00.001+07:00

On 09 March 2010, Australia Post celebrated the Centenary of Powered Flight with issue the stamp set of 3 postage stamps depicted the model of aircraft. The issue stamps denominated in 55c, $1.45, and $2.10 .

In December 1903, at Kittyhawk, North Carolina, USA, the Wright brothers famously made the world’s first sustained flight in a powered aircraft. Similar attempts to fly were soon made in Australia by three persons, Colin Defries, John Duigan, Harry Houdini.

The issue stamps commemorates three significant powered flights from Australia’s early aviation history.

Colin Defries-9 Dec 1909

According to the criteria set by the Royal Aero Club of Great Britain, the first sustained, controlled flight in a powered aircraft was made by Englishman Colin Defries on 9 December 1909 at Victoria Park racecourse in Sydney. The plane was a modified Wright Model A named The Stella.

John Duigan – 7 October 1910

John Duigan was the first Australian to successfully fly an Australian-designed and constructed powered aircraft. On 7 October 1910, Duigan’s self-designed biplane flew 180 metres at 64kph at an altitude of 3.4 metres at his family property at Mia Mia, Victoria

Harry Houdini – 18 March 1910

On 18 March 1910, at Diggers Rest, Victoria, the American “escapologist” Harry Houdini made the first of several well-publicised flights in this country. His aircraft was an imported Voisin, with his name emblazoned on the tail.