One of the many fun aspects of participating in Volunteer Week at the American Philatelic Center is the chance to take a break from your assigned task and spend a little time rooting through a pile of thousands and thousands of stamps, free to volunteers for the taking. Many of the volunteers are advanced collectors, and this activity probably doesn’t fit their interest, but it makes me feel like a kid again and I enjoy seeing many familiar stamps from my years of collecting and taking 
away a few to fill spots in my worldwide collection.
The two British colony bicolors shown here were among the ‘treasures’ I brought home. To me the British Colony bicolors, which began appearing in the mid-30s, are among the most beautiful classic stamp designs–rich colors, exquisite engraving, and exotic lands and cultures. Also shown here is a third stamp from the Volunteer Week ‘thousands’ that shows a later take on the colonies pictorials, when full color imagery was introduced. It’s 
true there are many beautiful stamps in this format, but for me the bicolors remain tops.
The stamps illustrated are the Gilbert & Ellice Islands 1 1/2d ‘Canoe Crossing Reef’ (1939), Bahamas 3d ‘Fishing Fleet’ (1954), and Bahamas 15c ‘Sea Garden’ (1967).
What are some of your favorite stamp designs?
Is this a Postage Stamp?
No.
Why?: This site, though primarily featuring postage stamps, will also include other kinds of stamps, like the poster stamp* above. Poster stamp graphics are often hard for me to resist, and this one seems to illustrate well the labor (of love?) involved in developing this website.
The stamp (German, early 20th century) presents an odd image (or perhaps not), for the Arbeitsgemeinschaft Deutscher Junglehrer (ADJ), the German young teachers group associated with the Verband Bildung und Erziehung (VBE – Association for Education). Naked young men are pictured trying to move an enormous boulder. Perhaps the message speaks to the difficulty young teachers have as they begin their profession. (I was once a challenged young teacher.) And is that a tree of golden apples? Well, teachers and apples go together.
If I learn more about the circumstances surrounding this stamp, I’ll pass that information along. Note the insignia in the bottom left corner of the illustration. I assume that’s the mark of the artist. Can you add more information about this stamp?
Your comments are encouraged.
* Poster stamps were quite popular (and collectable) in the early 20th century. They were used to promote products, events and causes. Often they were miniature reproductions of actual posters. For more info check out the Poster Stamp Collectors Club.