France 1949 - United Nations in Paris

The atrocities of World War II must never again be allowed to occur! This was the basic premise to the formation of the United Nations. Without going into lots of details, the United Nations was established on 24 October 1945, a replacement to the League of Nations, which did not work as well as intended. Initially 51 member states signed up to join the UN. These days that number has risen to 193. 

The official headquarters of the UN is located in Manhattan, New York City with three further offices in Geneva, Nairobi, and Vienna. Its objectives have outgrown its initial premise somewhat. It strives to maintain international peace and security, and it seeks to promote human rights through things like humanitarian aid during times of crisis such as famine, natural disaster, and war. The UN also works to protect our natural environment.

In order to run effectively, the UN mechanism has six main components (from Wikipedia):

1.  General Assembly (the main deliberative assembly)
2. Security Council (for deciding certain resolutions for peace and security)
3. Economic and Social Council (ECOSOC; for promoting international economic and social co-operation and development)
4. Secretariat (for providing studies, information, and facilities needed by the UN)
5. International Court of Justice (the primary judicial organ)
6. UN Trusteeship Council (inactive since 1994)

For this blog post our main focus is the General Assembly. The first session of the UN General Assembly was convened on 10 January 1946 in the Methodist Central Hall in London and included representatives of 51 nations. But since an official headquarters had as yet been created, the next five sessions of the Assembly were held in different locations. Two such sessions were held in Paris. The first Paris session was in 1948. The second Paris session began on 6 November 1951. This session was held at the Palais de Challiot. 

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The Palais de Challiot was built for the Exposition Internationale of 1937, on the site where the old Palais du Trocadéro had stood before being demolished. It is perhaps worth noting that Adolf Hitler was pictured on the front terrace of the palace with the Eiffel Tower in the background during his tour of Paris in 1940. This photo became an iconic image of World War II.

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On 6 November 1951 France issued a set of two stamps bearing the same design for the opening of the UN General Assembly in Paris. This issue was designed and engraved by Albert Decaris. The design features the Palais de Challiot in the foreground with the Eiffel Tower standing proudly in the centre background. This design was issued in two values, each with its own colour.

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One thing I find interesting about this issue is the 18f red. The ink seems to be quite thick, which blurs much of the fine detail. This is reminiscent of the 1948 Luxembourg Palace 12f issue printed in carmine. In the Luxembourg Issue a lot of details are blotted out. This is perhaps a reflection of the consistency of the red pigmented ink of this vintage.  

Until next time...

France 1949 - Trades

On 14 February 1949, France issued a set of four stamps showcasing some of the many trades that have been and, in some instances, continue to be, the life blood of the country. Two of the stamps in this set, the 3f+1f value and the 8f+4f value, were designed and engraved by Albert Decaris.

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The 3f + 1f value celebrates the French farmer. The 1f surcharge on this stamp went to the Red Cross. 

Farming is one of France's most important industries. in no small part due to the fact that the country is self-sufficient in food supplies. Farming in France ranges from cereal crops to beef, pork, and poultry to a range of fruit and vegetables. In the above stamp, Decaris has illustrated a farmer ploughing a field in an old tractor. 

Out of curiosity a had a bit of a look on the net to see if I could find a tractor that resembled the one here. This is what I found. It is, I think, pretty close. Unfortunately, I wasn't able to find a make for this particular vehicle. Anyone have any idea?

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The 8f + 4f value celebrates the hard-working miner. The 4f surcharge on this stamp went to the Red Cross.

The French have practised Coal Mining from as early as the 12th Century. But it wasn't until the 19th Century that coal mining really accelerated and many new mines were opened. The main areas for coal mining in France were located in the north-east in the Nord-Pas de Calais, in Lorraine, and in the Loire. And Lignite was mined in the south-east in Provence. In this stamp Decaris has beautifully depicted a robust miner wielding a pneumatic drill and showing the rock no mercy.

The drill used by the miner on the above stamp is similar to the real one in this image.

Until next time...

Stay Decaris Crazy!

France 1949 - Aerial Views of France Airmails

Commencing on the 27 April 1949, France issued the first stamp in what was to become a glorious set of five Airmail stamps, the last of which was issued on 16 January 1950. All of the stamps in this set were designed and engraved by Albert Decaris. This set is known by the name: Aerial Views of France.

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The 100f  value, issued 27 April, depicts the city of Lille, France.

Lille is located in French Flanders on the Dûele River in the north of France. There is an interesting feature within this stamp worth mentioning. Turn your eye to the middle left of the stamp. You will see a column. This is the Goddess Monument. It commemorates Lille's resistance to the Austrian siege of 1792. Atop the column stands the Goddess. She has in her right hand a a linstock, which was used to light the fuses of cannons. Another interesting feature in the stamp is located in the centre foreground of the stamp. This arched structure is known as the Porte de Paris. This is one of the gates that was originally a part of the ancient wall that surrounded the city.

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The 200f value, issued 23 June, depicts the city of Bordeaux.

Bordeaux is a port city located on the Garonne River in southwestern France. Bordeaux is considered the wine capital of the world. There are a couple of features in this stamp worth highlighting. The first is the Gustave Eiffel Railway bridge in the centre of the stamp. And to the left stands St. Michael's church, with the prominent bell-tower known as "The Arrow" reaching toward the sky.

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The 300f value, issued 23 June, depicts the city of Lyon.

Lyon is located in east-central France in the Auvergne-Rhône-Alps region, between Paris and Marseille. The Rhône and the Saône Rivers snake through the centre of this amazing stamp. The left side of the stamp is dominated by a geographical feature known as "The Hill That Preys". Sitting atop the hill is the Basilica of Notre-Dame de Fouvière. And behind that at the top left is the Tour métallique, a TV tower fashioned to resemble the last stage of the Eiffel Tower.

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The 500f value, issued 1 July, depicts the city of Marseille.

Marseille is located in France's south coast, and is the second largest city in France. The prominent feature of this stamp is the Old Port, which has been the city's natural harbour since around 600 BC when Greek settlers from Phocaea arrived.

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The 1,000f value, issued 16 January 1950, depicts the city of Paris.

The capital of France, Paris is located in the north of the country on the River Seine. This stamp is the pièce de résistance of the set. It is truly superb! The image is looking west. Dominting the centre left of this stamp is Notre Dame Cathedral. Winding through the right of the stamp is the river Seine.

This stamp also highlights some of the many bridges of Paris. While doing research for this blog, I found a great Powerpoint presentation on the net dealing with the bridges of Paris on stamps. Click HERE to look at the presentation. Within that presentation is an image that lists the names of many of the bridges Decaris engraved into the stamp.

Until next time...

Stay Decaris Crazy!