Before the start of the Space Age in 1957,
stamps incorporating
an astro theme were few and far between.
an astro theme were few and far between.
But they do exist and can be traced back
to 1884.
Seldom has a
new era of human history dawned as spectacularly as did the
Space Age in October 1957, when Sputnik 1 was rocketed into
orbit around the Earth by the Soviet Union. Sputnik 1 was
ostensibly part of the USSR’s contribution to the
International Geophysical Year (IGY). The IGY, which actually
lasted 18 months, from 1957 July to the end of 1958, was a
global scientific research effort with the aim of improving our
understanding of the Earth as a planet. Sputnik 1’s
scientific return was minimal, but its impact on human
consciousness was immense. It also gave birth to a rich new
subject area for thematic stamp collectors.
The purpose of these web pages is to list
and illustrate all stamps that can reasonably be said to
incorporate an “astro” theme issued prior to the
watershed year of 1957. All illustrations are from my own
collection except where otherwise noted.
What qualifies as an “astro”
stamp must be somewhat subjective. To merit inclusion on these
web pages, the “astro” aspect of a stamp must be
either its main subject or occupy a significant part of its
composition. A few symbolic background stars are insufficient.
I have excluded designs that in my opinion
are stylized or allegorical rather than a genuine attempt to
depict the real sky. For this reason, flags or coats of arms
bearing stars do not make it on to my list. Scientists are
included, unless they feature for non-astronomical reasons
(e.g. their political activities). Mythological figures are not
included.
The links on the buttons above will take
you to lists of those stamps that satisfy my qualification
criteria. The entries are ordered by year, with columns listing
the country, Stanley Gibbons catalogue number, and subject.
Where more than one stamp was issued in any one year, I have
ordered them alphabetically by country. I have omitted
overprints or surcharges on the grounds that they are not
separate designs, with one exception – the 1899 Brazil
Southern Cross issues, which is a major series and a very early
example. Click on any year to see a scan and a description of
the stamp.
Opinions on my choices, plus further
information on any of the featured stamps and notification of
any omissions, are welcome – but first have a look at my
page of Rejects and Red Herrings.
It is a pleasure to thank George Fox and
Margaret Morris of the Astro Space Stamp Society for their
assistance in compiling these lists and for freely sharing
their extensive knowledge of astro-themed stamps.
Email me: ian @ ianridpath.com
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