Licking Modernity

Despite my recent brush with the splendour of the Modern University Buildings stamps, I'm not a stamp collector, but my eldest brother is. He was keen to show me some of his recent finds, and among them were these beauties, an array celebrating postwar modernity, as so many stamps of the 60s do. It was, after all, an era when Tony Benn was in full swing as Postmaster General. But we start back in 1951 with a very special commemorative set.

Festival of Britain: stamp (red) 2½d designed by Edmund Dulac and released May 1951.

Festival of Britain: (blue) 4d featuring Abram Games' festival logo.

Post Office Tower: 3d, released October 8th 1965 and designed by Clive Abbott, printed by Harrison & Sons Ltd. It was the first British stamp to carry the name of the artist and the printer, and letters posted from the Tower were franked 'Posted at the Post Office Tower'.

Jet Engine: 1/6d from the 1967 set British Discovery designed and illustrated by Richard Negus and Philip Sharland, printed by Harrison & Sons Ltd.

Concorde: 4d, to commemorate the first flight of the supersonic passenger jet, and released on March 3rd 1969. Illustrated by Michael Goaman and printed by Harrison & Sons Ltd.

Liverpool Metropolitan Cathedral: 1'6d, May 28th 1969, as part of the set 'British Cathedrals'. Unfortunately I couldn't find out any details of the artist.