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HERITAGE ARTIFACTS
The Canada Post Corporation will issue a new set of low-value definitives
featuring Canadian artifacts. The new 2-cent stamp features a fishing spear.
The artifacts stand for various aspects of eighteenth and nineteenth century
Canadian life such as hunting, agriculture, domestic labour, and recreation.
Relatively small artifacts were chosen so that they could be shown to advantage
in the small stamp size required for low-value definite stamps.
The level of interest in Canadian heritage is indicated by the success
of institutions such as Upper Canada Village in Ontario, King´s Landing
in New Brunswick, and Heritage Park in Calgary. But people have long enjoyed
the artifacts of previous generations. For example, the ancient Romans
collected antiques from the Etruscan period. In Canada, the centennial
celebration of 1967 generated an unprecedented interest in antiques and
other physical remnants of our heritage. People suddenly realized that
what seemed to be a young country was actually one hundred years old, and
also that Canada was a worthy field of endeavour for the antique collector.
They became fascinated with the age of the artifacts and admired the craftsmanship
and artistry of those who made them. Mass production may have resulted
in higher living standards, but many believe its products lack the charm
of earlier, handmade efforts. Thus, the artifacts shown on these stamps
not only illustrate aspects of life in bygone days, but also pay tribute
to those who preserve and make known the culture of Canada´s past.
The artifacts stamps were designed by Jean-Pierre Beaudin and Jean Morin
of Montreal. The design succeed in capturing the beauty and visual interest
of these humble handmade objects which were a part of domestic life in
Canada in times past. The subtle background colours, duotone images, and
simple dignified typography of the stamps permit the objects to speak for
themselves.
REFERENCE
Canadian Postal Archives-STAMP BULLETINS ISSUED BY CANADA POST CORPORATION,
VOL. 2,1970-1988, Ottawa, Ontario, Canada, 1990
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