Philately - The Fiction Connection
The Mystery Box book is the proud winner of a Silver Medal awarded by the Chicago Philatelic Society CHICAGOPEX Literature Exhibit
Read the Book Review by Barbara Kinne of the APS American Philatelist
The Three Vignettes within the stamp are described below
(Left, Right, Centre)
LEFT: The Monarch of the Glen is a popular engraving by Sir Edwin Henry Landseer (1802- 1873). Landseer was famed for his animal portraits, of highbred dogs in particular, and his work helped to usher in the great age of the Victorian print. The Monarch in this case is a noble 10-point stag, lord of the Scottish highlands Victoria loved so well.
RIGHT: The young woman rowing the boat was reluctant celebrity of an unusual kind. Her name was Grace Darling, the daughter of a Northumbrian lighthouse keeper. On September 7, 1838, the SS Forfarshire wrecked in the Farne Islands off the English coast. With her father, Grace braved the raging seas to row survivors to safety. Her exploit caught the attention of the press and she lost the solitary way of life she treasured. Her early death, to tuberculosis, at the age of 26 added the element of pathos to her fame.
CENTRE: The Crystal Palace of 1851 housed the first great international exhibition and was the forerunner of the world's fair. Made entirely of slender iron rods and glass, the hall covered an area of 900,000 square feet (92000 square meters), or about 23 acres. Some 14,000 exhibitors turned up, including developers of ceramic false teeth and McCormick's steam-powered reaper.
Next: The Queen comes into her own.
