Science gives a gentle nudge to the monarchs !!

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The year 1923 was a landmark of sorts for medical philately. On 25th of May, France issued a Louis Pasteur postage stamp. This was the first time, a medical scientist was on a postage stamp. (Barring E Espajo, a doctor-nationalist leader who had featured on a stamp from Ecuador in 1899). Science had finally nudged monarchs, and nationalists on a stamp. In this blog we trace medical personalities on postage stamps issued till the beginning of the Second World War.

Louis Pasteur was an eminent scientist, founder of microbiology, and his research not only transformed medicine, but also the food industry. Born on 27th December 1822, he lived till 1895, established Pasteur institute, that had a major role in development of newer vaccines. 1922 was his birth centenary year. Stamps bearing his bust, to be issued to commemorate his centenary were eventually issued in May 1923. This was also a first French commemorative stamp. Usually commemorative stamps are issued only once. However, Pasteur stamps were reissued in the years 1924 and 1926 as well. This French beginning, was quite unlike the British.

Monarchy had a monopoly on Postage stamps

First ever postage stamp was issued by the British in 1840. This was Penny Black, a proof of postal prepayment. Since then, British tradition of a monarchy-centric postage stamps has continued. This tradition was passed on to all British colonies, including India. For instance, till 1947, all postage stamps issued by British India did not have any other identifiable human figure, except for the reigning monarch.

French, unlike the British, had abolished Monarchy in 1792. Except for intermittent periods (1815-1848, and 1852-1870) France has been a Republic. Its postage stamps mostly have had a republican theme – such as goddess of agriculture Ceres, Peace & Commerce, Liberty, and the Sower. Hence it was natural for France to have commemorated Louis Pasteur on its postage stamp. Other scientists were to follow suit in later years.

Physicians, Artists, Philosophers, and Diplomats

In 1928, Netherlands was the next country to feature the “intelligentsia” in its postage stamps. Herman Boerhaave (1668-1738) was a famous Dutch Physician at Leiden. He pioneered clinical teaching, and was a leading medical thinker of his time. In the 1928 set of stamps, he has company of Christian Huygens (a mathematician), Jean-Pierre Minckelers (a dutch chemist), and Hendrik Lorentz (a dutch physicist).

Netherlands regularly issued summer series of commemorative stamps in 1935-1937. In 1935 series, there were personalities related to health- Franciscus Cornelis Donders – a dutch ophthalmologist, and an educationalist Henri Daniel Guyot. Donders invented tonometer, and lenses for correction of astigmatism. Guyot pioneered education for the hearing impaired. Other two stamps featured composers Jan Pieterszoon Sweelinck, and Alphons Diepenbrock.

1936 series had Heike Kamerlingh Onnes a dutch physicist, Desiderius Erasmus Roterodamus a priest and a humanist, Syb Talma a politician, and Herman Schaepman a priest an a poet. The 1937 series features Antonie van Leeuwenhoek discoverer of microscope, and Franciscus Sylvius, a physician who emphasised chemical basis of life. Other two stamps in the series features Joost van den Vondel, a playwright and Jacob Maris, an impressionist.

Raising funds for the unemployed intellectuals

In 1929, US Stock markets crashed, and next ten years were of economic decline. Impact of this economic collapse was seen in France in the 1930s, a large number of people became unemployed, including the “intellectuals”. In 1934, some professional groups established an organisation by the name L’Entr’aide des Travailleurs Intellectuels“(ETI). ETI raised funds for the unemployed intellectuals. In 1935, French postal authorities issued first stamps, with a surcharge, so as to raise funds. Postage stamps issued for the purpose in 1936, again featured Louis Pasteur along with others.

In December 1937, Austria issued a set of nine stamps, featuring physicians from Vienna. These were semi-postal issues, sold at double the face value, to raise money for various charities. Context of these stamps is described in a previous blog.

Postage stamps on medical personalities 1938

In June 1938, Estonia issued a set of four stamps on Centenary of the Estonian Literary Society. These stamps featured two Estonian writers, F. Reinhold Kreutzwald and Friedrich Robert Fachlmann. Of them Fachlmann was also a medical doctor. Two years later, in 1940, Estonia was invaded by the Soviet Army and incorporated in USSR. Estonia again began issuing postage stamps in 1991.

The last stamps in pre-world-war series are from France and Afghanistan. Both of these 1938 stamps feature Pierre and Mary Curie, and mark 40 years of discovery of Radium. Many French colonies also issued stamps with a same design in the same year. Afghanistan is a surprise. Afghans had won their independence after Anglo-Afghan wars in 1919. Afghan postal authority, began issuing postage stamps in 1927, and since then stamps from Afghanistan have inscriptions in French.

In 1939, Europe had plunged into Second World War, and emerged from it in 1945. While there are a limited issues in the inter-war period, there was a relative explosion thereafter. A medical philately exhibition of 1947, is featured in an article published in the British Medical Journal.

There are some more stamps on medical personalities, issued in this period. These include stamps on Ramon Y Cajal (Spain 1934), and another Boerhaave (Netherlands 1938). Hopefully will feature these once I have them !!