The first photomontages on postage stamps

In 1931 and 1932, a number of stamps were designed in which the designer made use of photographs. Piet Zwart was one of the first to make use of photography for the two stamps for parcel post rates featuring an image of Queen Wilhelmina. He placed her portrait with photographs of heavy industry and several seagoing vessels in the background. In addition, a stamp for the combined rate of 6 cents and an air duty of 30 cents. This was followed by two more stamps dedicated to the Gouda Stained Glass Windows, also designed by Piet Zwart. The paperback also used photographs to design the children's stamps of 1931. However, the reactions of users and collectors were very different. A few found them beautiful, but most were opposed to the use of photographs of living people as images. And people were confronted harshly with the reality of the day. Did that have to be on a stamp? The last series of stamps in the early 30s in which photographs were used for the design were designed by Paul SchuitemaA series of four stamps dedicated to tourism: the General Netherlands Association for Tourism (ANVV). How did Schuitema proceed? He first made a pencil sketch as a starting point. For this, he used a photograph of a modern building and a photograph of the Zierikzee town hall. Text was added to the pencil drawing, but the long name of the ANVV proved difficult to fit. Furthermore, a preference was given to a sleeker design. Several proofs were produced but rejected. The photo of the building was not used later, but another photo of the town hall was. A design that was not chosen. An aerial photo above an inland harbor and a photo of a grain elevator. The combination of those two photos, the montage, created a confusing image. And a proof print of this stamp didn't turn out much better. The windmill performed better. Photographed at Kinderdijk. With an aerial photo of that area as a background. Assembly approved, now just enter the postage value and then a few proofs. The first design for the 6-cent stamp was rejected, so other photos were chosen. Two aerial photos this time: the town hall of Zierikzee and a new housing development in Amsterdam South. The town hall was extracted from the aerial photo and the new housing development was mirrored. Again, a few proofs and the final stamp. The drawbridge is a picture-perfect scene for every tourist to photograph. The drawbridge at Schipluiden was used as an example, and an aerial photograph of the railway bridge at Moerdijk served as the background. The photo of the drawbridge was taken from a different angle for the design. Then a few more proofs and the final stamp. Finally, the 12½ cent stamp. The bulb fields and the tulips could not be forgotten. An aerial photograph of the bulb fields and an arrangement of a few tulips complete the picture. Just a few more proofs and the series is ready. The Handbook of Dutch Postage Stamps includes an extensive description of the creation of this series of stamps and many other series. It was not until after the Second World War that photographs were again used as stamp designs in the Netherlands. Before the early 30s, photomontage was revolutionary for design. But how do you view that now? And Salve hospes? Welcome, guest! Where do you see that on a stamp?