The origins of the children's stamp

The concluding article provides further information about the 60th children's stamp edition. To mark this anniversary, a children's stamp exhibition was organized in Rotterdam. The history of the postage stamp / children's stamp is clarified in a particularly insightful diagram.

2008

On the occasion of the 60th school campaign, the exhibition 'The Sealed Child' was organized in Rotterdam. Both sealed children (with a white shadow in the background) in front of the black rectangle are more lively (eye movements) and detailed (arms) than those in the flag stamp logo. The white note in the foreground refers (with country name, plus sign, and number 25) to the children's stamp, which is further reinforced by the perforation markings in the upper left.

Origin of a postage stamp

The curators of the exhibition 'The Sealed Child' (Marjolein Spruyt and Judith Flapper) have compiled the overview below, which provided visitors with insightful information. This is the reason for including it in this series of articles. The point-by-point overview of the history of the creation of a postage stamp broadly provides an excellent picture of the institutions involved in the production—in all its facets—of a Dutch postage stamp. 1) The Dutch Committee for Children's Postage Stamps [NCK] (now Stichting Kinderpostzegels Nederland [SKN]) contacts the Dutch postal company PTT to discuss the annual issue of the children's stamps. The stamp values ​​and the amount of the surcharge have already been determined by the PTT Stamp Values ​​and Philately Department. 2) The PTT Aesthetic Design Department (DEV) is responsible for the designs of the stamps. This Department invites a designer to design the children's stamp series. The proof contains corrective comments and remarks that still need to be incorporated into the stamp designs. A number of signatures underscore the draft agreement. 3) The designer receives the assignment and is guided by the DEV. He creates various designs. When the DEV approves the designs, they are submitted to the NCK. 4) The final decision, the acceptance of the design and the approval for implementation, is given by the Director-General of the PTT and the Chief Director of Post. This is the first approval. 5) The DEV and the designer determine the printing process with the printer Joh. Enschedé. Proofs are produced. 6) The designer, the DEV, and the printer have approved the proofs. The management of the PTT gives a second approval by signing the proofs.

The proof print model stamp sheet bears three signatures approvingly agreeing with the remark 'agreed'.

7) The stamp printer can begin. After printing, the entire print run is handed over to the Stamp Values ​​Service. The Service registers, checks, and counts the stamps and takes care of their distribution. This clearly demonstrates the collaboration between the designer and the DEV throughout a long period of the stamp production process. Only in the final stage are the printing press and the Stamp Values ​​Service involved in the creation process of the stamp. On the occasion of the 60th anniversary of the children's stamp school campaign 'By Children for Children', the Museum of Communication in The Hague curated the exhibition 'Ding Dong: 60 Years Door-to-Door with Children's Stamps' during the period September 5, 2008 – August 31, 2009. I have not been able to find a poster for this long-term exhibition. This exhibition provided a colorful overview of all the activities of SKN and children's stamps from the past 60 years. In addition, it was also shown what was done with the benefit money: “After all, all children's stamps are not issued with benefits for nothing!” On the occasion of the 25th anniversary of the 'Association for Children's Stamps and Maximaphily' (1983 – 2008), the Association of this specialized stamp collectors' group presented its members with a special children's stamp card. The image side of this double card features eight preliminary designs for the 1949 children's stamps, referencing the first issue of the children's stamp thank-you card (the Association's ultimate collector's item). On the inside of the card, a 1983 children's stamp with a postmark is affixed. The text and content of the special card correspond to those of the children's stamp thank-you cards that volunteer staff involved in the children's stamp campaigns receive every year as a token of gratitude (including primary school teachers).