Through imagery, the Burum Ground Station stamp is substantial after all!

From 1973 onwards, the NSO (National Sigint Organisation) satellite ground station was tasked, among other things, with gathering and analyzing military and economic data and recording this in databases. In addition to Burum, two communication and data interception stations are available as active facilities for this purpose. Stamp analysis On the Burum stamp (nvph 1574), PTT functions via the Burum satellite station as an information carrier in two different ways: a) transport and distribution of postal items by PTT Post. b) transport of electronic information from telephone conversations and television images via communications satellite by PTT Telecom. The swallow with the satellite dish symbolizes the postal company's control over all information flows, from the traditional to the very modern (in 1993). The predominantly present swallow carries a red letter in its beak during flight. In doing so, the bird symbolizes the transport and distribution activities of the postal service. Graphic designer Ron van Roon has not depicted the pigeon as the carrier, but the swallow. In folklore, the bird is known as a lucky bird or bringer. The white lines (of the white paper) left unmarked by the swallow against the blue of the sky and the green of the earth refer to paper bearing texts. Writing and paper together form the basis, an origin of many of the postal service's activities. In the background, the outlines of a single satellite dish (it greate ear) are visible. Over the years, the number of dishes in the antenna park (the greate ears) has expanded drastically. North of the village of Burum (northeast Friesland, near the border with the province of Groningen), 'the great ears' stand on the dead-end road west of the hamlet of De Keegen. Comparisons using figurative language: * By means of [partial] images and/or details (instead of words), a designer attempts to clarify the content of an abstract concept for others on postage stamps. On the Burum stamp, the flying swallow represents the PTT Post company as a substitute, which collects, sorts, transports, and finally delivers letters to the addressee. * The abstract activities/concepts such as collecting, sorting, transporting, and delivering are symbolized in a figurative sense in the 'flying' of the 'swallow'. * Put differently, an activity is depicted via a comparative detour (flying butterfly + letter – PTT Post functions). Such a comparative detour (speaking with images: figurative language) is known as a metaphorical comparison. 1) The white 'paper lines' (rich in curves) with which the swallow is drawn represent the paper on which writing takes place. Writing and paper together form the basis, an origin of many activities of the postal service. 2) The stamp image is literally enclosed in an oval. The elongated shape of the oval figuratively suggests the directional transport / progress of a postal item. 3) The flying swallow acts as a substitute (or equivalent to) for the postal service, which transports and delivers letters. Thus, three characteristic facets of the postal service are presented in the stamp through a comparison. As a result, a meaningless picture stamp has not been created.