1951 issue of children's stamps a world first

1951 issue of children's stamps a world first

This year, three-quarters of a century ago, ordinary, unnamed boys and girls from our country were photographed and placed on stamps. Except for living persons of the royal house, they end up on stamps, and certainly not yet children.

Afterwards, to the great surprise of the children on the stamps themselves, it turned out that they had ended up on children's stamps. Even photographer Oorthuys's daughter, Hansje, knew nothing about it either.

– The sale of the stamps on the first day of issue was also unique. In an improvised post office, every child sold their stamp to the consumer as a 'PTT postal official'.
– It has also been astonishing that the American magazine Life Magazine (January 14, 1952, 63 days after the issue) devoted extensive attention to it with children's stamps in black and white with captions. *)
– Result? “You, as an ordinary child, are already traveling the whole world with your face on a postage stamp.”

Portrait stamps children's stamps 1951

The choice of photographs on children's stamps was due to post-war budget cuts. The cost of the illustrated children's stamps of 1950 turned out to be too high. To make the issuance of stamps cheaper in 1951, photography was chosen. In doing so, attention was drawn to the photographer Cas Oorthuys.

Characteristic residential, living, and working locations

Photographer-designer Cas Oorthuys (1908 – 1975) started from a clearly defined basis for the composition of the 1951 children's stamps. The children were to radiate, in their appearance, facial expression, and in “their entire being,” something related to their environment.
The backgrounds refer to the countryside, a city under construction, a fishing village, an industrial district, and a modern big city neighborhood. In other words, the foreground must form a unity with the background.

1) The countryside

Smiling, 12-year-old Hansje Oorthuys represents the country child. The photographer's daughter poses in front of a vast meadow landscape containing a windmill. The low horizon corresponds to that of 17th-century landscape paintings and refers to our low-lying country, which is also referred to as 'neder' or 'hol'.
– In the background stands the watermill on the Brassemermeer in winter. The ice in the foreground of the assembled photo has turned into grassland.
– In 1986, 45-year-old Hansje had been called Hannah Oorthuys for years and worked as a graphic designer in London. Married twice: Duccio Turin (Italian) & Guy Atkins.

2) A city under construction

The 12-year-old Jan van den Heuvel portrays the city child. He is placed in front of houses under construction during the post-war reconstruction period. The briefly depicted crane with hoisting hook refers to the reconstruction period following the Second World War.
– Jan proudly shows 'his' sheet of stamps with 100 children's stamps.
– On November 12, 1951, Jan signs a cash order as an 'unpaid PTT official' after his
position as a counter clerk.
– As far as I know, Jan is, at 86 years old (see color photo on the right), full of life and still is.
extremely active. He used to work at the American telecom organization AT&T. *)

3) A fishing village

Nine-year-old Andries Zwart, dressed in a thick sweater with a standing collar around his neck (as protection against cold weather and wind), represents the fisherman's child. Fishing nets, a ship's mast with rigging, and the cladding of an auction building (fish auction) symbolize a fishing village.
– In the summer of 1950, Oorthuys was in Egmond aan Zee and met a young boy there who was, in his view, the ideal person for the stamp. When asked if he could photograph him, Andries immediately agreed. He was photographed there in various poses, positions, and with all kinds of facial expressions. Only much later, to his surprise, did he receive news that he had ended up on a children's stamp. Moreover, he was invited to come to Amsterdam, where he was allowed to sell his stamp himself.
– The backgrounds of the children's stamps are all neutral. During the design process, Oorthuys introduces various attributes, placing the child in a fitting environment. On the 6-cent children's stamp, nets, a ship's mast, and an auction building are visibly present.

4) An industrial district

The 12-year-old Jaap Blom represents the factory child. Smoking factory chimneys and
Iron construction work on either side of Jaap vividly depicts the factory activities.
– Over time, Oorthuys comes to the realization that safety glasses are overkill to characterize a factory child. He limits himself to a minimum of imagery to achieve a maximum of expression. Indeed, less is more.
– That Jaap ended up on the children's stamp was pure coincidence. While delivering milk and drinking milk at school, he happened to end up in the room where Oorthuys was busy taking photos of Erna or Jan. “When he saw me, he took a number of photos of me in no time. Afterwards, I was utterly amazed that I had ended up on a stamp (little did I know) and that I was expected in Amsterdam on November 12, 1951.”
– 47-year-old Jacob Blom in 1988.

5) A modern large city district

The 11-year-old Erna Wolters portrays the modern city child. In the background is a
apartment building with balconies. There exists a difference between this image and that of the 5 cent summer stamp of 1950.
agreement in building, function and reference.
– The PTT management wanted a different background for the yarn spinning mill. The factory girl had to become a city child. Her appearance is not suitable for the textile industry. In a dignified manner, she represents the city child with an apartment with balconies in the background of a modern city.
– On the first day of issue of the children's stamps, 'high-ranking PTT official' Erna Wolters took her place behind the counter of a specially furnished mini post office in the 4th Montessori School on Boerhaavestraat in Amsterdam. Jaap stands on the far left of Erna, with Jan to his right. Hansje is just visible behind the wire mesh partition.
– A photo has been placed alongside all five children's stamps, in which they hold part of a sheet of 100 stamps at chest height in front of them. The beaming Hansje, on the other hand, holds up two sheets.
– The sale of stamps by children, featuring themselves, turned out to be a world first. The national and international press was present in large numbers on the first day of issue of the children's stamps in 1951.
– The 18-year-old Erna Wolters in 1958.

*) Whether or not the other four 'children's stamp children' are alive is unknown to me (yet?). Should anyone have information about any of the others (family and/or friends thereof), I would be very grateful to receive it, as well as any scrapbooks or other details. (batehill@delta.nl).