A Grand Illustrated Dictionary of Stamp Appreciation for World Cultural Figures. Dramatists and Filmmakers

Author: Zheng Defu
Publisher:
Publish Date: 2005-05-01
Features: Stamp collecting is a cultural, appreciative, and entertaining activity with broad popular appeal. I am not a professional stamp collector, although I am already in my eightieth year and still undertake a heavy editorial task, with numerous social engagements, I still enjoy stamp collecting. Stamp collecting has indeed brought me much joy in my leisure time, and through interactions with other stamp enthusiasts, I have continuously acquired new knowledge and methods in stamp collecting, further enhancing my interest and proficiency in it.
Recently, Mr. Xue Dade, a seasoned stamp collector from Shanghai, wrote to me, saying that he had collaborated with four other stamp collectors to compile a comprehensive illustrated dictionary of stamps on world cultural celebrities. He asked me to write a preface. Having long been engaged in cultural work and concerned with the development of stamp culture, I could not refuse and thus took the liberty of writing a few words here.
This illustrated dictionary of stamp appreciation is grand in scale, rich in content, and comprehensive in its categories. Collecting such a vast number of stamps, first-day covers, and used postage stamps, as well as introducing related knowledge, requires extensive research, a significant investment of time and effort, and considerable financial resources—truly no easy feat. It is a book that excels both in content and form, serving as both a popular and professional resource; it is both about stamp collecting and an excellent tool for art, culture, and history education. It is highly recommended to a wide readership, particularly to fellow stamp enthusiasts and, especially, to young friends.
Of course, this dictionary primarily helps readers gain a basic understanding of world cultural celebrities through stamps. Its role is akin to a signpost, guiding readers toward these figures. To truly delve into their life stories and artistic achievements, however, one must directly read their works and consult authoritative biographies and research studies to truly enter their inner world, understand their significant contributions to human civilization, and appreciate their brilliance and greatness.
If this dictionary can inspire readers to embark on such an exploration, then its achievement would be immeasurable!
This series comprises five volumes: Artists includes over 600 world-renowned painters, sculptors, craftsmen, and architects; Musicians features over 500 composers, instrumentalists, and singers; Literators collects over 700 novelists, essayists, poets, and literary critics; Theatrical and Cinematic Artists includes nearly 500 playwrights and performing artists; and Nobel Prize Winners gathers over 500 laureates from the fields of physics, chemistry, physiology or medicine, literature, peace, and economics. Together, these volumes feature portraits or works of approximately 3,000 cultural celebrities on stamps, with concise and refined textual introductions to their life stories and significant contributions.
The selected stamps, first-day covers, and used postage stamps are all rare collectibles, with compact and elegant designs, offering exquisite visual artistry. This book blends knowledge and appreciation, serving as an enlightening and enjoyable read.
Combining knowledge with artistic appreciation, this dictionary not only succinctly introduces the experiences and achievements of cultural celebrities but also, through the lens of stamp culture, presents rich miniature scenes on stamps and relatively precious first-day covers, postal cards, and (limitation postcards) to showcase the portraits, works, and other imagery of these figures in a multi-layered manner, making it a visually engaging and informative resource.
The arrangement of celebrities in this dictionary follows the geographical order of continents and countries, with minor adjustments based on their historical contributions to world civilization. Within the same country, cultural celebrities are listed in chronological order of their eras. In the fifth volume, Nobel Prize winners are arranged by the order of their awards due to their unique circumstances.
For easy reference to the countries, regions, and issue dates of the stamps, this dictionary uniformly places relevant annotations in the upper corners of the stamps. The names of countries are marked according to their names at the time of issue.