World Cultural Stamp Appreciation . Artists

Author: Xue Dade,
Publisher:
Publish Date: 2005-05-01
Features: Stamp collecting is a cultural, recreational, and appreciative activity with broad popular appeal. I am not a professional stamp collector, although I am already in my eightieth year and still undertake heavy compilation tasks, 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 the hobby.
Recently, the elderly stamp collector Mr. Xue Dade from Shanghai wrote to me, saying that he had collaborated with four other stamp collectors to compile a comprehensive stamp appreciation atlas featuring world cultural figures. He asked me to write a preface. I have long been engaged in cultural work and am also concerned about the development of stamp culture. Unable to refuse, I have hesitantly written a few words here.
This stamp appreciation atlas 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, significant time and effort, and considerable financial investment—truly no easy feat. It is an outstanding work in both content and form, serving as both a popular and professional reference for stamp collectors, as well as an excellent resource for art, culture, and history education. It is worthy of recommendation to a broad readership, particularly to fellow stamp enthusiasts and, especially, to young friends.
Of course, this atlas primarily uses stamps to help readers gain a basic understanding of world cultural figures. Its role is akin to a signpost, guiding readers toward these individuals. To truly delve into their life stories and artistic achievements, however, readers must directly engage with their works and authoritative biographies and research studies to truly enter their inner worlds, appreciate their significant contributions to human civilization, and grasp their brilliance and greatness.
If this atlas can inspire readers to undertake such exploration, then its achievement would be immeasurable!
This atlas features nearly three thousand renowned cultural figures from around the world, primarily organized into five major categories: artists, musicians, writers, dramatists and filmmakers, and Nobel Prize laureates (divided into five volumes), covering most important humanities and prominent natural sciences. It combines knowledge with artistic appreciation, not only providing concise introductions to the lives and accomplishments of cultural figures but also, guided by the culture of stamp collecting, showcasing their portraits, works, and other illustrations through a rich array of stamps, first-day covers, postage stamps, and (limitation postcards), making it a visually engaging and informative resource.
The arrangement of figures in this atlas follows the geographical order of continents and countries, with adjustments made based on their historical contributions to world civilization. Within the same country, figures are listed in chronological order according to the era in which they lived. In the fifth volume, Nobel Prize laureates are arranged by their award years due to their unique circumstances.
For easy reference to the countries, regions, and issue dates of the stamps, the relevant reference text is uniformly placed in the upper corners of the stamps. The names of countries are marked according to the names used at the time of issue. The national affiliations of cultural figures are categorized based on their primary activity periods. World cultural figures are listed in both Chinese and their foreign names, while Chinese cultural figures are generally annotated using Pinyin.