Postmarks

Over time a number of postmarks honouring Czeslaw Slania have appeared.  It all started in The United States in 1991, when Slania's 40th anniversary of philatelic engraving was celebrated at the same time he had his 70th birthday. 

The stamp on the cover is Scott # 2036, issued 1983 and featuring the Bicentenary of the Treaty of Amity and Commerce between USA and Sweden in 1783.  The stamp is - naturally - engraved by Czeslaw Slania and - given Slania's Swedish background - is very appropriate for the occasion.

• USA 1991.  Czeslaw Slania, 40 years Philatelic Engraving, issued 28th September 1991 in Milwaukee, Wisconsin. 

• Poland 1996.  A postal stationery card issued at the occasion of an exhibition in Wroclaw of Slania's graphic works, at the same time celebrating his 75th birthday on 22nd October 1996.  The stamp showing Slania's portrait is printed on the card.  The cachet shows a fragment (the lower right part) of Slania's work submitted for his diploma "The Battle of Tannenberg" (Grünwald) in 1410, based on a painting by the Polish painter Jan Matejko (1838-1893).  Yet another fragment of this painting was issued on a stamp by Lithuania in 1993, but the Lithuanian issue is not engraved by Slania.  

• A blow-up of the cancel and the printed stamp of 40 gr.   Please note that the self-portrait used was engraved by Slania himself on a non-postal label for his 60th birthday in 1981.  

Slania's famous 1000th engraving, issued by Sweden on 17th March 2000, has its own postmark featuring Slania's burin, as shown on the cover. Sweden 2000.  Slania's 1000th engraving "The Great Deeds of The Swedish Kings".

The next postmarks appeared in 2001 in Poland.  The below postmarks are issued by local philatelic associations, and are not official.

• Poland 2001.  Philatelic Exhibition in Czeladz, 25th September 2001, at the same time honouring Slania's 80th birthday.  

• Poland 2001.  Exhibition in Jelena Gora, of Czeslaw Slania's Graphic Art Works, 22nd October 2001, Slania's 80th birthday.  

• Poland 2001.  Philatelic Exhibition in Katowice, 14th December 2001, at the same time honouring Slania's 80th birthday.

• Poland 2001.  Slania's 80th birthday, Krakow 22nd October 2001.

• Poland 2001.  Philatelic Exhibition in honour of Czeslaw Slania, 16th September 2001.

• Poland 2001.  50th engraving anniversary of the artist Czeslaw Slania, Krakow, 22nd October 2001 (Slania's 80th birthday).  The stamp used for the engraving is Poland 1998, Scott # 3421, featuring the 400th anniversary of the Battle at Stängebro.  King Sigismund III Wasa (1566-1632).  Painting by P.P. Rubens.  King of Sweden 1592-1599 and of Poland 1587-1632.  Joint issue with Sweden, Scott # 2312.

• Poland 2001.  10th anniversary of Radio Maryja, the Roman Catholic radio station in Poland.  The stamp used is Poland 2000, Scott # 3521, a joint issue with The Vatican 2000, Scott # 1154, and features The Black Madonna (Our Lady of Czestochowa).  

• Poland 2001.  Postmark used at an exhibition in Wroclaw on 12th October 2001, in honour of "Czeslaw Slania, the Master of Steel Engraving".  This postmark was used inside the cover of the invitation to the dual-anniversary event at the Museum of Post and Telecommunication in Wroclaw, see immediately below.

• Front page of the program to the dual-anniversary event at the Museum of Post and Telecommunication, Wroclaw.

• Inside first page of the same program, affixed with the stamp "The Black Madonna" (Our Lady of Czestochowa), Scott # 3521, cancelled with the exhibition cancellation, and signed by Slania. 

• Privately issued postmark, issued for the Moncofa 2007 Exhibition, Spain. Scan by courtesy of Mr. José Angel Arbizu (Spain). 

Many thanks to Mr. Jan Prygoda (The Netherlands) for providing images of the Polish postmarks, to Mr. Todd Ronnei (USA) for providing the image of the US-postmark, and to Mr. Jerzy Krysiak (Sweden) for proof reading of the unofficial Polish postmarks.  A special thank you to Mr. Richard Wegrzyn (Australia) for submitting the 75th birthday card for this site.