Czeslaw Slania's hobby from his youth - the engraving of miniatures - became later his professional work, but his work became also his hobby, perhaps the most happy combination a man can wish for his life.  

During the years 1957-1962, while Slania "only" worked in Stockholm with retouching other engravers' works, he kept his mind and hand agile by engraving a series of labels in stamp format, portraying the most famous actresses of the period.  Looking at these beautiful miniatures it is obvious that his engraving technique never faded, in spite of the very little professional work he did at this time.  These labels were produced as personal favours to the persons honoured, and given to them for their private use or distribution to their friends.  Therefore, in some cases there is no supply of them available to collectors.

• The Italian actress Sophia Loren, engraved in 1957 and 1961, respectively.  She was born as Sofia Scicolone on 20th September 1934 in Rome and grew up in Pozzuoli, close to Naples. When she was fourteen she entered a beauty contest and won the title of Princess of the Sea. When she was fifteen she met the Italian producer Carlo Ponti and that meeting changed her life. He offered her a seven-year contract and later became her husband. Sophia is still the only performer ever to win an Oscar for a foreign-language film. The center label and the label on the right also exist on privately issued first day covers from FILSANDA 91, arranged by Circolo Felatelico Sandanielese in Italy

• French actress Brigitte Bardot, engraved 1958.  She was born on 28th September 1934 in Paris, France.  She had her international breakthrough in 1956 for her part in the movie "Et Dieu créa la femme", directed by her then husband, Roger Vadim.  Upon her own decision she stopped her film career in 1973, and has since then devoted her life to the protection of animals and endangered species. 

• American actress Doris Day, engraved 1959.  She was born on 3rd April 1924 as Doris Mary Anne Kappelhoff in Evanston, a suburb of Cincinnati, Ohio.  She withdrew from her active career as an actress in 1975, and from that time on she has devoted her life to animal welfare.

• American actress Marilyn Monroe, engraved 1962.  She was born 1st June 1926 in Los Angeles, California, as Norma Jeane Mortenson.  Throughout her career she made altogether 29 films, the first one being "The Asphalt Jungle" in 1950.  She committed suicide on 5th August 1962.  

There exists also a label, depicting the entertainer and singer Elvis Presley, engraved 1977.  If any visitor to this site possesses this label, I will be very grateful to receive a scan for display on this site, with full credits to the owner.

Having engraved these ultra feminine portraits the leap to similar ultra masculine portraits was not big, and he engraved later the large series of the Heavy-Weight Champions.