40 APRIL 2016http://www.stampandcoin.co.ukThe ten stamps issued on 5 April to mark the 400th anniversary of the death of
William Shakespeare mean more stamps have been issued in his honour than any other
commoner. Paul Brittain looks at the ground-breaking set issued in 1964GB Stamps
B
ritish stamps have marked the fiftieth anniversary of
the Royal Shakespeare Company in 2011, and the
re-construction of Shakespeare’s Globe Theatre in- However, the ground-breaking set appeared
on 23 April, 1964 to mark the 400th anniversary of
his birth. Well, not quite. Attitudes in the Post Office were such
that it was still not possible to mark such an anniversary: what was
celebrated was the Festival to mark Shakespeare’s birth. Nevertheless,
the Post Office knew it was onto a winner, issuing five stamps, and
introducing its own first day envelopes and presentation packs, both
still accompanying every issue today. The presentation pack idea
would be taken up by postal administrations around the world.
While there were initial concerns about the face of a commoner
appearing alongside the Queen, the artists invited to submit ideas
were advised that Shakespeare’s portrait could appear ‘provided
that it is a linear stylised head no larger than the Queen’s head and
provided that it is integrated with the decorative design of the stamp
while the Queen’s head remains, as an independent inset, one of the
dominant features of the design’.
Two separate groups of artists were approached: one for the values
3d, 6d, 1s 3d and 1s 6d to be printed in photogravure; one for the
2s 6d value to be recess printed. David Gentleman comments that
initially he was not made aware that the set would be split in this
way. The Stamp Advisory Committee (SAC) chose four of David’s
submissions as its first choice for the lower values, with designs by
Robin and Christopher Ironside as reserve. For the recess stamp the
initial choice was between Lynton Lamb and John Brinkley.
However, it seems the SAC was seeking to break away from design
traditions, so approached further artists, emphasising the point: ‘our
Stamp Advisory Committee have already considered a number of
designs for this issue and... emphasize that they do not wish artists
to feel in any way inhibited by past trends in British stamp design.
They are anxious to give artists complete freedom... to produce a
personal solution to the somewhat unusual problems presented by
stamp designs on this topic.’
One of the artists subsequently approached, George Chapman,
came up with the novel idea of se-tenant strips of six stamps across
the sheet, not only involving six different designs but different
values as well.
David Gentleman’s submission adopted the ‘woodblock’ technique
seen on two values of his earlier 1963 Lifeboat Conference set. He
had considered a second set, based on arches, but had not initially
submitted this to the Post Office. However, the SAC asked to see
these designs; at the same time David adapted one of them for recess
printing, one assumes at the request of the Post Office.
David’s original submission remained first choice for the gravure
values, with the Ironside designs in reserve (in those days it was
usual to offer the Queen two options). Robin and Christopher
were also asked to adapt two of their designs, featuring Hamlet and
Othello, for recess printing, with the Hamlet design for preference.The Shakespearian
evolution
One of George Chapman’s designs, intended to be issued as part of a se-tenant strip,
showing Othello. The design was submitted and rejected on 11 September, 1963p40 GB Shakespeare 1964.indd 40 01/03/2016 11:23