United Kingdom 2006 "150th Anniversary of the National Portrait Gallery"

Issue Date	18.07.2006
ID	Michel: 2420-2429 Scott: 2393a Stanley Gibbons: 2640-2649 Yvert: UPU: GB063.06 Category: Dw
Author	Peter Willberg
Stamps in set	10
Value	1st Class - Portrait of Winston Churchill by Walter Richard Sickert, Estate of Walter R Sickert 2006 all Rights Reserved, DACS/National Portrait Gallery, London 1st Class - Sir Joshua Reynolds by Sir Joshua Reynolds, National Portrait Gallery, London 1st Class - Thomas Stearns Eliot by Patrick Heron, - Estate of Patrick Heron 2006 All Rights Reserved, DACS/National Portrait Gallery, London 1st Class - Emmeline Pankhurst by Georgina Brakenbury, National Portrait Gallery, London 1st Class - Virginia Woolf by George Charles Beresford, National Portrait Gallery, London 1st Class - Walter Scott by Sir Francis Chantry, National Portrait Gallery, London 1st Class - Mary Seacole by Albert Charles Challen, courtesy of Helen Rappaport/National Portrait Gallery, London 1st Class - William Shakespeare attributed to John Taylor, National Portrait Gallery, London 1st Class - Dame Cicely Saunders by Catherine Goodman, National Portrait Gallery, London 1st Class - Charles Darwin by John Collier, National Portrait Gallery, London
Size (width x height)	27x37mm
Layout	Sheets of 30 and sheets of 60 stamps
Products	FDC x1 PP x1
Paper	Gum: VPA, Phosphor: Bars as appropriate
Perforation	14x14
Print Technique	Gravure
Printed by	De La Rue Security Print
Quantity
Issuing Authority	Royal Mail of Great Britain

Charles Darwin among other famous personalities on n150th Anniversary of the National Portrait Gallery stamps of UK 2006

On July 8^th, 2006, Royal Mail issued the stamp set "150^th Anniversary of the National Portrait Gallery", showing portraits of ten very famous British personalities from the collection of the National Portrait Gallery in London.

The National Portrait Gallery (NPG) houses an immense collection of portraits featuring some of Britain's most significant subjects. With 9,000 portraits of famous men and women and boasting a phenomenal archive, library and technology gallery the NPG acts as a pictorial "Who is Who" of British history. The images selected for the stamps are drawn from a full historical time span, and show a balance of people from different areas of life including a politician, a writer and an artist.

The stamps also show the wide variety of different media that are exhibited in the gallery such as portraits in sculpture, watercolour, oil painting and photography. Royal Mail's design team worked closely with the NPG to establish a final shortlist which was passed on to designer Peter Willberg, who has previously worked on the 2005 Jane Eyre issue featuring Paula Rego-s haunting lithographs. Included in the stamp issue is the most famous image of William Shakespeare, which has a special significance as it was the first portrait the Gallery acquired. Also featured are less well known images, such as the charming portrait of Marry Anne Seacole and the rare oil painting of Emmeline Pankhurst. To keep the labelling as simple and uncluttered as possible, the stamp features the name of the subject and the name of the gallery.

One of these stamps showing portait of Charles Darwin.

Charles Darwin on stamp of UK 2006

Charles Robert Darwin (1809-1882), was naturalist, geologist and originator of the theory of evolution. Sitter in 30 portraits.
This portrait of Charles Darwin, the great scientist and author of On the Origin of Species, is a copy by the artist of a portrait undertaken by John Collier for the Linnaean Society. Collier was himself the son-in-law of another prominent late Victorian scientist, Thomas Henry Huxley.
The portrait was presented to the Gallery by Darwin's eldest son, William Erasmus Darwin, who wrote to Lionel Cust in 1896: The picture is a replica of the one in the rooms in the Linnaean Society and was made by Collier after the original. I took some trouble about it and as a likeness it is an improvement on the original. It shows Darwin as an old man in the year before his death. According to Darwin's third son, Francis, The portrait represents him standing facing the observer in the loose cloak so familiar to those who knew him and with his slouch hat in his hand. Many of those who knew his face most intimately, think that Mr Collier's picture is the best of the portraits and in this judgement the sitter himself was inclined to agree.

Other stamps of the set


Sir Winston Churchill Without doubt one of the most significant figures of the 20^th century, this portrait of Sir Winston Churchill perfectly captures his grim determination. Secker-s painting of the great Prime Minister wreathed in smoke was apparently not liked by the man himself, although perhaps this was because it was too close to the truth, as the portrait was well known for its similarity to the sitter.	Sir Joshua Reynolds It is most fitting that this portrait of Sir Joshua Reynolds be included as he was the first President of the Royal Academy, and his annual -Discourses- to the students remain an important component in the teaching of artistic history. Reynolds was more responsible than any other for raising the status of artists in Britain.	TS Eliot Heron's semi-Cubist portrait of Eliot is both stylistically innovative and intellectually demanding, much like the author himself. Elliot is known for classic works such as The Waste Land, The Cocktail Party and Old Possum-s book of Practical Cats, a book of light verse, which was the basis of the Musical show Cats.


Emmeline Pankhurst Founder of the Women-s Social and Political Union with her daughter Christabel, Emmeline Pankhurst was the leader of the militant movement for women-s suffrage. She was imprisoned for her beliefs and actions on several occasions, as was the portrait-s painter, Georgina Agnes Brackenbury, who was also involved in militant suffrage activity.	Virginia Woolf The only photograph in the set, this was taken in 1902, just as she was embarking on her career. It is unusual as she was normally averse to sitting for portraits and being pictured. The photo shows her looking pale and contemplative.	Sir Walter Scott This bust of Sir Walter Scott was the result of several sittings by the renowned novelist and poet for the sculptor, Sir Francis Leggatt Chantrey. The sittings were appropriately social occasions which always included breakfast, and when it was finished Chantrey presented Scott with the marble as a token of his respect and friendship.


Mary Seacole This is the only known painted portrait of Seacole in existence, and had been used to back another portrait until it was discovered by an observant dealer.	William Shakespeare Probably the most famous and significant playwright this country has ever seen, this is the only portrait of him that has a real claim to have been painted from life. Attributed to John Taylor, it is often known as the Chandos portrait after its original owner.	Dame Cicely Mary Strode Saunders The most recent painting in the set, Dame Cicely sat for this portrait over 22 times, many of which were during her struggle with cancer. As founder of the hospice movement her contribution is without doubt, and she is a modern addition to this collection of our country-s most significant faces.

Products and associated philatelic items

Official FDC	Presentation Pack	Numismatic Cover

The First Day Cover Envelope was designed by Andrew Ross and printed by Smurfit Print UK. The filler card was also designed by Andrew Ross with photography by Nick Turpin and written by John Cooper. It is printed by Fulmar Colour Printing Company Ltd.	The fully illustrated Presentation Pack comprises a full set of the ten National Portrait Gallery stamps. The pack was designed by Andrew Ross with typically enigmatic photography by Nick Turpin and written by John Cooper. The Pack is printed by Walsall Security Printers	Limited in number these unique Medal Covers are designed with the collector in mind. This pack features a specially commissioned and distinctively designed medal approved by the National Portrait Gallery, to mark its 150th anniversary. The medal itself features a portrait of Shakespeare on one side and an edited version of the Carlyle quotation on the other.
Some personalized FDC