George Putnam, the first head of America’s Bureau of Lighthouses, stated that ‘... lighthouses appeal to the interest and better instinct of man because they are symbolic of never-ceasing watchfulness, of steadfast endurance in every exposure, of widespread helpfulness.’ It, therefore, seems fitting that so many nations recognise their significance through postage stamps.
In March, 2002, Australia Post honoured the beacon on Marion Reef with a postage stamp. This lighthouse had its light extinguished in the same month that its image appeared on a apostage stamp so it is doubly fitting to have it acknowledged in such a way. The Solomon Islands, an archipelago in the western South Pacific Ocean, were colonized by Britain in the late 1800s. Although they have no known traditional masonry lighthouses, two large skeletal towers, recognized by the local people as ‘lighthouses’ appeared on postage stamps in 2000 and increased awareness to fans of lighthouses of their existence.
In 1990, America issued five lighthouse stamps to commemorate the bicentennial of America’s lighthouses. They proved to be extremely popular, so in 1995, the American Postal Service issued a continuation of the series. Each stamp in the 1995 series featured a lighthouse from the each of the five Great Lakes. The lighthouses featured are Marblehead Light, St Joseph Light, Spectacle Reef Light, 30-Mile Point Lighthouse and Split Rock Lighthouse. Each of the postage stamps on which these lighthouses appear are 32cent stamps.
Hawaii issued three stamps in October, 2002, depicting three of its lighthouses. The five dollar postage stamp shows Makapu’u Lighthouse of the east coast of O’ahu. This lighthouse stands on a 46 feet high cliff which is 420 feet above sea-level. The $8 postage stamp shows Diamond Head lighthouse, which is fitted with a Fresnel lens and was automated in 1924. Diamond Head sits on a 57 feet high cliff, 147 feet above sea-level. The $2 postage stamp shows the Lighthouse on Laysan Island in the Northwest Hawaiian Islands. The image is based on a black and white illustration by Baron Rothschild.
New Zealand has also encouraged the preservation of its lighthouses through representation on postage stamps. In 1981, a series was issued in six different values and colours. The designs are rather stylised and depict a somewhat generic view of lighthouses. The 15cent Dog Island stamp represents New Zealand’s tallest lighthouse, whereas the 3cent Baring Head highlights the dangers of the notorious southerly wind this area experiences. In 1913, the half-penny Castle Point postage stamp clearly showed this delightful fishing village with the ‘point’ being seen in the background. In 2000, New Zealand produced a stamp of Tairaroa Head depicting the lighthouse in its scenic series. A 1996 stamp in the same series shwed Cape Reinga – with the lighthouse centred in the middle distance.
The German Democratic Republic issued a 15pf postage stamp in 1974. It showed the Warnemunde Lighthouse and included a map and nautical chart of the area. Canada is the only known nation to have issued several sets of postage stamps which identify the flash sequence of each light.
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