Bermuda's rich heritage recorded in stamps
The Philatelic Bureau of the Bermuda Post Office released the Heritage ? Made in Bermuda commemorative stamp issue on June 22. This is the fourth in a series of stamps which showcases local Bermudian artists and craftsmen.
The series consists of four stamps and an Official First Day Cover. The stamps represent the following parts of Bermuda's heritage: ? Beekeeping is an absorbing and fruitful pastime in Bermuda as bees have inhabited the Island almost as long as people. Bees were sent from England to settler Robert Rich in 1619, bees have played a role in natural history and Bermuda used to export goods to Virginia.
The tradition of Beekeeping and honey production is continued by local beekeeper Randolph Furbert at his "factory", Honey Bee House in Bailey's Bay where he continues to produce some of the purest honey in the world.
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70c PASTELS ? For over 25 years the works of local figurative artist, educator and illustrator Sharon Wilson have garnered praise as an interpreter of Bermudians and Island life. Working mainly with pastels Ms Wilson describes herself as a storyteller and her art as not so much an intellectual exercise as an emotional response to her environment.
As a child of the 50s, Ms Wilson has worked to redress the absence of imagery, which reflects Bermuda's people and black people in particular. It is necessary that all Bermudians see themselves reflected in a positive light. "Stonecutters" is part of a larger work and depicts one of the many indicators of the changes evident in our culture. It is a reminder that soon there will be no stone to cut.
@EDITRULE:85c SCULPTURE ? Bermudian sculptor, Desmond Fountain had an innate ability and won his first award in an adult exhibition at the age of six. His prodigious talent is evident in "I've Caught Some Whoppers", depicted in this stamp series. His work has achieved international stature and is purchased by notable collectors around the world.
His inspired bronze monument, one-and-a-half times life size, of Bermuda founding father, Sir George Somers, was unveiled by HRH Princess Margaret in 1984 and attracts upward of half-a-million admirers a year. He exhibits regularly on both sides of the Atlantic, as well as Bermuda.
? The Bermuda Perfumery packages and preserves Bermuda's rare and exotic scents for both residents and visitors alike in its many products. Inspired by the flowers of Bermuda and locally created recipes, each perfume is blended and aged locally.
Since 1929 the Perfumery has been producing the fragrances for men and women and continue to be manufactured by the present owners Isabel Ramsay-Brackstone and Kirby Brackstone, following the same methods and traditions developed by the original owners, the Smith & Scott family.