For the first time, some of the wild flowers of Anguilla, so often disregarded by even the most discerning naturalist and floral lover, have been depicted on a set of six postage stamps released on Tuesday, December 1, by the General Post Office in The Valley.

Mrs. Mason (right) and Ms. Bryan unveil stamps

The stunning drawings and designs of the stamps were done free of cost stamps by resident artist, Mrs. Jo-Anne Mason who also donated the accompanying colourful brochure as well as the display banner. The stamps were printed in France by Cartor Printer.

“Anguilla is best known for its beautiful beaches and breathtaking vistas enjoyed by its people and visitors from around the world,” the brochure stated. “However, the mostly arid limestone island is also famous for its wild flowers which spring to life during the rainy period, October to December.” The write up continued: “Anguilla’s wild flowers range from the massive and vibrant to petite and the delicate and form an integral part of an ecosystem which must be cherished and nurtured by all in order to survive the possible threats of extinction.”

Mr. Banks making presentation to Mrs. Mason

Mrs. Mason has done “several stamp issues for the local Post Office and this series was created as a group of botanical images of plants and flowers commonly found in Anguilla,” another section of the brochure stated.

The presentation and unveiling ceremony at the Post Office lobby was attended by Minister of Finance, Victor Banks, Dr. Wycliffe Fahie, Chairman of the Stamp Advisory Committee, staff of the department and a number of residents and friends of the Masons. She described Mrs. Mason’s work as “very detailed, powerful and captivating.”
The ceremony was chaired by Sherri-Ann Roberts, the Philatelic Bureau and Commercial Services Supervisor.
In her welcome remarks, Deputy Post Master Commercial, Marcia Richardson, said it was the second stamp issue for the year. She said that during her stay in Anguilla the artist “had come to recognise the beauty of things indigenous to Anguilla which sadly most of us take for granted.” She went on: “Mrs. Mason’s loved for all things natural, both great and small, has captured her artistic abilities and prowess in documenting Anguilla’s intrinsic natural beauty.”
Responding, Mrs. Mason said it was an honour for her to produce the stamps for Anguilla. “I consider stamps to be a historical documentation of a place and Anguilla has already a number of lovely stamp series that depict the history, culture and natural beauty of Anguilla,” she told the gathering, “I am so pleased that the postal service chose my images to continue the series. The reason I did the botanical series is that I intend in the future- and it probably is going to take some timed – to create a book of Anguilla’s botanicals so that visitors and locals alike can identify the plants that are often overlooked. There are natural plants that grow here in rain and drought and they are always beautiful although they may be very, very tiny.”

The newly released Wild Flowers issue

She said there were many more of her drawings on sale at Savannah Gallery in The Upper Valley. Mrs. Mason hoped that in due course people would buy her book and wonder around in the bush and gardens and discover all the wonderful plants she had found in Anguilla.

The unveiling of the stamp issues was done by Mrs. Mason and Deanna Bryan, Postal Assistant.
This was followed by a presentation of a framed set of the stamps to Mrs. Mason by Mr. Banks, the Minister of Finance responsible for the Post Office. “Those of us who are not observant do not even realise the kind of natural beauty and flowers that we have in Anguilla,” he commented. “I want to congratulate Mrs. Mason for being able to depict tem so vividly for us. This gives the Post Office an opportunity to celebrate the natural aspects of Anguilla and will now encourage Anguillians to take the opportunity to be more observant about their surroundings.”

Postmaster General, Mrs. Jacqueline Niles, was delighted that notwithstanding the difficult financial situation the Post Office found it possible to produce a second issue of stamps in 2009. She reported that the Stamp Advisory Committee had already begun to looking at themes for 2010 when hopefully the financial difficulties would be overcome.

Mrs. Niles stated that the Wild Flowers release clearly showed that in Anguilla there was much to be thankful for and to be proud of. “The wild flowers depicted in this release are viewed by many persons as weeds growing in the bush and somewhat insignificant,” she observed. “I am sure that many persons who never took the time to really admire them or even thought that they contributed to the beautification of our lovely island. Some of the bush was used by our forefathers and ancestors as local medicine.

The newly released Wild Flowers issue

“The brochure was designed and donated to the Post Office by Mrs. Jo-Anne Mason and it is a testament of the beauty that these wild flowers can create if one chose to make a lovely flower garden from these plants. The fact that these wild flowers are now on stamps will serve as an educational vehicle or tool to assist in creating a greater awareness of the existence of these plants among the wider community especially for our youth and our visitors alike.”

The new postage stamps are in the denominations of 30 cents, $1.00, $1.50, $1.90, $2.00 and $2.25. The price of sets is $8.95 and First Day Covers are available at $10.95. The stamps add a rare and beautiful collection to the Philatelic Bureau at the General Post Office.

| Printer-friendly page | Send this article to a friend |

World News