Summer stamps 1974

Three themes had to be visualized: Modern Ballet, Muziekconcours Kerkrade (Musical Contest Kerkrade), and Volkstoneel (Amateur Theater), with two stamps dedicated to each theme.
Op hoop van zegen (The Good Hope) is a 1986 film based on Herman Heijermans’ socially critical play of the same title from 1900. The play deals with the harsh conditions faced by fishermen and their families, who ultimately become mere instruments in the hands of profit-hungry shipowners.
Esther de Boer shone as Kniertje. Even today, you can still find pictures on the walls of many Dutch living rooms of her holding that famous little pan.
That is why I chose portraits of the author Herman Heijermans and actress Esther de Boer van Rijk, which I found in the collection of the Dutch Theater Institute (Het Theater Instituut Nederland). The handwritten text on the original Heijermans image is much longer—too long, in fact, for the limited space of a stamp. I had to cut it down to its essence.
Additionally, it was quite a challenge to respect his handwriting and keep it legible on the stamp as is.
The World Music Competition (WMC) is a well-known quadrennial music festival held in the city of Kerkrade since 1951.
For the Modern Ballet stamp, I didn’t have a specific preference for what to combine with dance, so I opted for a patchwork of stage scenery.
The style follows Art Deco influences and dates from the early 1970s, when a retro movement briefly revived, particularly in London