May 10, 2006
Ottawa -- On May 11, Canada Post will issue a single US rate (89¢) commemorative stamp celebrating the 150th anniversary of the Canadian Museum of Civilization (CMC), Canada's largest and most popular museum. With roots going back to 1856, the CMC has undergone changes in name and location, moving in 1989 to its present location a spectacular new building regarded as a national symbol of monumental proportions.
Situated on the banks of the Ottawa River in Gatineau, Quebec, directly opposite Parliament Hill, the CMC is considered to be one of the world's most innovative cultural institutions. Each year, some 1.4 million persons visit the CMC to enjoy a number of attractions including permanent and temporary exhibits, the Canadian Postal Museum, the Canadian Children's Museum and the IMAX® Theatre. In addition to holdings amounting to more than three million artifacts, the Canadian Museum of Civilization has important collections of historic photographs, archival manuscripts and audio-visual materials.
Stamp designer Neville Smith of Gatineau, Quebec has produced an arresting commemorative stamp which shows a deep affection for this most Canadian of museums and its treasures. Mr. Smith's previous Canada Post design experience includes stamps honouring Bell Canada (Millenium Collection 1999), the Royal Canadian Legion (2001) and Canadian Governors General (2002).
A Northwest Coast transformation mask looks out from the centre of the stamp. On the bottom of the stamp (left to right), the viewer's eyes are drawn to the central section of the Grand Hall's Northwest Coast exhibit. "I combined the beautiful transformation mask, one of the first artifacts in the Museum's anthropological collection, with the contemporary interior of the Museum's Grand Hall. Design is a privilege and a pleasure when you have the opportunity to work with one of Canada's great national treasures," Smith says.
The back cover of the stamp booklet and the first day cover show a section of the Curatorial building, a structure designed as an image of the outcropping bedrock of the Canadian Shield, its angular forms smoothed by glaciers.
The vertical stamps, measuring 38 mm x 50 mm, will be available in booklets of eight stamps. Lowe-Martin will print a total of 3,000,000 stamps using lithography in 7 colours on Tullis Russell Coatings and pressure sensitive gum. The stamps are general tagged on all four sides with simulated perforations. The Official First Day Cover cancellation will read: GATINEAU, QUEBEC.
Additional information about Canadian stamps can be found in the Newsroom section of Canada Post's website, and downloadable high-resolution photos of the Museum of Civilization commemorative stamps are in the Newsroom's Photo Centre. Stamps and Official First Day covers will be available at participating post offices, can be ordered online by following the links at Canada Post's website www.canadapost.ca, or by mail-order from the National Philatelic Centre. From Canada and the USA call toll-free: 1-800-565-4362 and from other countries call: (902) 863-6550.
For further information, contact:
Cindy Daoust
(613) 734-4258
