# 756a - 1978 Canada
CAPEX ‘78 – Canada Stamps
Creation Of The Universal Postal Union
In 1863, Abraham Lincoln’s Postmaster General Montgomery Blair suggested an international conference be held to discuss common postal problems. A conference was held in Paris, and fifteen nations attempted to establish guidelines for an international postal service. Until this time, mail had been regulated by a number of different agreements that were binding only to signing members.
Using the basic idea that every letter generates a reply, the Convention allowed each country to keep the postage it collected on international mail. However, that country would then reimburse other members for transporting mail across their borders. The benefits to member nations included lower postal rates, better service, and a more efficient accounting system.
At the 1878 conference, the name was changed to the Universal Postal Union. It wasn’t until the 1880s that the organization became truly universal. By the 1890s, nearly every nation had become a member.
In 1947, the U.P.U. became a specialized agency of the United Nations with its headquarters is located in Berne, the capital of Switzerland. The U.P.U. holds conventions every five years. Today, it continues to organize and improve postal service throughout the world with 190 member states. It’s the oldest international organization existing and claims to be the only one that really works.
In 1974, the United States celebrated the centennial anniversary of the U.P.U. with a set of eight U.S. commemoratives that stress the importance of letter writing. All the stamps feature famous works of art from around the world: Mrs. John Douglas, which was painted by English artist Thomas Gainsborough in 1784. Francisco de Goya of Spain created Don Antonio Noriega in 1801. La Belle Liseuse (The Lovely Reader) was painted by Swiss artist Jean-Étienne Liotard in 1746. Old Scraps (Old Letter Rack) was the work of an American, John Fredrick Peto, in 1894. The stamp credited to Raphael features a detail from the fresco The School of Athens, painted in 1509. Five Feminine Virtues is the title of the hanging scroll completed circa 1811 by Japanese artist Katsushika Hokusai. Enfant au Toton (Young Boy with a Top) was painted by French artist Jean-Baptiste-Siméon Chardin in 1738. Briefschreiberin (Lady Writing a Letter) was painted by Dutch artist Gerard Terborch circa 1654.
Click here to see more stamps honoring the Universal Postal Union.
CAPEX ‘78 – Canada Stamps
Creation Of The Universal Postal Union
In 1863, Abraham Lincoln’s Postmaster General Montgomery Blair suggested an international conference be held to discuss common postal problems. A conference was held in Paris, and fifteen nations attempted to establish guidelines for an international postal service. Until this time, mail had been regulated by a number of different agreements that were binding only to signing members.
Using the basic idea that every letter generates a reply, the Convention allowed each country to keep the postage it collected on international mail. However, that country would then reimburse other members for transporting mail across their borders. The benefits to member nations included lower postal rates, better service, and a more efficient accounting system.
At the 1878 conference, the name was changed to the Universal Postal Union. It wasn’t until the 1880s that the organization became truly universal. By the 1890s, nearly every nation had become a member.
In 1947, the U.P.U. became a specialized agency of the United Nations with its headquarters is located in Berne, the capital of Switzerland. The U.P.U. holds conventions every five years. Today, it continues to organize and improve postal service throughout the world with 190 member states. It’s the oldest international organization existing and claims to be the only one that really works.
In 1974, the United States celebrated the centennial anniversary of the U.P.U. with a set of eight U.S. commemoratives that stress the importance of letter writing. All the stamps feature famous works of art from around the world: Mrs. John Douglas, which was painted by English artist Thomas Gainsborough in 1784. Francisco de Goya of Spain created Don Antonio Noriega in 1801. La Belle Liseuse (The Lovely Reader) was painted by Swiss artist Jean-Étienne Liotard in 1746. Old Scraps (Old Letter Rack) was the work of an American, John Fredrick Peto, in 1894. The stamp credited to Raphael features a detail from the fresco The School of Athens, painted in 1509. Five Feminine Virtues is the title of the hanging scroll completed circa 1811 by Japanese artist Katsushika Hokusai. Enfant au Toton (Young Boy with a Top) was painted by French artist Jean-Baptiste-Siméon Chardin in 1738. Briefschreiberin (Lady Writing a Letter) was painted by Dutch artist Gerard Terborch circa 1654.
Click here to see more stamps honoring the Universal Postal Union.