Andreas Vesalius in Stamps

pdfcrowd.comopen in browser PRO version Are you a developer? Try out the HTML to PDF API

Home » Andreas Vesalius at 500 » Andreas Vesalius in Stamps

HOME ABOUT COMMENTS & PRIVACY U.S. NATIONAL LIBRARY OF MEDICINESearch this website...

TAGS

ANDREAS VESALIUS IN STAMPSPOSTED BY CIRCULATING NOW ON SEPTEMBER 23, 2014 IN ANDREAS VESALIUS AT500, COLLECTIONS, PRINTS & PHOTOGRAPHS, SERIES | 5 COMMENTS

By Michael J. North

This year we commemorate the 500th anniversary of the birth ofAndreas Vesalius (1514–1564) who is best known for changing how wedo medical research with his groundbreaking book, De HumaniCorporis Fabrica Libri Septem (Seven Chapters on the Structure of theHuman Body), published in 1543 and generally known as De Fabrica.

SEPTEMBER

23

pdfcrowd.comopen in browser PRO version Are you a developer? Try out the HTML to PDF API

1500S 1900S 2000S

ANATOMY BELGIUM

PHILATELY STAMPS

VESALIUS

TAGS

Stamps featuring a portrait of Vesalius from De Fabrica issued by Belgium in 1964.

Throughout the past century, the postal services of many countrieshave commemorated Vesalius’s life and achievements with postagestamps, usually featuring his famous portrait and anatomical figuresfrom his book. The National Library of Medicine’s Prints andPhotographs Collection has several large collections of postage stampsand first day covers (an envelope with a special cancellation by a postoffice from the first day of the stamp’s release, which often contains aspecial message commemorating the subject of the stamp.) One of themost significant is the Adolf Schwartz Medical Stamp Collection, whichcontains over 700,000 items. Schwartz (1928–2006) was a physicianbased in California who was an avid traveler (to over 130 countries)and collector of postage stamps relating to medical history.

pdfcrowd.comopen in browser PRO version Are you a developer? Try out the HTML to PDF API

First day cover of stamp Featuring Andreas Vesalius and De Fabrica issued by

Transkei in September, 1985.

National Library of Medicine #

The Schwartz Collection contains over two dozen stamps and first daycovers relating to Andreas Vesalius. Not surprisingly, a majority of the

pdfcrowd.comopen in browser PRO version Are you a developer? Try out the HTML to PDF API

Stampscommemorating the500th anniversary ofAndreas Vesalius’s

birth issued byPortugal in 2014.

A first day cover forthe Belgian stamp

on an envelopespecially designed

for the eventfeaturing his

portrait.

Stampscommemorating the500th anniversary ofAndreas Vesalius’s

birth issued byBelgium in March,

2014.

stamps were produced by Belgium, which claims Vesalius as one of itsmost famous sons—born in Leuven in 1514 and having attended theuniversity there and in Brussels. One of the most outstanding stampsis from the short-lived Southern African nation Transkei, whose specialfirst day cover features a colorized image of a muscle figure and askeleton from De Fabrica.

The latest additions to the NLM’s stamp collection were issued byBelgium and Portugal celebrating the famous anatomist’s 500thbirthday; included also is also a first day cover for the Belgian stamp onan envelope specially designed for the event featuring his portrait.

The National Library of Medicine has a large collection of works by andabout Andreas Vesalius and his groundbreaking approach. You cansee the famous images from De Fabrica here and turn the pages of thebook here. To learn more about them, please feel free to contact us [email protected].

This article is the fourth in a series to commemorate the 500thanniversary of the birth of the great anatomist Andreas Vesalius, bornon December 31, 1514.

pdfcrowd.comopen in browser PRO version Are you a developer? Try out the HTML to PDF API

Tweet

0 submit

← Actively Fighting Childhood ObesityA Mystery in Manuscripts →

Michael J. North is the Head of Rare Books and EarlyManuscripts in the History of Medicine Division at theNational Library of Medicine.

CIRCULATE THIS:

301Share 100

Share 1

More

Like

5 bloggers like this.

RELATED

Happy Birthday,Andreas Vesalius!

In "AndreasVesalius at 500"

Illustrating De Fabrica

In "AndreasVesalius at 500"

Andreas Vesalius at500

In "AndreasVesalius at 500"

pdfcrowd.comopen in browser PRO version Are you a developer? Try out the HTML to PDF API

5 COMMENTS

REPLY

ANDREW SEALSEPTEMBER 23, 2014Very much enjoyed your series. Where can one purchasethe commemorative stamps. Many thanks.

REPLY

CIRCULATING NOW POST AUTHORSEPTEMBER 24, 2014Thank you for your compliment about the series—we have enjoyed producing it. I’m not sure where todirect you to purchase these international stamps,but a great resource on collecting commemorativestamps is the National Postal Museum, which is partof the Smithsonian Institution. Or you could trygetting in touch with any one of the local, national,or international philately organizations.

REPLY

ANDREW SEALSEPTEMBER 25, 2014Thank you; much appreciated.

REPLY

NIH HISTORY OFFICE (@HISTORYATNIH)SEPTEMBER 24, 2014Lovely article.

pdfcrowd.comopen in browser PRO version Are you a developer? Try out the HTML to PDF API

Blog at WordPress.com. The TheStyle Theme.

SHARE YOUR THOUGHTS...

REPLY

REPLY

CIRCULATING NOW POST AUTHORSEPTEMBER 24, 2014Many thanks! It is our pleasure!

Enter your comment here...

Follow

Follow “CirculatingNow”

Get every new post deliveredto your Inbox.

Join 324,002 other followers

Enter your email address

Sign me up