Czesław Słania (1921–2005) is considered one of the world’s most productive and accomplished engravers, as he engraved over 1000 postage stamps for 32 different countries and was known for the precision, speed and sophistication of his work. His output ranged from portraits to landscapes, buildings and nature, working across a variety of engraving techniques. In what would have been his 100th birthday year, a number … Continue reading Centenary of Birth of Czesław Słania

The Smithsonian National Space and Air Museum remembered the first Channel crossing by air in a webpost titled ‘Crossing the Channel in a Balloon’. Tom Crouch explained that the arrival of pioneering French exhibition balloonist Jean-Pierre Blanchard (1753–1809) to England in 1784 sparked excitement over ballooning. Boston-born John Jeffries MD, an American loyalist living in England, supported Blanchard’s plan to fly across the English Channel. … Continue reading Channel Crossing by Air