Friday, February 6, 2009

Remember Yugoslavia?

I promised Marie of Vintage Postcards (http://www.cpaphilblog.com--her link is on my sidebar) that I'd participate in her postcard Friday, so here's my contribution. She said the post need not necessarily be a postcard, so I'm showing you two letters with stamps from the former Yugoslavia, the country to which I arrived nearly 32 years ago. The one on top dates from 1982, and the other from 1977. You can see a bit of artwork on both, and many heads of Josip Broz Tito.

17 comments:

Kate said...

Stamps are endlessly fascinating and reveal so much about a country's history and heritage.

The Good Life in Virginia said...

yes...i remember yugoslavia...how much has changed in europe in the past twenty years.
have a great weekend.

erin

Bradley Hsi said...

I listening and watching what happen to Yugoslavia in the past 30 years. It amazes me how you live through it. Hope the situation is good now and will get even better.

Anonymous said...

I just love this post - very bittersweet memories.
About a year ago, I was feeling nostalgic for Yugoslavia of the late 60s, so I searched e-Bay for a 4-leaf clover stamp I remembered as a child & found a marvellous collection of stamps from that period - with a full set of Tito from .05d - 1.00d. Many of paintings also were in the collection. It seems to have belonged to an Austrian boy who collected them over the years, purchased when the family went to Banja(s).

Richard Lawry said...

My memories of Yugoslavia are the Yugo automobile. We still have an old Yugo behind our shop.

An Arkies Musings

Catherine said...

Seen from Europe, of course I remember Yougoslavia.
I have some stamp too of this time, Bibi.
Happy Friendship Friday.

Debby said...

You have been eyewitness to some huge, huge changes. It must have been a frightening and uncertain time.

Anonymous said...

I had totally forgotten the name, Tito, until I read your post this morning.

soulbrush said...

i think you must have had a fascinating life....i like stamps too and used to collect them as a kid. hugs.

Clueless in Boston said...

I remember Yugoslavia and was amazed when it broke into so many countries. I wonder how come so many stamps on a single envelope? It looks cool, but I can't imagine having to lick so many stamps. It's wonderful now that stamps come with sticky backs so no more licking stamps.

MuseSwings said...

Amazing changes have taken place and beautiful stamps are just a reminder. This is a great post for Postcard Friday. (I don't have a postcard collection either - I have to swipe them from Flickr)

Marie Reed said...

Bibi!!!!!! How wonderful!Isn't it amazing how much history can be jam packed into one tiny square image! I'm so happy!

Paul van Yperen said...

Yeah, I remember the islands Hvar and Brac, and especially the smell of lavender when we were travelling to the islands by boat.

Evelyn Yvonne Theriault said...

Kate's right - about stamps telling so much about a country - or at least what a country finds important. For instance, I'm Canadian and when I was a little girl (int he 50s) most stamps showed Queen Elizabeth. Now our stamps celebrate many different subjects. As a matter of fact this week I showcased a Canadian stamp celebrating Pedro da Silva, one of our early Portuguese settlers in Quebec.
My point is that our choice of stamp subjects surely shows our values.
Evelyn in Montreal

Kim said...

This is so clever AND artistic, too. I love the colors and composition just for themselves. But, I love to look at stamps, too. I recall seeing just a few months before news caster were referring to "the former Yogoslavia," an ad in a US national magazine advertising Yugoslavia as a great destination for vacations. I know a lot of Europeans visit Serbia and Montenegro on holiday, but it doesn't seem to have caught on big time in the States yet. Of course we all want to come see you in Belgrade!
-Kim
Seattle Daily Photo

Jane Hards Photography said...

Oh yes I remember. Stamps really are historical documents and I can understand the collecting of them. Fascinating.

Marianne said...

I'm reminded of Deca Evropa - the children of Europe annual gatherings for song and celebration.
The top stamp dated exactly 5 mos.to the day to my son's date of birth in Belgrade, June 14, 1982.

CROSS-CULTURE BREAKFAST

  Have been in India one week. I brought my hostess some ajvar, which she found goes very well on a chapati.