It's in the Post The Stories Behind New Zealand's Postage Stamps By Richard Wolfe

Hardback, with dust jacket excellent condition, slight fading to spine of jacket. 224 pages Published by Potton & Burton, 2010 ISBN: 1877517283 Illustrations.

Stamps are more than just a payment for postage. The best and most memorable are gems of graphic design and encapsulations of our history. They celebrate landmark events, famous New Zealanders, sporting and creative achievements; our natural heritage, enterprising spirit and ingenuity. Looking back at more than 150 years of our stamps, it's also clear that they are a fascinating reflection of the mood of the country. Behind every stamp, there is a story, and the most interesting of these are presented in Richard Wolfe's latest book. In 25 chapters, each built around a theme, It's in the Post places a stamp or series in its historical, political and social context, and brings to life the people associated with it. One of the main aims of this book is to celebrate the superb graphic design of many of our stamps - as with all good design, this often goes unnoticed. So of particular interest is Wolfe's coverage of the artistry and technical expertise that goes into producing memorable stamps -the work of the artists (many of whom were celebrated fine artists), the illustrators, the engravers and printers, and the various techniques they employed. The most graphically interesting stamps were produced between 1855 and the introduction of decimal currency in 1967, and the book focuses, for the most part, on this period. From the portraits of Queen Victoria from 1855 and 1874, through colourful pictorial series, health stamps, and images of war and peace, It's in the Post is a delightful, informative collection of cameos of our past.

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