A special collection of stamps has been issued to mark the 75th anniversary of the arrival of the thousands of people from the Caribbean and other parts of the British Empire to the UK.
Royal Mail has commissioned eight stamps, which debuted at the Black Cultural Archives in Brixton, featuring original artworks by Black British artists to commemorate the occasion.
The first ship to arrive on June 21, 1948 at the Port of Tilbury in Essex was the ‘Empire Windrush’ and its passengers disembarked a day later. It carried 492 West Indian migrants who, alongside people from other parts of the Commonwealth, had been encouraged to move to the UK to help with Britain’s postwar economic recovery. Many of those who came to the UK had served in the British armed forces in the second world war.
The ship and its passengers have become a symbol of the birth of a more multicultural Britain.
There are illustrations by five Black British artists of Caribbean heritage: Kareen Cox, Bokiba, Tomekah George, Alvin Kofi and Emma Prempeh, each of whose illustrations highlight the contribution of the Windrush generation and their influence on life in the UK. Each stamp represents the artist’s interpretation of the Windrush era, exploring themes of music, carnival, food, education, Saturday schools, and politics.
 |
| Royal Mail |
Royal Mail will also use a special postmark 'MV Empire Windrush, Port of Tilbury, 22nd June 1948' to frank mail from June 21 to 26, 2023.
No comments:
Post a Comment