CTT presented a philatelic broadcast, dedicated to the “Museu de Fotografia da Madeira - Atelier Vicente’s”. This collection consists of three stamps (national shipping, Europe and the rest of the world), with a circulation of 100 thousand copies each, and a philatelic block with a stamp, in a circulation limited to 35 thousand copies.
The philatelic issue pays tribute to the origins of the “Museu de Fotografia da Madeira - Atelier Vicente's”, which is based on one of the only two photography studios in Portugal. Originally acquired in 1865 by Vicente Gomes da Silva (1827-1906), it has among its collection a valuable photographic archive, with about one and a half million copies, dating back to the fifties of the 19th century, which not only contains images of Photographia Vicente's, as well as the remains of other professional and amateur photographers such as Alberto Camacho Brandão (1884–1945); Alexander Lamont Henderson (1838–1907); Aloísio César Bettencourt (1838-1895); Augusto João Soares (1885-1970); Major Charles Courtney Shaw (1878–1971); Foto Figueiras (1930-1988); Francisco João Barreto (1877-1934); Gino Romoli (1906–1982); João Anacleto Rodrigues (1869-1948); João António Bianchi, Visconde Vale Paraíso (1862–1928); João Francisco Camacho (1833-1898); Joaquim Augusto de Sousa (1853–1905); José Raphael Basto Machado (1900-1966); Perestrellos Photographos (1890-1998); Thomas Russel Manners Gordon, 3rd Viscount and 1st Count Torre Bela (1829–1906), among many others.
The stamps present compositions of several images from Photographia Vicente and current photographs, captured by Marco Gonçalves, professor at the Museum's Educational Service. The stamp for national shipping presents an image of the atelier of Photographia Vicente, captured in 1913; the studio camera built in 1885 by Vicente Gomes da Silva Júnior, with intermediate frame and Dallmeyer 3-B No. 1 1 656 lens; and a Voigtlander Bessa camera, dated from 1929 to 1956.
The stamp for shipping to Europe is illustrated with a current image of the permanent exhibition entrance staircase of the “Museu de Fotografia da Madeira - Atelier Vicente's”, a portrait of Vicente Gomes da Silva, Júnior (1857-1933) and a Kodak camera No. 3A Folding Autographic Special, 1916.
The main facade of Photographia Vicente's headquarters, on Rua da Carreira (image taken between 1913-1920), appears on the postage stamp for the rest of the world; a 1957 Polaroid Land Model 95 B camera; and the Rolleiflex E camera, dated 1956.
The philatelic block features a single photograph, with the current appearance of the atelier of the Madeira Photography Museum. On the left frieze, there is also a Kodak No. 2 Folding Autographic Brownie camera.
This philatelic collection, designed by Túlio Coelho from Atelier Design & etc, can be purchased at Restauradores stores in Lisbon, Municipality II in Porto, Antero de Quental in Ponta Delgada and Zarco in Funchal.
