In search of a camel ..

Another work in progress has lead me astray .. but it's an interesting distraction. I've embarked on a new stamp collage: the Pyramids of Giza,  in Egypt of course! Landmarks have become a favourite subject. I once  made a 3D model of the Great Pyramid using a plastic pyramid shaped chocolate container (Ferrero rocher I think!), covering it with Egyptian stamps, and I decided to deconstruct this and use the stamps to make my collage.

work in progress   .. .  waiting for the camels 

We visited Egypt in 1987 and I kept a diary of the trip,so have been re-reading it in an effort to recapture the atmosphere. We explored the Great Pyramid of Cheops, the largest of the group and it was  an unnerving  climb up through low and narrow passage ways,  claustrophobic and very hot and airless.  Frightening to think of being shut in there for any length of time.  Much better to admire this amazing landmark from  outside!   Quoting my diary now, "Having emerged breathless, hot and thirsty from the pyramid, we collected our camera and found a camel!", or more accurately I think the camel and its owner probably found us. Ahmed, the camel owner, persuaded us to dress up in the standard Egyptian headdress and coaxed us onto the camel for a photo opportunity,  after a not very successful attempt at haggling!  Then we headed off to a sand dune to take our photos of the pyramids, avoiding further encounters with camels.

Having built the pyramids (!)  the hunt is on for camels on stamps to add authenticity to my scene!
It's like searching for a needle in a haystack - I know they are somewhere! Finally found what I was looking for having done some research online, and then remembering that I probably had the very ones in an old and tatty album  .. somewhere.. and here they are!

My online research revealed an interesting story about the design of the iconic stamp of Sudan which shows the Camel Postman.  In 1897 Captain E.A. Stanton was a surveyor and map maker in the Sudan and was an amateur artist who made illustrations of the oases, wells and other places of interest in the region where he was stationed.  Lord Kitchener ordered him to make a design for a postage stamp for which he was allowed just 5 days! Not an easy task, but inspiration struck one day when the regiment's mail was delivered by camel.  He persuaded a friendly local Sheikh to put on his uniform and climb on the camel so he could sketch him.  Bags were stuffed with straw to imitate mailbags and local destination names were added.

The Camel Postman stamp

The design was accepted and the first stamps were issued in March 1898. This stamp was in circulation for many years and the design was also used on Sudanese banknotes and coins.

 Some of the stamps are highly sought after by collectors, some specialising in this stamp alone,but I'm pleased and relieved to say that mine - the ones shown here at least, as I'm hoping I may find others, are virtually worthless due to their poor condition, but will make excellent material for my stamp collage.