Inter-Governmental Philatelic Corporation
Encyclopedia
The Inter-Governmental Philatelic Corporation, or IGPC, is a philatelic agency that represents over 70 different countries in the design, production and marketing of postage stamp
s. It also assists postal administrations with the running of their postal services. IGPC claim to produce nearly half of the different postage stamps issued each year but have been criticised for inappropriate and excessive issues.
(formerly the colony of Gold Coast
) who in 1957 appointed them to help with the distribution of their stamps and the administration of their post offices. The following year Togo
became a client of IGPC and, later, Caribbean countries too. The fall of communism created more clients for IGPC and by the late 1980s IGPC had over 50 client countries. A key development was obtaining the permission of the Disney company to use their cartoon characters on stamps during the 1979 International Year of the Child
. Disney themed stamps have since become an important part of the company's output.
.
Examples of inappropriate issues might be those from Tuvalu
, a small group of Polynesian islands in the South Pacific and an IGPC client, whose stamps have featured the American artist Norman Rockwell and the Chinese New Year. And in 2008, IGPC clients Gambia, Guyana, and Sierra Leone issued stamps to commemorate the 11 Israeli athletes killed during the hostage taking at the Munich 1972 Olympic Games.
In their own words "The New York based philatelic agency was the first to engage in depicting high profile icons and recognized motifs on in order to assist its clients in releasing a new breed of postage stamps, which honor pop culture and sport heroes of the day including Elvis Presley, Marilyn Monroe, Pokémon, Popeye, John Lennon, the Walt Disney cartoon characters and classic motion pictures, Jackie Chan, Barbra Streisand, Bob Dylan, Major League Baseball, NFL Superbowl (sic), and the Sylvester Stallone 'Rocky' motion pictures to name just a few."
IGPC has replied to charges of inappropriate issues by saying that "Pop culture stamps are only about 10 percent of what we do, even though they get most of the attention, insists Lonnie Ostrow, an I.G.P.C. spokesman. The rest are what we call 'definitives' -- the usual flags, flowers, fearless leaders and dead presidents."
According to IGPC, they employ a research team of over 100 members, and use over 300 freelance stamp artists. IGPC state that they have "...a full-time staff of graphic designers and in-house artists who can create a stamp design literally overnight."
stamp shows have been sponsored in the United States in support of one of the IGPCs key markets and in 2007 the IGPC provided 12 vehicles to the new Liberia
n post office. In 2006 IGPC had printed the first stamps of Liberia since the end of the civil war.
Postage stamp
A postage stamp is a small piece of paper that is purchased and displayed on an item of mail as evidence of payment of postage. Typically, stamps are made from special paper, with a national designation and denomination on the face, and a gum adhesive on the reverse side...
s. It also assists postal administrations with the running of their postal services. IGPC claim to produce nearly half of the different postage stamps issued each year but have been criticised for inappropriate and excessive issues.
Legal status
IGPC is a private business, not an international organisation. It is run for profit and countries using its services are customers, not members.Origins
The IGPC was founded by the late Jewish businessman Dr. Manfred Lehmann (1922–1997). Lehmann had taken an interest in the development of newly independent countries in Africa and the Caribbean. The IGPCs first country client was the newly independent GhanaGhana
Ghana , officially the Republic of Ghana, is a country located in West Africa. It is bordered by Côte d'Ivoire to the west, Burkina Faso to the north, Togo to the east, and the Gulf of Guinea to the south...
(formerly the colony of Gold Coast
Gold Coast (British colony)
The Gold Coast was a British colony on the Gulf of Guinea in west Africa that became the independent nation of Ghana in 1957.-Overview:The first Europeans to arrive at the coast were the Portuguese in 1471. They encountered a variety of African kingdoms, some of which controlled substantial...
) who in 1957 appointed them to help with the distribution of their stamps and the administration of their post offices. The following year Togo
Togo
Togo, officially the Togolese Republic , is a country in West Africa bordered by Ghana to the west, Benin to the east and Burkina Faso to the north. It extends south to the Gulf of Guinea, on which the capital Lomé is located. Togo covers an area of approximately with a population of approximately...
became a client of IGPC and, later, Caribbean countries too. The fall of communism created more clients for IGPC and by the late 1980s IGPC had over 50 client countries. A key development was obtaining the permission of the Disney company to use their cartoon characters on stamps during the 1979 International Year of the Child
International Year of the Child
* Maureen Millicent Bomford founded International Year of The Child and it was endorsed by the United Nations. Maureen was born in Canterbury Punchbowl in 1930 and had four brothers. Her father was a Mayor and she always learned to appreciate the value of leadership. As the wife of a prominent...
. Disney themed stamps have since become an important part of the company's output.
Stamp issues
The IGPC is particularly noted for the issue of stamps featuring popular thematic subjects, cartoon characters and individuals from sport and entertainment that have been criticised as having little connection with the culture or history of the issuing countries. The mass issue of stamps featuring images from American pop culture has even been called a form of cultural imperialismCultural imperialism
Cultural imperialism is the domination of one culture over another. Cultural imperialism can take the form of a general attitude or an active, formal and deliberate policy, including military action. Economic or technological factors may also play a role...
.
Examples of inappropriate issues might be those from Tuvalu
Tuvalu
Tuvalu , formerly known as the Ellice Islands, is a Polynesian island nation located in the Pacific Ocean, midway between Hawaii and Australia. Its nearest neighbours are Kiribati, Nauru, Samoa and Fiji. It comprises four reef islands and five true atolls...
, a small group of Polynesian islands in the South Pacific and an IGPC client, whose stamps have featured the American artist Norman Rockwell and the Chinese New Year. And in 2008, IGPC clients Gambia, Guyana, and Sierra Leone issued stamps to commemorate the 11 Israeli athletes killed during the hostage taking at the Munich 1972 Olympic Games.
In their own words "The New York based philatelic agency was the first to engage in depicting high profile icons and recognized motifs on in order to assist its clients in releasing a new breed of postage stamps, which honor pop culture and sport heroes of the day including Elvis Presley, Marilyn Monroe, Pokémon, Popeye, John Lennon, the Walt Disney cartoon characters and classic motion pictures, Jackie Chan, Barbra Streisand, Bob Dylan, Major League Baseball, NFL Superbowl (sic), and the Sylvester Stallone 'Rocky' motion pictures to name just a few."
IGPC has replied to charges of inappropriate issues by saying that "Pop culture stamps are only about 10 percent of what we do, even though they get most of the attention, insists Lonnie Ostrow, an I.G.P.C. spokesman. The rest are what we call 'definitives' -- the usual flags, flowers, fearless leaders and dead presidents."
According to IGPC, they employ a research team of over 100 members, and use over 300 freelance stamp artists. IGPC state that they have "...a full-time staff of graphic designers and in-house artists who can create a stamp design literally overnight."
Sponsorship
IGPC have a programme of sponsorship of philatelic events and postal services. ThematicTopical stamp collecting
Topical or thematic stamp collecting is the collecting of postage stamps relating to a particular subject or concept. Topics can be almost anything, from stamps on stamps, birds on stamps, to famous physicians, to the history of England.- Background :...
stamp shows have been sponsored in the United States in support of one of the IGPCs key markets and in 2007 the IGPC provided 12 vehicles to the new Liberia
Liberia
Liberia , officially the Republic of Liberia, is a country in West Africa. It is bordered by Sierra Leone on the west, Guinea on the north and Côte d'Ivoire on the east. Liberia's coastline is composed of mostly mangrove forests while the more sparsely populated inland consists of forests that open...
n post office. In 2006 IGPC had printed the first stamps of Liberia since the end of the civil war.