A new stamp issue celebrates six key British movies produced since the Second World War, with the accompanying Miniature Sheet focusing on the work of the General Post Office (GPO) Film Unit, which produced ground-breaking documentaries for the General Post Office in the 1930s.
Secrets and Lies, £1.28
Lawrence of Arabia, 1st class
Bend it like Beckham, £1.28
Chariots of Fire, £1.28
A Matter of Life and Death, 1st class
2001: A Space Odyssey, 1st
In the 1930s the GPO Film Unit produced several films, regarded as documentaries. The unit was established initially to explain postal and telephone services, and heighten the reputation of the Post Office, in an era when it was leading the world in technological innovation. This Miniature Sheet celebrates four of the most well-known films.
A Colour Box, 1st class
Night Mail, 1st Class
Spare Time, 1st class
Love on the Wing, 1st class
The immortal Night Mail film is marked with a stamp for the first time, and a stamp for Love on the Wing, a film by director Norman McLaren also marks his centenary in 2014. Night Mail is about a London, Midland and Scottish Railway mail train from London to Scotland. A poem by W. H. Auden was written for it, used in the closing few minutes, as was music by Benjamin Britten. Our archive holds the original poster artwork for Night Mail as well as many others.
Original artwork by Pat Keely (POST 109/377)
The Great British Film stamps are available from 13 May online at www.royalmail.com/personal/stamps-collectibles-gifts, by phone on 08457 641 641 and and in 10,000 Post Offices throughout the UK.
The British Postal Museum & Archive blog 