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.
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.
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.
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.