Harris Museum Dandelion Print

The Harris Museum and Art Gallery in Preston has just re-opened after a refurbishment making the whole space more accessible and presenting displays, exhibitions and showing new acquisitions to the collection. It looks fantastic!

I have a number of screen prints held in the permanent collection at the Museum and one of them is presented in the new Special Collection Gallery shown digitally alongside a copy of Elizabeth Blackwell's Curious Herbal. The original is a screen print of dandelion leaves - but the digital copy is tiny and you'll probably miss it - but it's there.

Imperial Leather Dandelion

I collect and I'm given labels from products that show dandelions all for inclusion in the Dandelion Archive.

Here is one I was given from a hand wash by Imperial Leather. It's called 'Spring Meadow, English Blossom and Gardenia' but it shows a dandelion seed head as the flower motif on the label.

I like the idea of a combination of scents: the gentle aroma of English blossom (not sure how different English blossom is from say Scottish or Welsh blossom?), combined with the heady and strong smell of gardenia. Gardenia is native to tropical and sub-tropical regions of Africa, Asia and Australia, usually cultivated here as a house plant. 

Imperial Leather is a UK soap manufacturer dating back to the 1800s. Being one of the first companies to invest in TV advertising in-between episodes of TV dramas in 1950s this is where we get the phrase 'soaps' in relation to these types of dramas in the UK (according to the Imperial Leather website).

Anyway, none of this is why the label is in the Dandelion Archive - it's because of the use of an image of a dandelion seed head.

Greek Dandelion Stamp

And another stamp with a dandelion on it in the Dandelion Archive (there's a lot of stamps in the archive) - this time from Greece.

It shows the image of a dandelion with chicory, both closely related. I can't find the info on who the artist is, but it was issued in 1989 and in a series of stamps showing Greek wild flowers.

North Korean stamp (with Dürer dandelion)

I have a stamp from North Korea in the Dandelion Archive. Issued in 1979 it is to commemorate the 450th anniversary of the death of Albrecht Dürer (1471 - 1578)*  

The stamp has the title of the artwork as 'A Big Tuft of Grass' but it's also known as 'Large Piece of Turf". It was painted by Dürer in 1503 and the original is held in the Albertina in Vienna. Amongst the grasses, yarrow and plantain are some dandelions either just opening out, or they could be closing after flowering (one or the other). Beautiful!

*I can't quite get that to add up, but whatever.

Insho Domoto dandelions

This is a particularly lovely stamp issued in 1999 from Japan that I have a copy of in the Dandelion Archive. The artwork is by Inshō Dōmoto showing three rabbits and flowering dandelions (it's taken from a larger image, but split over 2 stamps). Inshō Dōmoto (1891 - 1975) was a Nihonga painter in the Shōwa era and there's a museum in Kyoto dedicated to his work. I've found another artwork of his showing a woman in a field / meadow with many different flowers and herbs - some of which are definitely dandelions. 

Posukuma and dandelions

 

I've got a few postage stamps from Japan in the Dandelion Archive - this one is of Posukuma, the mascot of Japan Post, with a couple of friends sat beside dandelions (and what looks like horsetail too). I can't find out much more information (artist, year of issue), but I'll update this post if I find anything else out.

Hungarian dandelion and moth stamp

I've not updated the blog for a year! But I still collect information on all things to do with dandelions, I've just not found any spare time to keep this up to date. 

Anyway I've found a few minutes today and will see how many posts I can do...

Here's a wonderful example of a Hungarian postage stamp with a dandelion on. The main focus of the stamp is a moth (I think a Spurge Hawkmoth) and it's dated 1974, designed by Éva Zombory. Needless to say there is one in the Dandelion Archive.

Gordon Beningfield Dandelion

I have lots of postage stamps with dandelion designs in the Dandelion Archive - stamp artists obviously like depicting this gorgeous flower! 

I have a few in the Archive where the dandelion is in the background and not the main feature and this one is of a Small Tortoiseshell butterfly issued in UK in 1981. The design is by the artist Gordon Beningfield who specialised in butterflies and was passionate about their conservation. The dandelion is quite stylised, and maybe a little too small in relation to the butterfly, but beautiful all the same.
 

Lesotho Dandelion Stamp

Look at this beauty! 

A gorgeous dandelion postage stamp from Lesotho, from 1995. I like to try and find details about the artist, but the only other information on the stamp is V. Seatile Nkhomo -  is this the artist's name? If it is I can't find any more information, which is a shame. This stamp is from a set of medicinal plants. And it's now in the Dandelion Archive.

Sebastian Kneipp Dandelion

I have this 1982 first day cover in the Dandelion Archive celebrating Sebastian Kneipp (1821-1897). A German Catholic priest, he is known for his wellness cures that included water therapy, a mainly plant based diet and the use of botanical medicines. The ink stamp on the envelope mentions the 'International Kneipp Congress', Vienna 1982, and both the envelope and stamp have a lovely dandelion design on them, along with a portrait of Kneipp. 

Netherland children's stamps - with dandelions

 

I have a this lovely set of stamps in the Dandelion Archive. They are Dutch with the title Voor Het Kind - For the Child, dated from 1940 and designed by D van Gelder. 

The Children's stamps started in the Netherlands in 1924 and have been issued ever since (apart from 1942 - 1944 due to the Second World War). 

This set shows a young girl with a doll holding a dandelion clock collected from a plant by her knees. Sweet.

Wilko Weed Killer

 

While you could get Mattress Toppers upstairs at Wilko's with pretty photos of dandelions on the packaging, you could also get weedkiller downstairs to wipe them out from your garden path (see previous post).

The dandelion is almost exclusively used to represent all 'weeds' on weed killer products. Some people think that dandelions should be eradicated from their lawns and paths, and will use chemicals again and again to kill them off. 

What's so 'bad' about the dandelion? The dandelion is vital as an early source of nectar and pollen for insects, they are incredibly beautiful in both their flower and seed head stage, and pretty much every part of the dandelion is edible.... but they are common, resilient, persistent and perennial. Is that the problem? Be proud the dandelion has taken root in your lawn! You are helping pollinators by leaving them where they are.

Mattress Topper Dandelion

Dandelion seed heads are often used on the packaging of items - pleasing images used to prompt you to buy. 

I'm not entirely sure the connection between dandelions and mattress toppers... fluffy? Anyway, I saw this in Wilko's (how I miss that shop).

Model Dandelions

Who'd have thought you can buy tiny model dandelions for your train set!? 

This pack of 30 dandelions are made by German company Busch - and you put them together yourself (which I've not done yet - I might keep them in the original pack maybe). They must be the smallest dandelions in the Archive. 

Dandelion Socks

 Look at these beauties! Dandelion Socks.

I got these ages ago and they don't seem to have any labels, but they are bamboo (with cotton, polyester, nylon and elastane too). It says they are 'designed in Britain' but they are manufactured in China - so they've come a long way. They are now in the 'clothing and textiles' section of the Dandelion Archive.

Mongolia Dandelion postage stamp

 

I have a couple of Mongolia dandelion postage stamps listed on the blog already - and here's another to add to them. It's dated 1991. Unlike the other two stamps this has an artist name on it: D. Urtnasan who looks to have illustrated other Mongolian stamps depicting animals, flowers, pets etc. I love this dandelion with its slender leaves and the Mongolian mountains in the background.

Jersey Butterflies and Moths first day cover - with dandelion

 

I've not posted on the dandelion blog for ages, but items keep being donated or I find new things to add to the Dandelion Archive all the time. So, with a little spare time I'll try and list some of them more often... we'll see.

Here's a beautiful first day cover of Jersey Butterflies and Moths dated 9th July 1991. I'm struggling to find any information about the artist W. Oliver, which is a shame as the illustrations are gorgeous. The beautiful Jersey Tiger moth is pictured on a wonderful dandelion. So, although in the background and not the main focus of the stamp, it makes it to the Dandelion Archive all the same.

Jersey Dandelion First Day Cover

I have lots of postage stamps and a few first day covers with dandelions on them and here is a really lovely one from Jersey.

Jersey Wild Flower Definitives was published 19th July 2005 and the artist is Nick Parlett. The fabulous drawing of a dandelion doesn't appear on any of the stamps, only on the envelope and features the leaves, bud, flower and seed-head. 

Dandelion Safety Matches

 

I do try and find out more about all the objects in the Dandelion Archive, but I cannot find any information about this match box label at all, only what is written on it: 

Dandelion Safety Match made in Finland. Impregnated non-poisonous.

It's tiny (the size of a match box, obviously) and is now in the Dandelion Archive. I'll try and find out more of its history and the match company etc, but for now it remains informationless.

Dandelion Camembert Label

I've not posted anything on the Dandelion Blog for ages and ages (over a year) for a number of reasons - mainly because I've been busy with other stuff and things.

But I do keep collecting dandelion related objects and more items have been donated to the Dandelion Archive, so with a little spare time I want to update the blog...

Here is a beautiful label from a Camembert cheese box - gorgeous!

Magloire Roger was a camembert maker in the first quarter of the 20th century. According to the Camembert Museum (and google translate) "Mr. ROGER carried out his cheese business from a small Mayenne village of less than 200 inhabitants at the time, before the merger of Torcé-en-Charnie with Viviers, near the department of Sarthe."