Category Archives: Lightships

2013 Ireland

This stamp was issued on 25 Apr 2013. Pictured is a decommissioned lightship. This was one of four stamps included in a booklet commemorating contemporary arts. The Irish sculptor Dorothy Cross painted the former lightship with phosphorous paint and it was moored in Dublin Bay for several weeks in 1999. Cross had a love of the Irish lightships and missed seeing them as they were replaced by buoys. The ship would glow for several hours after dark and then the light would fade. This represented the disappearance of the lightships from the coast.

Former lightship Albatross | 25 Apr 2013 Former lightship Albatross | 25 Apr 2013

Vintage German Lighthouse Stamp

This stamp depicting the lightship Elbe 1 was issued by Germany on 4 Nov 1937. The name of the ship is actually Bürgermeister O’Swald but was assigned to station Elbe 1. It capsized and sank in a storm in October 1936. A replacement ship was built and served for 62 years and was reportedly rammed by other vessels over 50 times!

Lightship Elbe 1 L/H | 30 Jun 1938 Lightship Elbe 1 L/H | 30 Jun 1938