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The Postal Museum celebrates British Pride with half term activities inspired by Freddie Mercury’s childhood stamp collection

Graham Robson October 3, 2022

Top pic: A page from Freddie Mercury’s childhood stamp album © The Postal Museum

This October half term (Saturday, October 22Sunday, October 30), the Postal Museum in London is launching a range of activities inspired by Freddie Mercury’s childhood stamp album, his musical legacy and the recent issue of Royal Mail postage stamps celebrating Pride 50, which explore the history of British Pride and the diversity of the LGBTQ+ community.

This year marks 50 years since the first Pride rally in the UK, and as part of these celebrations the museum is displaying Freddie Mercury’s stamp album for the first time.

The programme of family-friendly activities will include a range of drop-in arts and crafts activities, the highlight of which will be a community art project. Inspired by the Royal Mail postage stamps which explore the history of British Pride and protest, visitors can create their own stamp that represents something that matters to them. Whether it’s championing the environment, LGBTQ+ rights, or the need for more kindness in the world, the stamps will be displayed as part of the museum’s large fabric envelope art installation.

A page from Freddie Mercury’s childhood stamp album © The Postal Museum

Freddie Mercury’s childhood stamp album represents his brilliant artistic talent. Unlike many collectors he arranged his stamps symmetrically by shape or design. Families can dive into a selection of vintage postage stamps and make their own paper stamp album, inspired by Freddie’s intriguing approach to design and layout.

Freddie Mercury’s album will be on display in the museum until October 30 this year.  The 54-page album consists predominately of stamps from the British Commonwealth and reveals not only Freddie’s early life in Zanzibar, but also his artistic talent.

The museum is also displaying the new set of eight, vibrantly illustrated stamps, which have been issued to mark the 50th anniversary of the UK’s first Pride rally. The stamps, specially commissioned by Royal Mail, were art directed by NB Studio and illustrated by award-winning artist Sofie Birkin.

For more info, CLICK HERE 

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