Art Blog/Eric Whollem: Sep 18, 2015

Friday, September 18, 2015

FAIRY STAMPS FROM CANTHARIDIA/ 'Save Our Butterflies'/ FANTASY SCOTTISH ISLAND STAMPS by Eric Whollem/ Paraphilatelic Postal Tax Stamps From MacDuggie's Rocky Shore

ISLE OF CANTHARIDIA

'Save Our Butterflies'

2010-5

Eric Whollem

cyber edition

CANTHARIDIA TO CREAGAN CLAIDAICHAEN MacDUGGIE

with MacDuggie's postal tax stamps

2015

Eric Whollem

cyber art mail

SAVE OUR BUTTERFLIES

The Isle of Cantharidia is not just another uninhabited rock off the coast of Scotland, but rather a place populated by a fairy kingdom. It is not recognized by the British Postal Administration, nor for that matter by most of the world. A pity, for they have a lot of things to say on their stamps!

Here the Royal Society writes a letter of appeal to the famous butterfly collector of Creagan Claidaichan MacDuggie, known otherwise as MacDuggie's Rocky Shore. The language you see on these covers is Gaidhlig, the Scottish form of Gaelic.

The letters here have MacDuggies's censorship handstamp indicating that they were passed by the Lowland Censor of Antientymological Activities. MacDuggie, like many insect collectors is alarmed by the Cantharidian Royal Society's attempt to help preserve our pollinators by limiting not only pesticides but indiscriminate butterfly collecting. As fairies, they feel an especial kinship with the butterflies. MacDuggie's tax stamps are inscribed with the phrase 'Fees for Fays.' This is an attempt on his part to discourage dissemination of Cantharidian environmental ideas.