Posts by David Torre
Csaplar’s Awarded International Gold; Michael Jaffe a National Large Gold – On the Same Day!
Saturday, May 27th may best be remembered as a day when the advancements made by our niche hobby were recognized by organized philately at the highest levels. Will and Abby Csaplar’s exhibit, A License and Stamp System For Waterfowl Conservation in the 20th Century U.S., was very well received by the jury at Finlandia 2017. The exhibit was awarded its…
Read MoreWelcome to Gallery Nine – Federal Waterfowl Stamps
We are pleased to announce that Gallery Nine is now up. Unlike the previous mixed galleries, this one is focussed on one collecting area. We are speaking about the the federal waterfowl stamps, more commonly known as federal duck stamps. These were the very first fish and game stamps and, for most collectors, still serve as the gateway to…
Read MoreCsaplars Acquire 1943 Marion County Duck Stamp; Ready for Finlandia 2017
Today’s post features an update on Will and Abby Csaplar’s revised exhibit, A License and Stamp System for Waterfowl Conservation in the 20th Century U.S. The exhibit will be shown at Finlandia 2017, an international stamp exhibition in Tampere, Finland from May 25-28. Tampere is located 99 miles north of Helsinki and is the second most populated…
Read MoreFirst Anniversary of Our Blog – Here are the PDFs
As the one year anniversary for our Waterfowl Stamps and More website and blog initial launch approaches, we have been working the last few weeks to address a major viewer request. Many of you have asked that we offer a PDF option for the blog posts, similar to the one we made available last year for the published articles. There…
Read MoreA Big Sky Country Surprise
Since posting A Pymatuning Scare, I have received numerous requests to post another personal anecdote. After running through several in my mind – trying to think of something timely – the news of a major snowstorm hitting the northeast last week reminded me of another of my better stories, which shall be be the subject of today’s post. Back in the early 1990s, I learned that tribal…
Read MoreThe Dean of Minnesota’s Wildlife Artists – Part Five
Les Kouba’s career did not slow down after winning his second federal duck stamp contest in 1966, far from it. There was, however, a conscious reduction in his commercial advertising output. After achieving national fame as a two-time duck stamp winner, Les would enjoy much success in the 1970s and 1980s while focussing on his wildlife art. Les created a…
Read MoreThe Dean of Minnesota’s Wildlife Artists – Part Four
Today we shall take a detailed look at the 1967-68 federal duck stamp and print. This was Les Kouba’s second federal win and it also happens to be one of my favorite duck stamps. For Les, the stamp cemented his status as one of the most influential artists in the duck stamp program’s history. As for myself, as far back as I…
Read MoreThe Dean of Minnesota’s Wildlife Artists – Part Three
In today’s post we shall continue discussing the career of Les Kouba. We will learn about his relationship with fellow artist Edward Morris and see more of how prominently Cornelius Bartels figured into the careers of both men. If the name Edward Morris sounds familiar, it should be. Ed Morris was a fine artist in his…
Read MoreThe Dean of Minnesota’s Wildlife Artists – Part Two
When we last left off, Les Kouba had recently opened American Wildlife Art Galleries and was enjoying all that 1950s post-war prosperity had to offer a talented, hard-working individual with a head for business. By 1957, Les had already been receiving notices from the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service for several years informing him about the annual…
Read MoreThe Dean of Minnesota’s Wildlife Artists – Part One
Today we shall start to look at the career of Les Kouba, one of the more memorable artists from a state which has heavily influenced the wildlife art scene since the late 1930s. Les was not a stereotypical artist. They say that the artist’s mind generally makes for a poor businessmen; such was not the case with Les Kouba.…
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