Commemorative stamps mark 50th Anniversary of the death of Sir Alfred Chester Beatty

1 January 0001

Chester Beatty’s world famous collection of rare books, manuscripts and decorative arts that he bequeathed to the Irish people on his death in 1968 is housed in the Chester Beatty Library, Dublin Castle where the launch took place.

The four new €1 stamps by Zinc Design feature a portrait photograph of Sir Alfred Chester Beatty (c.1934) and images from the collections: Birth of the Virgin (detail) (Simon Bening c.1530, Belgium); Shah Jahan (detail) (Bichitr c.1630, India) and Allusions to the Seven Lucky Gods: Daikoku (detail) (Yashima Gakutei c.1825, Japan). The first day cover shows an oriental figural snuff-bottle from the collections (c.1790-1830, Jingdezhen, China).

Speaking at the launch, Minister Madigan said: “The Chester Beatty Library is a special part of Irish life. The foresight and passion of Sir Alfred Chester Beatty is to be lauded and celebrated as his gift to the nation continues to fascinate and enthral 50 years on.   I am delighted to be present at the launch, today, of the commemorative stamps which pay tribute to the man who contributed so much in such a long lasting manner to the cultural landscape in Ireland.”

David Mc Redmond, Group CEO of An Post said: “We think of stamps as ambassadors for Ireland as they travel across the globe, telling the story of Irish life, heritage and culture. With these stamps, Ireland celebrates the vision and generosity of Chester Beatty and the ongoing success and vibrancy of this wonderful museum as it continues to delight and inform Irish and international visitors.”

The four stamps, along with a specially designed First Day Cover envelope, is available from main post offices, from the stamp counters at Dublin’s GPO or online at irishstamps.ie