Faroese stamps 1985

Postverk Føroya, the post of the Faroe Islands, issued 18 stamps in 1985.

The Stanley Expedition 1789

John Thomas Stanley (1766-1850), the later Sir John Stanley of Alderley, visited the Faroes in 1789 together with other students. At home painted Edward Dayes his watercolors after the sketches. This set of four was engraved by Slania and issued 4 February 1985.

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  FR 106: View over Tórshavn.
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  FR 107: View from the Kjalnes farm in Kollafjørður on the mountain Skælingsfjall.
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  FR 108: View from north of Hoyvík to Eysturoy.
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  FR 109: Rinkusteinar in Oyndarfjørður.

Europe CEPT 1985

Motto was "Year of the Music", and the Faroes contributed with a set of two, showing youngsters playing instruments. Note, that the Faroese instrumental tradition is quite young, as first in the beginning of the 20th century the baker Hansen began to play and train others. Before, Faroese music was only oral. When these stamps came out, the faroese music scene, as we know it today, was just beginning its development. Date of issue was 1 April 1985.

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  FR 110: Playing flute, cello and piano.
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  FR 111: Playing saxophone, drums and guitar.

Faroese Art

The set of three with Faroese art from 3 June shows works from three artists, who all died young: Tommy Arge (1942-1978), Ruth Smith (1913-1958) and Steffan Danielsen (1922-1976). They have in common, that their work is much inspired by the Faroese nature, but their expression is quite different, and they are representing three generations of artists.

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  FR 112: Thomas (Tommy) Arge: The Garden, Hoyvík 1973, 70x90cm, National Art Museum.
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  FR 113: Ruth Smith: Self-portrait 1952, 60x80cm, National Art Museum.
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  FR 114: Steffan Danielsen: Winter day, Nólsoy 1959, 65x87cm, National Art Museum.

Lighthouses

The set of four from 23 September 1985 displays three lighthouses and one map with all the Faroese lighthouses. Though Denmark begun to build lighthouses since 1560, the first one in the Faroes came 1782 on the island of Nólsoy. It is estimated, that this lighthouse existed only for short time. The first real lighthouses were built 1893.

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  FR 115: Lighthouse Borðan, Nólsoy 1893.
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  FR 116: Lighthouse Skansin, Tórshavn 1909. Note the lovely detail on the right: a sheep running free - in the capital.
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  FR 117: Lighthouse Mykineshólmur, Mykines 1909.
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  FR 118: Map of the Faroese lighthouses.

Aeroplanes

The last set for 1985 was issued 28 October as a booklet and shows four aeroplanes and one helicopter.

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  FR 119: Douglas DC-3 of Faroe Airways 1964-1967.
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  FR 120: Fokker F27 Friendship of Iceland Air flying since 1963 to the Faroes.
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  FR 121: Boeing 737 of Maersk Air with special breaks for the shortest runway permitted for jets: 1250 meter at Airport Vágar.
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  FR 122: Beechcraft of Bjørum fly 1963.
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  FR 123: Bell 212 of Strandfaraskip Landsins since 1983 for domestic transport from Vágar to Gásadalur, Mykines, Fugloy, Svínoy, Stóra Dímun and Skúvoy to ensure supply of this remote places and prevent their depopulation.