The Stamps of Lebanon

The postage stamps displayed here come from a collection entitled "Lebanon Illustrated by its Stamps" by Dr. Joseph M. Hatem and published by Dergham.

Hatem, who spent his life working as a physician and biologist, has been an avid stamp collector since childhood. He and his team, which included journalists, a political commentator, an archaeologist, the publishers and members of his family all pooled together their skills and knowledge to put together a large collection of stamps issued in Lebanon mostly in the 20th century.

Below are examples of Lebanon's artistic self-representation reflecting its personages, culture, and milestones.

The Emirs Fakhreddine II and Bashir II. Commemorating Lebanese Independence. Issued 1962.

The 16th century Emir Fakhreddine Maan II. Issued 1968.

The 19th century Emir Bashir II. Issued 1942.

International Year of Tourism, 1967. Views of various seaside cities. Issued 1967.

Air Liban's purchase of 4 DC-4 planes. In October of 1954 the first plane flew direct from Paris to Beirut. Issued 1953.

The Phoenician invention of the alphabet and its diffusion. Issued 1966.

Centennial of the International Red Cross. Issued 1963.

The 26th International Ski Congress held in Beirut in 1967. Issued 1968.

Tourism month. May-June 1961.

Traditional Lebanese attire. Issued 1973.

Folklore troops and philharmonic orchestra. Issued 1966.

The army's 40th anniversary. Issued 1984.