From the 1930s to the 1970s, the one-colour intaglio process was used for the production of Australian stamps. This was the time of the ‘artists of steel’ – a few highly skilful craftsmen who hand-engraved the steel dies of intaglio stamps at the Note Printing Branch, Melbourne.
Hunched over the die, an engraver had to cut the stamp design into the steel’s surface, making cuts as shallow as one 500th of a millimetre and engraving the design in reverse. Creating the intricate and beautiful stamp designs and original engravings required concentrated effort.
It generally took about two weeks for one stamp die to be engraved, although dies that involved a portrait may have taken three weeks or longer.
This exhibition comes from the Post Master Gallery, Melbourne. It includes original artwork, keyline drawings, dies, die proofs and stamps. It also shows the tools that were used and the processes from design through to printing.
