As a consequence of the prolonged strike by the Royal Mail postal workers in the United Kingdom, Allen Jones, along with a group of top British Pop artists of the era including David Hockney, Eduardo Paolozzi, Derek Boshier, the poet/activist Christopher Logue and Richard Hamilton, published ''Culture Carriers Stamp Out Art''to raise funds for the striking workers. The "stamps" were published in a limited edition of only 250 each (some artists, like Paolozzi and Allen Jones created more than one design), with the artists signing each by hand in blue ink with his initials on the lower right. Allen Jones "Mail Order" is an especially clever take on the project; it is at once a postage stamp (hence the title "Mail Order"), but it also refers to the popular mail order catalogues of the era. It was a particular preoccupation of Jones, who, separately, created a large lithograph called "Janet is Wearing" -- referring to his wife Janet, but playing upon the advertising jargon of the day, used in mail order catalogues. For this particular project - creating a stamp to raise money for mail carriers - Jones' MAIL ORDER double entendre could not be more apropos.

The stamp itself measures 3.75 inches (H) by 2.25 inches (w), and it is affixed to a franked (postmarked) envelope which measures 6 inches by 9 inches, bearing the stamped text "Culture Carriers 23 Feb 1971" on the top left, and the stamp "CULTURE CARRIERS STAMP OUT ART" on the lower left (front). and the stamp "STRIKE ISSUE" lower right front of the envelope. Very desirable as an ensemble. these were known as The Post Office Worker's Strike Commemoration Stamps. This particular piece has superb and interesting provenance, as it came from the private collection of the American art critic Anthony Haden-Guest. As additional provenance, we will furnish the buyer with a xerox copy of the receipt from Flair Magazine, and a list of buyers of the stamps -- as Haden-Guest was apparently tasked with collecting funds from collectors for their purchased works through Flair magazine.


This will look terrific when framed. An unusual and memorable gift for any Allen Jones fan - and a great piece of art historical ephemera - and a cool piece of 1970s British Pop (and Royal Mail) - history!