A record amount of philatelic material was devoted to the cultural programme of the Moscow Olympiad which was longer and more extensive than any one held previously. It is believed that this new force would give new force to the fine fine tradition that was set up by de Coubertin when he said "Art should go hand in hand with sport...". Canadian postal authorities issued three more stamps to commemorate the broad cultural programme of the Games. The designer developed a laconic style suitable to the times through which he conveyed a considerable amount of information. Musical instruments, theatrical accessories, artists' palettes with their bright colours and other "tools of the trade" are mixed in a welter of confusion. During the Games these stamps were supplemented with a special postmark containing the inscription "XXI Olympiad. Montreal 1976. Art and Culture". In this way the postal designers of Canada made use of the whole "philatelic arsenal" for publicizing the ancient Olympic traditions.

Back to top