Most collectors of British stamps will be familiar with the terms ‘Wilding’ and ‘Machin’, but who were the artists behind these stamps? Who else was involved in the creation of the seminal portraits seen on millions of stamps over the years? As the ‘Elizabethan stamp era’ comes to an end, it is worth remembering these artistic individuals and how their creativity influenced the nation.
Born in January 1893, Dorothy Wilding was one of ten children, and so her early love of the performing arts may well have come from a desire to stand out from the crowd. Her aunt and uncle, with whom she lived from the age of four, were less enthusiastic about
