Poland 1952 - Automobile Factory in Zeran

On 6 November 1951 the Fabryka Samochodow Osobowych - commonly known as the FSO - was opened in Warsaw, Poland. The English name of the FSO is Passenger Automobile Factory. The automobile plant was established in Zeran by the Polish Communist Party. The aim was to provide post WWII Poland with quality cars.

The first car produced by the FSO was the Warzawa. Warzawas were used often as taxis due to the sturdiness of their construction. But there was a price to be paid for their sturdiness. They were far too heavy and as a result they had little power and were fuel guzzlers. 

A Warsawa

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On 12 December 1952 Poland issued two stamps to commemorate the opening of the FSO. The stamps were engraved by Czeslaw Slania. One stamp was for regular postage with a 1.15zl denomination. The second stamp was a semi-postal with a 45g +15g denomination.

The stamps depict a production-line worker installing a tyre on a new Warsawa in the FSO.

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These stamps are actually very significant. They represent one of the first times Slania inserted one of his little 'Jokes" into the design (the first time was earlier in 1952 in Poland's Planes issue, which I will look at in another blog). In this instance Slania has portrayed himself as the man installing the tyre!

Aside from his sheer talent, Slania's quirky sense of humour is one of the things that drew me towards collecting his works. I think the self-portrait is fabulous! What do you think of this hidden stamp "Joke"?

Until next time...

Stay Slania Cazy!