PUTTING HIS STAMP ON ROCK

The universal appeal of philately as a pastime couldn’t be better illustrated than by the fact that Queen’s flamboyant frontman Freddie Mercury collected them.

Freddie’s childhood stamp album, on display at the Postal Museum in London for the first time as part of its Pride celebrations, is a fascinating glimpse into the early life of one of rock music’s most legendary figures. Because of its association with Freddie Mercury and the fact that it’s a rare example of his personal possessions in museum ownership, the 54-page collection is regarded as ‘priceless’.

Freddie, born Farrokh Bulsara in Tanzania in 1946, spent much of his early life in Zanzibar, where his father Bomi worked for the British Colonial Office. Bomi was a passionate stamp collector and the young Freddie is throught to have followed in his footsteps between the ages of nine and twelve. The majority of the stamps in Freddie’s collection are from the British Commonwealth. In an early demonstration of the idiosyncratic artistic flair that was to characterise his life, the stamps have been carefully arranged on each page to create pleasing combinations of colour and symmetry.

The album was ought at auction in 1993, with the proceeds going to the Mercury Phoenix Trust AIDS charity. It has previously been displayed at stamp shows in Australia, Prague and the UK, and in touring exhbitions. Visitors to the Postal Museum’s website can see each page of the album.

‘The Postal Museum is delighted to be able to show this rare item from Freddie Mercury’s childhood which we are exhibiting to celebrate 50 years of Pride in the UK,’ said curator Georgina Tomlinson. ‘The album, is a surprising insight into the early life of a man who is remembered across the world for his incredible musical prowess and theatrical stage presence.’

As well as displaying Freddie’s stamp collection, the Postal Museum will also be exhibiting the Post Office’s new eight-stamp Pride set, which you can read about on p17.