'Noblest of all stamps' is how Annemarie Kalina (born 6 March 1941)
defines recess-printed stamps, and yet it took a while before she was given the
opportunity to engrave them. Born in Klagenfurt, Austria, in 1941, she was
educated at the Fachschule für Handfeuerwaffen in nearby Ferlach. For four
years, her training entailed various engraving techniques, mainly geared
towards engraving of small firearms. Drawing, both portraits and freestyle, was
also an important part of her education, as was copying and learning about the
style elements of both ornaments and typography. Theoretical education was
thought to be as important as the practical side of it, which meant that art history
took centre stage as well.
After her schooling, Kalina became a professional engraver in
Vienna, and later moved back to Klagenfurt where she established herself as an
independent engraver. But when, in 1972, one of her teachers at her former
school left, she took up teaching the art of engraving there. She remained at
the school until her retirement in 2002.
Part of the school’s curriculum was to organise field trips to various companies where engravers worked. And that is how she eventually ended up at the State Printing Works in Vienna. Kalina was explained the A to Z of recess-printed stamp production, and became absolutely fascinated by it. So when asked whether she would want to engrave stamps, she was overjoyed, said ‘Yes’ immediately, and spent the next two years learning the art of stamp engraving, which is different from ‘normal’ engraving in that for a stamp engraving to be successful, it not only has to look beautiful but it should also be good enough to translate into a good printing.
Kalina’s first stamp for Austria was the 1988 issue to mark the 1100th Anniversary of Feldkirchen in Carinthia. As with so many of Austria’s issues, this was a stamp produced in a combination of recess-printing and photogravure. The main thing with this combination of printing processes, according to Kalina, is that you need to be creative with the lines you engrave, but you must make sure the engraving does not go against the intentions of the designer.
In a freelance capacity, Annemarie Kalina
engraved some ten stamps for Austria, between 1988 and 1996. Unlike many other
engravers, who often seem to be specialised in portrait engravings, Kalina only
produced two portrait stamps, of Julius Raab in 1991 and Norbert Hanrieder in
1992, the rest of her oeuvre being mainly architectural stamps.
Her favourite stamp is also the one stamp she engraved that was printed in recess only. It is the 1990 issue marking the 850th Anniversary of Seckau Abbey. The stamp depicts a Madonna known as ‘Our Dear Housewife of Seckau’. The challenge with this stamp was that the Madonna had to be placed against a uniform background representing the rough bark of a tree, which should however not be too dominant. It took a lot of effort, said Annemarie Kalina when interviewed, to come up with a suitable solution.
Other favourites of hers are the 1990 stamp for the Natural Beauty Spots series, depicting the stalactite caverns of Obir, and the 1995 issue to mark the 75th Anniversary of the Carinthian Referendum, depicting Hollenburg Castle. As a Carinthian herself, this stamp was close to her heart.
Annemarie Kalina told me that she admires the work of her
contemporary Wolfgang Seidel, and also speaks highly of the very fine
engravings of a more recent member of the club of engravers, Robert Trsek.
Kalina very much believes that recess-printed stamps are the noblest of all
stamps, and not just because of the challenging process of engraving. She is of
the opinion that, compared with recess-printed stamps, other stamps often look
dull and uninteresting. Stamps produced in e.g. gravure or lithography can in
no way compete with the expression, depth and clarity of an engraved stamp.
Unfortunately, health problems forced Kalina to give up her engraving work. That decision was the most painful she ever had to take. But now, in her retirement, she is just content to look back on her professional life with happiness. She thinks it was a real privilege to have been able to teach her pupils such a beautiful craft and to have been able to combine that with her work as a stamp engraver.
You will find Annemarie Kalina's database HERE.
Part of the school’s curriculum was to organise field trips to various companies where engravers worked. And that is how she eventually ended up at the State Printing Works in Vienna. Kalina was explained the A to Z of recess-printed stamp production, and became absolutely fascinated by it. So when asked whether she would want to engrave stamps, she was overjoyed, said ‘Yes’ immediately, and spent the next two years learning the art of stamp engraving, which is different from ‘normal’ engraving in that for a stamp engraving to be successful, it not only has to look beautiful but it should also be good enough to translate into a good printing.
Kalina’s first stamp for Austria was the 1988 issue to mark the 1100th Anniversary of Feldkirchen in Carinthia. As with so many of Austria’s issues, this was a stamp produced in a combination of recess-printing and photogravure. The main thing with this combination of printing processes, according to Kalina, is that you need to be creative with the lines you engrave, but you must make sure the engraving does not go against the intentions of the designer.
Her favourite stamp is also the one stamp she engraved that was printed in recess only. It is the 1990 issue marking the 850th Anniversary of Seckau Abbey. The stamp depicts a Madonna known as ‘Our Dear Housewife of Seckau’. The challenge with this stamp was that the Madonna had to be placed against a uniform background representing the rough bark of a tree, which should however not be too dominant. It took a lot of effort, said Annemarie Kalina when interviewed, to come up with a suitable solution.
Other favourites of hers are the 1990 stamp for the Natural Beauty Spots series, depicting the stalactite caverns of Obir, and the 1995 issue to mark the 75th Anniversary of the Carinthian Referendum, depicting Hollenburg Castle. As a Carinthian herself, this stamp was close to her heart.
Unfortunately, health problems forced Kalina to give up her engraving work. That decision was the most painful she ever had to take. But now, in her retirement, she is just content to look back on her professional life with happiness. She thinks it was a real privilege to have been able to teach her pupils such a beautiful craft and to have been able to combine that with her work as a stamp engraver.
You will find Annemarie Kalina's database HERE.