John Hobson Nicholson, a Manx Worthy

Last 1st of August, 2008, the Isle of Man Post Office issued ten 31 and 50 pence stamps to honor ten Manx people. The island, possession of the British monarch, recognized their merits described on the upper line of each stamp: mother of Manx music, last native people to speak Manx, etc.

(Isle of Man Post Office)

The one that interest me today is the fifth of the first row: John Hobson Nicholson (1911-1988), an self-taught Manx artist who succeeded to be known in Great Britain. After 1958, he designed the Manx signs of autonomy: banknotes, coins and postage stamps.

In 1958, like the other countries of the United Kingdom and of the royal property (understand the four rugby/soccer countries and the Channel Islands), the Isle of Man obtained from the Post Office a stamp issue valid everywhere, but bearing the triskelion. The ornament around Dorothy Wilding's photograph of the Queen was designed by Nicholson.

(idem)

Concerning banknotes, a 2008 previous issue may show three, sufficiently recent, to be of Nicholson's art, believing the Presentation Pack. In 1961, he began the work on banknotes after a law reestablished the monopoly of issuing notes to the governement of Man on

Biography of the artist on the Manx National Heritage website.