When St. Pierre and Miquelon postmaster get nostalgic... very nostalgic

Second episode in translating in English articles on how French overseas collectivity of Saint Pierre and Miquelon is a postal and philatelic place to know. From SébPhilatélie Sunday July 26th 2015.

From 1997 till Summer 2015 a maritime, historic and legacy operation took place in the port of Rochefort, Charente-Maritime on the Atlantic Ocean. The Hermione, the frigate of Liberty wanted to recreate the ship and the journey of La Fayette to the fields of the American Revolution against the United Kingdom in the late 18th century.

Built between 1997 and 2014, the ship replica crossed 2015 the ocean from Rochefort to the United States, from Yorktown, Virginia to Castine, Maine with stops at Washington, Philadelphia and New York.

On the return trip, the ship stopped over Saint Pierre in the French archipelago, on Thursday July 23rd 2015, three months after his departure.

Summer issue of the light monthly Atout timbres went through the preparation of this stop with Jean Ketterlin, director of the local post office. A two stamp minisheet by Joël Lemaine was issued by the overseas collectivity. Then, the legacy association, SPM philatelic club and French metropolitan Philapostel organised a commemorative mail transport by L'Hermione from Saint Pierre to Rochefort.

Jean Ketterlin dressed as postmaster, July 23rd 2015 (screen capture from SPM 1ère news).

And here came back the postmaster who made sure the mail was taken care by L'Hermione's captain in a historic reconstitution, dressed as a 18th century postmaster.

The scene was presented in the news broadcast of local public channel SPM 1ère, after the arrival of the frigate in the morning mist. It can still be watched on DailyMotion where the channel saves its archives.

The next day, Friday 24th, the news broadcast explained the departure of the ship and its scientific project to study the ocean waters.