On May 12, 2009, Luxembourg Post issued the personality stamp set features the famous person of their country. The person depicted on three postage stamps are Henri Owen Tudor, Charles Bernhoeft, and Foni Tissen.
Henri Owen Tudor
Henry Owen Tudor was born on 1859 in Rosport. Since a very young age, Henri Tudor was interested in electrical engineering and more particularly in lighting and in motors. Thomas Edison corresponded regularly with him and recommended the use of an accumulator to store energy during hours of low consumption and to redistribute this energy during hours of high consumption.
In 1881, Henri Tudor was still a student when he succeeded in building the first Tudor Accumulator which operated for 16 years without interruption. In 1884, Henri Tudor developed the energy car, a mobile accumulator-motor device for multi-purpose use: an electric motor for isolated farms, circuses, itinerant movie installations, military camps, etc.
In 1886 Henri Tudor and his brother Hubert built the first electrical light power station in Echternach after having patented his electrical accumulator. The power station supply electricity for 120 lamps installed in homes of the village as well as public lighting. To support this project for necessary the equipment, they opened a small factory with their cousin Nikolas Schalkenbach in Rosport.
After a life completely dedicated to research and innovation, Henri Tudor died on 31st of May 1928 of lead poisoning contracted during his research projects. Charles Bernhoeft
Charles (Carl Michael) Bernhoeft, was born on 22nd of July 1859 in Luxembourg, and for 30 years was one of the most famous photographers and portrait artists in Luxembourg.
As photographer of the Grand Ducal court, he took in 1904 the historic photo of Princesses Hilda, Charlotte and Marie-Adélaïde shown on the stamp.
In addition to portraits, he produced photographs of the countryside, commercialized post cards, and created photo albums, all published by himself. Another aspect of his activities were photographic works commissioned by businesses.
In collaboration with Jean-Nicolas Moes, Bernhoeft created in 1895 the first illustrated weekly magazine of Luxembourg “Das Luxemburger Land in Wort und Bild” but publication only for nine months.
Bernhoeft was the inventor of a device for taking interior photos by means of an indirect magnesium flash. Bernhoeft patented this device and showcased it in international exhibitions.He succeeded in selling it to a large number of his European colleagues of the day.Bernhoeft retired in 1910 and passed away on 7th of February 1933 in Beggen.
Foni Tissen
Foni Tissen was born on 3rd of June 1909 in Rumelange.he studied design at the Ecole Nationale Supérieure des Beaux-Arts.He was provided with living quarters and counseled by the artist Auguste Trémont with whom he would share a very great friendship his entire life.
In 1929, the call to adventure was so irresistible that he embarked first for New York, then on a British paquebot for a world tour lasting several years. Foni Tissen participated in different international exhibitions including the universal exhibition of New York in 1939 where he and other artists represented Luxembourg, and he decided to become a professor of design in Luxembourg.
In September 1942, Foni Tissen was imprisoned at Hinzert along with 7 other professors. After the war he was a professor at the Lycée de Garçons in Esch-sur-Alzette and dedicated himself body and soul to his trade. When he passed away in 1975 at the age of 65, he left an impressive body of work as proof of the vast range of his activity.
No comments:
Post a Comment