Tomáš Garrigue Masaryk

 Yesterday my husband was sorting stamps and came across this one. 

1960 Scott's 1147. Champion of Liberty issue

The stamp is not pink. The photo gave it that hue. 

The image is rather small, but it's of Tomáš Garrigue Masaryk, the co-founder and the first president of Czechoslovakia.  I have a soft spot for Masaryk due to our time living in Chicago. On the east end of the Midway Plaisance, nestled between the neighborhoods of Hyde Park and Woodlawn, there's a magnificent statue of Masaryk on horseback.  

In reading about Masaryk, I enjoyed the various connections to my own life - albeit very tangential. Obviously, there's the Chicago connection, but there's another connection as well. Charles R. Crane invited Masaryk to speak at the University of Chicago. Charles was the son of the plumbing mogul, Richard T. Crane. Richard T. Crane built a summer house in Ipswich. The Crane Estate which includes a beautiful beach is a vital part of the town.  

I invite you to read up on Masaryk and if you are interested in Czech history in the United States, please check out the Archives of Czechs and Slovaks Abroad (ACASA) which is housed in the Regenstein Library at the University of Chicago.