Blampied’s Artistic Rebellion

In 1942, the Germans commissioned Edmund Blampied, one of Jersey’s most celebrated artists, to create a series of pictorial stamps. Though under pressure to conform to the occupiers’ expectations, Blampied turned the assignment into another quiet form of resistance.

His stamp designs accurately featured Jersey landmarks as instructed, but he also included uniquely personal flourishes, like horses and figures that were never requested. Most notably, he subtly incorporated the Royal Cipher “GR” (George Rex), a powerful symbol of British sovereignty, and even included an inverted “V”, a sly nod to Churchill’s “V for Victory” campaign.

Blampied’s stamps passed censorship and entered circulation. To the untrained eye, they were beautiful tributes to the island. But to those who looked closer, they whispered loyalty to the Crown and a quiet, unbroken spirit.