David Gentleman (born 1930) is the most prolific designer of British stamps.
On February 18, 2022, Royal Mail issued stamps celebrating David Gentleman. The miniature sheet features some of his best-known designs from the 1960s–70s.
👉 David Gentleman’s Stamp Designs — Miniature Sheet, 2022
Royal Mail is the company that provides postal services in the United Kingdom. It has a long history dating back to 1516, when Henry VIII (1491–1547) created the post of Master of the Posts.
Who Is David Gentleman?
David Gentleman is a British artist born in 1930.
He studied painting at the Royal College of Art.
In 1978 he created a mural about 100 meters long for the platforms of Charing Cross Underground station.
What Makes David Gentleman’s Stamps Special
Drawing on his skill & sensibility as an artist, he adapts his style to each theme — from industrial designs to charming, picture-book-like illustrations.
Starting from watercolor and switching between techniques such as wood engraving and lithography, he gives each stamp a fresh look.
One of his most celebrated contributions concerns how the Queen’s portrait is handled on stamps.
Until then, British stamps had always carried a realistic portrait of the Queen. Gentleman proposed reducing it to a small silhouette so that the theme of each stamp could come through clearly — an idea that had a huge influence on British stamp design from then on.
In recognition of this work, the Royal Society of Arts awarded him the title of Royal Designer for Industry (RDI).
For more on the Queen’s portrait on British stamps, see this post:
👉 Dear Queen Elizabeth: British Stamps and the Dignity of Their Design
David Gentleman’s Stamps
103 British Stamps Designed by David Gentleman
Between 1962 and 2000, David Gentleman designed 28 issues — 103 stamps in all.
In the list above, the four issues where the number designed differs from the number of stamps in the set were issued together with designs by other artists.
All of David Gentleman’s Stamps
Postio Marche now carries all 28 issues designed by David Gentleman — search for “Gentleman” in the shop.
Now let’s look at his designs one by one!
1. 1962 — National Productivity Year (3)
The combination of Queen Elizabeth II with graphic art feels quite pop to modern eyes.
2. 1963 — Lifeboat Conference (3)
3. 1964 — Shakespeare Festival (5)
Of the five stamps, the top four were designed by David Gentleman.
4. 1965 — Churchill Commemoration (2)
Sir Winston Leonard Spencer Churchill (1874–1965) was a British statesman who served as Prime Minister from 1940 to 1945, and again from 1951 to 1955.
He remains hugely popular in Britain.
The design is based on this photograph, known as “The Roaring Lion,” taken by Yousuf Karsh (1908–2002) in 1941. It appeared on the cover of LIFE magazine on May 21, 1945.
Twenty years later, Churchill died at the age of 90, and the commemorative stamps were issued that same year.
The illustration based on the photo, the colors, the balance — simple, yet very stylish.
5. 1965 — Commonwealth Arts Festival (2)
6. 1965 — Battle of Britain (8)
7. 1966 — World Cup (3)
Of the three stamps, the one on the right was designed by David Gentleman.
The other two carry the designer’s name, but his does not.
8. 1966 — Battle of Hastings (8)
9. 1968 — British Anniversaries (4)
Of the four stamps, the one at lower left was designed by David Gentleman.
10. 1969 — British Ships (6)
11. 1969 — Concorde (3)
12. 1969 — Investiture of HRH The Prince of Wales (5)
13. 1969 — Post Office Technology (4)
👉 Post Office Technology, 1969 (4)
14. 1970 — Rural Architecture (4)
👉 Rural Architecture, 1970 (4)
15. 1970 — Philympia International Stamp Exhibition (3)
Philympia was an international stamp exhibition, so these are stamps within stamps.
They are inscribed with 1840 (the first stamp), 1847 (embossed stamps) and 1855 (surface-printed stamps).
16. 1972 — Broadcasting Anniversaries / BBC 50 Years (4)
A modern design — such cool stamps!
17. 1973 — British Trees: Oak / 19. 1974 — British Trees: Horse Chestnut
Issued in two consecutive years, this tree series features the oak in 1973 and the horse chestnut in 1974.
18. 1973 — Christmas (6)
David Gentleman is also said to have come up with the idea of se-tenant strips — stamps printed side by side to form one picture.
These se-tenant stamps tell a story as you move along the strip. The one separate stamp may be due to printing constraints at the time (I’m still looking into it).
The 1973 issue is based on the Christmas carol “Good King Wenceslas.”
20. 1974 — Fire Prevention (4)
The illustrations of fire engines from 1766, 1830, 1863 and 1904 are incredibly detailed.
21. 1976 — Social Reformers (4)
22. 1977 — Christmas (6)
The 1977 stamps are inscribed “The Twelve Days of Christmas” at the bottom.
“The Twelve Days of Christmas” is a Christmas song about the gifts received on each day from Christmas to Epiphany.
The stamp with the pear tree & partridge at the bottom of the photo illustrates the first verse — “a partridge in a pear tree.”
23. 1980 — Liverpool & Manchester Railway (5)
A se-tenant strip that reads like a picture book.
👉 Liverpool & Manchester Railway, 1980 (5)
24. 1982 — Charles Darwin (4)
25. 1989 — Christmas (5)
The stamps are based on Ely Cathedral, a Church of England cathedral in the city of Ely, Cambridgeshire. With the look of a print — a technique Gentleman excels at — they are beautiful stamps in gold & silver.
26. 1993 — Abbotsbury Swannery (5)
Abbotsbury Swannery, in the village of Abbotsbury in Dorset, is a sanctuary dedicated to mute swans. It was established by monks in the 1040s.
👉 Abbotsbury Swannery, 1993 (5)
27. 1999 — Millennium: Timekeeping (4)
Of the four stamps, the one at top left was designed by David Gentleman.
28. 1999 — Millennium Timekeeper Miniature Sheet
Summary
As of 2022, David Gentleman was 92 and, even after stepping away from stamp design, still actively creating new work.
Postio Marche sells stamps selected for their design. When I first researched this article, the shop carried 13 of his 28 issues.
Until then, I hadn’t realized that some of those stamps were his work.
I planned to stock all 28 unless prices rose so high they became impossible to find — and now the full set is available.
Find your favorite David Gentleman stamp in the British stamps category.
(Please forgive us if any of the stamps featured here are sold out.)
Some of the stamps shown are from a private collection. Items available for purchase are those listed in the shop only.
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