InfoPersons, originating from Poland
Czeslaw Slania
Name in Polish Notation: Czesław SłaniaBorn 22 October 1921 in Czeladź, Poland
Died 17 March 2005 in Cracow, Poland
Słania was an accomplished postage stamp and banknote engraver. According to the Guinness Book of World Records, Słania is the most prolific of all stamp engravers, with about 1050 stamps to his credit. On stamps his name is always written as Slania, not Słania.
He entered the Cracow School of Fine Arts, a renowned graphics arts centre, in 1945. While still a student, he was hired by Poland's printing bureau and began his career as an engraver. On January 1, 1950 Słania started his first job as engraver at the National Printing Office (Drukarnia Narododwa) in Łódż. He became an assistant of an older engraver, Marian Roman Polak. The first stamp he engraved showed a portrait of Stalin. By unknown reasons the stamp was never printed. In 1956, Słania moved to Sweden, where he gained employment
Engraved self portrait
with the Swedish postal authorities in 1959. He produced numerous stamps for Sweden. His work was of such recognised quality and detail that the Swedish king gave him the tittle of 'Royal Engraver'. In 1962 he started engraving for a long row of stamps for foreign postal authorities. He engraved banknotes for 14 countries. In 1993 once again he started engraving stamps for Poland. Slania died in the age of 83. On March 24, 2005 his body was buried in Cracow, at the Rackowicki Cemetery.
All stamps, engraved by Slania
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