Mi ne povas kredi nin ne estas ĉiuj parolanta Esperanton de nun — I think that means “I can’t believe we are not all speaking Esperanto by now” but it’s difficult to know if the translation is accurate or not. Last weekend, I posted a photo of these Esperanto-themed stamps on Twitter. I was excited about my husband finding them at an estate sale, and curious to know more about Esperanto.

I haven’t learned much more than what you can read on Wikipedia, although I discovered that we also obtained a book about the language from the same sale called, Esperanto: The World Interlanguage, by George Allan Connor (1948). I hope to post a photo of the book in the near future. It’s a very good textbook that is a cross between a guide book for travelers, a dictionary, and a practical textbook with exercises and quizzes.

In any case, it’s clear that the former owners of these stamps and the accompanying book were quite dedicated to the language in the 30s, 40s, and 50s. Although most of the stamps shown here are undated, they have a distinctively modern feel to them that reflects graphic design during these decades and aligns the language of Esperanto with industrious and modernist ideas as travel, speed, and sound.

I have to admit that I am not great at learning new (any?) languages. However, if I am able to pick up a few Esperanto phrases, I hope to drop them into a few conversations now and then. Ĝis sekvanta tempo! Until next time…