Commemorative Sheets page 2a
 

In 1937, Paris held the Exposition Internationale des Arts et Techniques dans la Vie Moderne. France issued national stamps both in 1936 and 1937 and many French colonies issued both commemorative stamps and their first commemorative sheet in 1937.

 

15th September 1936
SG557 Sc317

15th September 1936
 SG559 Sc319

15th March 1937
SG569 Sc324

There were 2 designs for the 6 stamps in the 1936 set and a single stamp in 1937.

Each of the colonies listed in the table below issued commemorative stamps.

 

Type 1

Type 2
 

Type 3
 

Type 4
 

Type 5
 

Type 6
Gibbons description commerce agriculture sailing ships Berber, Negress and Annamite France extends torch of civilisation Diane de Poitiers
Scott description colonial resources colonial resources overseas commerce exposition building and women France and the empire cultural treasures of the colonies

 

bulletall issued their first sheets;
bulletmost issued both a sheet and the set of stamps, but Inini, Kwangchow and Wallis and Futuna issued the sheet alone;
bulletmost made their issue on 15th April 1937, but French Oceanic Settlements (Polynesia) were early (March) and Wallis and Futuna were late (December);
bulletmost of the sheets had a face value of 3 francs, but French Indian Settlements, Indo-China and Kwangchow  were in local currencies;
bulletall the sheets contained just one of the stamps and the colours varied.

The issue is illustrated by Reunion, my favourite of the French colonies, which issued some remarkably attractive stamps between 1900 and 1950. This shows the commerce or colonial resources type in ultramarine.

Country year month day stamps sheet  mint £  used £  image   face value   colour  notes
        Gibbons Scott Gibbons Scott            
Cameroun 1937 04 15 110-115 217-222 MS115a 222A 9 21 type 2  3F   orange-red and agate   
Dahomey 1937 04 15 101-105 101-106 MS105a 107 10 22 type 2  3F   ultramarine and agate   
French Afars and Issas (Somali Coast) 1937 04 15 237-242 139-144 MS243 145 8 26 type 3  3F   slate-violet   
French Equitorial Africa 1937 04 15 27-32 27-32 MS33 73 12 27 type 6  3F   brown-red   
French Guiana 1937 04 15 178-183 162-167 MS183a 168 9 22 type 3  3F   violet   
French Guinea 1937 04 15 123-128 120-125 MS128a 126 7 22 type 4  3F   turquoise-green and black-green   
French Indian Settlements 1937 04 15 112-117 104-109 MS117a 110 11 24 type 6  5 Fanon   bright purple   
French Oceanic Settlements (Polynesia) 1937 03 01 121-126 117-122 MS126a 123  18  40 type 5  3F   emerald-green  date
French Sudan 1937 04 15 190-195 106-111 MS196 112    7  14 type 2  3F   magenta and agate   
Guadeloupe 1937 04 15 157-162 148-153 MS162a 154 14 28 type 3  3F   grey-blue   
Indo-China 1937 04 15 241-246 193-198 MS246a 199    8  14 type 6  30 cents   sate-lilac   
Inini 1937 04 15  -  - MS50 41  18  25 type 3  3F   brown-red  sheet only
Ivory Coast 1937 04 15 155-160 152-157 MS160a 158    5  20 type 4  3F   sepia   
Kwangchow 1937 04 15  -  - MS97 132  10  11 type 6  30 cents   green  sheet only
Madagascar 1937 04 15 187-192 191-196 MS192a 197    8  14 type 1  3F   orange-red   
Martinique 1937 04 15 180-185 180-185 MS185a 179    8  14 type 1  3F   emerald   
Mauritania