Senior Multimedia Reporter
radhica.sookraj@guardian.co.tt
For decades, social historian and author Jazad Ali has been documenting long-forgotten aspects of the nation’s history through stamps and slogan postmarks —tiny imprints on mail that once carried powerful national messages. That painstaking work has now earned him nine prestigious international medals across exhibitions in the United States, Europe and Asia, placing T&T’s postal history firmly on the global philatelic stage.
But beyond the accolades, Ali insisted these fragments of the past speak directly to the present moment.
“They were dealing with crises then too,” he said, referring to wartime slogans such as “Grow More Food, Dig for Victory.” “And now, with global supply chains under pressure again, the message is the same—we have to become more self-sufficient.”
While many may dismiss it as a niche hobby, Ali sees stamp collection as evidence that history remains deeply relevant to everyday life.
Speaking to WE Life and Culture, Ali said his research and documentation of slogan postmarks has earned him international recognition across the United States, Estonia, Thailand and South Korea.
But he is clear that the awards are not the driving force.
“This is about documenting who we are,” he said. “If we don’t document it, it will be lost.”
Ali said the slogan postmarks promoted everything from cocoa production and wartime mobilisation to public health campaigns and national celebrations.
Often overlooked, he said, these postal markings collectively form a rich, continuous narrative of Trinidad and Tobago’s social and economic development.
He said the country’s first slogan postmark appeared in 1924, advertising the British Empire Exhibition in London. Over time, the slogans evolved to reflect shifting national priorities—capturing moments of colonial rule, wartime urgency, industrial growth and cultural identity.
“They chart the country from colonialism to where we are in control of our destiny,” Ali explained.
He said his award-winning book, The Stamp Cancelling Machine Slogan Postmarks of Trinidad and Tobago 1923–2023, distils more than 25 years of research into a visually rich publication featuring over 680 illustrations designed to make history accessible even to casual readers.
Lessons from wartime slogans
Among the many slogans documented, one continues to resonate most strongly with Ali: “Grow More Food, Dig for Victory.”
Originally introduced during the Second World War, it urged self-sufficiency across the British Empire at a time of severe food shortages. Today, Ali said the message has regained urgency.
“With global tensions, disruptions in trade routes like the Strait of Hormuz, and rising costs affecting fertilisers and energy, the same principle applies,” he said. “We need to look inward again.”
He argued that while some consider history a “dead subject,” these postmarks prove otherwise, offering practical lessons for modern economic and geopolitical challenges.
Ali also expressed concern about the state of historical preservation locally, noting that archives are deteriorating, artefacts are disappearing, and access to key records is becoming increasingly restricted.
“In some cases, material I once accessed is no longer available to the public,” he said. “That’s why the book matters—sometimes what is printed becomes the only surviving record.”
In Tobago, he said he documented remnants of the 1960 Disney film Swiss Family Robinson, including a forgotten concrete water slide built as part of the movie set at Craig Hall waterfall, Moriah, that still exists today.
“This is built heritage,” he said. “Not just castles and monuments—these are stories too. But nobody was paying attention.”
While opinions on stamp collecting may vary, Ali said its value is far greater than many realise.
Ali’s book, published by the Philatelic Society of Trinidad and Tobago, will be available at the end of May. He can be contacted at jazzali512@gmail.com.
