2023200 Years Swiss Steamboat Travel - First Day Cover

On 18 June 1823, the Guillaume Tell, Switzerland’s first steamboat, set off on its maiden voyage across Lake Geneva,heralding the start of a new machine age. There are hardly any images of the ship, but 200 years later, we do now have a stamp in a special format.

Measuring 80 × 33 millimetres, the special stamp shows a historical mile- stone for which there are no photos and very few drawings: the Guillaume Tell, Switzerland’s first steamboat. With a view to creating a retrospective for the anniversary, a dark special colour was chosen for the illustration. Almost as if it was designed all those years ago. Back then, the Guillaume Tell plied its trade between Geneva and Lausanne.

While it was mainly used to transport goods on weekdays, passengers were also welcomed on board at weekends. The success of the paddle steamer gave impetus to local industrialization. De- spite initial scepticism, people soon real- ized that if something works in the water, it can also be used on land. And so the use of steam engine technology soon made its way into industry and rail transport, accelerating Switzerland’s development.