“The girl on the stamp with President Masaryk” turns 100!
Eva Haňková is a Czechoslovak-born centenarian who lives in the United States. She is one of the few surviving people who met Czechoslovakia’s co-founder and first president T.G. Masaryk. The few seconds with the president made her an overnight celebrity. To this day philatelists know her as “the girl from the stamp with President Masaryk”.
When Eva was a little girl growing up in Žďár nad Sázavou her home town was feverishly preparing for a visit by Czechoslovakia’s beloved head of state - President T.G.Masaryk. Her grandmother made her the traditional costume of the Kyjov region and dressed her up for the festive occasion. She was 3 years old at the time. Senator Tomas Černin tells the story:
"During the President Masaryk’s visit she presented him with a bouquet of flowers and he picked her up in his arms. It made a nice photograph, which was published in many newspapers and magazines, and then a postage stamp with this picture was issued. The idea to place it on a stamp was Karel Čapek’s. The stamp was 20 halers more expensive than regular postage stamps of the time, and the profit went to a children’s charity".
The stamp was issued on March 7, 1938, sometime after Masaryk’s death and became incredibly popular. Eva Haňková, who was attending the Pardubice grammar school at the time, made headlines once again and philatelists soon began to seek her out, asking for an autograph.
After the communist take-over, the regime confiscated her family’s property. In 1950 Eva and her family fled to neighbouring Germany and later emigrated to the United States. But she never forgot her homeland or meeting Czechoslovakia’s’ first president. Senator Černin again:
“She remained loyal to her homeland, even after spending years abroad, she did so much for the country’s good name in the world, spreading awareness of Czech culture. Right after the Velvet Revolution, she came to Prague where she was received by President Havel and discussed with him the possibility of arranging scholarships for Czechoslovak students. I think this is one of many such beautiful examples of how our compatriots abroad are loyal Czechs, how they keep the ties with their homeland alive."
As Seznam Zprávy reported, when Václav Havel shook Eva’s hand, he joked that he would not try to pick her up like his predecessor. The little girl from the postage stamp was over 60 at the time. On May 20 2025, Eva Haňková turns 100 years old. And one of the gifts awaiting her is sure to please her. Czech writer and journalist Markéta Pilátová has written a book about her, titled The Girl on the Stamp, with illustrations by Renata Fučíková.
