DIARIOS CENTENARIOS. LA VANGUARDIA

« La Vanguardia » celebrates its 125th Anniversary and the Spanish Post devotes a stamp as a homage and acknowledgement to a long informative work at the service of Catalonia’s society.

“La Vanguardia” was founded in 1881 by Carlos and Bartolomé Godó. It first appeared as a body of the Partit Constitucional and it was not until 1888, on occasion of the Universal Exhibition when it began to run as an independent newspaper. In fact, its Director, Modesto Sanchez Ortiz, in the presentation editorial claimed its affinity with the most advanced press of the time, making “La Vanguardia”, an independent paper, professional, commercial and informative. During this stage various intellectuals and artists such as Narcís Oliver, Victor Catalá, Isidre Nonell and Santiago Rusiñol collaborated with the newspaper. However it was Ramón Godó, the first Count of Godó who lay down the corporate foundations of “La Vanguardia” reaching its peak in the First World War as the newspaper was the first to use correspondents in both sides gaining a prestige which made it sell 80,000 editions. In the following years, the use of photographs and the establishments of correspondents made them obtain prestige and credibility of the Cataloian and Spanish readers. In the thirties with Gaziel as director, “La Vanguardia” made a print run of 200,000 issues. From the seventies onwards, the paper boomed in credibility, readers and sales. In 1998, Javier Godó, managed to increase its leadership thanks to the important updating of the structures; modernising its image, and setting up the rotary press and introducing a new design, colour pages and making changes in the staff. Currently, “La Vanguardia” is a fundamental part of the multimedia Godó group made up of newspapers an magazines, radio TV and Internet. The paper issues daily 200,000 copies. The stamp depicts a masthead with the year it was founded and the year of its 125 anniversary, and in the background, a pile of newspapers.