THE first ever postage stamp, the Penny Black, was issued on May 61840. To celebrate this landmark, Hereford College of Arts have joined forces with House of Illustration and Hay Festival, where an exhibition entitled Pushing the Envelope, a showcase of work commissioned exclusively from a selected and invited international group of professional illustrators, can be seen until Sunday.

Each practitioner has been asked to personally respond to this landmark anniversary by decorating and embellishing an envelope to create a collection of new work celebrating the art of postal communication.

HCA will also be inviting children to decorate envelopes with HCA staff and students during workshops at Hay Festival today. For details, visit hayfestival.org