![]() In some cases, these elements deliberately overlap the central image. The artist's line drawings became engraved black images of a printing press, stagecoach airplane, mail truck, letter, and cancellation. The stamps were printed using the offset-intaglio process by the American Bank Note Company. The artwork was completed in ink and watercolor collage on board. The fourth stamp features the art of letter writing, using memorable words from a California gold rush letter four prized U.S stamps (Scott 39 90c George Washington, Scott 295 2c Empire State Express, Scott C3a 24c Inverted Jenny, and Scott C13 65c Graf Zeppelin), an undated postmark from Milledgeville, Georgia and a barcode representing contemporary mail processing technology. The 20th century is represented by airmail pilot Charles Lindbergh, a railway mail car, a 1931 Model A Ford mail truck, and JN-4H "Jenny" bi-plane #38262. The Franklin portrait is based on the well-known painting by Joseph-Siffred Duplessis which can be found in the Smithsonian's National Portrait Gallery.Ī Civil War soldier, Concord stagecoach, and pony express rider embody the 19th century. He is represented by a printing press, mail rider, and Independence Hall. ![]() ![]() The stamp depicting the 18th century features Benjamin Franklin, reflecting his career as printer, postmaster and statesmen. The main figures are framed by a circular white background. The complex design features portraits and line drawings. Noyes explained that the stamps are "semi-jumbo" (a little larger) than usual. Schlecht's long career as an artist with National Geographic helped him in working with the interpretation of historical themes. Art Director Derry Noyes thought that the artist Richard Schlecht "did a very good job in conveying the message" through stamps as well as telling the story of transportation. Interestingly, two artists worked on the design, Lou Nolan and Richard Schlecht. Unlike other commemorative stamps, the NPM issue used four stamps to convey the sense of traveling through time. Committee members at that time were interested in classical themes and historical events. ![]() The Citizen Stamp Advisory Committee (CSAC) and NPM had input in deciding what would be featured on the stamps. Bruns said that the "stamps were in effect like a miniature visit to the Museum." Many of the elements depicted in the stamps were represented in the museum's inaugural displays including a Concord stage coach, a 1930s mail truck, and the Inverted Jenny stamp. Bruns, the National Postal Museum helped determine which objects and images would be used in the design. postal history and depict objects and themes represented in the museum's inaugural exhibit galleries.Īccording to the museum's founding director, James H. The stamp designs feature historical moments in U.S. The Smithsonian's National Postal Museum (NPM) opened to the public on July 30, 1993, and was celebrated on that day with the issuance of a se-tenant block of four commemorative stamps. Volume did increase by twenty-six percent in the thirty post offices handling seventy-five percent of the nation's airmail in the first fifteen days of the new rate. The Post Office Department actively promoted "Nickel Airmail" in an effort to increase volume during the postwar era. Distribution was in panes of fifty, perforated 11 x 10 1/2. The Post Office Department printed 864,753,100 stamps using the rotary press, intaglio plates of two hundred. This resulted in a savings of fifteen cents for each one-ounce letter. After October 1, 1946, this became five cents per ounce. Prior to the new rate, an airmail letter of one ounce from the Hawaiian territory was ten cents per half ounce to the mainland. This rate remained in effect until January 1, 1949, when it rose to six cents per ounce. Most significantly, this rate applied to United States possessions and territories for mail to the US mainland For most, this resulted in major cost reductions. Because the rate did not take effect until October 1, 1946, a first day cover required two stamps or one stamp and a 3-cent stamp to make up the eight-cent rate.Įffective October 1, 1946, the domestic airmail rate fell from eight cents per ounce to five cents per ounce. The Post Office Department issued the 5-cent DC-4 Skymaster stamp (Scott C32, large format) on September 25, 1946.
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