The Postal Service’s top leaders came together July 23 to mark the organization’s 250th anniversary and to dedicate two stamp releases that capture the essence of USPS: one highlighting its ubiquitous presence in everyday life, the other honoring its deep-rooted history.
The ceremony showcased 250 Years of Delivering, a pane of 20 interconnected stamps that tells the story of a mail carrier’s daily journey, and “Putting a Stamp on the American Experience,” a 32-page prestige booklet that includes two self-adhesive sheets of a new Forever stamp featuring Benjamin Franklin.
“For the United States Postal Service, today is a milestone 250 years in the making,” said Postmaster General David Steiner.
“These stamps will serve as a window into our shared history. They represent enduring values that I — and every American — can learn from: perseverance, trust and imagination. As we unveil these stamps today, I ask all of you to use the mail to stay connected, especially when we feel ourselves starting to drift apart,” he said.
The ceremony was held outside USPS headquarters in Washington, DC, where hundreds of Postal Service employees, customers and members of the public gathered on the L’Enfant Plaza promenade.
Other speakers included Amber McReynolds, the USPS Board of Governors chairwoman, and an actor who portrayed Franklin, the nation’s first postmaster general.
“Today, we celebrate this magnificent organization which has shaped our nation’s culture, powered its economy and connected each one of us to each other for 250 years. I hope these stamps will serve as reminders of the impact these tiny pieces of artwork have had on our shared democracy, our economy, and our connectivity as a nation,” said McReynolds.
The 250 Years of Delivering stamps contain several postal icons — including delivery vehicles, blue collection boxes and uniform-clad employees — and collectively represent the faithful presence of USPS in a community throughout a year.
Chris Ware created the stamp artwork and co-designed the pane with Antonio Alcalá, an art director for USPS.
The “Putting a Stamp on the American Experience” booklet, only the fourth ever issued by the Postal Service, is illustrated with specially selected stamps and artwork from more than 75 previous releases.
Some pages in the booklet pay tribute to long-running series or spotlight interests such as national parks, sports, nature and flags. Other pages show how each new generation of designers commemorates traditional subjects in the visual language of their time.
The stamp sheets included with the booklet are a modern interpretation of a 5-cent stamp depicting Franklin, originally released in 1847.
Ethel Kessler, an art director for USPS, designed the booklet and the Franklin stamp.
The 250 Years of Delivering stamps are available at Post Offices and usps.com, while the “Putting a Stamp on the American Experience” booklet is exclusively available through usps.com.
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