The Postal Service has released stamps that celebrate the visually striking artwork featured on the posters of the Work Projects Administration (WPA).
The 10 stamps showcase vibrant examples of the posters, which were created to support the civic-minded ideals of the WPA, a broad-reaching program that provided much-needed jobs during the Great Depression.
“It is undeniable that Franklin Delano Roosevelt understood the importance of visual design and how it could communicate powerful messages of optimism, hope and perseverance,” said PMG Megan J. Brennan, who dedicated the stamps March 7 at the FDR Presidential Library and Museum in Hyde, NY.
Formed in 1935, the WPA was a centerpiece of Roosevelt’s New Deal initiative.
The program employed millions of people who built government buildings, dams and roads at a time when jobs were few.
The agency also employed thousands of artists for a wide variety of projects, including the WPA posters themselves. The program ended in 1943.
Other speakers at the dedication ceremony included Paul Sparrow, the FDR Library’s director; historian and author Anthony Musso; and David B. Roosevelt, FDR’s grandson.
The WPA Posters stamps are available in booklets of 20 at Post Offices and usps.com. The March 7 news release has more information.
