“Sesame Street’s” 50-year history of helping kids grow smarter, stronger and kinder was hailed during the June 22 dedication ceremony for the Sesame Street stamps.
“It is safe to say that at some point, all of us have wanted to live on Sesame Street,” said Luke T. Grossmann, the Postal Service’s finance and planning vice president, who led the ceremony.
He described the show’s setting as “a place always filled with an overflow of learning, laughter and friendship, three things that we can use a lot more of at every single age and at every part of life.”
The event was held in Detroit before the “Sesame Street Road Trip,” a celebration of the show’s 50th anniversary that is taking place in 10 cities across the United States during the spring and summer.
Three characters from the show — Cookie Monster, Elmo and Zoe — participated in the ceremony.
“Sesame Street” debuted in 1969 and forever changed children’s television through its combination of educational and entertainment content. The award-winning and critically acclaimed series has continually developed a compelling curriculum for preschool-age kids that also appeals to their parents.
Ed Wells, senior vice president of international media and education for Sesame Workshop, the organization that produces “Sesame Street,” described the show’s widespread influence.
“At Sesame Workshop, our mission is to help children grow … and we have been doing that for 50 years — not only in America, but around the world in more than 150 countries,” he said.
The stamps, which are available at Post Offices and usps.com, showcase 16 of the show’s beloved characters: Big Bird, Ernie, Bert, Cookie Monster, Rosita, The Count, Oscar the Grouch, Abby Cadabby, Herry Monster, Julia, Guy Smiley, Snuffleupagus, Elmo, Telly, Grover and Zoe.
An image of nine characters appears on the right side of the stamp pane, while the back of the pane features anniversary artwork.
Wells praised the colorful images used on the stamps, which were designed by Derry Noyes, a USPS art director.
“How incredible are these stamps?” he asked the audience. “They’re beautiful.”
