With this Owney the Postal Dog (Forever®) stamp, the U.S. Postal Service™ commemorates Owney, the canine mascot of the Railway Mail Service. Beloved of clerks on mail-sorting trains at the end of the 19th century, Owney was hailed as a symbol of good luck. Today he is an icon of American postal lore whose story highlights the historical importance of the Railway Mail Service.

The stamp art features an original illustration of Owney, with many of his famous tags and medals gleaming in the background.

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published September 17th, 2011

Few American artists are as popular or influential as Edward Hopper, whose beautiful, sunlit painting, The Long Leg, is the tenth entry in the American Treasures series. The work’s title refers to sailing; a leg is one part of an alternating, zigzagging series of short and long tacks.

This painting, from around 1930, shows Hopper’s characteristic use of light to insulate objects, and reflects his love of the sea as well as his interest in architecture. The lighthouse in the painting is Long Point Light, at Provincetown. The boat is a “Knockabout” sloop, a type of craft commonly used for sailing, cruising, and fishing.

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published September 4th, 2011

In 2011, the Postal Service celebrates the achievements of chemist Melvin Calvin, botanist Asa Gray, physicist Maria Goeppert Mayer, and biochemist Severo Ochoa. This issuance of the American Scientists (Forever®) is the third in a series honoring individuals who have made extraordinary contributions to the advancement of science.

Melvin Calvin (1911-1997) advanced our understanding of photosynthesis and conducted pioneering research on using plants as an alternative energy source. He won the Nobel Prize in chemistry in 1961. (read more)

published August 28th, 2011

The Pioneers of American Industrial Design (Forever®) stamp pane honors 12 of the nation’s most important and influential industrial designers. Encompassing everything from furniture and electric kitchen appliances to corporate office buildings and passenger trains, the work of these designers helped shape the look of everyday life in the 20th century.

Each stamp features the name of a designer and a photograph of an object created by the designer, as well as a description of the object and the year or years when the object was created. The selvage features a photograph of the “Airflow” fan designed by Robert Heller around 1937.

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published August 27th, 2011

The 2011 Garden of Love (Forever®) issuance—ten different first-class stamps depicting a colorful mosaic of flora and fauna in a garden setting—is a continuation of the Love series, begun in 1973. Intended for use on Valentine’s Day, Mother’s Day, and Father’s Day cards, these stamps will add beauty to any expression of love and affection.

Working with art director Derry Noyes, award-winning illustrator José Ortega created an abstract garden of bright flowers, a butterfly, a strawberry, and doves, interlaced with vines that run from one stamp to another. Each prominent element of the design is in the shape of a heart. The deep blue background is reminiscent of a brilliant summer sky. The word “Love” sits atop each stamp.

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published August 25th, 2011

Since 1986, the films of Pixar Animation Studios have stretched the boundaries of our imagination with stories about unlikely heroes who explore the bonds of friendship and family. Now some of those heroes are the subjects of colorful new Send a Hello (Forever®) stamps that encourage people to connect with loved ones through the mail.

These new stamps capture the delight of finding a letter, greeting card, or package waiting in your mailbox. It puts a shine on the rest of the day-even before you’ve opened it. Despite all the ways we communicate with friends and family today, there’s still nothing as personal as knowing someone took time to choose a card … write a letter … wrap a package … and even choose a special stamp simply to “Send a Hello.”

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published August 21st, 2011

With the Eid (Forever®) stamp, the U.S. Postal Service™ honors two of the most important festivals in the Islamic calendar: Eid al-Fitr and Eid al-Adha. On these days, Muslims wish each other Eid mubarak, the phrase shown in gold calligraphy on the stamp. Eid mubarak translates literally as “blessed festival” and can be paraphrased “May your religious holiday be blessed.”

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published August 20th, 2011

As part of its Literary Arts series, the US Postal Service™ recognizes America’s greatest humorist with this Mark Twain (Forever®) commemorative stamp. Twain (1835-1910) is the author of beloved works such as The Adventures of Tom Sawyer and A Connecticut Yankee in King Arthur’s Court. His Adventures of Huckleberry Finn is widely considered one of the greatest novels in American literature. The stamp portrait shows Twain as an older man; the steamboat in the background evokes a way of life along the Mississippi River that played a huge role in many of Twain’s works, as well as in his own life.

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published August 13th, 2011

This is a special Cinema Stars Bundle. It consists of three Panes of 20 Forever® stamps each, depicting three stars of the American cinema; Ronald Reagan, Gregory Peck, and Helen Hayes.

Ronald Reagan Product Information

On February 10, 2011 in Simi Valley, California, the U.S. Postal Service® issued a Ronald Reagan (Forever) commemorative stamp, recognizing the centennial of the birth of Ronald Reagan (1911-2004), America’s 40th President. The stamp issuance is one of a number of centennial events taking place across the nation in 2011 to commemorate Reagan’s life and legacy.

The stamp art by Bart Forbes, Plano, Texas, was created in oil wash on board. It is based on a photograph of Reagan taken in 1985, during his second term as President, at his beloved “Rancho del Cielo” (Ranch in the Sky), near Santa Barbara, California.

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published August 1st, 2011

On May 30, 1911, Ray Harroun blazed across the finish line at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway, winning the first Indianapolis 500 Mile Race in #32, the black-and-yellow Marmon “Wasp” he designed himself. This Indianapolis 500 (Forever®) stamp celebrates the centennial of that race, an American tradition now billed as “The Greatest Spectacle in Racing” and hailed as one of the most significant auto races in the world.

This 2011 stamp depicts Ray Harroun in the customized yellow-and-black “Wasp” in which he won the first Indianapolis 500 in 1911. The car was built by the Indianapolis-based Marmon Motor Car Company and included one of Harroun’s own inventions, the rearview mirror. Today, the car is a prime attraction at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway Museum. (read more)

published July 28th, 2011

This beautifully designed stamp issue features images of U.S. President Abraham Lincoln as well as battle sites of the American Civil War. As 16th president of the United States, Lincoln spent his presidency attempting to put an end to the Civil War.

Within the first four months of his presidency, seven states seceded from the union.His goal, however, remained to keep the Union together. On January 2, 1863, the Emancipation Proclamation was put into effect, freeing all slaves.

On November 19, 1863, four and a half months after the Union armies defeated the Confederate armies at the decisive Battle of Gettysburg, President Lincoln delivered what is now considered to be one of the best known speeches in United States history, the Gettysburg Address at the dedication of the Soldiers’ National Cemetery in Gettysburg, Pennsylvania. (read more)

published July 6th, 2011