USPS 150th Birth Anniversary of Henry David Thoreau

USPS in 1967 honoured American naturalist, essayist and poet Henry David Thoreau on his 150 birth anniversary. The design featured an illustration by American multi-genre artist Leonard Baskin, who drew it in one of his familiar styles. In 2017, another first day cover stamp of Thoreau was released on his 200th birth anniversary. Shown here is a maxim card with FDC postmark affixed to the 1967 commemorative stamp of Thoreau.

Henry David Thoreau spent most of his life in Concord, Massachusetts, west of Boston.  He attended Harvard University, taught for a short time, and worked at his father’s pencil factory.

After a few years, Thoreau was asked by Ralph Waldo Emerson to be his live-in handyman.  The author and philosopher helped Thoreau improve his writing and influenced his worldview towards Transcendentalism (a philosophical belief in the importance of the senses and intuition over scientific knowledge).  The new writer was able to publish some of his first poems and essays with Emerson’s help.

When Thoreau returned to his parent’s home and factory, he desperately sought quiet to continue his writing, but could not find it.  In 1845, Emerson offered him a part of his land near Walden Pond.  Thoreau built a small cabin and stayed there for two years. During this time, the author began writing "Walden" to answer neighbors’ questions about what he did at the pond.  He stayed there a total of two years, two months, and two days. 

Source: Mystic Stamps