Australia Post The Century of Service: Vietnam War

 

AUSTRALIA POST on 11 October 2016 released The Century of Service: Vietnam War stamp issue, commemorating Australia’s involvement in the Vietnam War and is the third in a series focusing on conflicts since World War I.

The Vietnam War (1955–75) was fought between communist North Vietnam, which sought to unify the country after the partition that resulted from the First Indochina War (1946–54), and South Vietnam, which was backed by anti-communist USA. While Australia didn’t enter the war until 1962, it was to become our longest conflict of the 20th century.

Despite years of bloody conflict, causing the death and displacement of millions of Vietnamese people, the USA and its allies were unable to counter the guerilla tactics of the pro-Communist National Liberation Front or Viet Cong. Finally, on 30 April 1975, South Vietnam fell to North Vietnamese forces.

Almost 60,000 Australians, including ground troops and air force and navy personnel served in Vietnam. 521 Australian servicemen died and over 3,000 were wounded. The National Service Scheme was widely opposed and caused thousands to take to the streets of major cities in moratorium marches. Tragically, on their return, far from receiving a hero’s welcome, many soldiers were reviled for their participation in this most unpopular war.

The five commemorative stamps focus on a different aspect of the war, including the home front and the aftermath.

For more information these stamps, go to this link.

Soviet-era Vostok & Soyuz Cosmonauts

SOVIET-ERA POSTCARD AND STAMPS of Vostok and Soyuz cosmonauts. Featured in the circa 1977 postage stamps are cosmonauts Andriyan Nikolayev [first Turkic person in space], Pavel Popovich [first Ukrainian in space], Viktor Gorbatko and Yuri Glazkov and composer Dmitri Shostakovich. Yuri Gagarin, first man in space, is on the far left of the postcard.

 

The cancellation postmark originated from Leningrad and was sent to a person in West Germany, extending "Best wishes from Leningrad".

USPS American Motorcycles - Harley Davidson Chopper

UNITED STATES POSTAL SERVICE issued on 7 August 2006  a Harley-Davidson Chopper postage stamp. Cancellation postmark originated from Sturgis, South Dakota, during the 66th City of Sturgis Motorcycle Rally. Richard Sheaff of Scottsdale, Arizona, designed the stamps. 

With this issuance, the Postal Service recognised the role of motorcycles in American culture. The stamps featured digital illustrations of a 1918 Cleveland, a 1940 Indian Four, a 1965 Harley Davidson Electra-Glide, and a circa 1970 chopper. The digital illustrations were created by Steve Buchanan of Winsted, Connecticut, and were based on existing restored motorcycles, reference photographs, and consultation with owners and experts; however, some colours and design features were altered for artistic purposes or to maintain historical accuracy.

Avery Dennison manufactured the 85 million stamps in the gravure process.

Featured here on a maxi card (postcard) is a still photo from the 1969 counter-culture film "Easy Rider", starring Dennis Hopper, Peter Fonda and Jack Nicholson.

Source: USPS

USPS Carl Sandburg

USPS issued a 13 cent centenary commemorative stamp of American poet and historian Carl Sandburg on 6 January 1978. The Bureau of Engraving and Printing released 156,560,000 copies of a black and brown stamp with 11 perforations using a Giori press.

The maxi card shown here depicts Sandburg as folk singer with guitar. It is not the first day cover originally released from his birthplace of Galesburg, Illinois. Rather the cancellation postmark on this card originated from his last place of residence and death -- Flat Rock, North Carolina.

Pulitzer Prize-winning author Carl Sandburg was the son of Swedish immigrants and born on 6 January  1878, in Galesburg, Illinois.

When he was 13, Sandburg dropped out of school and began driving a milk wagon. Over the next few years, he attended West Point for two weeks and worked several jobs, including bricklayer, farm laborer, hotel servant, and coal-heaver.

In 1898, Sandburg fought in the Spanish-American War with the sixth Illinois Infantry. He also briefly attended Lombard College but left without a degree in 1903. Sandburg got his first writing job as a journalist for the Chicago Daily News and the Day Book.

Sandburg was most well known for his poetry, which largely focuses on Chicago. One of his most famous lines described the city as “Hog Butcher for the World/ Tool Maker, Stacker of Wheat/ Player with Railroads and the Nation’s Freight Handler, / Stormy, Husky, Brawling, City of the Big Shoulders.”

Sandburg was also a celebrated children’s writer, and his most popular work in the genre was Rootabaga Stories. He wrote this collection as “American fairy tales” that more accurately reflected American childhood. Sandburg didn’t believe American children could relate to the European stories about royalty and knights, so he filled his stories with skyscrapers, trains, corn fairies, and the “Five Marvelous Pretzels.”

In 1927, Sandburg published The American Songbag, a widely popular collection of American folk songs. Sandburg was one of the early American urban folk singers and would bring his guitar along on his lectures and poetry recitals.

A fellow son of Illinois, Carl Sandburg grew up listening to stories about Abraham Lincoln. He suggested that Lincoln’s face appear on the penny, as it was the coin of the common folk, whom Lincoln praised. In 1923, Sandburg began working on a book for young people, so they could learn about Lincoln as he had.

However, Sandburg found himself so caught up in the stories, he didn’t want to stop. Instead, he published his two-volume Abraham Lincoln: The Prairie Years in 1925. He spent another 13 years researching Lincoln’s four years in the White House, culminating in Abraham Lincoln: The War Years. Published in 1939, it won a Pulitzer Prize.

Sandburg also won two Pulitzer Prizes for his poetry, one for Cornhuskers in 1918 and ones for his Complete Poems in 1951. He also recorded excerpts of his Lincoln biography and received a Grammy Award for Best Performance in a Documentary or Spoken Word.

Sandburg died on 22 July 1967. After his death, President Lyndon B. Johnson said that Sandburg “was more than the voice of America, more than the poet of its strength and genius. He was America.” His childhood home is now a historic site and many schools and other locations have been named in his honour.

Source: Mystic Stamps

USPS Surrender at Yorktown

USPS commemorated the Battles of Yorktown and the Virginia Capes – important victories in the American Revolution -- on 16 October 1981. The cancellation postmark for the first day cover originated from Yorktown, Virginia. The Bureau of Engraving and Printing printed 162,420,000 copies, using a lithographed and engraved method. These multicoloured stamps featured 11 perforations: A previous stamp was issued in 1940 depicting the three principle generals in these battles.

During the American Revolution, the ability to resupply armies, deploy troops, and transport munitions stored in towns along Virginia’s inland water routes was dependent on control of the Chesapeake Bay. The British campaign to secure this vital region ultimately led to the surrender of British General Cornwallis and American victory in its War of Independence.
 
Virginia’s Chesapeake Bay was strategically located at the mouth of the James and York Rivers. In 1779, a British fleet seized control of the Chesapeake Bay, dropped additional forces, and destroyed forts and military warehouses along the inland rivers. The raids gave the British necessary supplies at the same time they depleted the Continental Army’s stockpiles. British expeditionary forces continued the raids throughout 1780 and highlighted Virginia’s military weakness. In the spring of 1781, Major General Marquis de Lafayette entered Virginia and combined his forces with those of General Anthony Wayne. They reached Richmond just in time to prevent the British from burning the capital.
 
As Lafayette’s forces defended Richmond, British General Lord Charles Cornwallis traveled southward along the James River. Joined by other British forces, Cornwallis managed to maneuver around Lafayette’s Continental Army and reach Yorktown on the York River. British naval ships delivered additional troops. On 2 August 1781, Cornwallis began construction of two rights of defensive lines around Yorktown.
 
Word of Cornwallis’ movements reached General George Washington, who met with French General Rochambeau to determine their next move. Rochambeau convinced Washington to move south and surround the city by land. A fleet under the command of French Admiral de Grasse would secure the Chesapeake Bay and cut off Cornwallis’ escape route on the river.
 
The French fleet of 27 ships reached Virginia on 28 August 1781, and immediately started a blockade of the York and James Rivers. Additional French troops were delivered to strengthen Lafayette’s forces on land. On 5 September 1781, the French fleet engaged a 19-ship fleet commanded by British Admiral Graves and soundly defeated them. The Battle of the Virginia Capes left the French Army firmly in control of the Chesapeake Bay and the entrances to the James and York Rivers. As a result, the British garrisons at Yorktown and Gloucester Point were completely isolated from resupplies or reinforcement.
 
In mid-September, Washington’s troops combined with Lafayette’s for a total of 17,600 soldiers opposite 8,300 entrenched with General Cornwallis. The siege of Yorktown began on 9 October 1781, with heavy artillery fire on the British defensive line. After a week of heavy battle, the British attempted to evacuate across the York River. However, the British ships that were to transport them had scattered or sunk in a violent storm. With their escape route cut off and the entrances to the York River and Chesapeake Bay blocked, Cornwallis surrendered at Yorktown and the Revolutionary War ended.

 

Source: Mystic Stamps

Canada Post 50th Anniversary of the Korean War

 

CANADA POST issued a single domestic rate ($0.48) stamp to recognise and honour those who served with bravery and courage in the Canadian army, navy and air force as part of the UN forces during the Korean War (1950-1953). The commemorative stamp was available to collectors in a unique pane of 16, featuring a gutter in the centre of the pane.  

Designed by Steven Slipp, this stamp featured a photojournalistic presentation of Canadian forces in Korea. Depicted, from left to right, are an F-86 Sabre of the type flown by Canadian Air Force pilots, shown on an American base in Korea; navy personnel hauling in a line while patrolling the Korean coast; and infantry men holding the line in the hills of Central Korea.

On 25 June 1950 when the war broke out when North Korea invaded South Korea, Canada in the following month (July) sent three Royal Canadian Navy destroyers (HMCS Cayuga, HMCS Athabaskan, and HMCS Sioux) to the Yellow Sea, and deployed Royal Canadian Air Force No. 426 squadron to transport troops and goods to Japan. Canada also dispatched an infantry brigade, and provided 22 fighter pilots to the U.S. Air Force.

December 1950 saw the 2nd Battalion of Princess Patricia's Canadian Light Infantry (PPCLI) arrive in Korea, followed in May by the rest of the troops that formed the 25th Canadian Infantry Brigade (2nd battalions of the Royal Canadian Regiment and the Royal 22nd Regiment). In Kapyong, Canadians won fame in the spring of 1951 by driving back advancing Communist Chinese Army forces in a key sector. The bravery of these men of the PPCLI was rewarded with the U.S. Presidential Unit Citation for Valour; awarded for "outstanding heroism and exceptionally meritorious conduct in the performance of outstanding services." Other engagements included battles at Chail'li and on Hill 355. After the armistice was signed, troops from the Black Watch (Royal Highland Regiment) of Canada, Queen's Own Rifles of Canada and Canadian Guards served along the 38th parallel. In total, 21,940 Canadian soldiers and approximately 3,600 sailors saw service in Korea. Of this number, approximately 500 gave their lives. The war was brought to an end on 27 July 1953 with the signing of the Korea Armistice in Panmunjom, North Korea.

USPS Mark Twain

USPS on 25 June 2011 honoured acclaimed author and humorist Mark Twain with the issuance of a commemorative Forever postage stamp in the city that served as the setting for two of his most famous works. A first-day-of-issue ceremony was held 25 June at the Mark Twain Boyhood Home & Museum in Hannibal, Missouri.

The postage 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. Art director and stamp designer Phil Jordan collaborated with stamp artist Gregory Manchess, who based his portrait of Twain on a photograph taken around 1907.

Mark 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. In this tale of an abused boy and a runaway slave who become friends while riding a raft down the Mississippi River, Twain addressed issues of race and racism in America with a frankness that is still startling more than a100 years later. Born Samuel Clemens, Mark Twain took his name from his time working as a riverboat pilot on the Mississippi.

Mark Twain  (to quote from his book "Roughing It" ) has been "as flat as a postage stamp" before; he was on a 1940 stamp that cost 10 cents.  "Forever" stamps, which cost the price of a first class-mail stamp -- 44 cents -- can be used even if the price of a first-class mail stamp changes. Even, ostensibly, for another 100 years.

Talk 100 years, Twain had a surprise hit in 2010 when his massive "Autobiography of Mark Twain" was published. As instructed, the author's memoirs had been held for a century after his death, but no one expected them to be a bestseller -- except, maybe, Mark Twain. "Autobiography of Mark Twain," a whopping 736 pages, was only volume one -- two more volumes of his memoirs were on the way from the University of California Press, tentatively scheduled for 2012 and 2014.

USPS 150th Anniversary (1861-2011) of the American Civil War

USPS  on 12 April 201 issued the first installment of  the .49 cent Civil War Sesquicentennial stamps. Cancellation postmark originated  from Charleston, South Carolina. Two sites were chosen: Battle of Fort Sumter and The Battle of First Bull. Ashton Potter Printing printed a total of 60,000,000 self-adhesive stamps, using a  lithograph method.

In 1861, years of heated rhetoric reached a climax and the nation spiraled into Civil War.  An anti-slavery President occupied the White House, Kansas was admitted to the Union as a free state, and eleven states seceded from the Union.  Men young and old were intoxicated by their desire to go to battle and eager to defend their principles.    As Civil War divided the nation, the South was further divided by neighboring states holding Union and Confederate loyalties.  West Virginia emerged as a new Union state, although as in many regions, sympathies varied greatly from one town to another.  Union and Confederate armies assembled, often made of men with more passion than experience.  Many officers were friends and former West Point classmates, including Confederate General Robert E. Lee and the opposing leaders at Fort Sumter.While Fort Sumter marked the beginning of the conflict, the bloodshed at the First Battle of Bull Run made the nation face the somber reality of a lengthy war and the widespread suffering it would inflict.

Battle of Fort Sumter

 After years of heated debate over slavery and states’ rights, calls for war reached a fevered pitch in the fall of 1860 when Abraham Lincoln won the presidential election.  Seven Southern states, including South Carolina, seceded from the Union before Lincoln’s inauguration.  The states seized four federal forts within their borders.  The new Confederate States of America sent delegates to the nation’s capital to offer payment and negotiate a peace treaty, but they were turned away.As war loomed, the federal government planned to stockpile provisions at Fort Sumter, which was located in South Carolina’s strategic Charleston Harbor.  Attempts at diplomacy failed, and on April 12, 1861, Confederate General P.G.T. Beauregard ordered his men to fire on Fort Sumter.  Major Robert Anderson surrendered his command of Fort Sumter to the Confederacy after a 34-hour barrage.  In response, Lincoln called for 75,000 volunteer soldiers, four additional Southern states seceded, and the Civil War began.

The Battle of First Bull Run
Both the Union and the Confederacy predicted a short war and an easy victory in the days following the attack on Fort Sumter, South Carolina.  Impatient Northerners pushed President Lincoln to attack the Confederate capital in Richmond, Virginia.On July 16, 1861, Brigadier General Irvin McDowell gathered 35,000 untrained Union soldiers and marched toward Richmond.  The men traveled two days through sweltering heat before reaching Centreville, Virginia, where they rested and regrouped.In nearby Manassas Junction, an equally inexperienced Confederate army of 34,000 men waited, protecting the vital supply line to Richmond.  On July 21, 1861, the two armies met near Bull Run River in the first major land battle of the Civil War.  Congressional families gathered to picnic nearby.  A Confederate brigade commanded by Thomas “Stonewall” Jackson held its ground at the Battle of Bull Run.  The Union army suffered heavy casualties and was forced to retreat.  Sobered by the violence, the nation readied for a long war.

Source: Mystic Stamps

USPS 150th Anniversary (1864-2014) of the American Civil War

 

USPS  on 30 July 2014 issued the fourth installment satisfy the .49 cent Civil War Sesquicentennial stamps. Cancellation postmark originated  from Petersburg, Virginia and Mobile, Alabama, the site of two battles. Banknote Corporation of America for Sennett Security Products printed a total of 10,800,000 self-adhesive stamps, using a  lithograph in double-sided sheets of 72 with six panes of 12 per sheet.

These stamps commemorated the 150th anniversary of the Civil War. They picture the 22nd United States Colored Troops at the Battle of Petersburg and Admiral Farragut’s fleet during the Battle of Mobile Bay.
 
Following his successful siege of Vicksburg and victory at Chattanooga the previous year, Ulysses S. Grant was promoted to general-in-chief of the Union Army in March 1864. In the months that followed, Grant began persistent campaigns against the under-resourced Confederacy.

 

The Union was poised toward victory and prepared to beat down the enemy. Unlike many commanders, Grant did not pull back after a victory, nor did he retreat after a loss. Throughout 1864, the Union Army relentlessly pursued the Confederates, dealing blow after blow to the South. Casualties were overwhelming on both sides, but Southern losses were irreplaceable. The North suffered tactical defeats but gained an overall strategic advantage as the South’s resources were strained to the brink.
 
By the end of 1864, General Robert E. Lee was trapped in the Confederate capital of Richmond with supply lines cut off and resources dwindling by the day. Atlanta, Savannah, and Nashville were lost and the last significant Confederate port, Mobile Bay, had been seized by summer’s end. The successes improved Northern morale and President Lincoln was reelected that November. The tide had turned in the Union’s favor and the end of the War Between the States was soon to follow.

Source: Mystic Stamps

USPS Bicentennial Anniversary of the Battle of Bunker Hill

 

USPS on 17 June 1975 issued a bicentennial first day cover stamp of the Battle of Bunker Hill. This 10 cent stamp was postmarked with a cancellation originating from  Charlestown, Massachusetts. A total of 139,928,000 stamps were printed by the Bureau of Engraving and Printing, using the photogravure method. It was a multicoloured stamp with 11 perforations.

This historic battle is actually misnamed, as the ensuing altercation occurred elsewhere on another hill in Massachusetts. Place name aside, the Battle of Bunker Hill was fought between British forces under General William Howe and New England militiamen under General Israel Putnam and Colonel William Prescott on 17 June 1775. When the Americans received intelligence that the British intended to capture certain strategic heights outside Boston, General Artemus Ward ordered the fortification of Bunker Hill. Inexplicably, the forces under his command took position on nearby Breed’s Hill. After several hours of bloody fighting the Americans were dislodged. But the British paid a terrible price: 228 were dead and 826 were wounded – 42 percent of their total strength.

USPS Bicentennial Anniversary of Herkimer at Oriskany

 

USPS on 6 August 1977 issued a bicentennial first day cover stamp of Herkimer at Oriskany. This 13 cent stamp was postmarked with a cancellation originating from Utica, New York. A total of 156,296,000 stamps were printed by the Bureau of Engraving and Printing, using the photogravure method. It was a multicoloured stamp with 11 perforations.

In the summer of 1777, British troops under Lieutenant Colonel Barry St. Leger traveled down New York’s Mohawk River Valley. When they encountered the American-held Fort Stanwix on 2 August the British began a 20-day siege.

Militia General Nicholas Herkimer (pictured seated on this stamp) was in the area and marched toward the fort to provide relief. However, St. Leger learned of Herkimer’s movements and planned a surprise attack. On the morning of 6 August, Herkimer led his men through a nearby valley (in present-day Oriskany) where they were ambushed by a band of Loyalists and British-allied Indians. Early in the fighting, Herkimer was struck by a musketball that shattered his leg. His men carried him to a nearby beech tree and urged him to be removed from the battlefield. But Herkimer insisted “I will face the enemy” and sat calmy under the tree smoking his pipe, giving orders, and delivering words of encouragement.

Many of the untrained men in the rear of Herkimer’s column fled and were chased by the Native American fighters. Eventually, the American troops rallied and fought their way out of the valley. Around the same time, troops from Fort Stanwix raided nearby Indian camps for supplies. One of the camp’s guards set out for the Oriskany battlefield and informed his fellow warriors, who immediately left to protect their camp. With the larger Indian force leaving the battle, the Loyalist troops left as well, ending the Battle of Oriskany.

St. Leger considered Oriskany a victory because he prevented the American relief column from reaching Fort Stanwix. However, the American troops retained control of the battlefield. And the British-allied Indians – upset that their camps had been raided and possessions stolen – soon abandoned the siege of Fort Stanwix.  Additionally, the battle sparked a civil war between factions of the Iroquois, who had fought on both sides at Oriskany. This was a major blow to the British forces.

USPS Progress in Electronics

USPS on 10  July 1973 issued four stamps depicting the Progress in Electronics. The first day cover cancellation postmark originated from New York, NY. The Bureau of Engraving and printed 53,005,000 stamps. These lithographed, engraved stamps were multicoloured and had 11 perforations.

The series documented the evolution of technology in in Electronics stamps.  They featured  several inventions that were crucial to the electronics we have today.  Included was Guglielmo Marconi's spark coil and spark gap, which enabled him to transmit across the Atlantic Ocean by wireless radio.

Also honoured in these commemorative stamps was Lee de Forest's spark-coil transmitter. His company, American De Forest Wireless Telegraph set up a spark transmitter on Wall Street and established stations in China that enabled journalists to report on the Russo-Japanese War. The company also built high-powered radiotelegraph stations in Florida, Panama, Cuba, and Puerto Rico.

Additionally, solid state circuitry was depicted in another stamp.

USPS Transcontinental Railroad

USPS on 10 May 2019 issued three Forever stamps commemorating the 150th anniversary of the Transcontinental Railroad.  The se-tenant featured the Central Pacific Railroad's Jupiter on the left, Union Pacific Railroad's No. 119 on the right, and "Golden Spike" in the centre. Cancellation postmark for first day cover originated from Promontory Summit, Utah. Banknote Corporation of America used an offset printing method. A total of 50,400,000 self-adhesive stamps were printed.

America's First Transcontinental Railroad was the famous pathway connecting the East and West Coasts of the United States.  It took six years to complete (1863-1869) and shortened cross-country travel from several months to just a few days.

The Jupiter, also known as Central Pacific Railroad #60, made its first run on March 20, 1869.  Less than two months later, the Jupiter made history as one of the two locomotives that met at Promontory Summit, Utah to mark the completion of America’s First Transcontinental Railroad.

Jupiter was a popular name for locomotives in the 1800s.  Named after the “King of Gods” or the “God of the Sky,” Jupiter was a name that inspired wonder and excitement.  Walter McQueen designed his Jupiter, a 4-4-0 steam locomotive, and it was built in 1868 at the Schenectady Locomotive Works.  Once complete, it was disassembled and transported by ship to the Central Pacific headquarters in San Francisco.  Jupiter was reassembled and had its first run on March 20, 1869.  It was run up and down a test track on Front Street and reportedly ran perfectly.  Jupiter was then sent to Nevada to haul passenger trains.  It would soon become a part of history.

USPS Korean War Memorial

USPS on 27 July 2003 issued stamp commemorating the Korean War Veterans Memorial on the 50th anniversary of the Korean War. Cancellation postmark originated from Washington, D.C. Banknote Corporation of America printed 86,800,000 copies of this lithographed black/blue/red/grey stamp featuring the Korean Veterans Memorial. Its serpentine die-cut has 11.5 x 11.75 perforations.

The Korean War Veterans Memorial was officially dedicated on 27 Jul 1995, the 42nd anniversary of the armistice that ended the Korean War.

Plans for the memorial wall date back to the 1980s. Congress officially approved it on 20 April 1986, with the project managed by the Korean War Veterans Memorial Advisory Board and the American Battle Monuments Commission.

The board then held a design competition and President George H.W. Bush oversaw the groundbreaking on 14 June 1993. The construction took about two years.

The memorial consists of several different parts. The main feature is the 164-foot-long Mural Wall in the shape of a triangle. The wall was sandblasted with over 2,500 photographs of troops serving on land, sea, and in the air.

Within this triangle are 19 stainless steel statues that range in height from 7 foot 3 inches to 7 foot six inches. These figures represent each of the branches of the armed forces – 14 from the Army, three from the Marines, one from the Navy and one from the Air Force. They each wear full combat gear and appear to be walking through bushes representing Korea’s terrain.

North of these statues is the United Nations Wall, which lists the 22 member nations that provided troops or medical support during the war. At the top of the triangle wall is a pool of remembrance surrounded by linden trees and benches. Here there are inscriptions of the number of troops killed, wounded, missing in action, and held as prisoners of war.

The memorial was officially dedicated on 27 July 1995, with U.S. President Bill Clinton and Korean President Kim Young Sam in attendance. Eight years later, the USPS issued a stamp honouring the memorial. The stamp features a photo of the statues on a snowy day, taken by a Marine. The stamp was later at the center of a federal court case!

The sculptor of the statues wanted compensation for the commercial use of his art, because he didn’t sign away his intellectual property rights. The USPS tried to argue that it was actually architecture, and that he alone didn’t design them, but he ultimately won the case.

Source: Mystic Stamps

USPS Legends of Hollywood Series - Ingrid Bergman

USPS on 20 August 2015 issued a .49 sent stamp commemorating the 100th birth anniversary of Ingrid Bergman, nine day before her birth date. It was among the Legends of Hollywood stamps that the USPS released. Cancellation postmark originated from Los Angeles, California. Banknote Corporation of America for Sennett Security Products Banknote printed 20,000,000 offset copies in sheets of 180, with 9 panes of 20. Perforation was a serpentine die-cut 10 ¾.

Ingrid Bergman was born on 29 August 1915 in Stockholm, Sweden, and was named after the princess of Sweden at the time.

Bergman’s father encouraged her to be an opera star, paying for her voice lessons for three years. But Bergman knew from a young age that she wanted to be an actress. She had often worn her mother’s clothes and held plays in her father’s art studio.

 

Both of Bergman’s parents died by the time she was 13, leaving her to live with relatives. During this time, she received a scholarship to the Royal Dramatic Theatre School (where Greta Garbo had previously studied). Within a few months, she got her first role in a new play, Ett Brott (A Crime). This was unusual at the time, as female students weren’t typically granted acting roles until they’d completed three years of study.

The summer after her first year, a Swedish film studio hired Bergman. So she left the school to work as a full-time actress. Bergman appeared as an extra in the 1932 film "Landskamp" and then had her first small part in the 1935 movie "Munkbrogreven". In the coming years, Bergman appeared in another dozen Swedish films, as well as one in Germany.

While starring in the Swedish film "Intermezzo", Bergman was discovered by American film producer David Selznick.  He purchased the rights to remake the film in the U.S., casting Bergman in the starring role.  She was nervous at first, because she couldn’t speak English and expected to film the one movie then return to Sweden. Selznick was impressed by her dedication though, noting that, “Miss Bergman is the most completely conscientious actress with whom I have ever worked, in that she thinks of absolutely nothing but her work before and during the time she is doing a picture.”

Intermezzo was an instant hit that launched Bergman’s career in America. After making one more film in Sweden, she returned to America to film "Adam Had Four Son", "Rage in Heaven" and "Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde".

But Bergman’s next film would be her most memorable. In 1942, she co-starred in "Casablanca" opposite Humphrey Bogart. Despite the film’s popularity, Bergman always said it wasn’t one of her favorites. “I made so many films which were more important, but the only one people ever want to talk about is that one with Bogart.” Though she later admitted, “I feel about "Casablanca" that it has a life of its own. There is something mystical about it. It seems to have filled a need, a need that was there before the film, a need that the film filled.”

The following year, Bergman appeared in her first color film, "For Whom the Bell Tolls", based on a novel by Earnest Hemingway. After seeing her performance in "Intermezzo", Hemingway said she had to play the part. And after they met, he insisted, “You are Maria!” The film earned Bergman her first Academy Award nomination for Best Actress.

In 1944, Bergman won the Academy Award for her performance in "Gaslight". And the following year she earned her third consecutive nomination for her portrayal of a nun in "The Bells of St. Mary’s" opposite Bing Crosby. She then appeared in a string of Alfred Hitchcock films and "Joan of Arc", a movie she’d pushed for since playing the role on Broadway.

Early in her Hollywood career, Bergman portrayed “good girls,” a persona easily loved by the public.  Eager to prove her range as an actress, she sought different character roles, performing them to widespread acclaim. But Bergman’s well-publicized marriage to Italian director Roberto Rossellini caused a sharp departure in her career.  By moving to Italy, she lost contact with the American film industry and her fans for six years.  However, when she returned to Hollywood, her career quickly rejuvenated with her starring role in the 1956 film "Anastasia". Bergman continued to act on stage and screen in the coming years, becoming one of just a few women to receive three Oscars following her performance in "Murder on the Orient Express" in 1974.

Over four decades, Bergman amassed four Golden Globes, three Academy Awards, two Emmys, and a Tony.  She acted in over 50 films in five different languages.  Ingrid Bergman is, and forever will be, remembered as one of the most accomplished actresses of the 20th century.

Source: Mystic Stamps

USPS Legends of Hollywood Series - Audrey Hepburn

USPS on 11 June 2003 released the Legends of Hollywood Series - Audrey Hepburn. The first day cover cancellation postmark originated in Los Angeles, California. Ashton Potter (USA) Ltd printed 80,000,000 lithographed stamps. This multicolored stamp featured a serpentine die-cut of 10.75  perforations.

Audrey Hepburn was born on May 4, 1929, in Brussels, Belgium. She spent her childhood in Belgium, England, and the Netherlands.  During World War II, she lived in German-occupied Arnhem.  Conditions for her family were so difficult they ate tulip bulbs just to stay alive.  In spite of this, Hepburn helped the resistance movement by delivering messages and raising funds.

From a young age, Hepburn loved to dance.  She studied ballet in Amsterdam and London before making her stage debut as a chorus girl in High Button Shoes in 1948.  Her dancing career flourished over the next two years, earning a featured role in Sauce Piquante in 1950.
Hepburn made the leap to film in 1951, appearing uncredited in "One Wild Oat".  She then performed in "Young Wives’ Tale" and "The Lavender Hill Mob".  While Hepburn was on set filming "Monte Carlo Baby", French author Colette was visiting, looking for an actress to star in her upcoming Broadway play, "Gigi".  Upon seeing Hepburn, she proclaimed, “Voilà, there’s your Gigi,” and cast her on the spot.  Gigi was Hepburn’s introduction to American audiences and her first speaking stage role.  Though critics noted her inexperience, they were fascinated by her charm.

Not long after Gigi premiered, Hepburn was approached by movie studios in Hollywood.  Within two years she made her American film debut in "Roman Holiday", opposite Gregory Peck.  Hepburn won the hearts of audiences and critics alike.  She became the first actress to win an Academy Award, Golden Globe, and BAFTA (British Academy of Film and Television Arts) Award for one performance.  The following year, in 1954, Hepburn returned to Broadway to star in "Ondine" with Mel Ferrer, who she later married.  That performance earned Hepburn her first Tony award.  Also in 1954 Hepburn played the title character in Sabrina, opposite Humphrey Bogart and William Holden.

Hepburn followed those performances with one in "War and Peace", along with her husband and Henry Fonda. Then she got to show off her dancing skills when she appeared in "Funny Face" in 1957 opposite the legendary Fred Astaire.

In 1959, Hepburn earned another Academy Award Nomination for her role in "The Nun’s Story".  One reviewer claimed, “[Audrey] Hepburn has her most demanding film role, and she gives her finest performance.”  In 1961, Hepburn made one of her most iconic performances, as Holly Golightly in "Breakfast at Tiffany’s".  That role earned Hepburn her fourth Academy Award.

Hepburn went on to star in "Charade", opposite Cary Grant, and underwent one of her most famous transformations for "My Fair Lady" in 1964.  Hepburn continued to act through the 1970s and 80s, with her last appearance coming in 1989’s "Always".

Since 1954, Hepburn had been a consistent contributor to UNICEF (United Nations Children’s Fund).  In the late 1980s she became a goodwill ambassador, making over 50 trips to poor communities in Africa, South America, and Asia.  She also traveled the globe to raise awareness, because she knew what it was like to go hungry as a child.  In December 1992, Hepburn received the Presidential Medal of Freedom for her work.  She died a month later at her Switzerland home on January 20, 1993.   Hepburn was posthumously awarded a special Academy Award for her humanitarian work.

USPS Legends of Hollywood - Katherine Hepburn

USPS on 12 May 2010 issued another Legends of Hollywood stamp, honouring this time actress Katharine Hepburn. The cancellation postm,ark originated from Old Saybrook, Connecticut.

Katharine Houghton Hepburn was born on 12 May 1907 in Hartford, Connecticut.From a young age, Hepburn’s parents encouraged her to be outspoken and develop both her body and mind. Following her brother’s suicide in 1921, Hepburn fell in a debilitating depression for several years. For much of her career, she claimed his birthday (8 November) as her own. Hepburn eventually overcame the tragedy and attended Bryn Mawr College near Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. While there, she was suspended for breaking curfew and smoking. (She later confessed she also swam naked in the college’s fountain.) Hepburn wore slacks long before they became fashionable, disliked makeup, and often refused to sign autographs. Unconventional behavior became her hallmark.

It was also at Bryn Mawr that Hepburn discovered her love of acting. During her senior year she claimed the lead role in "The Woman in the Moon". The positive reviews she received convinced her that acting was her future. After graduating with a degree in history and philosophy, Hepburn went to New York where she appeared in a number of plays on and off Broadway. After moderate success on the stage, Hepburn was cast in "The Warrior’s Husband". She received excellent reviews, including one from the New York World-Telegram stating, “It’s been many a night since so glowing a performance has brightened the Broadway scene.”

A Hollywood agent also happened to catch her performance and recommended her for the upcoming RKO film, A Bill of Divorcement. Hepburn demanded $1,500 a week, a high amount for an unknown actress. But the director was so impressed with her that he encouraged the studio to take a chance.

Hepburn met actor Spencer Tracy in 1942 during the filming of  "Woman of the Year", and the pair quickly became one of Hollywood’s most recognisable couples. Tracy and Hepburn appeared in nine films together, including classics such as "Adam’s Rib" and "Guess Who’s Coming to Dinner". Hepburn even took a break in her acting career to care for Tracy in his final years.

Hepburn continued to act into the 1990s, though her health began to decline. She died on 29 June 2003, in the house where she grew up 96 years earlier. Over the course of her career, Hepburn won a record four Academy Awards and was named the greatest female star in the history of American cinema by the American Film Institute.