Category Archives: History

George W. Bush Presidential Library Dedicated Today

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The George W. Bush Presidential Library and Museum will be officially dedicated today in Dallas, Texas. We are marking the occasion with a look back at the Presidential Libraries stamp, which was issued in 2005 to commemorate the 50th anniversary of the Presidential Libraries Act of 1955.

usps05sta025The Act, which enabled Presidents to donate their materials to the federal government for preservation and public access, was inspired by the example of President Franklin D. Roosevelt. Articulating the need for a safe, accessible archive for the materials of each administration, President Roosevelt stated that a repository was needed to “bring together the records of the past and to house them in buildings where they will be preserved for the use of men and women in the future.”

Since then, Presidential Libraries have been established in the home state of each President. Funds to build the libraries come from private sources, while the National Archives and Records Administration (NARA), under the auspices of the federal government, provides for their maintenance and operation.

The Presidential Records Act of 1978 went further and defined all papers generated during a President’s completed term in office as the property of the United States Government and placed the records under the custody of the Archivist of the United States. The 1978 act also established that the Presidential Library system should continue as the repository for subsequent Presidential records.

USPS05STA025AThe George W. Bush Presidential Library and Museum opens to the public on May 1, 2013. As citizens in a democracy, Americans have the right and are encouraged to visit the Presidential Libraries. At every library, casual visitors and serious scholars alike, will find, in addition to an accessible archive of Presidential papers, an associated museum that offers an ongoing series of public programs on a variety of cultural and historical topics. Many of the programs cater to school-age children.

At the time the Presidential Libraries stamp was issued, there were 11 libraries in the system housing materials from the administrations of Presidents Herbert Hoover, Franklin D. Roosevelt, Harry S. Truman, Dwight D. Eisenhower, John F. Kennedy, Lyndon Baines Johnson, Gerald R. Ford, Jimmy Carter, Ronald Reagan, George H. W. Bush, and William J. Clinton. (The Richard M. Nixon Presidential Library was added soon after the stamp’s release.)

The Presidential Libraries stamp was issued at one of these libraries. Which one was it?

Send your answer—along with your name and mailing address—to uspsstamps [at] gmail [dot] com. If you answer correctly you will automatically be entered to win a collectible Presidential Libraries ceremony program. We have 14 programs to give away, so there are plenty of chances to win. A 15th winner will receive not only the official 2005 ceremony program but also one Presidential Libraries American Commemorative Panel. This limited-edition, full-color collectible includes informative text about the stamps, photographs, and four mounted, mint-condition Presidential Libraries stamps.

DSC03420All winners will be selected at random. The deadline for entries is 11:59 p.m. EDT Friday, April 26. Good luck!

Congratulations to the winners of the Presidential Libraries giveaway. We tried to fool you with a trick question, but you all are too smart for us. The stamps were issued at all of the libraries, so every answer was a correct answer! All 15 winners have already been notified by email. If you didn’t win this time, stick around because there’s bound to be another contest just around the corner.

Happy birthday, Superman!

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75 years ago today the Man of Steel debuted in the pages of Action Comics #1 (cover dated June 1938). Since then his daring deeds of good not only have changed the world (and the world of comic books) but also have inspired all of us to make a difference.

USPS06STA014HThis stamp is one of two Superman stamps released in 2006. When did he make his first U.S. postage stamp appearance?

USPS Celebrates La Florida’s 500th Anniversary

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Last week USPS commemorated the 500th anniversary of the naming of Florida with the issuance of a block of four colorful Forever® stamps, titled “La Florida.” This bouquet of stamps evokes the beauty of the state’s lush flora. The stamp dedication ceremony was held at Flagler College in St. Augustine.

LaFlorida-Forever-pane-BGv2“From the moment Ponce de Leon arrived on these shores, Florida has been a destination for dreamers,” said USPS Southern Area Operations Vice President Jo Ann Feindt, who dedicated the stamps. “This state occupies a special place in the American imagination, and so these stamps give people another way to share the wonders of Florida.”

Joining Feindt in dedicating the new stamps were U.S. Sen. Bill Nelson of Florida and St. Augustine Mayor Joseph L. Boles. Also participating were Florida Department of State Secretary Ken Detzner; Flagler College President Dr. William T. Abare; and actor Chad Light, who portrays Juan Ponce de León for the State of Florida.

“Being a fifth-generation Floridian who has visited every part of the state and even seen it from space, I can tell you it’s unmatched in its beauty and diverse heritage,” said Senator Nelson. “It’s fitting the U.S. Postal Service is creating a stamp to commemorate the 500 years of history since Ponce de Leόn.”

photo 4

From left, reencator Chad Light, U.S. Postal Service Southern Area Vice President Jo Ann Feindt, Sen. Bill Nelson, St. Augustine Mayor Joe Bolles, and Flagler College President William Abare unveil the La Florida commemorative stamp in Lewis Auditorium at Flagler College in downtown St. Augustine. Credit: Jackie Hird.

The 46-cent La Florida (Forever®) stamps are produced in four designs. They are good for mailing 1-ounce First-Class letters anytime in the future regardless of price changes and are available for purchase at local Post Offices, online at usps.com/stamps, or by calling 800-STAMP24 (800-782-6724).

Ceremony program

This full-color program features the First Day Ceremony agenda and the list of participants on one side, with narrative about the stamp design on the reverse. The program is tucked inside a colorful 9 x 6-inch envelope that bears a randomly selected affixed, La Florida (Forever®) stamp and the official First Day of Issue cancellation. Click the image for details.

Ordering First-Day-of-Issue Postmarks
To obtain the first-day-of-issue postmark by mail, purchase the new stamps and affix them to the envelopes of your choice. Address the stamped envelopes to yourself or others and place them in larger envelopes addressed to:

La Florida Stamp
U.S. Postal Service
99 King St
St. Augustine FL 32084-9998

After applying the first-day-of-issue postmark, USPS will return the envelopes through the mail. There is no charge for the postmark for fewer than 50 requests. All orders must be postmarked by June 3, so don’t delay!

The Fleeting Beauty of Cherry Blossoms

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The 2013 National Cherry Blossom Festival ends tomorrow, but there’s still time to pick up the 2012 Cherry Blossom Centennial (Forever®) stamps. On the back of the sheet is a beautiful poem by Ki no Tomonori (c. 850–c.904):

Notecards

This charming set includes 8 letterpress cards (four different designs), 8 eye-catching envelopes, and 8 Cherry Blossom Centennial (Forever®) stamps. Click the image for details.

the light filling the air
is so mild this spring day
only the cherry blossoms
keep falling in haste—
why is that so?

The poem captures the fleeting beauty of cherry blossoms, which are only around for a short time every spring. They appear annually, and then they’re quickly gone. According to the National Cherry Blossom Festival’s “Bloom Watch” web site: “The blooming period starts several days before the peak bloom date and can last as long as 14 days; however, frost or high temperatures combined with wind or rain can shorten this period.” (The Bloom Watch page also has a detailed list of peak bloom times over the years. The list goes back more than two decades.)

Can’t make the National Cherry Blossom Festival? The National Park Service has a cherry blossom web cam. That way, you can watch the cherry blossom trees bloom in real time!

A Brief History of Cherry Blossoms on Stamps

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Commemorative Panel

Quantities of this American Commemorative Panel are limited. Don’t miss out! Click the image for details.

The gorgeous 2012 Cherry Blossom Centennial (Forever®) stamps aren’t the first to have featured the distinctive springtime attraction of our nation’s capital. Here’s a quick look at a few other stamps that depict the beautiful pink blooms.

In 2012, USPS issued a sheet of Forever® stamps honoring First Lady Lady Bird Johnson and her efforts to beautify America. “Plant for a more Beautiful America,” the center stamp, depicts the Jefferson Memorial seen through branches of flowering cherry blossoms. This stamp, originally issued in the 1960s, was adapted in 2012 for printing in offset lithography by artist Paloma Alcalá.

Blossom-Forever-single-BGv1In 2008, as part of the Flags of Our Nation series, cherry blossoms appeared on the District of Columbia 42-cent stamp. The illustration, by Tom Engeman, showcased the D.C. flag, which was inspired by George Washington’s family coat of arms and features two red bars and three stars.

11-DC42-single-BGv1In 2003, USPS celebrated District of Columbia with a 37-cent stamp. The stamp is shaped like a diamond, as was the original 100-square-mile tract of land chosen to be the permanent site of the nation’s capital. Cherry blossoms fill the bottom quadrant of the stamp.

USPS03STA026DAnd in 1989, a 15-cent postcard featuring the Jefferson Memorial hit Post Offices across the United States. The postcard image features the Tidal Basin landmark framed by cherry blossoms.

UX144Which is your favorite?