Art of the Stamp

Beautiful postage stamps are like jewels, designed to grace an envelope with artistic flair. 

They tell us where in the world the letter originated, and provide an interesting record of inflation in their ever rising prices.

United States postage stamps have certainly become more varied and colorful since the '60s, when many featured American presidents, the Liberty Bell, the American flag or the Capitol in Washington, D.C., all produced with a single dull color.  A dour George Washington glared from the 5 cent stamp in the late '70s.

In 1987, this vividly colored stamp depicting a Girl Scouts sash with badges came with a letter from my friend Candace, who always seems to choose interesting postage.  Another favorite from Candace is a highly detailed mauve-colored shell called a Frilled Dogwinkle.

In the late '90s, photographic images of sports figures such as Vince Lombardi and Pop Warner were pictured on 32 cent postcard stamps, reflecting our country's idolization of sports, especially football.

Looking over my collection of letters, I see that the price of first class postage was a mere 5 cents in the '60s, up to 10 cents in the mid '70s, 13 cents in 1976, and 15 cents by the end of the decade.  Now, with first class postage at 43 cents, it's not surprising that people choose free email and text messaging for most of their communications.  It's also clear why the U.S. Postal Service had to come up with Forever stamps that can always be used for first class mail, regardless of inevitable price increases.

In 1985, stamps bearing the likenesses of composer Igor Stravinsky, Senator Henry Clay and mental health activist Dorothea Dix mingled with a series of stamps celebrating democracy on a postcard mailed for 14 cents.  The democracy series stamps pictured here read: "The ability to write - a root of democracy" and "A public that reads - a root of democracy."  Reverence for reading and writing on a stamp - I love it!

Some of my favorite stamps were affixed to letters from England, Italy, France and China.  They entice me with visions of fascinating places yet to be seen.

The art of the letter: writing from the heart, preferably by hand, on beautiful paper chosen by the writer, enclosed in an envelope and completed with a magnificent stamp.