Canada Post Parcel Volume Soars

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[press release]
Christmas-level parcel volumes resulting in delays as Canada Post continues to deliver

OTTAWA – With many Canadians isolating at home and shopping more online, Canada Post is now processing and delivering parcels at levels only experienced during the busiest weeks of the Christmas season. We are working hard to respond in a responsible manner, putting the safety of our people, and the communities we serve, first.

Canada Post is advising customers across the country to expect delays with their parcel deliveries. The heavy incoming parcel volumes, combined with the important safety measures we’ve implemented in our processing facilities, mean it is taking longer to process. Those measures include physical distancing in facilities that were never designed for keeping people two metres apart.

We continue to operate across the country and have been delivering in record numbers. For example, on Monday April 20, we delivered more than 1.8 million parcels to Canadians. That’s similar to the biggest delivery days we see during the Christmas season. Customers should continue to track their parcels online through canadapost.caor the Canada Post app.

Canada Post is proud to continue providing an essential service to Canadians as everyone does their part to stop the spread of the virus. Our top priority from the start has been to put safety first. That has meant implementing significant changes right across our operations, following the guidance of national and local public health authorities.

Other important changes regarding parcels:
Parcel Delivery: To eliminate customer interactions at the door, reduce post office customer traffic and support social and physical distancing, we have implemented a Knock, Drop and Go approach. Delivery employees knock or ring, choose the safest location available to leave the item and then depart for the next address. This change eliminates the need for signatures at the door, speeds up delivery and has greatly reduced the number of parcels sent to our post offices for pickup.

Parcel pickup at post office: For the remaining parcels left at the post office for pickup (items requiring ID), they will not be returned-to-sender until further notice. We’ve suspended our normal 15-day hold period. We ask that customers who are feeling ill or self-isolating, to please delay their visit to the post office and to pick up their parcel when it’s safe to do so. We’ve put physical-distancing measures in our post offices and installed clear plastic guards at the counter.

We thank Canadians for their continued patience and support for the measures we’ve put in place for everyone’s safety. Please continue to provide our people with at least two metres of space when you see them out in the community or at a post office.
For a full list of the changes we’ve put in place and other updates related to COVID-19, please visit canadapost.ca and click on the banner at the top of the page.

Photos courtesy Canada Post.

Victory In Europe, 1945-2020 (Canada 2020)

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Issue date: April 29, 2020

From Canada Post:

Canada Post is issuing two stamps symbolically honouring every Canadian who served overseas and on the home front to mark the 75th anniversary of Victory in Europe Day (May 8, 1945), when Nazi Germany surrendered to Allied forces, ending the Second World War in Europe.

The stamps tell the stories of Private Léo Major, who fought to liberate the Netherlands, and factory worker Veronica Foster, who helped recruit women to the wartime workforce. Together, they represent the more than two million Canadian men and women who played a key role in the Allied victory.

The stamp issue includes a booklet of 10 PERMANENT domestic-rate stamps (130,000 booklets/1.3 million stamps), five of each design, as well as two Official First Day Covers (7,000 each design). The stamps were designed by Ivan Novotny and printed by the Lowe-Martin.

There will not be an “unveiling event” for the stamps, but Canada Post promises a special video will be made available online. Both Léo Major and Veronica Foster have passed away.

In response to a Virtual Stamp Club inquiry, Canada Post’s Joy Parks tell us “Major died on October 12, 2008, and was buried at the Last Post Fund National Field of Honour in Pointe-Claire. Foster passed away on May 4, 2000.”

Canada Post had full cooperation from their families.

The Day-of-Issue press release:

[press release]
Canada Post honours the 75th anniversary of Victory in Europe Day
Two stories of Canadians mark the defeat of the Nazi regime.

OTTAWA, April 29, 2020 /CNW/ – Canada Post unveiled two stamps honouring every Canadian who served overseas and on the home front to mark the 75th anniversary of Victory in Europe Day (May 8, 1945), when Nazi Germany surrendered to Allied forces, ending the Second World War in Europe.

The stamps tell the stories of Private Léo Major, who fought to liberate the Netherlands, and factory worker Veronica Foster, who helped recruit women to the wartime workforce. Together, they symbolize the more than two million Canadian men and women who played a key role in the Allied victory.

In April 1945, Private Major, of the Canadian Army’s Régiment de la Chaudière, was part of the Allied force advancing rapidly through Holland, liberating Dutch civilians from years of brutal Nazi occupation. Known as the “one-eyed ghost” after a bomb blast left him with only partial vision, Major and his friend Corporal Welly Arsenault had volunteered to scout the German-occupied Dutch town of Zwolle. When Arsenault was killed early in the mission, Major took revenge by storming the enemy outposts alone. Tricking the Germans into believing they were under full attack, he single-handedly captured dozens of prisoners and, with the help of the local resistance, forced the enemy’s retreat. Major earned the Distinguished Conduct Medal and the lasting gratitude of the townspeople for his heroism.

Canada’s military and economy were supported by unprecedented numbers of Canadian women who filled vital roles in factories and on farms during the war. Foster was among them. A vivacious and patriotic young woman, she spent her days assembling Bren machine guns at a factory in Toronto, where she was discovered. The Canadian government created a powerful promotional campaign around “Ronnie the Bren gun girl,” motivating a generation of women to roll up their sleeves to support the Allied effort. Foster is thought to have inspired the creation of the fictional “Rosie the Riveter” character in ads that later appeared in the United States.

The stamp issue includes a booklet of 10 Permanent™ domestic-rate stamps, five of each design, as well as two Official First Day Covers. The stamps were designed by Ivan Novotny, Taylor Sprules Corporation, and printed by the Lowe-Martin Group.

Stamps and collectibles are available at canadapost.ca/shop.

Canada Post Message to Stamp Collectors (April 2020)

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As an essential service, Canada Post is doing everything it can to ensure the safety of its customers, employees and communities during the COVID-19 pandemic. Since temporary changes have been made to how stamps are distributed to postal outlets, there is no guarantee that new issues will be available at all retail sites. To be sure you don’t miss anything, our online store is ready to take your order at canadapost.ca/shop.

The following changes have also been made over the short term:

  • This issue of Details No. 3 is available in digital format only.
  • Fewer editions of Details will be published until the COVID-19 crisis has passed.
  • Stamp unveiling events will be cancelled for the months of April and May.
  • The shipping of April standing orders will be delayed for several weeks.

Shown above: The Eid stamp, issued April 24th without an unveiling event.

Canada Post is also postponing two issues planned for the first half of 2020:

  • Legends of Canadian Ballet has been postponed to a later date (to be determined)
  • Vintage Travel Posters stamps will now be issued in 2021

Canada Post director of media relations Phil Legault adds that the agency will “provide collectors additional content – and in the case of the Victory in Europe stamp issue, a special video – on the Canada Post Magazine website.”

Eid (Canada 2020)

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Issue date: April 24, 2020

From Canada Post:
Eid Mubarak! The traditional Arabic greeting of “have a blessed Eid” is presented in calligraphy on this stamp issued to mark the two most important festivals in the Islamic calendar. Eid al-Fitr and Eid al-Adha are celebrated by Muslims around the world, including more than one million Muslims in Canada.

Designed by Context Creative, the stamp features Arabic calligraphy that reads Eid Mubarak – a common greeting that means “Have a blessed Eid.” Printed by Lowe-Martin, the Permanent™ stamps are available in a booklet of 10 PERMANENT™ domestic-rate stamps (130,000 booklets/1.3 million stamps) and an Official First Day Cover (7,000). Order directly here.The booklet pane (above)

Eid Moubarak! Un nouveau timbre annonciateur de deux fêtes islamiques

TORONTO, le 24 avril 2020 – Aujourd’hui, Postes Canada a émis un nouveau timbre commémoratif en l’honneur des deux plus importantes fêtes de la religion islamique : l’Aïd al-Fitr et l’Aïd al-Adha. Les événements, qui cette année commenceront le 23 mai et le 30 juillet respectivement, sont célébrés par plus d’un million de musulmans au Canada.

Au sujet des fêtes
L’Aïd al-Fitr, la fête de la rupture du jeûne, marque la fin du ramadan, le mois sacré du calendrier islamique durant lequel de nombreux musulmans jeûnent de l’aube au crépuscule. L’Aïd al-Adha, la fête du sacrifice, souligne la fin du pèlerinage annuel à La Mecque, dont les plans pourraient changer cette année en raison de la pandémie de COVID-19. D’une durée de plusieurs jours, ces deux fêtes sont généralement synonymes de prières en groupe, de visites familiales, de festins communs, de cadeaux et d’actes de charité.

À propos du timbre
Créé par Context Creative et imprimé par Lowe-Martin, le timbre porte la mention calligraphiée Eid Mubarak qui signifie « Vœux d’un Aïd béni » en arabe. Un carnet de 10 timbres PermanentsMC au tarif du régime intérieur et un pli Premier Jour officiel sont offerts. The Official First Day Cover (above)

Romantic Poets (UK 2020)

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[press release]
Royal Mail Issues New Stamps on the 250th Anniversary of the Birth Of William Wordsworth

  • Wordsworth is regarded as having been at the forefront of the Romantic movement of British poetry
  • The stamps also celebrate other notable Romantic poets from the period: William Blake; John Keats; Lord Byron; Samuel Taylor Coleridge; Mary Robinson; Percy Bysshe Shelley; Walter Scott; John Clare; and Letitia Elizabeth Landon
  • Each stamp uses an extract from one of their most popular and enduring works, along with a specially-commissioned illustration by the artist, Linda Farquharson
  • Royal Mail worked with the award-winning biographer, Jonathan Bate on the stamp; issue
  • A full set of all 10 stamps, available in a Presentation Pack, retails at £8.50
  • The stamps and a range of collectible products are available now at www.royalmail.com/romanticpoets and by phone on 03457 641 641
  • The stamps will be available on general sale from today (7 April)

Royal Mail has announced the launch of 10 new Special Stamps on the 250th anniversary of the birth of William Wordsworth, the renowned Romantic poet, born on 7th April 1770.

The stamps also celebrate other major Romantic poets: William Blake; John Keats; Lord Byron; Samuel Taylor Coleridge; Mary Robinson; Percy Bysshe Shelley; Walter Scott; John Clare; and Letitia Elizabeth Landon.

Each stamp uses an extract from one of their most popular and enduring works, along with a specially-commissioned, monochrome design that reflects the theme of the poem.

The Romantic poets made poetry more passionate and more personal than ever before, and they embraced romantic landscapes and the natural world with vigour. Some became international household names. Lord Byron (1788–1824) was the original celebrity author and Sir Walter Scott (1771–1832) became famous as the inventor of the historical novel. By contrast, the genius of some others, notably William Blake (1757–1827) and John Clare (1793– 1864), was recognised only after their deaths.

The poet who came to be seen as the primary voice of the Romantic movement, was William Wordsworth (1770–1850). Wordsworth’s early work was initially neglected. Lyrical Ballads (written with his friend and contemporary, Samuel Taylor Coleridge) and published anonymously, was often derided, but leading Victorian thinkers would come to regard him as the greatest English poet since Shakespeare.

In 1843, Queen Victoria made Wordsworth her Poet Laureate. When he died seven years later, his influence was immense, and his poetry genuinely changed the world.

Coleridge (1772– 1834) wrote some of his best work around the turn of the century – penning the mysterious ‘Kubla Khan’ as well as his beautiful poem ‘Frost at Midnight’, addressed to his sleeping baby son Hartley.

An admired female poet of the era was Mary Robinson (1757–1800) [stamp illustrated above]. In her mid-twenties, Mary was crippled by rheumatic fever and lost the use of her legs. She remade herself as a bestselling novelist, an author of a book arguing for women’s rights and a prolific lyric poet.

Many other women poets were celebrated during this period, including Letitia Elizabeth Landon (1802–38), who published under the initials LEL, and became known as ‘the female Byron’. Her life was beset by scandal, but her poetry – most of it published in the early 19th-century – was greatly admired for its intelligence and imagination.

Technically, Lord Byron was a master of every poetic form, as adept in satire and wit as in the lyric of love or the evocation of Mediterranean landscapes. In exile on the Continent following a scandalous divorce, he befriended Percy Bysshe Shelley (1792–1822) [stamp design above]. Shelley was both a romantic idealist and a political radical: he was at his best in his glorious odes addressed to the skylark and to the west wind. He died, tragically, just before his 30th birthday, when out sailing in a storm off the Italian coast.

Another early death was that of John Keats (1795–1821), who succumbed to tuberculosis in Rome, aged just 25. Keats was the epitome of the Romantic poet: impoverished but idealistic, full of vitality in everything he wrote but always conscious of mortality. As with Shelley, his most anthologised poems are his odes, lyrical works addressed to a particular subject – in Keats’s case, a nightingale or the season of autumn or a beautiful urn that has survived since ancient Greece, with its depictions of sensuous scenes and its message that truth is beauty and beauty truth.

Some of the Romantics were highly respectable figures, such as Sir Walter Scott, whose poem, The Lady of the Lake,inspired generations of tourists to visit the Scottish Highlands; others were marginal, isolated figures. William Blake [stamp design below] published his own works in tiny, illustrated, hand-engraved editions. Though his ‘Jerusalem’ is now known by everyone, and his Songs of Innocence and of Experience are much loved, not many read his poems while he was alive. John Clare, meanwhile, achieved brief fame as ‘the Northamptonshire Peasant Poet’ – he suffered from poverty, neglect and mental illness, spending the last 25 years of his life in a lunatic asylum.

Royal Mail spokesperson Philip Parker said: “The Romantic poets composed some of the most loved poetry of all time, and our striking new stamps celebrate the genius of their imaginations.”

Royal Mail worked with the award-winning biographer, Jonathan Bate, on the stamp issue. The images are lino-cut illustrations by the artist, Linda Farquharson.

The full range of stamps, and other collectible products are available now at www.royalmail.com/romanticpoets and by phone on 03457 641 641.

The full set of 10 stamps, available in a Presentation Pack, retails at £8.50.

Typically Dutch: Tompouce (Netherlands 2020)

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[press release via Google Translate]
Ode to the Pink (and Sometimes Orange) Tompouce

The Hague, April 6, 2020 – PostNL has released new stamps in the Typically Dutch series. This time the tompouce is central, the famous pink pastry that is usually orange on King’s Day. This year, the Typically Dutch series focuses on foods and dishes that are characteristic of our country.

Pink glaze
After it was the turn of the smoked sausage, carrots and sprinkles earlier this year, PostNL is paying tribute to the tompouce with these latest stamps. Each tompouce consists of 2 layers of puff pastry, with pastry cream or whipped cream in between. On the top is pink (and sometimes orange) glaze.

Three times Amsterdam
The design of Typically Dutch – tompouce is by graphic designer Edwin van Praet of Total Design from Amsterdam. The photos were taken by Scrambled Media, also from Amsterdam. Coincidence lends a hand, because the first tompouce is also said to have been made around 1845 by a confectioner from Amsterdam, as a variant of the French pastry millefeuille. Tom Pouce is in French what Tom Thumb is in English and Klein Thumb in Dutch.

Crumbly dough
According to tradition, the pastry chef named his pastry after a circus artist named General Tom Thumb who was reportedly only 66 cm tall. Another explanation is that the puff pastry of a tompouce crumbs when you eat it. Just like in the fairy tale of Klein Thumb who sprinkled crumbs in the forest to find the way back home.

Availability
The stamp sheetlet Typically Dutch – tompouce has 6 equal stamps with the value indication Netherlands 1, intended for mail up to and including 20 grams with a destination within the Netherlands. The stamps will be available from April 6, 2020 at the Bruna stores and through the website. The stamps can also be ordered by telephone from the Collect Club customer service on telephone number 088 – 868 99 00. The period of validity is indefinite.

First U.S. Postal Worker Dies From COVID-19

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The first known U.S. postal worker has died from the coronavirus, according to the National Postal Mail Handlers Union. Anthony Smith (below) was a member of Local 307 in Detroit.

Smith worked for the USPS for 30 years, and served in the Army for 12. He “was married and loved kids; he helped raise fifteen children,” the NPMHU said. “Anthony loved music, a good barbeque and singing karaoke. He was a funny man that enjoyed telling jokes and spending time with family and friends.”

Scott Catalogue Update (April 2020)

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5434 (55¢) Celebrate

5435 (55¢) Wild Orchids coil stamp, Platanthera grandiflora, serpentine die cut 10¾ vert.
5436 (55¢) Wild Orchids coil stamp, Cyrtopodium polyphyllum, serpentine die cut 10¾ vert.
5437 (55¢) Wild Orchids coil stamp, Calopogon tuberosus, serpentine die cut 10¾ vert.
5438 (55¢) Wild Orchids coil stamp, Spiranthes odorata, serpentine die cut 10¾ vert.
5439 (55¢) Wild Orchids coil stamp, Triphora trianthophorus (two flowers), serpentine die cut 10¾ vert.
5440 (55¢) Wild Orchids coil stamp, Cypripedium californicum, serpentine die cut 10¾ vert.
5441 (55¢) Wild Orchids coil stamp, Hexalectris spicata, serpentine die cut 10¾ vert.
5442 (55¢) Wild Orchids coil stamp, Cypripedium reginae, serpentine die cut 10¾ vert.
5443 (55¢) Wild Orchids coil stamp, Platanthera leucophaea, serpentine die cut 10¾ vert.
5444 (55¢) Wild Orchids coil stamp, Triphora trianthophorus (one flower), serpentine die cut 10¾ vert.
a. Horiz. strip of 10, #5435-5444

5445 (55¢) Wild Orchids booklet stamp, Triphora trianthophorus (two flowers), serpentine die cut 10¾x11 on 2 or 3 sides
5446 (55¢) Wild Orchids booklet stamp, Cypripedium californiacum, serpentine die cut 10¾x11 on 2 or 3 sides
5447 (55¢) Wild Orchids booklet stamp, Hexalectris spicata, serpentine die cut 10¾x11 on 2 or 3 sides
5448 (55¢) Wild Orchids booklet stamp, Cypripedium reginae, serpentine die cut 10¾x11 on 2 or 3 sides
5449 (55¢) Wild Orchids booklet stamp, Spiranthes odorata, serpentine die cut 10¾x11 on 2 or 3 sides
5450 (55¢) Wild Orchids booklet stamp, Platanthera leucophaea, serpentine die cut 10¾x11 on 2 or 3 sides
5451 (55¢) Wild Orchids booklet stamp, Triphora trianthophorus (one flower), serpentine die cut 10¾x11 on 2 or 3 sides
5452 (55¢) Wild Orchids booklet stamp, Platanthera grandiflora, serpentine die cut 10¾x11 on 2 or 3 sides
5453 (55¢) Wild Orchids booklet stamp, Cyrtopodium polyphyllum, serpentine die cut 10¾x11 on 2 or 3 sides
5454 (55¢) Wild Orchids booklet stamp, Calopogon tuberosus, serpentine die cut 10¾x11 on 2 or 3 sides
a. Block of 10, #5445-5454
b. Convertible booklet pane of 20, 2 each #5445-5454

5455 (55¢) Arnold Palmer

75 Years of Freedom (Netherlands)

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[press release via Google Translate]

75 Years of Freedom On Stamps

The Hague, April 4, 2020 – It is 75 years ago this year that the Netherlands was liberated. On the occasion of this anniversary, PostNL is issuing the stamp sheet “75 years of freedom”.

Born in freedom
The 75 years of freedom stamp sheet consists of 6 stamps in 2 designs. The first design contains a portrait of Jan van der Linden, born on May 5, 1945. The second design contains a portrait of the pregnant Yvette Hartman-Mercier in the same style. The birth of her son is due on May 5, 2020. The 2 dates are on the stamps, with the mention “born in freedom”.

Commemoration and celebration
In 2019 and 2020, the Netherlands will commemorate the end of World War II 75 years ago. On May 4, we commemorate all victims – civilians and military personnel – who have been killed or murdered in the Kingdom of the Netherlands or anywhere in the world since the outbreak of World War II, in war situations and in peace operations. On May 5 we celebrate the liberation of the Netherlands in 1945 and that we have lived in freedom ever since.

The youngest and the oldest
The design of the stamp sheetlet 75 years of freedom is by Gijs van den Berg, creative director and partner of KesselsKramer in Amsterdam. The portraits were taken by photographer Bert Teunissen, also from Amsterdam. Teunissen photographed 76 people, 1 for each year of birth that has passed since the liberation on May 5, 1945. The oldest and the youngest are on the stamps.

Impressive stories
The 76 years of birth since the liberation have been used as the overarching theme for this commemoration year: one lives for 75 years in freedom, the other 14, 57 or 39 years, and so on. Van den Berg: “The stories themselves can be read in the book published on the occasion of 75 years of freedom. A book about impressive people with a story, a story with a relationship with war and peace. From relatives of resistance fighters and Holocaust victims to refugees from war zones and military personnel who have been on a peace mission. ”

Availability
The 75 years of freedom stamp sheet consists of 6 stamps in 2 different designs with the value indication Nederland 1, intended for mail up to 20 grams with a destination within the Netherlands. The stamps will be available from April 4 at the post office in the Bruna stores and through the website. The stamps can also be ordered by telephone from the Collect Club customer service on telephone number 088 – 868 99 00. The period of validity is indefinite.

75 jaar vrijheid op postzegels
Den Haag, 4 april 2020 – Het is dit jaar 75 jaar geleden dat Nederland bevrijd werd. PostNL geeft ter gelegenheid van dit jubileum het postzegelvel ’75 jaar vrijheid’ uit.

Geboren in vrijheid
Het postzegelvel 75 jaar vrijheid telt 6 postzegels in 2 ontwerpen. In het 1e ontwerp is een portret opgenomen van Jan van der Linden, geboren op 5 mei 1945. In het 2e ontwerp staat in dezelfde stijl een portret van de zwangere Yvette Hartman-Mercier. De geboorte van haar zoon is uitgerekend op 5 mei 2020. De 2 data staan op de postzegels, met de vermelding ‘geboren in vrijheid’.

Herdenking en viering
In 2019 en 2020 wordt in Nederland herdacht dat 75 jaar geleden de Tweede Wereldoorlog ten einde kwam. Op 4 mei herdenken we alle slachtoffers – burgers en militairen – die in het Koninkrijk der Nederlanden of waar ook ter wereld zijn omgekomen of vermoord sinds het uitbreken van de Tweede Wereldoorlog, in oorlogssituaties en bij vredesoperaties. Op 5 mei vieren we de bevrijding van Nederland in 1945 en dat we sindsdien in vrijheid leven.

De jongste en de oudste
Het ontwerp van het postzegelvel 75 jaar vrijheid is van de hand van Gijs van den Berg, creative director en partner van KesselsKramer in Amsterdam. De portretten zijn gemaakt door fotograaf Bert Teunissen, ook uit Amsterdam. Teunissen fotografeerde 76 mensen, 1 voor elk geboortejaar dat sinds de bevrijding op 5 mei 1945 is verstreken. De oudste en de jongste staan op de postzegels.

Indrukwekkende verhalen
De 76 geboortejaren sinds de bevrijding zijn gebruikt als overkoepelend thema voor dit herdenkingsjaar: de een leeft 75 jaar in vrijheid, de ander 14, 57 of 39 jaar, enzovoort. Van den Berg: “De verhalen zelf zijn te lezen in het boek dat ter gelegenheid van 75 jaar vrijheid verschijnt. Een boek over indrukwekkende mensen met een verhaal, een verhaal met een relatie met oorlog en vrede. Van familieleden van verzetsstrijders en Holocaustslachtoffers tot vluchtelingen uit oorlogsgebieden en militairen die op vredesmissie zijn geweest.”

Verkrijgbaarheid
Het postzegelvel 75 jaar vrijheid telt 6 postzegels in 2 verschillende ontwerpen met de waardeaanduiding Nederland 1, bedoeld voor post tot en met 20 gram met een bestemming binnen Nederland. De postzegels zijn vanaf 4 april verkrijgbaar bij het postkantoor in de Bruna-winkels en via de website. De postzegels zijn ook telefonisch te bestellen bij de klantenservice van Collect Club op telefoonnummer 088 – 868 99 00. De geldigheidstermijn is onbepaald.

U.S. Adds Two 2020 Issues

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[press release]
U.S. Postal Service Reveals Additional Stamps for 2020
U.S. Flag Envelope and Ruth Asawa Coming Soon

WASHINGTON, D.C. — The U.S. Postal Service today announced two new stamp subjects for 2020. Details about the stamp dedication ceremonies and dates these new products will be available to purchase will be announced soon. All images are preliminary and are subject to change prior to printing.

U.S. Flag Stamped EnvelopeA familiar sight on public buildings and private homes alike, the American flag has been portrayed in myriad ways on U.S. postage. This stamped envelope features a graphic design of the flag that evokes a rich sense of history even as it presents a recognizable icon in a fresh, contemporary way. Kit Hinrichs created the artwork for this stamped envelope. Ethel Kessler served as art director. [Further details will be posted here.]

Ruth Asawa
With these stamps, the U.S. Postal Service honors pioneering Japanese American artist Ruth Asawa (1926-2013). Showcasing Asawa’s wire sculptures, the pane includes 20 stamps, with two each of 10 designs, featuring photographs by Dan Bradica and Laurence Cuneo. The selvage features a photograph of Asawa taken by Nat Farbman in 1954 for Life magazine. Ethel Kessler served as art director and designer. [Further details will be posted here.]

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