Forever Stamps: A New Book Chronicles 250 Years of US Postal History

A new book titled 'Forever Stamps: 250 Years of United States History Writ Small' has been published, written by Gail Anderson and Brian E. Smith. The book explores recent and vintage commemorative stamps, marking the 250th anniversary of the United States and its postal service. The article traces the evolution of US stamps from the 1967 'hippie stamp' featuring Henry David Thoreau, designed by Leonard Baskin, which sold 111,850,000 copies. After 1971, when the USPS became independent, thematic series were chosen to appeal to philatelists and vested interests. A notable series was 'Comedians by Hirschfeld' in 1991, the first stamp booklet to feature an artist's signature. Al Hirschfeld's work introduced wit and humor to stamp design, sparking a renaissance of sophisticated graphics. The author served briefly on the Citizens Stamp Advisory Committee in the early 1990s under Bradbury Thompson. The book was published yesterday.