BGuthrie Photos: DC -- Natl Postal Museum -- Exhibit (MIA Galleries 6): Beautiful Blooms: Flowering Plants on Stamps

DC -- Natl Postal Museum -- Exhibit (MIA Galleries 6): Beautiful Blooms: Flowering Plants on Stamps:

Bruce Guthrie Photos Home Page: [Click here] to go to Bruce Guthrie Photos home page.

Description of Pictures: Beautiful Blooms: Flowering Plants on Stamps
October 20, 2017 – July 14, 2019
Level 1: Mail in America Galleries
This exhibition highlights the variety of flowering plants commemorated on US postage stamps during the past 50 years and explores artistic themes that emerged during this period. For example, the artwork portrays a variety of flowering plants found in gardens and public spaces throughout the United States and explores the symbiotic relationship between flowering plants, bees, birds, and butterflies. The exhibition displays at least 30 pieces of developmental and final artwork used to produce at least 28 flora stamps. The use of stamp art in various phases of development enables visitors to understand the role design artwork plays in the production of postage stamps. The artwork is borrowed from the renowned Postmaster General’s Collection which is on a long-term loan to the Smithsonian’s National Postal Museum.

Recognize anyone? If you recognize specific folks (or other stuff) and I haven't labeled them, please identify them for the world. Click the little pencil icon

underneath the file name (just above the picture). Spammers need not apply.

Copyrights: All pictures were taken by amateur photographer Bruce Guthrie (me!) who retains copyright on them. Free for non-commercial use with attribution. See the [Creative Commons] definition of what this means. "Photos (c) Bruce Guthrie" is fine for attribution. (Commercial use folks including AI scrapers can of course contact me.) Feel free to use in publications and pages with attribution but you don't have permission to sell the photos themselves. A free copy of any printed publication using any photographs is requested. Descriptive text, if any, is from a mixture of sources, quite frequently from signs at the location or from official web sites; copyrights, if any, are retained by their original owners.

Accessing as Spider: The system has identified your IP as being a spider.
IP Address: 3.17.150.89 -- Domain: Amazon Technologies
I love well-behaved spiders! They are, in fact, how most people find my site. Unfortunately, my network has a limited bandwidth and pictures take up bandwidth. Spiders ask for lots and lots of pages and chew up lots and lots of bandwidth which slows things down considerably for regular folk. To counter this, you'll see all the text on the page but the images are being suppressed. Also, some system options like merges are being blocked for you.
Note: Permission is NOT granted for spiders, robots, etc to use the site for AI-generation purposes. I'm sure you're thrilled by your ability to make revenue from my work but there's nothing in that for my human users or for me.
If you are in fact human, please email me at guthrie.bruce@gmail.com and I can check if your designation was made in error. Given your number of hits, that's unlikely but what the hell.

Help? The Medium (Email) links are for screen viewing and emailing. You'll want bigger sizes for printing. [Click here for additional help]

Share: Facebook Twitter Digg
[1] PLANTS_171020_004.JPG	[2] PLANTS_171020_008.JPG	[3] PLANTS_171020_013.JPG
[4] PLANTS_171020_019.JPG	[5] PLANTS_171020_023.JPG	[6] PLANTS_171020_027.JPG
[7] PLANTS_171020_035.JPG	[8] PLANTS_171020_042.JPG	[9] PLANTS_171020_045.JPG
[10] PLANTS_171020_057.JPG	[11] PLANTS_171020_063.JPG	[12] PLANTS_171020_067.JPG
[13] PLANTS_171020_070.JPG	[14] PLANTS_171020_077.JPG	[15] PLANTS_171020_092.JPG
[16] PLANTS_171020_098.JPG	[17] PLANTS_171020_103.JPG	[18] PLANTS_171020_106.JPG
[19] PLANTS_171020_110.JPG	[20] PLANTS_171020_113.JPG	[21] PLANTS_171020_115.JPG
[22] PLANTS_171020_121.JPG	[23] PLANTS_171020_139.JPG	[24] PLANTS_171020_145.JPG
[25] PLANTS_171020_153.JPG	[26] PLANTS_171020_166.JPG	[27] PLANTS_171020_171.JPG
[28] PLANTS_171020_174.JPG	[29] PLANTS_171020_181.JPG	[30] PLANTS_171020_190.JPG
[31] PLANTS_171020_194.JPG	[32] PLANTS_171020_203.JPG	[33] PLANTS_171020_212.JPG
[34] PLANTS_171020_219.JPG	[35] PLANTS_171020_222.JPG	[36] PLANTS_171020_229.JPG
[37] PLANTS_171020_231.JPG	[38] PLANTS_171020_240.JPG	[39] PLANTS_171020_246.JPG
[40] PLANTS_171020_253.JPG	[41] PLANTS_171020_261.JPG	[42] PLANTS_171020_269.JPG
[43] PLANTS_171020_273.JPG	[44] PLANTS_171020_279.JPG	[45] PLANTS_171020_285.JPG
[46] PLANTS_171020_299.JPG	[47] PLANTS_171020_305.JPG	[48] PLANTS_171020_308.JPG
[49] PLANTS_171020_317.JPG	[50] PLANTS_171020_325.JPG	[51] PLANTS_171020_332.JPG
[52] PLANTS_171020_341.JPG	[53] PLANTS_171020_349.JPG	[54] PLANTS_171020_352.JPG
[55] PLANTS_171020_356.JPG	[56] PLANTS_171020_359.JPG	[57] PLANTS_171020_363.JPG
[58] PLANTS_171020_368.JPG	[59] PLANTS_171020_373.JPG	[60] PLANTS_171020_378.JPG
[61] PLANTS_171020_386.JPG	[62] PLANTS_171020_399.JPG	[63] PLANTS_171020_404.JPG
[64] PLANTS_171020_414.JPG	[65] PLANTS_171020_427.JPG	[66] PLANTS_171020_436.JPG
[67] PLANTS_171020_440.JPG	[68] PLANTS_171020_449.JPG

Specific picture descriptions: Photos above with "i" icons next to the bracketed sequence numbers (e.g. "[1] ") are described as follows:
1. PLANTS_171020_013.JPG: A Smithsonian Collaboration Beautiful Blooms: Flowering Plants on Stamps is the result of a partnership between the National Postal Museum and Smithsonian Gardens. With a mission to engage and educate visitors about horticulture, plants, artistic design, and natural and built environments, Smithsonian Gardens extends the museum experience with living displays and outdoor gardens. We invite you to visit the many gardens on the National Mall.
2. PLANTS_171020_019.JPG: Archives of American Gardens
3. PLANTS_171020_023.JPG: Garden Furnishing Collection
4. PLANTS_171020_027.JPG: Living Collection
5. PLANTS_171020_035.JPG: Beautiful Blooms Flowering Plants on Stamps Stamp art featuring flowers and diverse elements of a garden, such as birds and flowering trees, represent some of the most attractive artwork in the Postmaster General's Collection. This exhibition focuses on the issuance of United States stamps that acknowledge nature's most colorful and beautiful living botanicals found throughout the American landscape, from sea to shining sea. Stamp art featuring flowering plants, as reflected in the artwork in this exhibition, evokes the early drawings of botanicals created by noted artists and scholars of the 18th and 19th centuries who were interested in not only the pursuit of scientific and botanical knowledge but also the depiction of flowers as objects of natural beauty. Based on the varied and growing number of botanical-related stamps issued by the United States Postal Service (USPS), these stamps will continue to be a favorite with the American public and will educate citizens about our diverse and colorful botanical heritage.
6. PLANTS_171020_042.JPG: I can satisfy my addition to flowers even when I mail my bills. -- Moya Andrews, noted Australian gardening expert
7. PLANTS_171020_045.JPG: Botanical Congress concept stamp art ISSUE Botanical Congress MEDIUM board; gouache ILLUSTRATOR Stanley Galli FIRST DAY OF ISSUE August 23, 1969 This composite art piece consisting of four large drawings was likely used by the USPS to discuss final aspects of the stamp design, such as placement of the lettering and positioning of the individual images in a four-stamp format.
8. PLANTS_171020_067.JPG: Botanical Congress The International Botanical Congress (IBC) is held every six years to discuss plant sciences research and nomenclature issues. Traditionally, the country hosting the international convention issues stamps commemorating the event. These Botanical Congress developmental artworks commemorate the 11th IBC held in 1969 in Seattle, Washington. The four issued stamps represent the first US botanical stamps to feature Latin names.
9. PLANTS_171020_077.JPG: Pseudotsuga menziesii (Douglas-fir) concept stamp art ISSUE Botanical Congress MEDIUM board; gouache; ink ILLUSTRATOR Stanley Galli FIRST DAY OF ISSUE August 23, 1969 This developmental art focuses on the pinecones and needles of the Douglas-fir, an evergreen conifer species native to western North America. Concepts included a vertical orientation with a white skyline, horizontal cones and needles, and a green skyline. The final design retained the green and used a vertical orientation for the needles and pinecone.
10. PLANTS_171020_092.JPG: Botanical Congress concept stamp art ISSUE Botanical Congress MEDIUM board; gouache ILLUSTRATOR Stanley Galli FIRST DAY OF ISSUE August 23, 1969 The four colorful images represent the first time flora from diverse national regions -- the Southeast, Southwest, Northeast, and Northwest -- were represented on US stamps. These images represent the variety of flora studied by the International Botanical Congress (IBC), and the botanical description is consistent with IBC standards. For example, the featured plants are identified by their respective Latin names.
11. PLANTS_171020_098.JPG: 6c Cypripedium reginae (Lady's Slipper) and Franklinia alatamaha (Franklin Tree) concept stamp art ISSUE Botanical Congress MEDIUM board; gouache ILLUSTRATOR Stanley Galli FIRST DAY OF ISSUE August 23, 1969 Found in the Southeast, the Franklin tree produces a lovely white flower with a golden-yellow center, depicted here centered against a light green background. The Lady's Slipper flower, a wildflower native to northern North America, is highlighted in the foreground with a green scene in the background. In the final approved art, both flowers are displayed prominently in the foreground while the background has been modified.
12. PLANTS_171020_103.JPG: Fourquieria splendens (Ocotillo) concept stamp art ISSUE Botanical Congress MEDIUM board; gouache ILLUSTRATOR Stanley Galli FIRST DAY OF ISSUE August 23, 1969 The Ocotillo, a flowering plant indigenous to the Sonoran and Chihuahuan Deserts of the Southwest, is depicted in an orange desert environment with a yellow sky and a flowering stem. The final approved version continued this coloration with a yellow sky but with a more detailed and colorful desert background.
13. PLANTS_171020_113.JPG: Flowering Trees Flowering trees can play an important role in a garden's color scheme before other plants are in full bloom. A flowering tree can achieve a seasonal show of color year after year, even without much care. Portrayed in an old-fashioned botanical print style, this stamp art is a collection of flowering trees native to different geographic regions of North America.
14. PLANTS_171020_121.JPG: Southern Magnolia approved stamp art ISSUE Flowering Trees MEDIUM paper; gouache ILLUSTRATOR John Dawson ART DIRECTOR Howard Paine FIRST DAY OF ISSUE March 19, 1998 The Southern Magnolia is an evergreen tree that can reach 100 feet in height. Ordinary seedling trees may take 15 years to blossom and then bear flowers, which can grow up to twelve inches in diameter. The magnolia's seeds hang from the cone by white silky threads.
15. PLANTS_171020_139.JPG: Blue Paloverde approved stamp art ISSUE Flowering Trees MEDIUM paper; gouache ILLUSTRATOR John Dawson ART DIRECTOR Howard Paine FIRST DAY OF ISSUE March 19, 1998 This flowering tree, actually a legume, is found in the dry landscape and gardens of the American Southwest. Its small funnel-shaped flowers have five yellow petals, and its seeds are found in yellowish-brown pods. The fragrant flowers are attractive to bees, butterflies, and birds.
16. PLANTS_171020_145.JPG: Yellow Poplar approved stamp art ISSUE Flowering Trees MEDIUM paper; gouache ILLUSTRATOR John Dawson ART DIRECTOR Howard Paine FIRST DAY OF ISSUE March 19, 1998 This flowering tree, commonly called the tulip tree, is native to North America and is found in the eastern half of the United States. The tree is used as a shade tree. In June and July, it bears large greenish-white flowers displaying an orange band near the base.
17. PLANTS_171020_153.JPG: Prairie Crabapple approved stamp art ISSUE Flowering Trees MEDIUM paper; gouache ILLUSTRATOR John Dawson ART DIRECTOR Howard Paine FIRST DAY OF ISSUE March 19, 1998 The Prairie Crabapple flower is the blossom from the Prairie Crabapple tree, an ornamental tree found throughout the Midwest. The bloom of the tree in a garden, after its deep pink buds open to white flowers, is spectacular. Blossom colors can range from a pearly white to a deep red.
18. PLANTS_171020_166.JPG: Pacific Dogwood approved stamp art ISSUE Flowering Trees MEDIUM paper; gouache ILLUSTRATOR John Dawson ART DIRECTOR Howard Paine FIRST DAY OF ISSUE March 19, 1998 Regarded as one of the most beautiful American flowering trees, the Dogwood produces multi-petaled flowers, each up to four inches across. Usually white, but sometimes pink or near-red, these flowers bloom in early spring. In autumn they turn flaming red, coinciding with the ripening of the small red berrylike fruits.
19. PLANTS_171020_171.JPG: The Rose: Queen of Flowers The rose is the most common flowering plant on stamps throughout the world. There are hundreds of species of roses, and they are often among the favorite flowers within a garden. President Ronald Reagan designated the rose as the official flower and floral emblem of the United States in 1986. Resplendent in color and diverse in its varieties, the rose image continues to be one of the most popular flowering plants sold on US stamps.
20. PLANTS_171020_181.JPG: Rose approved stamp art ISSUE Flora and Fauna MEDIUM paper; gouache; pencil ILLUSTRATOR Gyo Fujikawa ART DIRECTOR Joseph Brockert FIRST DAY OF ISSUE June 2, 1995, October 24, 1996 and August 1, 1997 By the early–mid 1990s, the USPS began to issue rose stamps more frequently and in various formats, such as the booklet, pane, and coil. This approved art represents Gyo Fujikawa's third, fourth, and fifth rose stamps. As in the case of many approved postal art pieces, digital color adjustments were made to her final artwork.
21. PLANTS_171020_190.JPG: Love concept stamp art ISSUE Love MEDIUM paper; gouache; pencil ILLUSTRATOR Richard Sheaff ART DIRECTOR Jack Williams FIRST DAY OF ISSUE July 4, 1988 This concept art represents one of the last drawings prepared for the 25-cent Love stamp. The approved stamp design depicted a pink-colored rose against a leafy background. The actual production image was likely finalized with digital editing software.
22. PLANTS_171020_203.JPG: Love concept stamp art ISSUE Love MEDIUM paper; gouache; pencil ILLUSTRATOR Richard Sheaff ART DIRECTOR Jack Williams FIRST DAY OF ISSUE July 4, 1988 This concept art represents one of the first designs developed for the 1988 25-cent Love stamp, for which a large number of sketches were prepared. The artist based this design on a series of rose photographs.
23. PLANTS_171020_212.JPG: Love concept stamp art ISSUE Love MEDIUM paper; gouache; pencil ILLUSTRATOR Richard Sheaff ART DIRECTOR Jack Williams FIRST DAY OF ISSUE July 4, 1988 This bright red rose was one of many designs prepared for the 25-cent Love stamp. The concept artwork was not drawn to articulate a specific rose variety but instead was drawn to prominently display a recognizable rose image for the first time on a Love stamp.
24. PLANTS_171020_229.JPG: Birds in the Garden Birds play a vital role in controlling pests, contributing to pollination, and adding flying beauty and color to a garden. Arthur and Alan Singer, the two creators of this superb artwork, are the first known father-son team to develop art for a US stamp series. The father, Arthur, created the bird design, and Alan fashioned the flower design. At the time of their issue, these were the best-selling stamps in US postal history.
25. PLANTS_171020_240.JPG: Michigan approved stamp art ISSUE State Birds and Flowers MEDIUM board; gouache ILLUSTRATORS Arthur and Alan Singer ART DIRECTOR Bradbury Thompson FIRST DAY OF ISSUE April 14, 1982 The Robin, one of the most common migratory birds in North America, was chosen as the Michigan state bird in 1931. The Robin is also the state bird of Connecticut and Wisconsin. The Robin prefers to eat earthworms and insects, such as termites and grubs, and is attracted to gardens with fruiting trees and plants, such as crabapples, bayberries, and cherries.
26. PLANTS_171020_246.JPG: Alabama approved stamp art ISSUE State Birds and Flowers MEDIUM board; gouache ILLUSTRATORS Arthur and Alan Singer ART DIRECTOR Bradbury Thompson FIRST DAY OF ISSUE April 14, 1982 The Yellowhammer Woodpecker, also known as the Northern Flicker, was designated Alabama's state bird in 1927. Alabama's southern climate allows the Yellowhammer to maintain a year-round presence in Alabama gardens. Foraging primarily on the ground, the Yellowhammer eats spiders, mites, berries and seeds, including the large brown seeds produced by the flowering Camellia evergreen shrub.
27. PLANTS_171020_253.JPG: New Hampshire approved stamp art ISSUE State Birds and Flowers MEDIUM board; gouache ILLUSTRATORS Arthur and Alan Singer ART DIRECTOR Bradbury Thompson FIRST DAY OF ISSUE April 14, 1982 The Purple Finch has been the state bird of New Hampshire since 1957. It shows its brightest colors during the summer season. The Purple Finch eats mainly seeds of coniferous trees, elms, tulip poplars, and maples. It also eats berries and fruit, including cherries and crabapples.
28. PLANTS_171020_261.JPG: New Mexico approved stamp art ISSUE State Birds and Flowers MEDIUM board; gouache ILLUSTRATORS Arthur and Alan Singer ART DIRECTOR Bradbury Thompson FIRST DAY OF ISSUE April 14, 1982 The Roadrunner, commonly called the Chaparral bird, was designated New Mexico's state bird in 1950. One of nature's speediest birds, the Roadrunner is named for its tendency to run rather than fly, though it will take flight to evade predators. Appearing in the gardens of the Southwest, Roadrunners eat dragonflies and yucca weevils.
29. PLANTS_171020_269.JPG: Virginia approved stamp art ISSUE State Birds and Flowers MEDIUM board; gouache ILLUSTRATORS Arthur and Alan Singer ART DIRECTOR Bradbury Thompson FIRST DAY OF ISSUE April 14, 1982 The Cardinal, also known as the Northern Cardinal, has been the Virginia state bird since 1950 and is the official bird of six other states. The Cardinal eats insects and a variety of seeds, such as sunflower seeds, and berries produced by the flowers of the Dogwood tree during the spring.
30. PLANTS_171020_273.JPG: Pollination Pollination is an essential part of a garden's ecosystem that benefits flowering plants and pollinators of various species. This category focuses on pollination through the mediums of digital stamp art and pastels. The digital stamp art portrays the realistic relationship between pollinators and plants. The framed pastel piece depicts a colorful conceptual image using pollination as a simple theme portraying philanthropy as a giving and sharing relationship. The artwork shown here was developmental only. A different image was selected for the stamp issue.
31. PLANTS_171020_285.JPG: Giving and Sharing concept stamp art ISSUE Giving and Sharing MEDIUM paper; pastel ILLUSTRATOR Mary GrandPr� (concept); Robert Dinetz (final approved) ART DIRECTOR Richard Sheaff FIRST DAY OF ISSUE October 7, 1998 Concept art doesn't always become the final stamp design. The development of the Giving and Sharing stamp, a commemorative stamp honoring philanthropy, attracted multiple artists who created many design concepts. The USPS ultimately decided to illustrate the giving and sharing relationship with a bee hovering near a double-blossomed flower to represent cross-pollination.
32. PLANTS_171020_299.JPG: Purple Nightshade, Morrison's Bumblebee approved stamp art ISSUE Pollination MEDIUM digital editing software ILLUSTRATOR Steve Buchanan ART DIRECTOR Richard Sheaff FIRST DAY OF ISSUE June 29, 2007 The Purple Nightshade is a semi-evergreen perennial plant native to California but also found throughout most of North America. Its blue-purple flowers attract the Morrison's Bumblebee, which uses its vibrating wings to loosen pollen from the plant. Hummingbird Trumpet, Calliope Hummingbird approved stamp art ISSUE Pollination MEDIUM digital editing software ILLUSTRATOR Steve Buchanan ART DIRECTOR Richard Sheaff FIRST DAY OF ISSUE June 29, 2007 The Hummingbird Trumpet is native to the American West. With its profusion of coral or orange flowers, it will light up a garden mid-summer through fall. Its blooms attract the Calliope Hummingbird, which uses its long tongue to extract nectar. Saguaro Cactus, Lesser Long-nosed Bat approved stamp art ISSUE Pollination MEDIUM digital editing software ILLUSTRATOR Steve Buchanan ART DIRECTOR Richard Sheaff FIRST DAY OF ISSUE June 29, 2007 During late spring in the Sonoran Desert, Saguaro Cactus flowers bloom for just one day. They open at night and emit a melon-like smell, which attracts the Lesser Long-nosed Bat and other bat species. The next day, the flowers attract bees and birds. Once pollinated, the blooms mature into brilliant red fruit. Prairie Ironweed, Southern Dogface Butterfly approved stamp art ISSUE Pollination MEDIUM digital editing software ILLUSTRATOR Steve Buchanan ART DIRECTOR Richard Sheaff FIRST DAY OF ISSUE June 29, 2007 Prairie Ironweed plants produce bright purple-crimson flowers that attract the Southern Dogface Butterfly. While hunting for nectar, the Southern Dogface perches on the Ironweed flowers, collecting pollen on its legs and body.
33. PLANTS_171020_305.JPG: The Seasonal Garden In 1992, the USPS issued a pane of 50 stamps, each depicting a different American wildflower. This series proved to be so popular that the USPS followed up with a colorful stamp booklet for each season honoring American garden flowers. Starting with the spring issue, the booklets were produced from 1993 to 1996. The artwork for each of these beautiful garden scenes depicts five seasonal flowers clustered together in bouquet format.
34. PLANTS_171020_317.JPG: Spring Garden Flowers approved stamp art ISSUE Spring Garden Flowers MEDIUM matboard; gouache; pencil ILLUSTRATOR Ned Seidler ART DIRECTOR Derry Noyes FIRST DAY OF ISSUE May 15, 1993 The USPS initiated this seasonal issue with multicolored stamps representing the arrival of spring blooms. This group includes five colorful flowers, four of which -- the hyacinth, daffodil, tulip, and iris -- are grown from bulbs and another, the lilac, which is a shrub.
35. PLANTS_171020_325.JPG: Summer Garden Flowers approved stamp art ISSUE Summer Garden Flowers MEDIUM matboard; gouache; pencil ILLUSTRATOR Ned Seidler ART DIRECTOR Derry Noyes FIRST DAY OF ISSUE May 15, 1993 The summer blooming flowers design features favorites such as the lily, zinnia, gladiolus (which the USPS mistakenly labeled "gladiola"), marigold, and the rose. Two kinds of roses are shown. The one at the bottom is a yellow blossom, and the other, larger rose is called a Hybrid Tea Rose.
36. PLANTS_171020_341.JPG: Fall Garden Flowers approved stamp art ISSUE Fall Garden Flowers MEDIUM matboard; gouache; pencil ILLUSTRATOR Ned Seidler ART DIRECTOR Derry Noyes FIRST DAY OF ISSUE May 15, 1993 The selected fall blooms were the aster, chrysanthemum, dahlia, hydrangea, and the rudbeckia. Including hydrangea as a fall flowering plant illustrates the difficulty of seasonal categories, since this flower is sometimes regarded as a late spring or summer bloom. Unlike the other seasonal issues, here the artist allowed for space between the individual flowers.
37. PLANTS_171020_349.JPG: Winter Garden Flowers approved stamp art ISSUE Winter Garden Flowers MEDIUM matboard; gouache; pencil ILLUSTRATOR Ned Seidler ART DIRECTOR Derry Noyes FIRST DAY OF ISSUE May 15, 1993 This artwork represents the final issue for the Garden Flowers stamp series. The winter flowers -- crocus, winter aconite, pansy, snowdrop, and anemone -- are depicted close together, as though actually growing in a garden.
38. PLANTS_171020_356.JPG: The lovely flowers embarrass me, They make me regret I am not a Bee -- -- Emily Dickinson
39. PLANTS_171020_359.JPG: Stamp Art: A Layered View
40. PLANTS_171020_386.JPG: Plant for a More Beautiful America approved stamp art ISSUE Beautification of America MEDIUM paper; gouache; ink ILLUSTRATOR Gyo Fujikawa FIRST DAY OF ISSUE October 5, 1966 The 1966 Beautification of America stamp was issued to support public beautification projects advocated by Lady Bird Johnson. The stamp's image shows Japanese cherry trees in full bloom around Washington, DC's Tidal Basin with the Jefferson Memorial in the background. It was intended to "make a showcase of beauty on the Washington Mall" and encourage public interest in beautification and conservation projects.
41. PLANTS_171020_399.JPG: Beautification of America approved stamp art ISSUE Beautification of America MEDIUM board; gouache ILLUSTRATOR Howard Milner ART DIRECTOR Walter D. Richards FIRST DAY OF ISSUE January 16, 1969 The approved art for the 1969 Beautification series was expanded to four stamps to market Lady Bird Johnson's initiative to beautify public spaces at all governmental levels, from Federal to state and local. This stamp art conveys beautification of public spaces through flowering plants such as tulips, daffodils, and blooming trees.
42. PLANTS_171020_414.JPG: Beautification of America concept stamp art ISSUE Beautification of America MEDIUM paper; photograph; gouache; ink ILLUSTRATORS Robert Jones and Howard Milner ART DIRECTOR Walter D. Richards FIRST DAY OF ISSUE January 16, 1969 This was one of the final concept images that focused on the Washington, DC Tidal Basin and its blooming cherry blossoms. After reviewing this image and others, the Johnson White House wanted to see a comprehensive design highlighting beautification efforts from the community to the national level.
43. PLANTS_171020_427.JPG: Beautification of America concept stamp art ISSUE Beautification of America MEDIUM paper; photograph; gouache; ink ILLUSTRATORS Robert Jones and Howard Milner ART DIRECTOR Walter D. Richards FIRST DAY OF ISSUE January 16, 1969 As a result of Lady Bird Johnson's continued advocacy of the beautification and conservation campaign, the Johnson Administration (through the US Post Office Department) issued additional stamps supporting her efforts. Several artists were involved in the design of the 1969 stamp, and Lady Bird played a role in selecting the final design, emphasizing government and community beautification efforts.
44. PLANTS_171020_440.JPG: Beautification of America The Beautification of America issues of 1966 and 1969 were a result of initiatives by President Lyndon Johnson's wife, Claudia "Lady Bird" Johnson, to advocate for the beautification of public spaces, particularly public roadways and parks. The four 1969 stamps were issued to support gardening in public spaces. Because of Lady Bird's extraordinary efforts, the country gained thousands of new flowering plants and trees, such as daffodils, azaleas, and Dogwood trees.
AAA "Gem": AAA considers this location to be a "must see" point of interest. To see pictures of other areas that AAA considers to be Gems, click here.
Bigger photos? To save server space, the full-sized versions of these images have either not been loaded to the server or have been removed from the server. (Only some pages are loaded with full-sized images and those usually get removed after three months.) I still have them though. If you want me to email them to you, please send an email to guthrie.bruce@gmail.com and I can email them to you, or, depending on the number of images, just repost the page again will the full-sized images.
Connection Not Secure messages? Those warnings you get from your browser about this site not having secure connections worry some people. This means this site does not have SSL installed (the link is http:, not https:). That's bad if you're entering credit card numbers, passwords, or other personal information. But this site doesn't collect any personal information so SSL is not necessary. Life's good!
Photo Contact: [Email Bruce Guthrie].