FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Media Contact: Roy Betts - 202-268-3207
roy.a.betts@usps.gov
www.usps.com
March 29, 2007
Stamp News Release #07-013

Please note: Issuance dates are tentative at this time and may change without notice.

WASHINGTON, D.C. — The U.S. Postal Service today announced the 2007 price change stamp subjects, which include Margaret Chase Smith, first woman to serve in both houses of Congress, and the nation's most famous jetliner and helicopter.

Margaret Chase Smith (2 ounce price) 58 cents – on sale June 13 With this eighth issuance in the Distinguished Americans series, the Postal Service honors Margaret Chase Smith, who in 1948 became the first Republican woman elected to the U.S. Senate. At that time, having already served in the House of Representatives, she also became the first woman to serve in both houses of Congress. After leaving the Senate, Smith served as a visiting lecturer at various colleges and universities. She received nearly a hundred honorary degrees. In 1989, President George Herbert Walker Bush awarded her the Presidential Medal of Freedom, the country's highest civilian honor. Margaret Chase Smith died in her hometown of Skowhegan, Maine, on May 29, 1995. She was 97 years old. Artist Mark Summers created the portrait on the stamp. The artwork is based on a photograph by the Harris & Ewing studio, dated 1948. Summers is noted for his scratchboard technique, a style distinguished by a dense network of lines etched with exquisite precision. He also created art for several other stamps in this series: Joseph W. Stilwell (2000), Claude Pepper (2000), Hattie W. Caraway (2001), Edna Ferber (2002), Wilma Rudolph (2004), Albert Sabin (2006), and Jonas Salk (2006).

High-resolution stamp image files are available in the Image Download Center >>

American Flag 2007 (coils) Non-Denominated (First Class Rate - 41 cents) – on sale April 12 This new definitive stamp features the U.S. flag, one of the most recognizable symbols in the world. The American flag regularly appears on definitive stamps intended for mail use, and several recent commemoratives have displayed the flag as well. In 2003, the U.S. Postal Service issued the Old Glory prestige booklet, which featured a wide range of ephemera and folk art that incorporated American flag motifs. In 2001, the Honoring Veterans commemorative stamp featured the American flag against a blue sky, and the Stars and Stripes pane issued in 2000 highlighted the evolution of American flags over time. This new stamp depicts an American flag waving on a flagpole against a tan background. The design of the flag was adapted from an undated postcard in the ephemera collection of art director Richard Sheaff. The American Flag 2007 stamp will be reissued in August featuring the 41-cent rate.

High-resolution stamp image files are available in the Image Download Center >>

Air Force One (Priority Mail) $4.60 – on sale June 13 Often referred to as the "Flying Oval Office," Air Force One is a prominent symbol of the presidency. Probably the most famous jetliner in the world, Air Force One looks like a commercial jumbo jet except for its distinctive exterior: red, white and blue paint and the words "United States of America" on the fuselage. Inside, however, it is clear that this is no ordinary plane. Not only are there separate quarters for the president and first lady, but there are two galleys where food is prepared, a conference/dining room, office space for senior staff members, and work and rest areas for the presidential staff, Air Force crews and media representatives traveling with the president. Noted aviation artist William S. Phillips created the image of Air Force One for the 2007 Priority Mail stamp. Phillips was the stamp artist for the 2005 American Advances in Aviation souvenir sheet.

High-resolution stamp image files are available in the Image Download Center >>

Marine One (Express Mail) $16.25 – on sale June 13 Often seen on the White House lawn, Marine One also travels with the president wherever he goes. It is always met on the ground by at least one Marine in full dress uniform. Marine Helicopter Squadron One, HMX-1, was established in 1947 as an experimental unit to test and evaluate helicopters. Today this squadron and its fleet of 19 helicopters provide all helicopter transport for the president, vice president, and members of the Cabinet. More than 800 Marines supervise the operation of the fleet, which is based in Quantico, Virginia. Noted aviation artist William S. Phillips created the image of Marine One for the 2007 Express Mail stamp. Phillips was the stamp artist for the 2005 American Advances in Aviation souvenir sheet.

High-resolution stamp image files are available in the Image Download Center >>

Florida Panther (post card price) 26 cents – on sale May 12 This stamp depicts a highly stylized illustration of a Florida panther (Puma concolor coryi). This large tawny cat is related to the mountain lion — also known as a cougar or puma. Most active between dusk and dawn, the Florida panther is capable of short but quick bursts of speed while pursuing prey. Its diet includes white-tailed deer, small mammals, and birds. Florida panthers are rare and elusive animals. Today, fewer than a hundred of these animals remain in the woodlands and wetlands of southern Florida. Nationally known illustrator Nancy Stahl used a photograph of a Florida panther as the basis for her stamp art. The leaves in the background are decorative elements and are not meant to represent any specific plant. Three other 2007 issuances will also feature illustrations by Nancy Stahl: the Bighorn Sheep, Wedding Hearts, and Holiday Knits. Her previous projects for the U.S. Postal Service include the Art Deco Eagle (2001) and the Snowy Egret (2004).

High-resolution stamp image files are available in the Image Download Center >>

Horses (stamped envelope) 41 cents – on sale May 12 This new First-Class Mail envelope and imprinted stamp represent the theme of American freedom. It depicts three galloping horses silhouetted against a flat backdrop of stylized mountains under a cloud-dappled sky. The image of the horse has been used throughout the ages to symbolize many things, including strength, speed, agility, beauty and — perhaps especially in America — freedom.

High-resolution stamp image files are available in the Image Download Center >>

Pineapple (stamped card) 26 cents – on sale May 12 This stamped card features a pineapple which has been a symbol of hospitality since early colonial times. Native to South America, the pineapple likely was brought to the Caribbean by native tribes who began to grow the spiny fruit they called "anana." As early as the 16th century, Spanish explorers wrote of finding the fruit. Many believe that Columbus introduced the pineapple to Europeans in 1493 after "discovering" it on the island of Guadeloupe. Artist Cathie Bleck created the pineapple artwork with black ink on white scratchboard (a board with a thin coat of white clay on its surface). The whites of the design are the result of scraping away portions of the black ink using a razor-sharp tool. Bleck describes the process as similar to woodblock printing. The Pineapple stamped card is her first project for the United States Postal Service.

High-resolution stamp image files are available in the Image Download Center >>

Hagåtña Bay (international price) 90 cents – on sale June 1 The Postal Service will issue this stamp in the Scenic American Landscapes series to honor the Territory of Guam. Located approximately 1,600 miles east of the Philippines in the Pacific Ocean, Guam is the largest and southernmost of the Mariana Islands. Approximately 212 square miles in size — roughly three times the area of Washington, D.C. — Guam is home to a population of approximately 158,000 people, including native Guamanians, known as Chamorro, as well as others of European and Asian descent. Today the island is a popular destination for tourists, with some 1.5 million people visiting the island annually to enjoy its natural beauty. The stamp features a photograph by Michael S. Yamashita of a sunset of Hagåtña Bay in Hagatna, the capital of Guam.

High-resolution stamp image files are available in the Image Download Center >>

Okefenokee Swamp (Canada/Mexico price) 69 cents – on sale June 1 This international price stamp in the Scenic American Landscapes series features a photograph taken in the Okefenokee Swamp, which encompasses nearly 700 square miles in southeastern Georgia and a small portion of northern Florida. The Okefenokee Swamp serves as the headwaters for the Suwannee and Saint Marys Rivers and is home to a wide range of animal and plant life, from alligators, cranes, and black bears to cypress trees and carnivorous plants. This area derives its name from a Native American term meaning "land of the trembling earth." The stamp features a photograph of a pond in the Okefenokee Swamp, taken by José Azel of Lovell, Maine.

High-resolution stamp image files are available in the Image Download Center >>

Big Horn Sheep (2nd ounce price) 17 cents – on sale May 29 This stamp features a stylized drawing of a bighorn sheep (Ovis canadensis). This kind of sheep is found from southwestern Canada to northern Mexico; its range includes the colder, higher elevations of the Rocky Mountains and some of the hottest, most arid regions of the American Southwest and Mexico. To create the stamp image, artist Nancy Stahl worked from photographs of bighorn sheep. Three other 2007 issuances will also feature illustrations by Nancy Stahl: the Florida Panther, Wedding Hearts, and Holiday Knits. Her previous projects for the U.S. Postal Service include the Art Deco Eagle (2001) and the Snowy Egret (2004).

High-resolution stamp image files are available in the Image Download Center >>

Harriet Beecher Stowe (3rd ounce price) 75 cents – on sale June 13 The ninth issuance in the Distinguished Americans series honors Harriet Beecher Stowe (1811-1896), author of Uncle Tom's Cabin, one of the most influential novels in American history. Stowe also penned several other novels, as well as children's stories, poems, and nonfiction works. She was a frequent contributor to publications such as Godey's Lady's Book and the Atlantic Monthly. Harriet Beecher Stowe was born in Litchfield, Conn., on June 14, 1811; she died in Hartford, Conn., on July 1, 1896. Artist Mark Summers based his portrait of Harriet Beecher Stowe on a circa 1855 stipple engraving by English engraver Francis Holl (1815-1884), which in turn was based on an earlier portrait of Stowe by English painter George Richmond (1809-1896). The engraving is from the collection of the Smithsonian Institution's National Portrait Gallery in Washington, D.C.

High-resolution stamp image files are available in the Image Download Center >>

Beautiful Blooms 41 cents – on sale August 10 The Postal Service features a flower theme with the Beautiful Blooms definitive stamps. Many of these flowers are found in gardens: the coneflower, dahlia, chrysanthemum, gerbera daisy, tulip, and iris. Others, for example, the poppy, are often seen in masses along major highways. The water lily, of course, needs a pond as a home, while the magnolia bloom graces the tall and elegant magnolia tree. Noted photographer Mark Laita created the artistic images of the beautiful blooms featured on these stamps. These magnificent flowers may be seen coast to coast — not only in gardens, but also floating on ponds and adorning trees.

High-resolution stamp image files are available in the Image Download Center >>

"Celebrate!" 41 cents – on sale August 17 The new "Celebrate!" stamp will help people acknowledge a host of happy occasions, from birthdays to engagements to anniversaries and more. When good times call for good wishes, this stamp design will add a touch of cheer to special greeting cards and gift-bearing packages. Artist Nicholas Wilton of San Geronimo, Calif., designed the "Celebrate!" stamp.

High-resolution stamp image files are available in the Image Download Center >>