Ayn Rand
The 1999 addition to the Literary Arts stamp series honors Ayn Rand, the author of The Fountainhead and Atlas Shrugged. Born Alissa Rosenbaum in St. Petersburg, Russia, Ayn Rand came to the U.S. in 1926 at the age of 21, and later became a U.S. citizen. Rand believed that a productive society is the result of individual freedom and effort. Her philosophy influenced all of her books and made her a controversial but respected author. The stamp art was illustrated by Nicholas Gaetano, who also illustrated book jackets for several recent editions of Ayn Rand’s books.