Philatelic News
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
July 19, 2002
Stamp Release #02-043
Literary Arts Series Continues With Issuance Of Ogden Nash Postage Stamp
WASHINGTON - With this issuance-the 18th postage stamp in the Literary Arts series-the U.S. Postal Service honors poet Ogden Nash on the centennial of his birth.
The public is invited to the first day of issue ceremony, which will be held on August 19 at 11 AM at 4300 Rugby Road, Baltimore, Md. This is the home where Nash did most of his writing. The new stamp will be available in Baltimore starting August 19, and at post offices across the country beginning the following day.
"Our Literary Arts series continues the proud tradition of presenting a commemorative stamp program to the public that is educational, interesting and reflects the very best of our cultural heritage," said William Johnstone, Secretary to the presidentially appointed Postal Service Board of Governors, who will dedicate the stamp. "Ogden Nash is a wonderful addition to this series and we are honored to feature this great American poet in the nation's stamp program."
Joining Johnstone will be Baltimore Postmaster Kelvin Mack and Nash's two daughters, Linell Nash Smith and Isabel Nash Eberstadt.
A gentle satirist, Nash poked fun at human foibles without cynicism. He wrote on many subjects, but all of his poems expressed his wry wit and demonstrated his playfulness with language. "I'm very fond of the English language. I tease it, and you tease only the things you love," Nash reportedly said. He invented words and used puns, creative misspellings, irregular line lengths and unexpected rhymes to make his verse humorous and memorable. Because of his unique style, many consider Ogden Nash to have been one of the most accomplished American writers of light verse in the 20th century.
Frederick Ogden Nash was born on Aug. 19, 1902, in Rye, N.Y. He attended Harvard University for one year. After working in publishing for several years Nash decided in 1933 to devote himself full-time to writing.
He first found fame in the pages of "The New Yorker" when his poem "Invocation" appeared in the January 1930 issue. "The New Yorker" subsequently published so many of his poems that Nash came to be identified with that magazine, although many other periodicals also published his verse. His first book of poetry, "Hard Lines," was a bestseller in 1931; some 20 other volumes of verse followed, including "The Bad Parents' Garden of Verse" (1936), "I'm a Stranger Here Myself" (1938), "The Face Is Familiar" (1940), "You Can't Get There From Here" (1957) and "Everyone But Thee and Me" (1962). He wrote numerous children's books, several of which were illustrated by his daughter Linell Nash Smith.
Nash also wrote for the stage, contributing the lyrics to several musical comedies including the Broadway hit "One Touch of Venus" (1943). He made frequent lecture tours and was a regular guest on radio and television programs. In 1950 the National Institute of Arts and Letters (now known as the American Academy of Arts and Letters) elected Nash to its select membership of 250 artists, writers and musicians. In recognition of his distinguished contributions to literature, he was elected to the American Academy of Arts and Sciences in 1965.
In a letter to the editor of "The New York Times", published Dec. 29, 1969, Nash complained about stamps that would not stick to envelopes. He lamented, "The Post Office should supply a roll of Scotch tape with every 100 stamps, but mine won't even sell me one. I'd like to go back to where I came from: 1902." Ogden Nash might be pleased to know that in 2002 the self-adhesive stamps bearing his likeness will indeed stick to envelopes.
Ogden Nash died in Baltimore on May 19, 1971.
Award-winning artist Michael J. Deas based his portrait of Nash on a circa 1952 black-and-white photograph taken by Kay Bell Reynal. Deas has designed five other stamps in the Literary Arts series: Tennessee Williams (1995), F. Scott Fitzgerald (1996), Thornton Wilder (1997), Stephen Vincent Benét (1998) and Thomas Wolfe (2000). Kay Bell Reynal was a fashion photographer whose subjects included prominent writers and artists.
The background of the stamp consists of six poems by Nash: "The Turtle," "The Cow," "Crossing the Border," "The Kitten," "Limerick One" and "The Camel." They are printed without titles. Forward slashes indicate line breaks within the poems and separations between the poems. Following is the text of the poems in the order in which they appear on the stamp:
THE TURTLE
The turtle lives twixt plated decks
Which practically conceal its sex.
I think it clever of the turtle
In such a fix to be so fertile.
THE COW
The cow is of the bovine ilk;
One end is moo, the other, milk.
CROSSING THE BORDER
Senescence begins
And middle age ends
The day your descendants
Outnumber your friends.
THE KITTEN
The trouble with a kitten is
THAT
Eventually it becomes a
CAT.
LIMERICK ONE
An elderly bride of Port Jervis
Was quite understandably nervis.
Since her apple-cheeked groom,
With three wives in the tomb,
Kept insuring her during the service.
THE CAMEL
The camel has a single hump;
The dromedary, two;
Or else the other way around.
I'm never sure. Are you?
The Ogden Nash stamp, and all recently issued stamps and philatelic products, as well as the free USA Philatelic catalog, are available by calling toll free 1 800 STAMP 24. The stamp, and a selection of current U.S. stamps and gift items, are also available at the Postal Store at usps.com. Images of many current, past and future stamp issues can be found in the Stamp Issues section of the Collector's Corner.
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TECHNICAL DETAILS
Issue: Ogden Nash
Item Number: 452400
Denomination & Type of Issue: 37-cent Commemorative
Format: Pane of 20 (1 design)
Series: Literary Arts
Issue Date & City: August 19, 2002, Baltimore, MD 21233
Designer: Carl T. Herrman, Carlsbad, CA
Engraver: Southern Graphics Systems, Inc.
Art Director: Carl T. Herrman, Carlsbad, CA
Typographer: John Boyd, New York, NY
Artist: Michael J. Deas, New Orleans, LA
Modeler: Southern Graphics systems, Inc.
Manufacturing Process: Gravure
Printer: Avery Dennison (AVR)
Printed at: AVR, Clinton, SC
Press Type: Dia Nippon Kiko (DNK)
Stamps per Pane: 20
Print Quantity: 75 million stamps
Paper Type: Prephosphored, Type I
Gum Type: Pressure Sensitive
Processed at: AVR, Clinton, SC
Colors: Yellow, Magenta, Cyan, Black, Gray (PMS 422, extended for light gray), Gray (PMS 422), Gold (PMS 871), Dark Cyan,
(PMS 661)
Stamp Orientation: Horizontal
Image Area (w x h): 1.410 x 0.840 in./35.814 x 21.336 mm
Overall Size (w x h): 1.560 x 0.990 in./39.624 x 25.146 mm
Full Pane Size (w x h): 6.50 x 5.875 in./165.10 x 149.225 mm
Plate Size: 200 stamps per revolution
Plate Numbers: "V" followed by eight (8) single digits
Marginal Markings: " © 2001 USPS" " Price " Plate Position Diagram
Plate Numbers " Barcode
Catalog Item Number(s): 452440Pane of 20 w/plate no. $7.40
452430 Block of 10 $3.70
452420 Block of 4 $1.48
452461 First Day Cover $0.75
HOW TO ORDER THE FIRST DAY OF ISSUE POSTMARK
Customers have 30 days to obtain the first day of issue postmark by mail. They may purchase the new stamps at their local post office, affix the stamps to envelopes of their choice, address the envelopes (to themselves or others), and place them in a larger envelope addressed to: OGDEN NASH COMMEMORATIVE STAMP, POSTMASTER, MAIN OFFICE WINDOW SERVICES 900 E FAYETTE STREET BALTIMORE, MD 21233-9991. After applying the first day of issue postmark, the Postal Service will return the envelopes through the mail. There is no charge for the postmark. All orders must be postmarked by September 19, 2002.
Stamp Fulfillment Services also offers first day covers for new stamp issues and postal stationery items postmarked with the official first day of issue cancellation. Each item has an individual catalog number and is offered in the quarterly USA Philatelic catalog. Customers may request a free catalog by writing to: INFORMATION FULFILLMENT, DEPT 6270, US POSTAL SERVICE, PO BOX 219014, KANSAS CITY MO 64121-9014, or by calling 1 800 STAMP-24.
First day covers remain on sale for at least one year after the stamp's issuance.
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Since 1775, the U.S. Postal Service has connected friends, families, neighbors and businesses by mail. It is an independent federal agency that visits 137 million homes and businesses every day and is the only service provider to deliver to every address in the nation. The Postal Service receives no taxpayer dollars for routine operations, but derives its operating revenues solely from the sale of postage, products and services. With annual revenues of more than $65 billion, it is the world's leading provider of postal services, offering some of the most affordable postage rates in the world. The Postal Service delivers more than 46 percent of the world's mail volume-some 207 billion letters, advertisements, periodicals and packages a year-and serves 7 million customers each day at its 40,000 retail locations nationwide.
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