Art of the Stamp: Owney

Owney the Postal Dog
refer to caption

Owney stamp art exhibit panel. Loan from the U.S. Postal Service.

July 11, 2011 - August 5, 2012

Art of the Stamp: Owney the Postal Dog features Bill Bonds’s original painting of Owney that was produced for the stamp. It is accompanied by 6 sketches illustrating various poses of Owney that Mr. Bonds created as he developed his final portrait. In addition, 5 tags that were given to Owney on his many travels and selected by Bonds as background for his stamp art, are also included.

refer to caption
Owney Stamp Design

On loan from the U.S. Postal Service.

refer to caption
Owney Stamp Design

On loan from the U.S. Postal Service.

refer to caption
Owney Stamp Design

On loan from the U.S. Postal Service.

Object Spotlight

On July 27, 2011, one of the museum’s most interesting objects was commemorated with a United States postage stamp. During his lifetime a scruffy mutt named Owney was the nation’s most famous canine. From 1888 until his death in 1897 Owney rode with Railway Mail Service clerks and mailbags all across the nation.