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Smithsonian sunburst Smithsonian National Postal Museum
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8c Love single

Object Details

Description
In 1972 the US Postal Service commissioned pop artist Robert Indiana to turn his painting of the word 'Love', created for the Museum of Modern Art's 1965 Christmas card, into a postage stamp. It was released in Philadelphia, the "City of Brotherly Love," on January 26, 1973, in time for Valentine's Day.
The Postal Service's Office of Philatelic Affairs was flooded with complimentary letters and, when the first-class postage rate rose to ten cents in 1974, it received numerous suggestions to reissue the stamp at the new denomination. But not everyone loved the Love stamp. One postal customer dubbed it the 'Hippie Stamp'; another suggested that it resembled "something concocted on a hashish couch.'
The 8-cent stamp paid the domestic first-class letter rate. It was printed in red, green, and violet blue ink on the Andreotti press in sheets of 200. These were further divided into four panes containing fifty stamps each for shipment to post offices. The art director for the stamp was Bradbury Thompson.
The Postal Service did not call this issue a 'Love' stamp, instead titling it "A Special Stamp for Someone Special." Another stamp featuring the word 'Love' was not issued until 1982, initiating a series that continues today.
Reference:
National Postal Museum Library, Papers of the Third Assistant Postmaster General and successor agencies, Stamp Design Files, Folder for Scott #1475.
Daniel Piazza, National Postal Museum
August 15, 2008
Data Source
National Postal Museum
Date
January 26, 1973
Object number
1980.2493.5899
Type
Postage Stamps
Dimensions
Height x Width: 1 x 1 9/16 in. (2.54 x 3.97 cm)
Place
United States of America
See more items in
National Postal Museum Collection
Title
Scott Catalogue USA 1475
Topic
Art & Photography
U.S. Stamps
Record ID
npm_1980.2493.5899
Usage
Usage conditions apply
GUID
http://n2t.net/ark:/65665/hm8e6821fe5-c144-475a-b58e-dab54fe1aa41

Related Object Groups

  • Be My Valentine
There are restrictions for re-using this image. For more information, visit the Smithsonian's Terms of Use page .
International media Interoperability Framework
IIIF provides researchers rich metadata and media viewing options for comparison of works across cultural heritage collections. Visit the IIIF page to learn more.
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HomeSmithsonian National Postal Museum

Visit »

Open daily 10 a.m. to 5:30 p.m.

Admission is always free!

2 Massachusetts Ave., N.E.
Washington, DC 20002

The museum's main entrance is located on the corner of First Street and Massachusetts Avenue NE. Other entrances have variable hours.

street map of Postal museum

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