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Smithsonian sunburst Smithsonian National Postal Museum
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  • 20c Scott Joplin single
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20c Scott Joplin single

Object Details

Description
A 20-cent commemorative stamp honoring ragtime composer Scott Joplin was issued June 9, 1983, in Sedalia, Missouri. The First Day of Issue ceremony was held at the former site of the Maple Leaf Club, where Joplin, the King of Ragtime, frequently performed.
Through his life, Scott Joplin fought for recognition. In the 1970's, ragtime finally began to receive academic recognition and respect and, in 1977, Joplin was awarded the Pulitzer Prize posthumously for Treemonisha.
The Scott Joplin stamp design was unveiled July 16, 1982, in St. Louis, Missouri. Designed by Jerry Pinkney of Croton-on-Hudson, New York, the stamp features a head and shoulders portrait of Joplin based on a photograph on the title page of The Collected Works of Scott Joplin II, edited by Vera Brodsky Lawrence. Superimposed to the lower right of the stamp is a drawing of Joplin playing an upright piano. Ronald C. Sharpe modeled the stamp.
The vertically oriented stamp is included in the Black Heritage Series, begun in 1978 to recognize the contributions Black Americans have made to the growth and development of the United States.
The stamp was printed in the photogravure process, with fifty stamps per pane.
Reference:
Postal Bulletin (May 5, 1983).
mint
Credit line
Copyright United States Postal Service. All rights reserved.
Data Source
National Postal Museum
Date
June 9, 1983
Object number
1985.0796.3148
Depicts
Scott Joplin, American, 1868 - 1917
Type
Postage Stamps
Medium
paper; ink (multicolored)/ photogravure
Place
United States of America
See more items in
National Postal Museum Collection
Title
Scott Catalogue USA 2044
Topic
Music & Musicians
Stars of Stage & Screen
Black Heritage
The Cold War (1945-1990)
U.S. Stamps
Record ID
npm_1985.0796.3148
Usage
Usage conditions apply
GUID
http://n2t.net/ark:/65665/hm8ccd71d32-2d9b-45b3-86ca-9ec5943c31e1

Related Object Groups

  • Music Anniversaries in 2018:Untitled
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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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