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Smithsonian sunburst Smithsonian National Postal Museum
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  • 32c Count Basie single
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32c Count Basie single

Object Details

Description
The Postal Service issued four 32-cent Big Band Leaders commemorative stamps on September 11, 1996, in New York City. These stamps were the first additions to the Postal Service's 1996 Legends of American Music Series. This series began in 1993 and features all generations of American music, including folk, classical, opera, and gospel.
Designed by Bill Nelson of Richmond, Virginia, the Big Band Leaders stamps portray Count Basie, Tommy and Jimmy Dorsey, Glenn Miller, and Benny Goodman. In addition, these big band leaders were also accomplished musicians: Basie (pianist), Tommy Dorsey and Miller (trombonists), Jimmy Dorsey (clarinetist and saxophonist), and Goodman (clarinetist). In the 1930s, big bands defined jazz, swing, and popular music. They were heard late at night on radio networks "live" from ballrooms in cities and small towns, on 78 rpm records, and in person, seven shows a day, and between movies at downtown theaters. The bands were typically made-up of fifteen or sixteen musicians on brass, woodwind, and rhythm instruments.
Ashton-Potter (USA), Ltd., printed the stamps, in panes of twenty, using the offset process.
Reference:
Postal Bulletin (August 15, 1996).
mint
Credit line
Copyright United States Postal Service. All rights reserved.
Data Source
National Postal Museum
Date
September 11, 1996
Object number
1998.2010.384
Depicts
Count Basie, American, 1904 - 1984
Type
Postage Stamps
Medium
paper; ink (multicolored); adhesive / lithography
Place
United States of America
See more items in
National Postal Museum Collection
Title
Scott Catalogue USA 3096
Topic
Music & Musicians
Black Heritage
Contemporary (1990-present)
U.S. Stamps
Record ID
npm_1998.2010.384
Usage
Usage conditions apply
GUID
http://n2t.net/ark:/65665/hm840ff3ed8-369f-4953-a95b-ff586fdcac1b

Related Object Groups

  • American Music
  • Jazz in the Collections
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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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