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Smithsonian sunburst Smithsonian National Postal Museum
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  • 15c Smithsonian Institution single
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15c Smithsonian Institution single

Object Details

Description
Released at the convention of the National Trust for Historic Preservation on October 9, 1980, the four stamps of the 1980 American Architectural commemorative series comprise the second group of American Architecture Series stamps issued since 1979. The featured buildings include the Trinity Church (Boston), the Smithsonian (Washington, DC), Lyndhurst (Tarrytown, New York), and the Pennsylvania Academy of the Fine Arts. Each embodies the very best of nineteenth-century American architecture. According to the United States Postal Service, these specific buildings were chosen for depiction based on their "enduring beauty, strength and usefulness," a fitting description for them all.
Designed by four of the most outstanding architects in American history, these buildings have stood the test of time in terms of beauty and sound structure. When constructed, they extended the limits of American architecture and inspired originality and ingenuity throughout the field of architecture. Henry Richardson, James Renwick, Alexander J. Davis, and Frank Furness, the respective architects, boldly designed these buildings, which represent patriotism, creativity, and fearlessness while inspiring a deep sense of nationalism in any American who visits them.
Artist Walter D. Richards of New Canaan, Connecticut, designed the stamps for this series. The Postal Service's production of the four 15-cent stamps of the 1980 American Architecture Series totaled 152,420,000 stamps.
Reference:
"U.S. Chronicle." The American Philatelist 94, no. 11 (1980): 976.
unused
Credit line
Copyright United States Postal Service. All rights reserved.
Data Source
National Postal Museum
Date
October 9, 1980
Object number
2006.2034.92
Type
Postage Stamps
Medium
paper; ink (multicolored) / engraved
Place
District of Columbia
United States of America
See more items in
National Postal Museum Collection
Title
Scott Catalogue USA 1838
Depicts
Smithsonian Institution, American, founded 1846
Topic
The Cold War (1945-1990)
Architecture
U.S. Stamps
Record ID
npm_2006.2034.92
Usage
Usage conditions apply
GUID
http://n2t.net/ark:/65665/hm816995d4a-7093-481d-8404-693bb216c2c6
There are restrictions for re-using this image. For more information, visit the Smithsonian's Terms of Use page .
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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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