Music and the Performing Arts

Topical Reference Page

29 cent stamp showing Elvis singing into a microphone — Elvis Presley stamp, 1993

Find resources related to music and the performing arts on the National Postal Museum's website.

About U.S. Stamps - 1978 Performing Arts Series

Exhibition

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About U.S. Stamps - American Composers

Exhibition

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Art of the Stamp - Arts and Entertainment

Exhibition

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New York City - Broadway

Exhibition

Broadway is much more than a major thoroughfare running through Manhattan. The word evokes the section of Broadway between 42nd Street and 53rd Street, which includes Times Square and is home to more than 40 professional theaters. This is the "Great White Way,” where theater marquees illuminate the evening and convey the pulse of a city that never sleeps. Broadway has helped make New York City a cultural capital of the world.

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About Postal Operations - Film & Theater

Exhibition

Films and plays continue to help ensure that their audience immediately recognizes a...

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The Black Experience - Film and Theatre

Exhibition

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1959 First day cover, Vienna Philharmonic

Haywood Music Collection

The collection is a broad compilation of thematically organized stamps, covers, commemorative sheets, and more philatelic objects. Themes presented in the collection include composers, performers, musical instruments, festivals, and music industry. Dr.

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I Love Lucy Premieres on CBS

Exhibition

On October 15, 1951, real life husband and wife Desi Arnaz and Lucile Ball first appeared as the fictional married couple Lucy and Ricky Ricardo on CBS's newest television show I Love Lucy. Nine seasons later, the two had cemented themselves in American television history forever.

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In Memoriam: Jimi Hendrix

Exhibition

On September 18, 1970, legendary musician Jimi Hendrix died. In celebration of Hendrix's life and music, the National Postal Museum has created this mini-exhibit highlighting different postage stamps with connections to Jimi Hendrix and the era in American history that he helped shape.

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Jascha Heifetz Specialized Collection of Music on Stamps

Jascha Heifetz, Russian-born American violinist is associated with musical perfection. He became a U.S. citizen in 1925 and toured the world giving concerts. Heifetz’s specialized collection is about anything connected with music.

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Front cover of John Lennon's Mercury Stamp Album

John Lennon: The Green Album

September 7, 2018 - September 2, 2019

Exhibition

John Lennon’s boyhood stamp album—including 565 stamps on more than 150 pages was on display at the Smithsonian’s National Postal Museum. The exhibition coincided with the U.S. Postal Service’s issuance of the John Lennon Forever stamp, honoring the legendary singer and songwriter. The stamp is part of the USPS’ Music Icons series.

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The New Zealand stamps Lennon obtained through correspondence with relatives.

John Lennon: The Lost Album

October 6, 2005 - April 6, 2006

Exhibition

Before John Lennon traveled the globe playing music with The Beatles, this boy from Liverpool, England saw the world in a whole different way−through stamps.

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Related Blogs

Image of John Prine album cover. Orange background with grey outline of suburban skyline. Black outline of mailman with mail bag

Remembering John Prine, the Singing Mailman

04.07.2021

In his early 20s, singer-songwriter John Prine worked as a mail carrier in Chicago and crafted many songs on his daily route. In his own words: “I passed the time each day making up these little ditties.” The double album “The Singing Mailman Delivers” further enshrined his time as a postal employee. One year after his death, we commemorate the musical giant with a new blog post. Learn more about Prine’s incredible career (which spanned five decades), his enduring legacy, and his humble roots.

Learn more About Remembering John Prine, the Singing Mailman

Oil painting of Marian Anderson that was used in stamp design

Marian Anderson: A Voice of a Lifetime

02.01.2019

Marian Anderson—one of the greatest concert and classical singers of the twentieth century—was honored on a stamp issued by the United States Postal Service on January 27, 2005.

Learn more About Marian Anderson: A Voice of a Lifetime

Honoring Marceline’s Favorite Son: The Walt Disney Commemorative Stamp, 1968

06.11.2018

On December 15, 1966, the world mourned the loss of Walter Elias Disney, America’s well-loved animator, film producer, and theme-park entrepreneur. Following his death, tributes from around the world honored Disney and his legacy of beloved characters, including the 6-cent Walt Disney commemorative stamp issued by the United States Post Office on September 11, 1968.

Learn more About Honoring Marceline’s Favorite Son: The Walt Disney Commemorative Stamp, 1968

Country Music Icons: Immortalized and Celebrated in Stamps

07.10.2017

In honor of National U.S. Postage Stamp Day, the National Postal Museum is pleased to welcome guest blogger René Rodgers, Curator of Exhibits and Publications at the Birthplace of Country Music Museum.

Learn more About Country Music Icons: Immortalized and Celebrated in Stamps