U.S. Postal Service offering "Botanical Art" stamps

Atlanta - The U.S. Postal Service continued its tradition of floral-themed stamps by dedicating the Botanical Art Forever stamps, featuring vintage illustrations taken from 19th- and early 20th-century plant and seed catalogs.

The official First-Day-of-Issue ceremony took place Jan. 29 in the Crystal Ballroom of the Hilton Atlanta Downtown as part of the American Philatelic Society’s AmeriStamp Expo.

“Featuring Mother Nature at her best, our new Botanical Art stamps were based on designs of images from the nursery and seed catalog collection of the New York Botanical Garden,” said Postal Service Capital Metro Area Operations Vice President Kristin Seaver who dedicated the stamps.

Joining Seaver in dedicating the stamps was American Philatelic Society (APS) Executive Director Scott English; APS Young Philatelic Leader Fellow Austin Foo; and, Atlanta Botanical Garden Horticulture Vice President Mildred Pinnell Fockele. Also in attendance was Postal Service (acting) Stamp Director Mary-Anne Penner.

The stamp art features 10 individual designs, each a detail of an illustration from an American nursery catalog printed between 1891 and 1912. The catalogs are part of The New York Botanical Garden’s nursery and seed catalog collection, one of the largest and most important collections in the United States. The collection and similar collections in other institutions offer historical information for scholars and scientists studying a wide range of subjects, including the history of botany, horticulture, commercial agriculture, landscape design, plant exploration, graphic arts and publishing.

The artists responsible for the work seen on early nursery catalogs are mostly unknown, but their captivating work lives on.

For information on upcoming stamp dedication ceremonies, visit this link.