Object Details
Depicts
Bessie Smith, American, 1894 - 1937
Description
Jazz and blues legends were honored with the eight 29-cent stamps in Legends of American Music Stamp Series issued on September 17, 1994, in Greenville, Mississippi, at the Delta Blues Festival. The stamps feature Bessie Smith, Billie Holiday, Jimmy Rushing, Mildred Bailey, Muddy Waters, Robert Johnson, "Ma" Rainey, and Howlin' Wolf.
Bessie Smith (1894-1937), the Empress of the Blues, began singing in public as a child for pennies. In 1923, her first recording, "Downhearted Blues," sold an unprecedented 750,000 records. She recorded more than a hundred blues and popular songs, paving the way for future musicians.
Howard Koslow designed the images for Bessie Smith, Billie Holiday, Jimmy Rushing, Mildred Bailey, and Julian Allen designed the images for Muddy Waters, Robert Johnson, "Ma" Rainey, and Howlin' Wolf. Ashton-Potter (USA), Ltd., printed The stamps using offset lithography.
Reference:
Postal Bulletin (September 1, 1994).
mint
11 horizontal perforations x 10.8 vertical perforations
Credit line
Copyright United States Postal Service. All rights reserved.
Date
September 17, 1994
Object number
1995.2075.47
Type
Postage Stamps
Medium
paper; ink (multicolored); adhesive / lithography
Place
United States of America
See more items in
National Postal Museum Collection
Data Source
National Postal Museum
Topic
Music & Musicians
Black Heritage
Contemporary (1990-present)
Women's Heritage
U.S. Stamps
Link to Original Record
Record ID
npm_1995.2075.47