Many collectors looked forward to the debut of the Bob Hope stamp on May 29, 2009.
Not only stamp collectors, but also fans of comedy in general and Bob Hope in particular anticipated the stamp’s release.
The history of the Bob Hope stamp release and the first day cancellation caricatures is an interesting one that bears repeating.
The best first day cancellations do what is fairly difficult to accomplish when designing a postmark – capture the essence and personality of the subject in a way that attracts and interests collectors, but make it so that it can be reproduced in a small enough size and simple lines that are needed for a cancellation.
Many wondered if it would be possible to capture the larger-than-life personality of an American icon like Bob Hope in such a cancellation.
The research team studied reams of material in developing the Bob Hope stamp cancellation. In the process of this research, the team came upon drawings of Hope by a popular artist, Al Hirschfeld.
The team thought the drawings captured Hope and his personality well, but discarded them because they assumed the legal issues including copyright would prohibit their use. They put the drawings aside for a time, and moved on with researching other possibilities.
However, once a member of the team decided to give it a try, they found success. In short order, all obstacles were removed, and the caricatures were incorporated into the cancellations.
Stamp collectors and Bob Hope lovers alike are delighted not only with the Bob Hope stamp, but also the cancellations which, in this case, an important completion to the image on the stamp itself.
The drawings add the touch of whimsy and delight to the stately portrait of a smiling but subdued Hope. In the combination, you see not only Hope the ambassador of good will and humor, but Hope the cutup on the Road to Morocco or wherever else he was traveling that day.
On Friday, May 29, 2009 the stamp was officially launched. The date was chosen because it would have been Hope’s 106th birthday. He died at the age of 100 in 2003. His wife, Delores, celebrated her 100th birthday the Wednesday before the ceremony, but she was not able to travel to the release ceremony.
The Bob Hope stamp first day ceremonies were held on board the USS Midway in San Diego. Hope was well known for his charitable performances for the troops in cars since WWII. He’s the first citizen to receive a Congressional recognition as an honorary U.S. Armed Services veteran, event though he never officially served in any branch of the military.
He performed twice on the USS Midway during his military visits.
Collectors can purchase the first day issue of the stamp through July 29. The stamps can be purchased at their local post office, the Post Office web site (www.usps.com) or over the phone at 1-800-STAMP-24.
The stamps should be placed on envelopes addressed to the collector or others, placed in a large manilla envelope, then mailed to
Bob Hope Stamp
Postmaster
PO Box 85530
San Diego, CA 92186-5530
The envelopes will be postmarked with the first day postmark and mailed to the recipients with no additional charge.
Photo Credits: dbking
Originally posted 2009-06-02 10:46:11. Republished by Blog Post Promoter
Related Posts -
1909 Lincoln Stamp Set Stamps -> United States -> Collections, Lots The 1909 Lincoln stamp set represents the first time the United States Post Office had issued stamps that didn't promote or commemorate a current event. The public complained about the change in stamps in 1908 to Washing and Franklin stamps, because Lincoln had...... -
Cuba Stamps Stamps -> WorldWide The first Cuba stamps were made available in April of 1855, 15 years after the first postage stamps were printed in Great Britain. Before the advent of the postage stamp in Cuba, letters were often delivered to the addressee requiring him or her to pay the postage....... -
Collecting Commemorative Stamps A commemorative stamp is essentially a stamp that was created in order to honor something, such as for example a special occasion, a special person or a special place. Most commemorative stamp varieties are printed in very small batches, and sometimes they are only printed one time and then never...... - Valuable Stamps Stamps -> Worldwide -> Postal History If you are interested in stamp collecting as more than just a hobby, it is important to focus on finding valuable stamps. These are the ones that will enhance your personal collection and provide you with a solid investment that you can count on.......
-
Stamps of Greece Stamps -> Europe -> Greece Stamp collectors who collect world stamps usually have a fondness for the stamps of Greece, with the bold designs, and the history they represent. The first stamps of Greece are called Hermes head stamps, because they feature a profile of the Greek god Hermes......
Related Websites -
Want to Make Money Using the Internet? Want to make money using the internet but wasn't sure where to begin? Mark Joyner and his team at Simpleology are offering a Free or Free Challenge to make your first $1,000 online. I haven't seen the course yet, but everything else I have gotten from Mark and his team...... -
Rodolfo Avila Joins Cram to Race in FMI Hot on yesterdays news, that our Macau Motorsport race ambassador Rodolfo Avila has left British Formula 3 Championship, it's now confirmed that he is to compete in the inaugural International Formula Master (IFM) season with Italian top team Cram Competition. Rodolfo Avila is at his peak of motivation and he...... -
Collecting Walt Disney Collectibles One of the types of Walt Disney Collectibles that is available to you is Walt Disney Classics Collection or WDCC, which was originally introduced in the year 1992 at a collectibles show known as South Bend Collectible Show. Three years of work went into the creation of this collection of...... -
Joe DiMaggio Sports Memorabilia Even today's modern kids who might not even watch baseball or be able to name one single player have heard the name Joe DiMaggio. His name is synonymous with baseball and sports, as he was part of the game during its glory days, when it seemed every...... - When We Received a Collections Letter Last week, I was flipping through our mail when I noticed an envelope stamped with "REMITTANCE" (or REMITTAL, I don't have the envelope anymore). Capital letters intimidate me, so I opened it right away. It turned out to be from a collections agency. Lesson #1: Open all mail that isn't......
