Stamp(s) of Approval
1978 “Hobby Horse” stamps illustrated by Dolly Tingle.
I certainly get excited about stamps every time the holiday season rolls around. I mean, how dreamy would it be to get to design a set of official postage — no matter the season!? As a lover of vintage things, and as someone with an affinity for mid-century illustration, I did a little digging and curated what I thought were some of the most festive holiday-themed stamps from years past. Before diving into that, however, please appreciate the below imagery, which just goes to show how much mid-century illustration styles are still heavily influencing image-making trends today. The red set of stamps in the center were issued in 2020 and were illustrated by Kirsten Ulve. The stamps on either side of that were created by Brad Woodard of the Brave the Woods for this year’s 2021 release.
The following carousel features American stamps from bygone eras. They are ordered chronologically, with the earliest being from 1978. The last two are not stamps, but I really enjoyed the illustration style, and they strongly reference the category. They were technically classified as “seals” and are from the mid-50s.
From left to right: Hobby Horse: 1978, by Dolly Tingle; Santa: 1979, by Eskil Ohlsson; Winter Village: 1986, cannot find credit; Horse-Drawn Carriage: 1988, by Joan Landis; Jack in the Box and Toy Solider stamps, both 1993, both by Peter Good; Family Christmas Tree, 1996, by Julia Talcott; Hanukkah, 1996, by Hannah Smotrich; Kwanzaa, 1997 by Cynthia St. James; Knit Reindeer, 2007, by Carl T. Hermann, and the Snowy Day Series by Ezra Jack Keats, released in 2017, but first published in book format in 1962. The last two are not stamps, but feel of the same spirit. They are from the mid-50s, and I cannot find illustrator credits.
And now for a local spin, take a look below. While Día de los Muertos (Day of the Dead), is not celebrated in December, it’s still a very important holiday for many. It originated in Mexico and is observed there and throughout Latin America on the first two days of November. This year, the USPS released the very first issue EVER of Día de los Muertos stamps! And they were designed by none other than Minneapolis’ very own Luis Fitch of UNO Branding. Hopefully there will be new issues released each year commemorating this holiday. I also hope to see USPS continue to represent more diverse cultural traditions via its postage in years to come.
Día de los Muertos stamps created by Minneapolis designer Luis Fitch from Uno branding.
Now, remember, how at the beginning of this post I said it would be so much fun to design some stamps? Well, I decided to throw together a little stamp design challenge — due by Christmas — to help make our stamp-making dreams a quasi-reality. Interested in participating? A winning duo of stamp designs can win you 100 dollars of credit toward any Greater Than service. Click here for contest details! Hope to see your creations soon!
