Barbara Bush stamp is latest in USPS' presidential tradition of living history | Opinion

A postage stamp is a small but mighty canvas, sealing history onto every envelope with a historic image, vibrant ink and adhesive. When these miniature tributes bring to our everyday lives the leaders who shaped America, they transform a routine act of mailing a letter into a celebration of the nation’s past.

This June, Barbara Bush joined an elite group of first ladies honored on U.S. postage. Her stamp, released for public sale June 10 in Kennebunkport, Maine ‒ her cherished summer haven and home to the Bush family compound ‒ marks what would have been her 100th birthday. Featuring her official White House portrait painted by Chas Fagan, the stamp reminds us of Mrs. Bush’s legacy as a tireless advocate for literacy and family.

 

At the May 8 White House ceremony revealing the design, first lady Melania Trump praised Barbara Bush, saying, “Mrs. Bush’s legacy is marked by her respect for tradition while also breaking with convention. While she is known for championing literacy, she also supported women’s empowerment, changed the national conversation on AIDS and took a stance supporting gay rights."

Who was the first president on US stamps?

The tradition of presidential stamps began in 1847 as soon as Congress authorized U.S. postage.

One of the first issues showcased George Washington, his image on a 10-cent stamp from Gilbert Stuart’s iconic portrait. Washington reigns as the most depicted figure in U.S. stamp history, gracing over 300 issues. A rare 1922 green 3-cent Washington stamp recently sold for over $15,000. Our first president’s allure continues to this day.

And in 1902, Martha Washington became the first American woman on a U.S. stamp, featured on an 8-cent issue and later on an unusual 1½-cent denomination. Other first lady stamps followed, including Dolley Madison, Abigail Adams, Eleanor Roosevelt, Lady Bird Johnson, Nancy Reagan and Betty Ford. Eleanor Roosevelt, like Barbara Bush, was honored on her 100th birthday with her global humanitarian work etched into postal history.

For some presidents, postal commemoration is especially befitting.

Stamps were a lifelong passion of Franklin D. Roosevelt, who began collecting at age 8 ‒ a hobby sparked by his mother’s own collection. Over his lifetime, he amassed 1.2 million stamps, finding solace in collecting during his recovery from polio and the crushing demands of leading America through the Great Depression and World War II.

“I owe my life to my hobbies ‒ especially stamp collecting,” FDR declared.

 

As president, he sketched stamp designs and brainstormed with Postmaster General James A. Farley.

In 1938, FDR championed the “Presidential Series,” or “Prexies,” featuring every deceased president to that time, from George Washington to Calvin Coolidge. A nationwide contest yielded the designs, with the winner earning $500 and making Elaine Rawlinson the first woman to have designed a U.S. stamp.