2010 Stamp Program Unveiled

Nobel Peace Prize honoree Mother Teresa, legendary actress Katharine Hepburn, Negro Leagues Baseball and Cowboys of the Silver Screen are among the subjects headlining the 2010 stamp program, the U.S. Postal Service announced today.

In addition, consumers get much-needed assistance in sending greeting cards: the first stamp designed especially for oversized or odd-sized cards. On May 17, the Postal Service will issue the Monarch butterfly stamp for use on cards that require additional postage. An illustration of a generic butterfly will be depicted on cards or envelopes to remind customers to buy the new Monarch butterfly stamp.

Mother Teresa

Mother Teresa, who received the Nobel Peace Prize in 1979 for her humanitarian work, was known for her compassion toward the poor and suffering. A diminutive Roman Catholic nun and honorary U.S. citizen, she served the sick and destitute of India and the world for nearly 50 years. Her humility and compassion, as well as her respect for the innate worth and dignity of humankind, inspired people of all ages and backgrounds to work on behalf of the world's poorest populations. This stamp is tentatively planned to go on sale nationwide Aug. 26, Mother Teresa's birthday.

Katharine Hepburn

The Legends of Hollywood series honors Katharine Hepburn, one of America's most fascinating and enduring film stars. This stamp will be issued May 12.

Negro Leagues Baseball Stamp

The Negro Leagues Baseball stamps, to be issued in June, pay tribute to the all-black professional baseball leagues that operated from 1920 to about 1960. Drawing some of the most remarkable athletes ever to play the sport, the Negro leagues galvanized African-American communities across the country, challenged racist notions of athletic superiority, and ultimately sparked the integration of American sports.

Cowboys of the Silver Screen

Four extraordinary performers who helped make the American Western a popular form of entertainment are honored on this stamp. Film stars from the silent era through the singing era are featured on the stamps: William S. Hart, Tom Mix, Gene Autry, and Roy Rogers. The stamps go on sale April 17. Freelance illustrator Robert Rodriguez produced the stamp art for these images.

William S. Hart

William S. Hart (1864-1946) became one of the most popular leading men of the silent film era and frequently played the stalwart, tough-as-nails cowboy, and his favorite horse was a brown and white pinto named Fritz.

Tom Mix

Tom Mix (1880-1940) was one of the most celebrated Western film stars of the 1920s.

Gene Autry

For more than two decades, Gene Autry (1907-1998) entertained movie audiences and won the hearts of millions of fans with his distinctive singing style and easygoing personality.

Roy Rogers

Roy Rogers (1911-1998) found great success in show business with his first starring role in a 1938 film, but kept his modest roots as a down-to-earth country boy that Americans couldn't help but admire.

Vancouver 2010 Olympic Winter Games

With this stamp featuring an illustration of a snowboarder, the Postal Service continues its tradition of honoring the spirit of athleticism and international unity inspired by the Olympic Games. The stamp will be issued Jan. 22 as the XXI Olympic Winter Games convenes Feb. 12-28 in Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada.

Lunar New Year

On Jan. 14, the U.S. Postal Service will issue the third of 12 stamps in its Celebrating Lunar New Year series, which began in 2008 with the Year of the Rat. The Year of the Tiger begins on Feb. 14 and ends on Feb. 2, 2011. The 44-cent stamp will go on sale nationwide Jan. 14 and be dedicated at the El Pueblo Historic Monument in Old Chinatown in Los Angeles.

Distinguished Sailors

This stamp honors four sailors who served with bravery and distinction during the 20th century: William S. Sims, Arleigh A. Burke, John McCloy, and Doris Miller.

William S. Sims

Commander of U.S. naval forces in European waters during World War I, William S. Sims (1858-1936) was an outspoken reformer and innovator who helped shape the Navy into a modern fighting force.

Arleigh A. Burke

After serving as one of the top destroyer squadron commanders of World War II, Arleigh A. Burke (1901-1996) had an equally distinguished postwar career in which he played a major role in modernizing the Navy and guiding its response to the Cold War.

John McCloy

Described by a shipmate as "like a bull" who couldn't be stopped, John McCloy (1876-1945) has the distinction of being one of the few men in the nation's history to earn two Medals of Honor for separate acts of heroism.

Doris Miller

The first African American hero of World War II, Doris Miller (1919-1943) became an inspiration to generations of Americans for his actions at Pearl Harbor on Dec. 7, 1941.

Mackinac Bridge

The Mackinac Bridge in Michigan is the subject of the 2010 Priority Mail stamp, which goes on sale Feb. 3. The bridge, nicknamed "Mighty Mac," connects the two peninsulas of Michigan.

Bixby Creek Bridge

The Bixby Creek Bridge in California is the subject of the 2010 Express Mail stamp, which goes on sale nationwide Feb. 3. This bridge was one of the seven classic concrete-arch bridges that eased the way for recreational and commercial travel in California along the Big Sur coast by way of the Carmel-San Simeon Highway, now known as State Highway Route 1.

Bill Mauldin

Pulitzer prize-winner Bill Mauldin, one of America's favorite cartoonists of World War II, will be honored on a stamp in March.

Abstract Expressionists

This stamp honors the artistic innovations and achievements of 10 abstract expressionists, a group of artists who revolutionized art during the 1940s and 1950s and moved the U.S. to the forefront of the international art scene for the first time. The stamps go on sale March 11. Abstract expressionism refers to a large body of work that comprised radically different styles, from still, luminescent fields of color to vigorous, almost violent, slashes of paint. Elements from Barnett Newman's Achilles (1952) were used to frame the stamps.

Flags of Our Nation (Set 4)

In 2010, the U.S. Postal Service continues its Flags of Our Nation series with 10 more stamp designs that feature the Stars and Stripes plus the states of Montana through North Dakota. The stamps will go on sale in April.

Love: Pansies in a Basket

The 2010 Love stamp features a white woven basket brimming with purple pansies. The stamps go on sale in the spring. The Postal Service began issuing its popular Love stamps in 1973.

Kate Smith

Kate Smith (1907-1986), the celebrated singer and entertainer whose signature song, "God Bless America" (composed for her by Irving Berlin), has been called America's unofficial national anthem, is being honored with a stamp that goes on sale in time for the National Hockey League playoffs. The stamp will go on sale May 1.

Oscar Micheaux

The 33rd stamp in the Black Heritage series, to be issued June 22, honors pioneering filmmaker Oscar Micheaux, who wrote, directed, produced and distributed more than 40 movies during the first half of the 20th century.

Sunday Funnies

The Sunday Funnies stamp pane honors Archie, Beetle Bailey, Dennis the Menace, Garfield and Calvin and Hobbes. The stamps will go on sale in July.

Offering an idealized portrait of American adolescence, Archie existed only in comic-book form before debuting in newspapers in 1946. A typical small-town teenager with a knack for goofing things up, 17-year-old Archie Andrews is often torn between haughty brunette Veronica Lodge and sweet, blonde Betty Cooper.

A military strip with universal appeal, Beetle Bailey first appeared in September 1950. Possibly the laziest man in the Army, Private Beetle Bailey is an expert at sleeping and avoiding work. His chronic indolence antagonizes Sergeant Orville P. Snorkel, who is tough on his men but calls them "my boys."

Dennis the Menace follows the antics of Dennis Mitchell, a good-hearted but mischievous little boy who is perpetually "5-ana-half" years old. His curiosity tests the patience of his loving parents and neighbors, guaranteeing that their lives are anything but dull. The comic debuted in March 1951 as a single-panel gag.

Garfield first waddled onto the comics page in June 1978. Self-centered and cynical, the crabby tabby hates Mondays and loves lasagna. He lives with Jon Arbuckle, a bumbling bachelor with a fatally flawed fashion sense, and Odie, a dopey but devoted dog.

Calvin and Hobbes explores the fantasy life of 6-year-old Calvin and his tiger pal, Hobbes. The inseparable friends ponder the mysteries of the world and test the fortitude of Calvin's parents, who never know where their son's imagination will take him. The strip ran from November 1985 to December 1995.

Scouting

The U.S. Postal Service celebrates the adventure and spirit of scouting with a stamp that will go on sale July 27 at the Boy Scout's Jamboree at Fort A.P. Hill, VA.

Winslow Homer

The ninth issuance in the American Treasures series features Boys in a Pasture, an 1874 painting by Winslow Homer, considered one of the greatest American painters of the 19th century. The painting is part of the Hayden Collection at the Museum of Fine Arts, Boston. This stamp will go on sale Aug. 12.

Julia de Burgos

With this 26th stamp in the Literary Arts stamp series, the Postal Service honors Julia de Burgos, one of Puerto Rico's most celebrated poets. The stamp goes on sale in September.

Hawaiian Rain Forest

The 2010 Nature of America issuance features the Hawaiian Rain Forest, the 12th stamp pane in an educational series focusing on the beauty and complexity of major plant and animal communities in the United States. The stamp will go on sale in August.

Holiday Evergreens

Decorating with evergreens during the winter holiday season is a popular and appealing tradition. The Postal Service joins in the winter celebrations by issuing Holiday Evergreens, beautiful new stamps that feature close-up views of the foliage and cones of four different conifers: ponderosa pine, eastern red cedar, blue spruce, and balsam fir. The stamps go on sale in October. The artist, the late Ned Seidler, was a gifted painter of nature subjects. When painting flora, he frequently used cuttings from his own yard.

Angel with Lute

This stamp features an angel playing a lute from a fresco painted by Melozzo da Forli (1438-1494). The stamp goes on sale in October.

The Postal Service receives no tax dollars for operating expenses, and relies on the sale of postage, products and services to fund its operations.

A self-supporting government enterprise, the U.S. Postal Service is the only delivery service that reaches every address in the nation, 150 million residences, businesses and Post Office Boxes. The Postal Service receives no tax dollars. With 36,000 retail locations and the most frequently visited website in the federal government, the Postal Service relies on the sale of postage, products and services to pay for operating expenses. Named the Most Trusted Government Agency five consecutive years and the sixth Most Trusted Business in the nation by the Ponemon Institute, the Postal Service has annual revenue of more than $68 billion and delivers nearly half the world's mail. If it were a private sector company, the U.S. Postal Service would rank 28th in the 2009 Fortune 500.

To download the stamp image(s), simply click on the corresponding link(s) below:

24-0_USPS10STA044.jpg - Monarch (First-Class Surcharge Rate)

11-0_USPS10STA036.jpg - Mother Teresa

0-0_USPS10STA012.jpg - Katharine Hepburn stamp sheet

1-0_USPS10STA012a.jpg - Katharine Hepburn stamp

21-0_USPS10STA014.jpg - Negro Leagues Baseball - both stamps

22-0_USPS10STA014a.jpg - Negro Leagues Baseball - play at home plate

23-0_USPS10STA014b.jpg - Negro Leagues Baseball - Rube Foster

16-0_USPS10STA005e.jpg - Cowboys of the Silver Screen - Block of 4 stamps

12-0_USPS10STA005a.jpg - Cowboys of the Silver Screen - Roy Rogers

13-0_USPS10STA005b.jpg - Cowboys of the Silver Screen - Tom Mix

14-0_USPS10STA005c.jpg - Cowboys of the Silver Screen - William S. Hart

15-0_USPS10STA005d.jpg - Cowboys of the Silver Screen - Gene Autry

7-0_USPS10STA026.jpg - Year of the Tiger - stamp


8-0_USPS10STA026a.jpg - Year of the Tiger - stamp sheet

0-0_USPS10STA017a.jpg - Distinguished Sailors - Block of 4 stamps

1-0_USPS10STA017b.jpg - Distinguished Sailors - William S. Sims

2-0_USPS10STA017c.jpg - Distinguished Sailors - Arleigh A. Burke

3-0_USPS10STA017d.jpg - Distinguished Sailors - John McCloy

4-0_USPS10STA017e.jpg - Distinguished Sailors - Doris Miller

15-0_USPS10STA039a.jpg - Olympic Winter Games Vancouver 2010 -

17-0_USPS10STA008.jpg - Mackinac Bridge

11-0_USPS10STA003.jpg - Bixby Creek Bridge

6-0_USPS10STA019.jpg - Bill Mauldin

0-0_USPS10STA042.jpg - Abstract Expressionists - Sheet of 10 stamps

1-0_USPS10STA042a.jpg - Abstract Expressionists - text on the back of the stamp sheet

10-0_USPS10STA042j.jpg - Abstract Expressionists - Mark Rothko painting

11-0_USPS10STA042k.jpg - Abstract Expressionists - Clyfford Still painting

2-0_USPS10STA042b.jpg - Abstract Expressionists - Willem de Kooning painting

3-0_USPS10STA042c.jpg - Abstract Expressionists - Arshile Gorky painting

4-0_USPS10STA042d.jpg - Abstract Expressionists - Adolph Gottlieb painting

5-0_USPS10STA042e.jpg - Abstract Expressionists - Hans Hofmann painting

6-0_USPS10STA042f.jpg - Abstract Expressionists - Joan Mitchell painting

7-0_USPS10STA042g.jpg - Abstract Expressionists - Robert Motherwell painting

8-0_USPS10STA042h.jpg - Abstract Expressionists - Barnett Newman painting

9-0_USPS10STA042i.jpg - Abstract Expressionists - Jackson Pollock painting

0-0_USPS10STA001.jpg - Flags of Our Nation - Sheet of 10 stamps

1-0_USPS10STA001a.jpg - Flags of Our Nation: Stars and Stripes stamp

2-0_USPS10STA001b.jpg - Flags of Our Nation: Montana

10-0_USPS10STA001j.jpg - Flags of Our Nation - North Dakota

3-0_USPS10STA001c.jpg - Flags of Our Nation - Nebraska

4-0_USPS10STA001d.jpg - Flags of Our Nation - Nevada

5-0_USPS10STA001e.jpg - Flags of Our Nation - New Hampshire

6-0_USPS10STA001f.jpg - Flags of Our Nation - New Jersey

7-0_USPS10STA001g.jpg - Flags of Our Nation - New Mexico

8-0_USPS10STA001h.jpg - Flags of Our Nation - New York

9-0_USPS10STA001i.jpg - Flags of Our Nation - North Carolina

16-0_USPS10STA040a.jpg - Pansies In A Basket

20-0_USPS10STA013.jpg - Kate Smith

5-0_USPS10STA018.jpg - Oscar Micheaux

17-0_USPS10STA041b.jpg - Sunday Funnies - Block of 5 stamps

18-0_USPS10STA041c.jpg - Sunday Funnies - Beetle Bailey

19-0_USPS10STA041d.jpg - Sunday Funnies - Calvin and Hobbes

20-0_USPS10STA041e.jpg - Sunday Funnies - Archie

21-0_USPS10STA041f.jpg - Sunday Funnies - Garfield

22-0_USPS10STA041g.jpg - Sunday Funnies - Dennis the Menace

12-0_USPS10STA037.jpg - Scouting

24-0_USPS10STA016.jpg - Winslow Homer

10-0_USPS10STA031.jpg - Julia de Burgos

13-0_USPS10STA038.jpg - Nature of America: Hawaiian Rain Forest -

14-0_USPS10STA038a.jpg - Hawaiian Rain Forest - text on the back of the stamp sheet

9-0_USPS10STA029b.jpg - Holiday Evergreens

23-0_USPS10STA043.jpg - Angel with Lute