# 2538 - 1991 29c Literary Arts: William Saroyan
US #2538
1991 William Saroyan
- Ninth stamp in Literary Arts series
- Joint Issue with Russia
- Honors playwright and novelist Saroyan
Category of Stamp: Commemorative
Set: Literary Arts
Value: 29¢, First-Class mail rate
First Day of Issue: May 22, 1991
First Day City: Fresno, California, and Yerevan, Armenia, USSR
Quantity Issued: 161,000,000
Printed by: J.W. Fergusson and Sons for American Bank Note Company
Printing Method: Photogravure
Format: Panes of 50, from printing cylinders of 200 subjects (10 across, 20 down)
Perforations: 11
Joint Issue: Russia #6002
Reason the stamp was issued: This stamp honors William Saroyan, a short story writer, novelist and playwright. A joint-issue stamp was released in Armenia, where Saroyan was born. At the time the stamp was issued, Armenia was part of the Soviet Union.
About the stamp design: The image on the William Saroyan stamp was the work of Ren Wicks. He used photos taken by another Armenian, Paul Kalinian. The photographer asked that his fee for the use of his photos be paid in Saroyan stamps.
First Day City: The First Day of Issue ceremony took place at the William Saroyan Theater in Fresno, California. The minister of communications of Armenia joined a US Postal Service official at the ceremony and dedicated the Russia joint issue stamps.
About the Literary Arts Series: The Literary Arts Series began in 1979 with a John Steinbeck stamp. The objective of the series is to honor America’s most renowned authors. As the USPS put it, “These skillful wordsmiths spun our favorite tales – and American history along with them.” The series honors both well-known and lesser-known authors, making it an encapsulation of America’s rich and varied literary history.
History the stamp represents:
The son of Armenian immigrants, Saroyan and his siblings were placed in an orphanage when he was three following his father's death, while their mother searched for a job. Five years later, they were reunited with her after she found work in a cannery.
Earning significant royalties from his first successful story, Saroyan spent some time in Europe. He met a number of interesting people in the Soviet Union and Europe and published a series of stories about them. Among the subjects of his memoirs over the years were George Bernard Shaw, Jean Sibelius, and Charlie Chaplin.
US #2538
1991 William Saroyan
- Ninth stamp in Literary Arts series
- Joint Issue with Russia
- Honors playwright and novelist Saroyan
Category of Stamp: Commemorative
Set: Literary Arts
Value: 29¢, First-Class mail rate
First Day of Issue: May 22, 1991
First Day City: Fresno, California, and Yerevan, Armenia, USSR
Quantity Issued: 161,000,000
Printed by: J.W. Fergusson and Sons for American Bank Note Company
Printing Method: Photogravure
Format: Panes of 50, from printing cylinders of 200 subjects (10 across, 20 down)
Perforations: 11
Joint Issue: Russia #6002
Reason the stamp was issued: This stamp honors William Saroyan, a short story writer, novelist and playwright. A joint-issue stamp was released in Armenia, where Saroyan was born. At the time the stamp was issued, Armenia was part of the Soviet Union.
About the stamp design: The image on the William Saroyan stamp was the work of Ren Wicks. He used photos taken by another Armenian, Paul Kalinian. The photographer asked that his fee for the use of his photos be paid in Saroyan stamps.
First Day City: The First Day of Issue ceremony took place at the William Saroyan Theater in Fresno, California. The minister of communications of Armenia joined a US Postal Service official at the ceremony and dedicated the Russia joint issue stamps.
About the Literary Arts Series: The Literary Arts Series began in 1979 with a John Steinbeck stamp. The objective of the series is to honor America’s most renowned authors. As the USPS put it, “These skillful wordsmiths spun our favorite tales – and American history along with them.” The series honors both well-known and lesser-known authors, making it an encapsulation of America’s rich and varied literary history.
History the stamp represents:
The son of Armenian immigrants, Saroyan and his siblings were placed in an orphanage when he was three following his father's death, while their mother searched for a job. Five years later, they were reunited with her after she found work in a cannery.
Earning significant royalties from his first successful story, Saroyan spent some time in Europe. He met a number of interesting people in the Soviet Union and Europe and published a series of stories about them. Among the subjects of his memoirs over the years were George Bernard Shaw, Jean Sibelius, and Charlie Chaplin.