# 3182j - 1998 32c Celebrate the Century - 1900s: John Muir, Preservationist

US #3182j
1998 John Muir, Preservationist – Celebrate the Century (1900s)

• Part of the first sheet in the Celebrate the Century stamp series issued from 1998-2000
• Honors John Muir and his contributions to conservation in the US
• Includes text on the back with historical details

Stamp Category: Commemorative
Series: Celebrate the Century
Value: 32¢ First Class Mail Rate
First Day of Issue: February 3, 1998
First Day City: Washington, DC
Quantity Issued: 188,000,000
Printed by: Ashton Potter (USA) Ltd.
Printing Method: Offset, Intaglio
Format: Panes of 15
Perforations: 11.6
Tagging: Block Tagging

Why the stamp was issued: To commemorate John Muir and the impact he had on preserving natural resources in America.

About the stamp design: Pictures gouache and colored pencil illustration of John Muir by artist Richard Waldrep. Includes the following text on the back “Often referred to as a father of national parks, John Muir was a naturalist who championed the wilderness and its preservation.”

First Day City: The First Day of Issue Ceremony was held in Washington, DC, with legendary radio and television host Larry King as master of ceremonies.

About the Celebrate the Century series: The USPS launched the Celebrate the Century series in 1998 to mark the end of the 20th century and herald the arrival of the 21st. The series includes 10 sheets of 15 stamps (150 in total), with each honoring important moments from a different decade (1900s, 10s, 20s, 30s, 40s, 50s, 60s, 70s, 80s, and 90s). At the time of completion, it was the longest and most ambitious commemorative stamp series in US history.

History the stamp represents: Conservation was just developing as a national movement during the first decade of the 20th century. The earlier efforts of naturalists like John Muir helped people in the United States to see the importance of protecting America’s natural resources. Muir’s continued efforts were also a major influence in the establishment of Sequoia and Yosemite national parks in California.

John Muir was an explorer and writer, as well as a naturalist dedicated to the preservation of our forests. Muir began exploring the Yosemite Valley area in the 1860s. He was the first person to explain how the formations there had been carved by glaciers. His reports about Yosemite’s beauty inspired a great interest in the region.

Congress established Yosemite National Park in 1890. Two years later, Muir founded the Sierra Club, which still works to protect the environment today. He also continued to promote the protection of national forests.

Muir influenced President Theodore Roosevelt’s major contributions to the conservation movement, which included the addition of 148 million acres to the nation’s forest reserves. In fact, the president went on a camping trip to Yosemite with John Muir in 1903. Honoring this preservationist in 1908, a famous redwood forest near San Francisco was named Muir Woods.