US #3185c
1998 First Issue 1936 LIFE Magazine – Celebrate the Century (1930s)
• Part of the fourth sheet in the Celebrate the Century stamp series issued from 1998-2000
• Honors the first release of the acclaimed LIFE magazine
• Includes text on the back with historical details
Stamp Category: Commemorative
Series: Celebrate the Century
Value: 32¢... more
US #3185c
1998 First Issue 1936 LIFE Magazine – Celebrate the Century (1930s)
• Part of the fourth sheet in the Celebrate the Century stamp series issued from 1998-2000
• Honors the first release of the acclaimed LIFE magazine
• 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: September 10, 1998
First Day City: Cleveland, Ohio
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 the introduction of LIFE magazine to the world and the impact it would have on photo-journalism and reporting.
About the stamp design: Pictures a reproduction of the first cover of LIFE magazine. Includes the following text on the back “Established in November 1936, LIFE magazine opened a new era of photo-journalism. With limited text and photographs on almost every page, it expanded our awareness of current events and the human race.”
First Day City: The First Day of Issue Ceremony was held at the foot of Cleveland, Ohio’s Terminal Tower Building at Tower City Center. When it first opened in June 1930, the 52-story building was among the tallest buildings in the world and was the tallest west of New York City for 40 years.
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: “A picture is worth a thousand words.” Henry Luce was counting on this theory when he purchased LIFE magazine in 1935. Already publisher of Time, Luce thought a magazine devoted almost entirely to photographs would add a new dimension to the market.
Through the magazine, Luce aimed “to see life; to see the world; to eyewitness great events.” That is just what he and his staff of photographers have done – taken fleeting moments in time and captured them forever. In 1936, Margaret Bourke-White became one of LIFE’s first staff photographers. Her images of Fort Peck Dam on the Missouri River in Montana appeared on LIFE’s first cover, which is shown on this US postage stamp.
Americans have witnessed history through LIFE. We felt pain and horror, seeing photos of our troops at war in Germany, Korea, and Vietnam. We felt joy and patriotism when we saw the images of the space shuttle Voyager lift off into space for the first time; and shock and sadness when the Challenger took off for the last time.
Over the years, LIFE has taken on many different forms. It began in 1936 as a weekly picture magazine. It continues today as a monthly publication and is still one of the largest general interest magazines in the world.
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