# 4801f - 2013 First-Class Forever Stamp - Made in America: Welder on the Empire State Building
US #4801f
2013 Welder on the Empire State Building – Made in America
- One of 12 stamps celebrating the industrial workers who brought America into a new age
Stamp Category: Commemorative
Set: Made in America
Value: 46¢ First Class Mail Rate (Forever)
First Day of Issue: August 8, 2013
First Day City: Washington, D.C.
Quantity Issued: 2,500,000
Printed by: Avery Dennison
Printing Method: Photogravure
Format: Panes of 12
Why the stamp was issued: To honor welders who helped build the Empire State Building – the tallest building in the world at the time.
About the stamp design: Pictures a black and white vintage photograph by Lewis Hines of a welder at work.
First Day City: The First Day of Issue Ceremony was held at the Frances Perkins Building, part of the Department of Labor in Washington, DC.
About the Made in America set: Includes 12 different stamp designs picturing black and white vintage photographs of male and female industrial workers. Eleven were taken by photographer Lewis Hine, with the twelfth by Margaret Bourke-White. The USPS said “Stamps are like a miniature American portrait gallery. They are an expression of our values and a connection to our past. That’s why it’s so fitting that this series depicts Americans at work. These iconic images tell a powerful story about American economic strength and prosperity. These men and women and millions like them really did build a nation.”
History the stamp represents: The Empire State Building has dominated the New York skyline for more than 80 years. Its endurance can be credited, in part, to the welders who risked their health to make sure the skyscraper would remain structurally sound.
It takes skilled hands to produce a welding seam strong enough to support the weight of the building and withstand buffeting winds. Welders faced difficulties while performing their jobs – glaring light damaged their eyes, intense heat from sparks scarred their skin, and fumes form melting metal irritated their nose, throat, and lungs. They accepted the risks to be part of constructing the first 100-story building in the world. Because of the sacrifices they made, millions of visitors can still travel safely to the top of the famous skyscraper to view New York City and the surrounding states.
After a trip to the top of the Empire State Building in 1932, Helen Keller was asked what she “saw.” Though she was blind, Keller had greater insight into what was important about the skyscraper than most people who can see. She replied, “I saw countless skilled workers welding together that mighty symmetry. I looked upon the marvel of frail, yet indomitable hands that lifted the tower to its dominating height.”
US #4801f
2013 Welder on the Empire State Building – Made in America
- One of 12 stamps celebrating the industrial workers who brought America into a new age
Stamp Category: Commemorative
Set: Made in America
Value: 46¢ First Class Mail Rate (Forever)
First Day of Issue: August 8, 2013
First Day City: Washington, D.C.
Quantity Issued: 2,500,000
Printed by: Avery Dennison
Printing Method: Photogravure
Format: Panes of 12
Why the stamp was issued: To honor welders who helped build the Empire State Building – the tallest building in the world at the time.
About the stamp design: Pictures a black and white vintage photograph by Lewis Hines of a welder at work.
First Day City: The First Day of Issue Ceremony was held at the Frances Perkins Building, part of the Department of Labor in Washington, DC.
About the Made in America set: Includes 12 different stamp designs picturing black and white vintage photographs of male and female industrial workers. Eleven were taken by photographer Lewis Hine, with the twelfth by Margaret Bourke-White. The USPS said “Stamps are like a miniature American portrait gallery. They are an expression of our values and a connection to our past. That’s why it’s so fitting that this series depicts Americans at work. These iconic images tell a powerful story about American economic strength and prosperity. These men and women and millions like them really did build a nation.”
History the stamp represents: The Empire State Building has dominated the New York skyline for more than 80 years. Its endurance can be credited, in part, to the welders who risked their health to make sure the skyscraper would remain structurally sound.
It takes skilled hands to produce a welding seam strong enough to support the weight of the building and withstand buffeting winds. Welders faced difficulties while performing their jobs – glaring light damaged their eyes, intense heat from sparks scarred their skin, and fumes form melting metal irritated their nose, throat, and lungs. They accepted the risks to be part of constructing the first 100-story building in the world. Because of the sacrifices they made, millions of visitors can still travel safely to the top of the famous skyscraper to view New York City and the surrounding states.
After a trip to the top of the Empire State Building in 1932, Helen Keller was asked what she “saw.” Though she was blind, Keller had greater insight into what was important about the skyscraper than most people who can see. She replied, “I saw countless skilled workers welding together that mighty symmetry. I looked upon the marvel of frail, yet indomitable hands that lifted the tower to its dominating height.”