US #4801h
2013 Riveters 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¢ ... more
US #4801h
2013 Riveters 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 riveters who helped construct 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 two riveters 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: When the Empire State Building was under construction, crowds gathered on the sidewalk to watch workers create the giant frame. Each team of riveters performed a well-coordinated show for spectators below.
The heater worked at the forge, which was often balanced on a plank between two steel beams. He heated the rivets until they were red-hot, then tossed them, one at a time, to the catcher. At the start of construction, a catcher used an old paint can to catch the rivets. Later, a specially designed catching can was developed. With his other hand, the catcher removed the rivet with tongs and placed it in a hole in the beam. The bucker-up steadied the rivet from behind, while the gunman hit it with a riveting hammer, fusing it into the beam.
The process was repeated thousands of times, from the ground floor to the 102nd. The riveters worked without safety equipment, balancing on the beams or dangling over the edge. Finally, the last rivet, made of solid gold, was ceremoniously put in place by Al Smith, the colorful president of the construction company.
The Empire State Building was completed ahead of schedule, due in part to the efficient teams of riveters. All these decades later, their work still stands.
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