US #3187i
1999 Drive-in Movies – Celebrate the Century (1950s)
• Part of the sixth sheet in the Celebrate the Century stamp series issued from 1998-2000
• Commemorates the popularity of drive-in movie theaters in the 1950s
• Includes text on the back with historical details
Stamp Category: Commemorative
Series: Celebrate the Century
Value: 32¢ First C... more
US #3187i
1999 Drive-in Movies – Celebrate the Century (1950s)
• Part of the sixth sheet in the Celebrate the Century stamp series issued from 1998-2000
• Commemorates the popularity of drive-in movie theaters in the 1950s
• 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: May 26, 1999
First Day City: Springfield, Massachusetts
Quantity Issued: 188,000,000
Printed by: Ashton Potter (USA) Ltd.
Printing Method: Offset, Intaglio
Format: Panes of 15
Perforations: 11.5
Tagging: Block Tagging
Why the stamp was issued: To celebrate the fun of drive-in movie theaters and their popularity among families as well as young couples.
About the stamp design: Pictures artwork by Dean Ellis of cars at a drive-in theater. Includes the following text on the back: “With postwar prosperity, the blossoming of suburbia, and the national love for cars and movies, drive-in theaters were natural attractions for new American families. Teenage couples found privacy, and sometimes watched the movie.”
First Day City: The First Day of Issue Ceremony was held at the Civic Center in Springfield, Massachusetts, the hometown of Dr. Seuss.
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: Before the drive-in theater became popular in the 1950s, seeing a film was not usually a family activity. Children attended a matinee during the day, while adults got dressed up to go to the theater at night. During this time, the peak of the baby-boom years, families became more interested in doing things together.
Richard Hollingshead Jr., of New Jersey, is credited with inventing the drive-in theater in the 1930s. To test his idea, he mounted a movie projector on the hood of his car and nailed a screen to trees in his back yard. For sound, he placed a radio behind the screen. Ramps were built for cars’ front tires to park on, so viewers in the back rows were able to see clearly. In May of 1933, his invention was assigned US patent number 1,909,537.
Hollingshead, along with three investors, began construction on the first drive-in theater in 1933. After three weeks and a $30,000 investment, it opened in June of that year. Admission prices were 25¢ for the car, and 25¢ per person, with no car to pay more than $1 total. Soon, drive-ins were springing up all over the country. One of the largest and most elaborate theaters was built in Copiague, New York. It had an indoor viewing area that was heated and air-conditioned, a playground, cafeteria, restaurant, and a shuttle train to cover the 28 acres.
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