U.S. #5685
2022 10¢ Flags on Barns
Issue Date: April 14, 2022
First Day City: Halifax, PA
Type of Stamp: Definitive
Printed by: Ashton Potter (USA) Ltd.
Printing Method: Offset
Format: Coil of 3,000 OR Coil of 10,000
Self-Adhesive
Quantity Printed: 30,000,000 OR 1,000,000,000
Marie Roth was born and raised in Chicago, Illinois, and has continued to live right outside of Chicago (in Long Grove) for over 20 years. Her start to reclaiming barn wood began after taking a folk-art class. She went to a garage sale and noticed that a piece of scrap wood reminded her of a flag. It began her career as an artist – although she thinks of herself more as a "crafts person."
Over 40 years later, Roth has continued to make flags out of reclaimed barn wood. After salvaging the wood, she brings it home and gives it a gentle cleaning, then, she says, "I wait for the flag to reveal itself."
She sends two pieces of history along with the artwork. The history of the barn from the wood she used – who the barn belonged to and what the barn was used for. Roth explains, "I love old wood. I love meeting the owners and family members of barn wood and I love telling their stories." The second piece of history sent is the history of the flag she painted. Roth paints a variety of the 27 American flags.
American barns are rapidly disappearing, but with these pained flags, people can claim a piece of that history.