March 28, 2012
Springtime in Washington, D.C. is a celebration of the budding beauty of cherry blossoms. There is an annual Cherry Blossom Festival which is scheduled in April. This year, however, with an unusually mild winter and an early spring, the cherry trees are in blossom now, a whole month ahead of schedule!
Last Friday, the USPS issued this beautiful “Cherry Blossom Centennial” stamp. It “celebrates the friendship between Japan and America- a friendship that found enduring expression when the city of Tokyo gave 3,020 cherry trees to the city of Washington, D.C.”- USA Philatelic catalog
Stamp artist, Paul Rogers, designed this panorama centered around the Tidal Basin with the group on the left dressed in 1912 attire including 2 women wearing kimonos. The figures on the right are wearing contemporary garb.
He explains, ” Stamps are a part of people’s lives. You want to get the design right…because it’s going to be around for a while.”
I am thrilled that the USPS has given us this lasting visual souvenir of such a lovey natural occurrence. No doubt, the “Cherry Blossom Centennial” will be a very popular stamp. Already, it is one of my favorites!!!
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Reference: USA PHILATELIC 2012 / volume 17 / Quarter 1
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c.j. comments:
Isn’t this the most BEAUTIFUL stamp set?? The stamps look beautiful used as singles, but I am so tempted to use the 2 together, and waste that extra money just to keep those two intact as the LOVELY MURAL that it forms! I am in heaven!!!