New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1896-12-13
POSTAGE STAMP PORTRAITS.
-,.,,rpr THE ARTISTS FOUND THEIR
DESIGNS
sor-rH AMERICAN STAMPS AND THEIR DEC
OBSERVATION-DISCLOSURES COPIED IN THE
COLUMBIAN SET.

xxh0f
f. thu, the finest engraving process is neces-
~, for the carrying ont of both creates good
aao, q, similarity between them That was a new
s.,ar,ure of the United States Government re-
,v when IL intrus:ed TO three American artists
49, n,ork Of designing the latest Issue Of silver
,,soetes Edwin II. Bashfeld, who drew the design
u,,cb appears upon the new two-doar bill. said
,os, week 70 Il Tribune reporter
.1be designing Of stamps differs from the work
an barkrotes chiefly in the size OF the object. II
,., no constantly borne In mind by the artist that
h,s drawing Is he reduced to very small proper
,s and that consequently he must leave out
,,ucb detail which could be put into larger WORK
7, this country there has. so far. been almost no
o,uaI designing Of stamps. In the sense of creating
.r,,stic subjects % be represented upon them
Mos, stamps bc~r the portraits of Presidents or
n,,o- famous men. and these heads are. OF course
sken from paintings photographs or busts. In the
case Of the Columbian issue the different scenes
we're copies of paintings. Some of the French
.,an,ns show excellent artistic work and have been
Assigned by well-known artists of that country. II
ayr Government should decide TO pursue the same
course with its stamps which II has just begun
With the hanknotes there would naturally be much
.ro,ter opportunity for varied and artistic work
upon them "
MAKING ITS OWN STAMPS.
I, Is now about three years since the Government
b.san making its own postage stamps at the Bu-
yeau OF Engraving and Printing at Washington
Prior TO that time they were all made by banknote
conpanies and the work open to competition
The Government advertised for proposals for fur
rshing stamps and bids were sent in by the several
companies Just for Government work In other
Departments. For many years the American Bank
Note COMPANY of this city, did the greater part OF
the work and most of It's plates are now being used
IN Washington. there having been no important
changes or new issues since the work went into
Government hands.
The artist who draws n design for a stamp is
Obliged 10 make his sketch much larger than 1t Is
10 he when finished. 1t is customary to have the
drawing about FIVE times its intended size and II *
then reduced TO the proper dimensions by photog-
raphy Many designers work entirely In water
colors while others confine themselves TO black ana
white at first and for the coloring after
ward With the portrait stamps, Of which the
United States issues chiefly consist the artists
work is more Of a task of copying than of design
ing The beauty of the stamp depends upon his
selection of the most artistic portrait for repro
duction and also. of course. upon whatever letter
ing and conventional scroll-work there may be
upon II.
THE BEsT-KNOwN PORTRAITS.
The profile bust of Washington upon the car
mine two-cent stamp in common is after the
wel-known statue by Houdon. noted French
sculptor He came to this country in l7s5 with
Franklin for the purpose Of modelling statue OF
WASHINGTON for the State of Virginia. This statue
Is now in the Richmond Capitol and is said to be
the best likeness ever obtained OF washington.
The bust has been used for mary years on earlier
issues of American stamps. The head OF Frank
lin on the blue one-cent stamp, is after Ruoricht'
The profile of Andrew Jackson on the purple
three-cent issue. not so commonly seen as inc
others is a copy of the work OF Hiram Powers. an
American sculptor. who died in Italy several years
ago The brown four-cent stamp used at present
I iVan = iG aft tor
many existing photographs. The portrait OF Gar
field which until recently. adorned the brown hve-
cent issue has now been moved along 10 the six
cent and a portrait of General Grant, taken from
a photograph. substituted in its stead An interest
ing point in regard TO the Garfield picture is that
the stamp issued shortly after the Presidents
death was 10 be printed in mourning When the
proofs were submitted to Mrs. Garfield she, II is
said chose brown instead of black. and her wishes
in the matter carried out. The six-cent
stamp. which the head now appears Is light
maroon In color.
SHIFTING THE DESIGNS.
The changing of the different portraits from
stamp OF denomination to that OF another Is
a iways done with the purpose of bringing the most
heads upon the stamps in commonest
use For instance. when the law. in 1883. reduced
the ordinary postage rate from three 10 two cents
the head of Washington. until then on the three
cent stamp. Immediately transferred 10 IN"
Jackson but that as being less important was
put upon the four-cent issue 1t has now. as was
mentioned above got upon the three-cent denOmi-
nation. There many portrait stamps OF higher
values. but they are so seldom seen tnat IL Is
latest stamps issued is eigh-cent. Intended Tor
use in payment OF the reduced zee Tor registered
matter II is Of lilac TINT and bears head Of
General Sherman reproduced from photograph
by the late Napoleon sarony. c.,;,..,,,,,
stamps were designed chiefly from paintings, the
works from which the several denominations wef"
cd NOT
Il. Powell "CoUrnbus in Sigh, of Land" Wander
Ing in the rotunda Of the Capitol AT Washington Imr
Flagship of Columbus. representing ne santa
Maria In mid-ocean. and the Fleet OF CoiumDus
showing all three caravels. are both from Ola span
sh engravings. and are used upon the three ana
four cent stamps respectively The picture on NE
urnbus Soliciting Aid Of Isabella, which Is IN the
MeiTopoan Museum o. Ar m in iha tie of the
scene which appears on the six-cent stamp, !, ~
capitol by the sculptor Randolph Rogers. a paint-
ng by Luigi Gregori columbus Presenting Ma
nation The remaining stamps Of the issue are
not 50 familiar, but their denominations ana r ne
een-cent. columbus Announcing HIS Discovery;
er painting by RsiGes in i Maara p ahry
by r Maso. Fifty-cent. The Recall Of Columbus.
rom painting now in the Capl,oii s by ,c a. e.
rom painting by Munoz Degrain in Madrid a,n IWo
dollar Columbus N Chains from pa''.. dns
imius Describing His Third Voyage. from a
painting bv Francisco lover The four-dolar stamp
has portraits Of Isabella and Columbus IN mccall
lions and the fvedoar portrait OF .piI ion
The Columbus heads are taken from the weIi-kh2"n
otto norirait and that Of Isabella from likeness
pf her at Madrid
WORK FOR SOUTH AMERICA.
DESPITE the fact that the banknote companies
have lost the United States work. they sun h''e
plenty 10 do in designing and making s'""pS 'o
FOREIGN nations Nearly all Of the Centrai anu
South American countries have their postai pm"
Ing done in this city. They usually send on rs
rough sketch OF the proposed design VIII ua,,mes
az q guide 10 the companies artists sometimes
this suggestion is lacking. ana thc III, 10
makers do everything. from suppylns ste onnnoon
finishing the minutest details. The most cui"l 'n
for the South American stamps CV,,
sists Of the arms OF the nation. OFTEN 90
with some motto expressive Of liberty. On one u
IL