Evening star., 1954-05-16
: By james WoIdo Foweett

The national philatelic gall
lEry of the United States omits
many Americans of distinc-
ton well qualified for admis-
sion to it. But it includes a
far larger number Of celebri-
ties than have been shown on
the stamps Of any other coun-
try in the world.
BENJAMIN Franklin heads
the list. He appeared on the
Scent 1847 issue as portrayed
by James B. Longacre and
was followed Immediately by
George Washington on the
10-cent adhesive of the same
year as represented by Gill
bert Stuart. The same found
ing fathers" were pictured on
the 1-cent and Scent labels
of 1851, Franklin from a
marble bust by an unidenti-
fed sculptor and Washington
from a similar delineation in
marble by Houdon.
Thomas Jefferson was next
in line. He made his bow on
the scent 1851 stamp as
limned by Stuart. Andrew
jackson then was honored
with the 2-cent black of 1868
"a closeup portrait by an
unknown hand. The 15-cent
denomination of the same set
carried a picture of Abraham
Lincoln copied from a photo
graph.
BY 1870 the custom of COM
memorating great and near
great Americans on postal
paper had become a recog-
nized form of homage. Henry
Clay, Daniel Webster. Win
field Scott, Alexander Hamil-
ton and Oliver Hazard Perry
were followed by Edwin M.
Stanton, Zachary Taylor and
James A. Garfield. Then
came the sequence of 1890 in
which u. S. Grant and VIII
s, liam TecumSeh Sherman were
assigned to the 5 and 8 cent
values. After the Bureau of
Engraving and Printing took
over. the work of engraving
stamps for the Post Office De-
partment, James Madison
made his debut in the phila-
telic Olympus on a 50 issue
and John Marshall was ac-
corded a like tribute on a IS
issue, both dated 1894.
Stamps by this time had
become authentic artistic
achievements. The beautiful
Columbian series of 1893 was
in a class of its own so far as
beauty was concerned. It was
planned by a person of taste
and judgment, but who that
person was is not a matter of
available record. What he did
was to bring together in one
correlated set Is paintings and
engravings illustrating the ca
reer of the diScoverer Of Amer
lea and his patrons and asso-
ciateS. Columbus in Sight of
Land" on the 1-cent adhesive
was copied from a canvas by
William H. Powell. Landing of
Columbus" on the 2-cent was
adapted from the painting by
John Vanderlyn in the Capitol,
columbus Welcomed at Bar
celona" on the scent was re-
produced from one of the
panels on the bronze doors of
the Capitol by Randolph
Rogers and Recall of Column
bus" on the 5O-cedt was de-
signed on the lines Of a paint
ing by "A. G. Heaton, also dis
played in the Capitol Build
ing.
The 1902 portrait series of
regular postage adhesives
added three new personalities
to the Nations philatelic GAL
lery-Martha Washington on
the Scent, Benjamin Harrison
on tne 13-cent and David G,
Farragut on the 81. Two years
later the st. Louis Exposition
series brought forward Robert
r. Livinston on the 1-cent,
James Monroe on the Scent
and William Mckinley on the
scent. Then, in 1907, Capt.
John Smith and Pocahontas
were pictured on the 1-cent
and scent Jamestown EXPOSE
tion set. The 2-cent Alaska
Yukon commemorative of 1909
featured a profile of William