Today
marks the 130th birth anniversary of one of the United States’ most
accomplished stamp designers – Charles Ransom Chickering. He was a
professional artist who began his career drawing medical illustrations
on the front lines of WWI. He continued his work after the war
Charles Chickering in 1951 |
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and eventually came to work at the Bureau of Engraving and Printing (BEP) in Washington, DC, on February 12, 1947.
Chickering
worked at the BEP for 15 years, designing 77 stamps in total.
Chickering spent a lot of time studying historic details from letters,
paintings, statues, photographs, and various documents to ensure his
designs were as accurate as possible. |
Chickering’s First Unaltered Design
1953 Opening of Japan Centennial Stamp |
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Chickering’s Most Famous Stamp
’62 Project Mercury – Designed in Secret! |
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Chickering’s
most famous design was the 1962 Project Mercury stamp. The production
of this stamp was done in complete secret in case Project Mercury turned
out to be a failure. In fact, BEP employees were told Chickering was
on vacation while he was really at home working on the stamp! When the
stamps were finished, they were mailed to post offices across the US in
envelopes labeled “Top Secret.” The very hour John Glenn returned to
Earth on February 20, 1962, the stamps were released to the public.
It’s amazing that this stamp was issued on the very same day the
historic moment occurred.
Charles Chickering designed lots of noteworthy stamps in his career, including the 1948 Gettysburg Address stamp,
1953 Opening of Japan stamp, Credo issues of 1960, and many more. Take
a look some of his most impressive and best-looking stamps below… |
1950 U.S. 3¢ Supreme Court Building |
From the Capital Sesquicentennial set, honoring the 150th anniversary of the nation’s capital. |
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1954 U.S. 3¢ Lewis & Clark |
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