Celebrating Art
The Stamps
Commemorative stamps issued March 25, 1998, the 100th anniversary of Calder’s birth. Designed by Derry Noyes. Manufactured by Stamp Venturers, Inc. Smithsonian, National Postal Museum, Arago: Alexander Calder Issue
U.S. #3198-3202
1998 32¢ Alexander Calder
Issue Date: March 25, 1998
City: Washington, DC
Quantity: 80,000,000
Printed By: Stamp Venturers
Printing Method: Photogravure
Perforations: 10.2
Color: Multicolored
Mystic Stamp Company: 3198-3202 Sales page, June 2020.
The Designer
Artsy: Postal Service Art Director Derry Noyes Turns Famous Artworks into Stamps By Abigail Cain, Feb 20, 2019.
The Cachets
” ‘“Silk’ First Day Covers produced by Colorano were introduced in 1971 with the America’s Wool issue … Each color illustration is printed on satin-finish fabric, fastened to the cover and surrounded by a luxurious gold embossed border … They have no additional information about the stamp subject.” Mystic Stamp Company: Different Kinds of First Day Covers
Multiple stamp cachet produced by Artmaster, Louisville, KY.
“cachet – Any textual or graphic design which has been applied to a cover … A first day cachet should be related specifically to the stamp on the cover.” American First Day Cover Society: FDC Terminology
The Artist
Alexander Calder
Calder Foundation
The Sculpture
Alexander Calder (sculptor)
Rearing Stallion
c. 1928
Wire and painted wood
Overall: 57.8 x 34.3 x 24.8 cm (22 3/4 x 13 1/2 x 9 3/4 in.)
On view, National Gallery of Art: Rearing Stallion
Other Calder Horses
MoMA: The Horse
Whitney Museum of American Art: Horse
Red Horse and Green Sulky, Photo
Awareness of the Outside World
Consider funding, volunteering, or otherwise supporting an arts program in your area. To put money where mouth is, I sent off a donation to Desert Island Supply Co. [Blogging Goals]. Is this the best place to start? Yes? No? Maybe? Dunno. Start somewhere.
Stay safe. Stay sane.
Katherine Walcott
Virtual Brush Box 
Enjoyed seeing all the FDCs.I’ve got a bunch of the Colorano covers in my collection. Which needs work, as do all my other stamp collections.You’ve dug more deeply into the details than I usually do.
What can I say, I’m an info buff. Did you know the word buff comes from fire-fighting?