US #3236l
1998 Thomas Moran

Shows detail from Cliffs of Green River, Wyoming
From a pane featuring 20 art pieces produced by American artists
Part of Classic Collection series

Stamp Category: Commemorative,
Set: Four Centuries of American Art
Value: 32¢, First Class Mail Rate
First Day of Issue: August 27, 1998
First Day City: Santa Clara, California
Quantity Issued: 4,000,000
Printed by: Sennett Security Products
Printing Method: Photogravure
Format: Pane of 20
Perforations: 10.2

Why the stamp was issued: This stamp is part of a pane highlighting 20 of the most important American works of art produced in the last 400 years.

About the stamp design: The stamps show details from 20 works. Howard Paine, a USPS art director, designed the layout for the pane. He consulted with an expert on American art in choosing which paintings to include. Paine arranged the art in chronological order.

First Day City: The First Day of Issue ceremony took place at the opening event of stampshow 98, which took place in Santa Clara, California.

About the Classic Collection series: The Classic Collections series began in 1994 with the Legends of the West issue. The idea originated from Carl Burcham, manager of stamp and product marketing for USPS at the time. Each Classic Collections set consists of a pane of 20 different semi-jumbo stamps with descriptive selvage at the top (header) and informational text on the back of each stamp beneath the gum. The stamps are “broadly defined, Americana-themed subjects.”
The series began six years earlier with the infamous Legends of the West sheet in 1994. Each sheet in the series would have the same unique 20-stamp format. Each would have broadly defined Americana themes, exceptional artwork, a banner printed on the selvage of the sheet, and descriptive text on the back of each stamp. Additionally, postal cards with matching artwork would be issued to coordinate with a few of the sheets.
In 1998, the sixth addition to the series honored four centuries of American Art. The text on the back of the pane reads, “The American artists represented here were born in diverse places around this country, as well as elsewhere. Some were self-taught, others were academically trained… These images … reflect some of the enduring themes in American visual arts: a concern with individuality in a democratic society, reverence for the variety of landscape across the continent, down-to-earth realism, and a recurring sense of optimism and energy.”

History the stamp represents: Thomas Moran was born in 1837, the son of poor immigrant handweavers. After receiving some training as an engraver, Moran started an engraving business with his two brothers. Soon he realized that this career choice didn’t interest him like the lure of becoming an artist did. With that dream in mind, Moran embarked on a brilliant career as a romantic landscape painter.
Moran was drawn to natural scenes of simple, picturesque beauty. Although self-taught, he had a way of capturing the attractiveness of the world around him. The basis for his most famous works came from his ability to see nature, especially western scenery.
In 1871, Moran was approached by Dr. Ferdinand Hayden, director of the US Geological Survey. He invited Moran on an expedition into the Yellowstone area of Wyoming, a region that was still very unfamiliar to white men. Moran, along with photographer William Henry Jackson, was asked to capture images of the Yellowstone area in hopes of creating a tourist destination and a profitable new railroad line.
Some of Moran’s scenes were too large to sketch or photograph. Upon his return to New York, he painted one such view, The Grand Canyon of the Yellowstone, on an 8-by-14-foot canvas, from memory.

US #3236l
1998 Thomas Moran

Shows detail from Cliffs of Green River, Wyoming
From a pane featuring 20 art pieces produced by American artists
Part of Classic Collection series

Stamp Category: Commemorative,
Set: Four Centuries of American Art
Value: 32¢, First Class Mail Rate
First Day of Issue: August 27, 1998
First Day City: Santa Clara, California
Quantity Issued: 4,000,000
Printed by: Sennett Security Products
Printing Method: Photogravure
Format: Pane of 20
Perforations: 10.2

Why the stamp was issued: This stamp is part of a pane highlighting 20 of the most important American works of art produced in the last 400 years.

About the stamp design: The stamps show details from 20 works. Howard Paine, a USPS art director, designed the layout for the pane. He consulted with an expert on American art in choosing which paintings to include. Paine arranged the art in chronological order.

First Day City: The First Day of Issue ceremony took place at the opening event of stampshow 98, which took place in Santa Clara, California.

About the Classic Collection series: The Classic Collections series began in 1994 with the Legends of the West issue. The idea originated from Carl Burcham, manager of stamp and product marketing for USPS at the time. Each Classic Collections set consists of a pane of 20 different semi-jumbo stamps with descriptive selvage at the top (header) and informational text on the back of each stamp beneath the gum. The stamps are “broadly defined, Americana-themed subjects.”
The series began six years earlier with the infamous Legends of the West sheet in 1994. Each sheet in the series would have the same unique 20-stamp format. Each would have broadly defined Americana themes, exceptional artwork, a banner printed on the selvage of the sheet, and descriptive text on the back of each stamp. Additionally, postal cards with matching artwork would be issued to coordinate with a few of the sheets.
In 1998, the sixth addition to the series honored four centuries of American Art. The text on the back of the pane reads, “The American artists represented here were born in diverse places around this country, as well as elsewhere. Some were self-taught, others were academically trained… These images … reflect some of the enduring themes in American visual arts: a concern with individuality in a democratic society, reverence for the variety of landscape across the continent, down-to-earth realism, and a recurring sense of optimism and energy.”

History the stamp represents: Thomas Moran was born in 1837, the son of poor immigrant handweavers. After receiving some training as an engraver, Moran started an engraving business with his two brothers. Soon he realized that this career choice didn’t interest him like the lure of becoming an artist did. With that dream in mind, Moran embarked on a brilliant career as a romantic landscape painter.
Moran was drawn to natural scenes of simple, picturesque beauty. Although self-taught, he had a way of capturing the attractiveness of the world around him. The basis for his most famous works came from his ability to see nature, especially western scenery.
In 1871, Moran was approached by Dr. Ferdinand Hayden, director of the US Geological Survey. He invited Moran on an expedition into the Yellowstone area of Wyoming, a region that was still very unfamiliar to white men. Moran, along with photographer William Henry Jackson, was asked to capture images of the Yellowstone area in hopes of creating a tourist destination and a profitable new railroad line.
Some of Moran’s scenes were too large to sketch or photograph. Upon his return to New York, he painted one such view, The Grand Canyon of the Yellowstone, on an 8-by-14-foot canvas, from memory.