This pictorial essay honors the long-standing relationship between the U.S. Post Office and Weathervanes as an art form.
Christmas 1965
Issued postage for the 1965 Christmas season. The fourth United States Christmas stamp to be issued. Designed by Robert Jones of the Bureau of Engraving and Printing after a watercolor by Lucille Gloria Chabot as part of The WPC Project of 1939. The original painting is part of the Index of American Design in the National Gallery of Arts, Washington. The weathervane depicted is an angel with trumpet from the Peoples Methodist Church in Newbury Port, Massachusetts. The weathervane was created in 1840 by Gould + Hazlett, Boston, Massachusetts.
Register & Vote Issue 1968
Issued postage to publicize the campaign to draw more voters to the polls. The weathervane is from an old house in the Russian Hill Section of San Francisco, California. The eagle weathervane stamp was designed by Norman Todhunter and Bill Hyde for the 1968 issue.
Peace on Earth 1974
Issued postage for the 1974 Christmas season. Designed by Don Hedin and Robert Geisman, the stamp features the dove weathervane designed by President George Washington for the cupola prominently atop his Mount Vernon home.
The “H” Rate Stamp 1998
The Postal Service issued the non-denominated definitive Weathervane Rooster 1-cent make-up rate stamp on November 9, 1998, in Washington, DC. These stamps, along with the Uncle Sam’s Hat “H” stamp, supported the new postage rate that became effective January 10, 1999.
Shelburne Weathervane Series 2012
Shelburne, VT — The U.S. Postal Service today issued the 45-cent WeatherVanes First-Class Mail stamps in five designs available in pressure-sensitive adhesive coils of 3,000 and 10,000. The stamps are available at Post Offices nationwide, online at usps.com, and by phone at 800-782-6724. Each of the five designs features a photograph of eye-catching 19th-century weather vanes made in the United States. All the weather vanes featured are part of Shelburne Museum’s collection: a cow, an eagle, two roosters, and a centaur. Sally Anderson-Bruce of New Milford, CT photographed the weather vanes under the art direction of Derry Noyes of Washington, DC.“These stamps are truly beautiful reminders of an era gone by,” said U.S. Postal Service Senior Manager, Post Office Operations Shawn Patton while dedicating the stamps at Shelburne Museum. “We hope Americans will buy and use the stamps when communicating with friends, family, and other loved ones.”
