ATLANTIC CITY, N.J., Aug. 15 -- Teddy bears, enormously popular symbols of human caring and loving, were honored today when four new commemorative stamps were issued in conjunction with the American Philatelic Stamp Show 2002 in Atlantic City.
The Teddy Bears stamps were dedicated at a first day of issue ceremony held at the Atlantic City Convention Center. The stamps are now available at Atlantic City post offices and, starting tomorrow, at post offices across the country.
"It is a pleasure to be here at STAMPSHOW 2002," said Bill Johnstone, presidentially appointed member of the Postal Service Board of Governors who was the dedicating official.
"The Postal Service has been considering commemorative stamps honoring these toys for many years. Now that the teddy bear has reached an important milestone - its 100th anniversary - we have the perfect opportunity," he said.
Joining Johnstone at the ceremony were Peter McCann, president, American Philatelic Society; Jackson Taylor, president, American Stamp Dealers Association; and Bruce Raiffe, president, GUND, Inc.
The idea of the teddy bear was born in 1902 when President Theodore Roosevelt refused to shoot a captive bear during a hunting trip. Washington Post cartoonist Clifford Berryman depicted the incident on the front page of the newspaper, and soon toymakers began to manufacture the "teddy" bears associated with the president's name. People in all walks of life love teddy bears, and enthusiasts-known in the teddy bear world as arctophiles - pay top dollar for the collectibles.
Today there are teddy bear magazines, clubs, collector shows and programs, both educational and medical, that feature these little stuffed companions. Teddy bear have had endless books, songs and poem written about them. Widely viewed as symbols of security and comfort, teddy bears are often used by police officers and hospital staff to calm the young and old alike in traumatic situations.
The Teddy Bears pane of 20 self-adhesive stamps depicts four lovable, cuddly teddy bears. Photos of the bears appear in the header; details of the photos appear on the stamps. The four stamp designs are repeated five times each on the pane. All four teddy bears were manufactured in the United States and are now owned by private collectors. The Ideal bear dates to circa 1905, the Bruin bear from circa 1907 and the Gund bear from circa 1948. The unlabeled "stick" bear dates from the 1920s. Mass-produced stick bears were characterized by their short arms, thin legs and upright posture. The Ideal bear, the Bruin bear and the stick bear belong to Paul and Rosemary Volpp of Carson City, Nev. The Gund bear belongs to Helen Sieverling of Pasadena, Calif.
The stamps were designed by Margaret Bauer of Washington, D.C. Bauer is a book designer at the National Gallery of Art, where she has been designing exhibition catalogues and other museum publications since 1994.
In addition to Teddy Bears stamps uncut press sheet and stamped cards, the Postal Service is also featuring the stamps and background information on a special Teddy Bears Commemorative Panel. The panel will be available at the APS STAMPSHOW on Aug. 15. Part of the American Commemorative Collectibles program, this panel will be available at selected post offices Aug. 16 and by mail order through the fall edition of the "USA Philatelic" catalog.
To see the Teddy Bears stamps, visit the Postal Service Web site at http://www.usps.com and locate the online version of this press release by clicking on "News and Events" then "Philatelic News."
Current U.S. stamps, as well as a free comprehensive catalog, are available toll free by calling 1800 STAMP-24. In addition, a selection of stamps and other philatelic items are available in the Postal Store at http://www.usps.com.
Since 1775, the U.S. Postal Service has connected friends, families, neighbors and businesses by mail. It is an independent federal agency that visits 137 million homes and businesses every day and is the only service provider to deliver to every address in the nation. The Postal Service receives no taxpayer dollars for routine operations, but derives its operating revenues solely from the sale of postage, products and services. With annual revenues of more than $65 billion, it is the world's leading provider of mail and delivery services, offering some of the most affordable postage rates in the world. The Postal Service delivers more than 46 percent of the world's mail volume-some 207 billion letters, advertisements, periodicals and packages a year-and serves 7 million customers each day at its 40,000 retail locations nationwide.
