BENJAMIN FRANKLIN GETS OUR STAMP OF APPROVAL!
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Sunday January 17th, 2021 is Ben Franklin’s 315th Birthday! Everywhere you look at The Printing Museum you can see the influence of Franklin from some of his original prints to the Gordon Job Press. He is the Father of American Printing, but he had many, many other sons. Because of the diversity of his life and accomplishments, it seems as if every sector of society claims Franklin for their own. The electricians claim Franklin for their own with his experiments with the kite and batteries; politicians pay homage to him as one of our Founding Fathers and as a diplomat and ambassador; even the fireplace industry gives out a “Franklin Award” because of his pioneering work in perfecting the fireplace!
Today we’re going to focus on the postal carriers who remember him for his improvements in postal service and title as the first Postmaster General. For this reason, and all his other accomplishments, the United States Post Office has issued over one hundred and thirty stamps depicting Benjamin Franklin! In fact, Benjamin Franklin was featured on the very first 5 cent stamp seen here.
At the International Printing Museum we have a small collection of just a few of the many stamps featuring Benjamin Franklin.
This stamp was issued in 1955 on Benjamin Franklins 250th birthday
The oldest one in the Printing Museum Collection is this 1903 Franklin Stamp
This stamp was issued in 1947 commemorating 100 years since the issuing of the first stamp US stamps, one which featured Ben Franklin and the other with George Washington. The various transportation vehicles in the background demonstrate all the different ways the post office has used to deliver letters throughout the ages.
1927
This 1972 issued stamp highlights Franklin’s contributions as a Founding Father and Diplomat
1955
This stamp was issued in 1976
