RICHMOND, VA — Considered one of the greatest American painters of the 19th century, Winslow Homer is being honored today on a U.S. commemorative postage stamp.

The new 44-cent stamp was dedicated here at the American Philatelic Society StampShow 2010, the largest annual postage stamp show held in the United States. It is the ninth issuance in the American Treasures series and features Boys in a Pasture, an 1874 oil-on-canvas painting by Homer. The painting is part of the Hayden Collection at the Museum of Fine Arts in Boston, MA.

“The American Treasures stamps are amazing works of art, and today, we are very pleased to honor Winslow Homer and add one of his impressive paintings to this series,” said U.S. Postal Service Chief Information Officer and Executive Vice President Ross Philo, who served as the dedicating official. “Indeed, it’s been said that Winslow Homer did for the United States what the French Impressionists did for Europe. He showed the beauty of a place and the people who lived there. His body of work continues to shine as a legacy to our great and beautiful nation.”

Joining Philo to dedicate the stamp were Wade Saadi, president, American Philatelic Society; James Lee, president, American Stamp Dealer Association; Janet Klug, member, Citizens’ Stamp Advisory Committee, U.S. Postal Service; David Failor, executive director, Stamp Services, U.S. Postal Service; Jacob Cheeks, district manager, Richmond District, U.S. Postal Service; and Howard O’Connor, postmaster, Richmond, VA, U.S. Postal Service.

This was not the first time the Postal Service has honored Homer and his work with a stamp. In 1962, the Postal Service, then known as the U.S. Post Office Department, honored Homer by issuing a stamp featuring Breezing Up (A Fair Wind), a painting of a man and three boys sailing.

And 12 years ago, in 1998, Homer’s painting The Fog Warning appeared as one of 20 designs on the Four Centuries of American Art stamp pane.

Inaugurated in 2001 with the Amish Quilts stamp pane, the American Treasures series consists of annual issuances intended to showcase beautiful works of American fine art and crafts.

The Postal Service receives no tax dollars for operating expenses, and relies on the sale of postage, products and services to fund its operations.

How to Order the First-Day-of-Issue Postmark
Customers have 60 days to obtain the first-day-of-issue postmark by mail. They may purchase new stamps at a local Post Office, at The Postal Store website at www.usps.com/shop, or by calling 800-STAMP-24. They should affix the stamps to envelopes of their choice, address the envelopes (to themselves or others), and place them in a larger envelope addressed to:

American Treasures – Winslow Homer Stamp
Postmaster
1801 Brook Road
Richmond, VA 23232-9998

After applying the first-day-of-issue postmark, the Postal Service will return the envelopes through the mail. There is no charge for the postmark. All orders must be postmarked by Oct. 12, 2010.

How to Order First-Day Covers
Stamp Fulfillment Services also offers first-day covers for new stamp issues and Postal Service stationery items post¬marked with the official first day of issue cancellation. Each item has an individual catalog number and is offered in the quarterly USA Philatelic Catalog. Customers may request a free catalog by calling 800-STAMP-24 or writing to:

Information Fulfillment
Dept. 6270
U.S. Postal Service
PO Box 219014
Kansas City, MO 64121-9014

Philatelic Products

There are four other philatelic products available for this stamp issue:

• 466161, First-Day Cover, 82 cents.
• 466165, Digital Color Postmark, $1.50.
• 466191, Ceremony Program, $6.95.
• 466199, Digital Color Postmark Keepsake, $10.95

To learn more about the Postal Service’s Stamp Program, visit http://beyondtheperf.com.

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A self-supporting government enterprise, the U.S. Postal Service is the only delivery service that reaches every address in the nation, 150 million residences, businesses and Post Office Boxes. The Postal Service receives no direct support from taxpayers. With 36,000 retail locations and the most frequently visited website in the federal government, the Postal Service relies on the sale of postage, products and services to pay for operating expenses. Named the Most Trusted Government Agency five consecutive years and the sixth Most Trusted Business in the nation by the Ponemon Institute, the Postal Service has annual revenue of more than $68 billion and delivers nearly half the world’s mail. If it were a private sector company, the U.S. Postal Service would rank 28th in the 2009 Fortune 500.