KENTUCKIANA DISTRICT – Every summer, some of America’s favorite foods are in season. The U.S. Postal Service celebrates a few of those favorites — watermelons, corn, cantaloupes and tomatoes — with four new stamps.
Vintage produce advertising, including 19th- and early 20th-century crate labels, seed packets, and catalogs, inspired these stamp designs. Though not all produce was shipped in wooden crates, the stamp art is especially reminiscent of vintage crate labels.
fter America’s railroads linked the East and West Coasts in the 1870s, growers in agricultural areas could ship their products to locations across the country. To distinguish their wares from other producers, growers commissioned special crate labels from printing houses that employed some of the day’s best graphic artists. The artists created designs that featured clever slogans and unusual styles, though the art did not necessarily relate to the produce inside. Illustrations might portray bathing beauties, historic events, landscapes, animals, or the grower’s family.
The Summer Harvest Forever stamps, which go on sale nationwide Saturday, July 11, will be issued in booklets of 20. To celebrate the release of these new stamps, the Kentuckiana District of the U.S. Postal Service will hold a handful of special dedication ceremonies. They include:
|
Date |
Time |
Location |
Address |
Invitees |
|
July 11 |
10:00 AM |
London/Laurel County Farmers Market |
Corner of Dixie & Main Streets |
Mayor Troy Rudder |
|
July 14 |
10:00 AM |
Gethsemani Farms @ The Abbey of Our Lady of Gethsemani – the oldest monastery in the U.S. that is still operating. |
3642 Monks Road |
Former U.S. Congressman Ron Mazzoli, New Haven Mayor Jeff Rogers |
|
July 18 |
10:00 AM |
St. Matthews Farmer Market @ Beargrass Christian Church |
4100 Shelbyville Road |
|
|
July 21 |
11:00 AM |
Greenup County Extension Office |
35 Wurtland Ave. |
Greenup County Judge-Executive Robert Carpenter |
Kentucky Governor Steve Beshear will issue a proclamation declaring July 11th as “Summer Harvest Day” to coincide with the release of the new stamps.
The Kentuckiana District serves ZIP Codes 400-409, 411-427 in Kentucky and 471, 476-477 in Southern Indiana.
The Postal Service receives no tax dollars for operating expenses and relies on the sale of postage, products and services to fund its operations.
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