What:

The United States Postal Service in Concord MA, in conjunction with the Thoreau Farm and Birthplace, will join the celebration of Henry David Thoreau’s 200th Birthday with a special dedication of the recently released Thoreau Forever Stamp

Who:

Concord Postmaster Ray White and officials from the Thoreau Farm

Where:

Thoreau Farm and Birthplace
341 Virginia Road
Concord, MA 01742

When:

Wednesday, July 12, 2017 at 4 p.m.

Background:

The U.S. Postal Service celebrates writer, philosopher, and naturalist Henry David Thoreau (July 12, 1817 – May 6, 1862) on the bicentennial year of his birth. The stamp art is an oil-on-panel painting of Thoreau’s face based on a famous 1856 daguerreotype by Benjamin Maxham. On the right side of the stamp is Thoreau’s signature of his last name. Below the signature is a branch of sumac leaves.

With Thoreau’s personal example of simple living, his criticism of materialism, and the timeless questions he raises about the place of the individual in society and humanity's role in the natural world, he continues to inspire new generations to assert their independence, reinterpret his legacy, and ask challenging questions of their own. Sam Weber of Brooklyn, NY, was the stamp artist. Art director Greg Breeding of Charlottesville, VA, designed the stamp.