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What: |
The United States Postal Service will be joining the Grand Central Terminal during the festivities of its 100 year anniversary. The U.S. Postal Service pays tribute to the American transportation hub with its newest Express Mail stamp illustrating the terminals concourse. The postage stamp enlargement will be on display. The Express Mail stamps will be on sale for visitors and philatelist during the event. |
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Who: |
American Society of Civil Engineers |
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When: |
Friday, February 1, 2013 |
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Where: |
Grand Central Terminal |
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Background: |
The U.S. Postal Service celebrates the 100th anniversary of a New York City landmark with the Grand Central Terminal Express Mail stamp issuance. “Throughout our history, the Postal Service has helped illustrate many stories with these miniature pieces of art. Through today’s commemorative stamp, we salute the story of the dreamers, the architects, the builders and the patrons of this great monument to America’s emerging growth, its optimism and its prosperity in the 20th century until today,” said Richard Uluski, Northeast Area Vice President for the postal service. The Express Mail stamp features a graphic illustration of New York’s Grand Central Terminal created by artist Dan Cosgrove. The stamp art depicts the terminal’s main concourse, with sunlight streaming through the 60-foot-tall arched windows. In the foreground, travelers gather near the station’s round information booth topped with its four-sided clock. The stamp was designed by art director Phil Jordan. Text on the stamp reads, “Grand Central Terminal.” As much a triumph of 20th-century engineering as it is an architectural masterpiece, Grand Central Terminal is built in the Beaux Arts style, which draws its inspiration from the classical buildings of ancient Greece and Rome. The heart of the terminal is the vast main concourse. Measuring 275 feet long and paved with Tennessee marble, the concourse soars 125 feet high to its vaulted ceiling. Sunlight streams into the space from three cathedral-like, 60-foot-tall arched windows. Commuters and tourists swirl in perpetual motion around the information booth, a popular meeting place topped with its famous clock. Each of the clock’s four faces is fashioned from opal, and the whole timepiece is valued at millions of dollars. Visitors must look up to see the most striking feature of the main concourse: an astronomical mural that decorates the vaulted ceiling. Constellations and figures of the Zodiac shine out in gold leaf. The mural contains some 2,500 stars, with dozens of the brightest stars illuminated by fiber-optic lights. Grand Central Terminal played a pivotal role during the heyday of rail travel, serving both New York’s suburban trains and glamorous long-distance trains like the 20th Century Limited, a favorite of celebrities and movie stars. Throughout the years and several renovations today the Postal Service celebrates and pays tribute to the travel hug in its 100th year to visitors nationwide with the new Express Mail stamp. The USPS stamp program has continued to celebrated and recognize people, places and important times in history that have evolved America’s history. Customers may purchase the new Express Mail stamp during the celebration on the lower level concourse at the postal booth, at usps.com/stamps, by phone at 800-Stamp24 (800-782-6724) or at their local Post Office. For details about the GCT centennial celebration visit: http://www.grandcentralterminal.com/centennial/events.cfm. Customers may view the Grand Central Express Mail stamp, as well as many of this year’s stamps, on Facebook at facebook.com/USPSStamps, on Twitter@USPSstamps or on the website Beyond the Perf at www.beyondtheperf.com/2013-preview. Beyond the Perf is the Postal Service’s online site for information on upcoming stamp subjects, first-day-of-issue events and other philatelic news. Media is invited to attend the event, take photos and interview the artist, agreeable visitors and postal officials. |
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