USPS First-Day-of-Issue envelope with Emancipation Proclamation Forever Stamp: Museum Object and Cultural History

The object in the museum catalogue

A First-Day-of-Issue envelope with the USPS Emancipation Proclamation Forever Stamp. The envelope is a rectangular white envelope with a straight-edge fold over the opening. Slightly to the right of center of the envelope is text stamped in dark blue and red ink. It reads “First Day of Issue / EMANCIPATION / PROCLAMATION / January 1, 2013 * Washington, DC 20066 / FREEDOM.” The word “Proclamation” is in red, the rest of the text is in blue. Above the first line are three stars with a line of diamond shapes on either side. These are in an off-white color ink. They form a decorative border on either side of “First Day of Issue.” There is a double line border on either side of the word “Freedom” also in the off-white ink, with a red star at either end. In the envelope’s upper right corner is a Forever stamp. The stamp has an off-white background and is covered in text in black and red ink that reads [HENCEFORWARD / SHALL BE / FREE / EMANCIPATION / PROCLAMATION / ABRAHAM LINCOLN / ***1863*** / FOREVER*** USA]. The phrase “Shall be free” and the name “Abraham Lincoln” are in red, the rest of the text is in black ink. The back of the envelope is blank.

Materials, dates and provenance

• Date: 2013
• Issued by: United States Postal Service, American, founded 1775
• Designed by: Gail Anderson, American, born 1962
• Subject of: President Abraham Lincoln, American, 1809 - 1865
• Type: envelopes
• Type: postage stamps
• Medium: ink on paper (fiber product) with adhesive
• Dimensions: H x W: 3 5/8 × 2 9/16 in. (9.2 × 6.5 cm)
• Place depicted: United States, North and Central America
• Topic: African American
• Topic: Art
• Topic: Design
• Topic: Emancipation
• Topic: Government
• Topic: Graphic design
• Topic: U.S. History, Civil War, 1861-1865
• Object number: 2020.11.38.3
• Credit Line: Collection of the Smithsonian National Museum of African American History and Culture, Gift of Gail Anderson
• Data Source: National Museum of African American History and Culture

Sources and reuse

Catalogue descriptions and facts adapted from National Museum of African American History and Culture through the Smithsonian's official Open Access dataset. This record explicitly marks its metadata CC0 1.0; formatting and selection have been changed. The underlying object's rights statement is: © United States Postal Service Permission required for use. Proper usage is the responsibility of the user.