The U.S. Postal Service celebrates the radiant beauty of fall with Autumn Colors, new Forever stamps to be issued in conjunction with the Great American Stamp Show in Hartford, CT. The first-day-of-issue event is Friday, Aug. 16, at 11 a.m. EDT
Background:
In many parts of the United States, autumn rivals spring as the most resplendent time of year, thanks to the rich palette of reds, yellows and oranges that bursts onto the landscape every fall. The Postal Service celebrates this radiant annual display with its Autumn Colors stamps.
As days shorten and summer’s warmth begins to fade, the trees around us prepare for the biochemical changes that will soon transform their bright green foliage into the golden ochres, flaming vermilions and burnt oranges so characteristic of autumn.
During spring and summer, leaves appear green due to the continuous creation of chlorophyll, a result of photosynthesis. As the light diminishes and nights become crisper, photosynthesis begins to slow and finally stops altogether. Leaves lose their green color and reveal carotenoids, yellow and orange pigments that were present all year but masked by the abundant chlorophyll. Sunny, warm days and cool nights also trigger the production of anthocyanins, the vibrant red and purple pigments observed in trees such as the black gum, red maple and sumac.
The pane of 20 stamps shows a portfolio of 10 brilliant photographs taken by renowned nature and garden photographer Allen Rokach (1941–2021). Rokach often used what he called the “Rokach effect,” a technique that gives photos an impressionistic cast. In addition to the classic autumn colors of orange, red and yellow, the photographs show flashes of vermilion, ocher, violet and cobalt in different landscapes.
There are many places across the United States to experience autumn leaves in all their glory. New England, where weather conditions provide the optimal environment for the range of intense colors, attracts millions of “leaf-peepers” each fall, and the Blue Ridge Parkway and Maryland’s Eastern Shore follow the patterns of their leaf cousins in the northeast.
Other places with spectacular fall color include Aspen, CO, named for the golden aspens that surround this Rocky Mountain town; Taos, NM, and surrounding desert; the Great Smoky Mountains; and the Columbia River Gorge in Oregon.
Ethel Kessler, an art director for USPS, designed the stamps with existing photographs by Allen Rokach.
Autumn Colors stamps are being issued in panes of 20. Because they are Forever stamps, they will always be equal in value to the current First-Class Mail one-ounce price.
USPS
