Women on US stamps explained

The history of women on US stamps begins in 1893, when Queen Isabella became the first woman on a US stamp.[1] Queen Isabella helped support Christopher Columbus's 1492 voyage, and 1893 marked the end of a year-long celebration of the 400th anniversary of that voyage.[1] [2] The first US stamp honoring an American woman honored Martha Washington, and it was issued in 1902.[3] [4] In 1907, Pocahontas became the first Native American woman (and the first Native American) to be honored on a US stamp.[5] In 1978, Harriet Tubman became the first African-American woman to be honored on a US stamp.[6] In 2001, Frida Kahlo became the first Hispanic woman to be honored on a US stamp, though she was Mexican not American.[7] [8]

Groups of women have also been honored on US stamps, for example Gold Star Mothers (1948) and "Women In Our Armed Services" (1952).[9] [10]

There are also generic, unnamed women who appear on US stamps, such as a woman marching with men for the National Recovery Act (1933).

US stamps have also depicted female goddesses and allegories, such as personifications of liberty.[11]

Approval process

Since 1957, the Citizens’ Stamp Advisory Committee (CSAC) has worked as the sole group responsible for selecting and recommending subjects to be featured on U.S. stamps. Members of the committee are appointed by the Postmaster General.[12] There are 11 members on the committee, currently three women and 8 men.

Forever Stamps

First sold in April 2007, Forever Stamps can be used to mail a one-ounce letter regardless of when the stamps are purchased or used and no matter how prices may change in the future. In 2011, all first-class, one ounce stamps became Forever Stamps and all commemorative stamps began being issued as Forever Stamps.

Categorization of Stamps

The U.S. Postal Service classifies many stamps featuring groups, artwork, works of literature, and social efforts and awareness campaigns as "women stamps". Among these groups are the artwork of Mary Cassatt (featured five times), the Nursing stamp, and the Breast Cancer Awareness Month stamp.

List of women on US stamps

This list can be expanded with women stamps from here [13]

WomenYearNotable for
1893Queen Isabella appeared with Christopher Columbus on a 4-dollar stamp. Her portrait is the first portrait of a woman to appear on a US postage stamp.[14]
1902, 1923, 1938First First Lady of the United States
1907Pocahontas was a Native American woman and a member of the Native American group Powhatans. She was an intermediary between the Native Americans and the nearby English colonists. She was taken captive by colonists, which culminated in 150 armed colonists going to Powhatan to demand ransom, burn down villages, and kill Native American men.[15] Issued as a part of the Jamestown Exposition Issue.[16]
1928The nickname of a woman, whose identity is not definitively known, who is said to have fought in the American Revolutionary War
1936, 1955American feminist, social reformer, and civil rights activist
1937First European child born on American soil
1940American author, best known for writing Little Women and Little Men
1940American educator, reformer, lecturer, and women's suffrage supporter
1940American social worker and reformer, the founder of Hull House in Chicago, a social welfare center
1948, 1995Founder of the American Red Cross
1948Founder of the Girl Scouts of the USA
1948Initiated the Veterans of Foreign Wars fundraising drive selling red poppies in 1915
1952American upholsterer credited with creating the first official flag of the United States
1954, 1994Shoshone guide who assisted the Lewis and Clark Expedition of 1804
1963American pilot, first woman to fly solo nonstop across the Atlantic Ocean
1963, 1984, 1998American diplomat, writer, social reformer, and First Lady of the United States
1966, 1988, 1998American painter best known for her works of mothers and children
1968Nineteenth century abolitionist and women's rights leader
1969American painter who took up painting at the age of 76
1971American poet who wrote more than 1,700 poems
1973American novelist
1973American physician, the first female physician in the U.S.
1975American-born heroine of the American Revolutionary War
1976American nurse best known for having died as a volunteer for yellow fever medical experiments
1978, 1995American abolitionist and social activist who was part of the Underground Railroad
1980American social worker and activist best known for introducing Christmas Seals to the United States
1980 American author and disability rights advocate
1980American teacher best known for being the instructor and lifelong companion of Helen Keller
1980First Lady of the United States
1980American workers-rights advocate and fourth United States Secretary of Labor, the first female to hold a cabinet-level position in the United States government
1980American novelist best known for her novels Ethan Frome and The Age of Innocence
1981American marine biologist, writer, and conservationist, best known for writing Silent Spring in advance of the environmental movement
1981American poet
1981American multi-sport athlete
1982American abolitionist, prohibitionist, prisoner of war, and surgeon, the only woman to receive the Medal of Honor
1983American advocate for the indigent mentally ill
1983American writer and novelist, best known for the novel, The Good Earth
1984American psychologist and industrial engineer, a pioneer in the field of time-and-motion studies
1985First Lady of the United States
1985American educator, social activist, and founder of the Daytona Educational and Industrial Training School for Negro Girls, now known as Bethune-Cookman College
1986American politician, the first female candidate for President of the United States
1986American novelist and journalist, best known for the novel Gone with the Wind
1986Born Isabella Baumfree, she was the first black woman to speak publicly against slavery.
1987Composer of "The Battle Hymn of the Republic".
1987Education pioneer who founded Mount Holyoke College.
1989American chorus girl, artists' model, actress and controversial historical figure.
1990A gold medalist in the 1932 Olympic Games in swimming.
1990Poet who won the Pulitzer Prize in 1951 for her Collected Poems.
1990Civil rights activist who cofounded the National Association for the Advancement of Colored People.
1990Olympic gold medalist credited with doing more to build American and international women's tennis than any other player.
1991Singer and comedian who created the "Baby Snooks" radio character.
1991First American woman pilot to fly the English Channel.
1992Poet and short story writer
1993Popular American country singer
1993Pioneers of American country music
1993American film actress
1993"Queen of the Blues"
1994Silent film actress
1994Silent film actress
1994Silent film actresse
1994The "Angel of Tombstone", an anti-violence advocate who raised orphans and campaigned against public hanging
1994 American jazz, swing, and pop singer and actress
1994 American blues singer
1994 American jazz and swing singer
1994 Native American jazz singer
1994 American actress and singer of musical comedy
1994American sharpshooter
1994Doctor who developed a newborn assessment method
1995American anthropologist
1995 American Civil War author
1995 American nurse and hospital administrator for Confederate States military hospital
1995First woman to earn an international pilot's license
1995Pioneer in industrial medicine
1995American film actor
1995Founder of National Women's Party and author of the Equal Rights Amendment
1996Pioneer pilot who had more than 200 aviation records, firsts, and awards. She was the first woman to break the sound barrier
1996, 2013American-born abstract painter
1996Popular songwriter of the 1920s and 1930s. She wrote the words for "On the Sunny Side of the Street"
1997French-American operatic soprano and actress
1997 American operatic soprano
1997This stamp honored the nearly 2 million women have served and are serving in the U.S. armed forces
1998Founder of the Frontier Nursing Service
1998 American gospel singer
1998 American gospel composer, singer, pianist, arranger, and choral organizer
1998 American singer and guitarist
1998 American gospel singers
1998Famous anthropologist who studied child rearing, personality, and culture, mainly in the South Pacific
1998African American who became one of the wealthiest women in the 1910s by developing and selling hair care products
1999Author of the novels The Fountainhead and Atlas Shrugged
2000Lawyer and political adviser; in 1977 she became the first African American woman named to a presidential cabinet
2000Twentieth-century American sculptor who worked with wood, metals, and found objects
2001First woman elected to U.S. Senate
2001American illustrator
1999, 2001, 2009American comedian and actress
2001Mexican artist
2002 American journalist best known for her 72-day trip around the globe
2002 American reporter and war correspondent
2002 American journalist, editor, and foreign correspondent
2002 American writer, journalist, and lecturer, famous as a muckraking reporter of the late 19th and early 20th centuries
2003African American novelist in the Harlem Renaissance
2003Film actress and goodwill ambassador for UNICEF
1988, 2003American artist known for her portraits of motherhood
Agnes Lee and her daughter Peggy 2002 American author and, with her daughter, the subject of a photograph by American photographer Gertrude Käsebier featured on a US postage stamp
1998 American depression-era woman who was the subject of a photograph by American photographer Dorothea Lange entitled "Migrant Mother" which was featured on a US postage stamp
Ida Pabst 2002 Daughter-in-law of Frederick Pabst (the German-American brewer for whom Pabst Brewing Company was named) and the subject of a portrait by American photographer Imogen Cunningham which was featured on a US postage stamp
2004 American dancer and choreographer
2004 American modern dancer and choreographer
2004Track and field star
2005Opera singer who was the first African-American to sing at the Metropolitan Opera
2005Actress of the silver screen
2006Singer and actress who was the first African-American to win an Oscar
2006Diplomat
2006Actress and singer, star of The Wizard of Oz
2007Jazz singer
2008Biochemist
2008 Nuclear physicist
2008American actress
2008Journalist who covered the Spanish Civil War, World War II, and the Vietnam War
2008Pulitzer Prize-winning author of The Yearling
2009Civil rights and women's rights activist
2009Civil rights activist
2009Civil rights activist
2009Civil rights activist
2009Civil rights activist
2009Civil rights activist
2009Health activist and philanthropist
2009African-American scholar
2009American actress and singer
2009American singer, actress, and television personality
2009American comedian, singer, and TV and radio personality
2009American vaudevillian, singer, actress, and comedian
2009American singer and actress
2010American actress
2010American contralto singer
2010Albanian-born Indian Catholic nun canonized as a Catholic saint in 2016, best known for her life devoted to charitable work
2010Puerto Rican pro-independence poet
2011Portuguese-born Brazilian-American samba singer, dancer, and actress
2011American Tejano singer
2011Cuban-American singer
2011First secretary of the US Department of Health, Education and Welfare, first commanding officer of the Women's Army Corps
2011American actress
2011German-born American theoretical physicist
2011Swedish-born American industrial designer
2011American politician and a leader of the Civil Rights Movement
2012American poet and short-story author
2012American poet, author, and teacher
2012British-born American poet
2012American poet and author
2012French singer
2012American dancer and choreographer
2012American dancer and choreographer
2012First Lady of the United States
2013Civil rights activist
2013Latin music legend
2013Tennis player
2014Politician - first African-American woman elected to the U.S. Congress
2014Singer and songwriter
2014Chef, author, television personality
2014Chef, author, television personality
2014Chef, author
2015Poet, author and civil rights activist
2015Writer
2015Actress
2016Singer
2016Actress, later businesswoman and diplomat
2017Civil rights and women's rights activist
2018Singer, dancer, actress and civil rights activist
2018Astronaut, engineer, physicist
2020 Journalist; first African-American woman to host a major political talk show: PBS's "Washington Week in Review" in 1999[17]
Chien-Shiung Wu2021 Nuclear physicist
2022 Sculptor; first African-American and Native American sculptor to earn international recognition[18]
2022 American ichthyologist
2022 First Lady of the United States
1934 Mother of American-born painter James Abbott McNeill Whistler
1980 Inventor and pioneering aviator
1982 American film actress
1998 American magazine publisher and philanthropist; co-founder of Reader's Digest
1999 English actress
2001 American illustrator and portrait painter
2002 American author of novels, short stories, and plays
2005 American genetecist
2006 American author and journalist
2007 American Congresswoman and Senator from Maine, the first woman to serve in both houses of the US Congress
2007 American author and abolitionist, best known for writing Uncle Tom's Cabin
2008 Josephine Baker was an African American dancer, activist, and spy during World War II. She succeeded as a dancer in Vaudeville shows in the United States and participated in the Harlem Renaissance. She eventually moved to Paris, where she became a widely sought-after performer. Her performances used African themes and styles. During World War II, she helped the French military by passing on secrets she learned while performing.[19]
Women Cryptologists of World War II2022Honoring the around 11,000 women cryptologists of World War II who helped decipher enemy military messages.[20]
Women's Soccer2023Celebrating women's soccer in the United States, from youth leagues to the world champion U.S. national team.[21]
Toni Morrison2023Celebrated on a forever stamp, Toni Morrison was an award-winning author of 11 novels that brought to life the diverse voices of Black people and, in particular, centered the identity of Black women. [22]
Sources: [23]

Notes and References

  1. Web site: Leaving Their Stamp on History.
  2. Edwards, John. Ferdinand and Isabella. Pearson Education Limited, 2005, p. 119
  3. Web site: Martha Washington.
  4. Web site: Women Who Left Their Stamp On U.S. Philatelic History. Mode.
  5. Web site: Postage Stamps - Postal Facts.
  6. Web site: Publication 354 - African Americans on Stamps. United States Postal Service.
  7. Book: Klein, Adam G.. Frida Kahlo. 2005. ABDO Pub. Co.. Edina, Minn.. 9781596797314. 8 July 2013.
  8. Web site: 'Love' stamp a highlight of 2001. LJWorld.com.
  9. Web site: Leaving Their Stamp on History.
  10. Web site: Leaving Their Stamp on History.
  11. Web site: The First Fifty Women on United States Stamps . . 2009 . 2016-05-10 . 2018-08-26 . https://web.archive.org/web/20180826173829/https://stamps.org/userfiles/file/albums/Women.pdf . dead .
  12. Web site: Citizens’ Stamp Advisory Committee - Who we are - About.usps.com . 2024-06-18 . about.usps.com.
  13. Web site: Women Subjects on United States Postage Stamps . United States Postal Service. https://web.archive.org/web/20220319075456/https://about.usps.com/who-we-are/postal-history/women-stamp-subjects.pdf . 2022-03-19 .
  14. Web site: Support of Queen Isabella . 2024-06-18 . postalmuseum.si.edu . en.
  15. Web site: Pocahontas . 2024-06-18 . National Women's History Museum . en.
  16. Web site: Jamestown Exposition Issue . 2024-06-18 . postalmuseum.si.edu . en.
  17. Web site: Elassar . Alaa . Gwen Ifill: US Postal Service honors pioneering journalist with Black Heritage Forever stamp . CNN . 2020-02-01 . 2022-07-14.
  18. Web site: Edmonia Lewis Stamps . United States Postal Service.
  19. Web site: Biography: Josephine Baker . 2024-06-18 . National Women's History Museum . en.
  20. Web site: Women Cryptologists of WWII Stamps USPS.com . 2024-06-18 . store.usps.com.
  21. Web site: Women's Soccer Stamps USPS.com . 2024-06-18 . store.usps.com.
  22. Web site: Postal Service Celebrates Author Toni Morrison on New Forever Stamp - Newsroom - About.usps.com . 2024-06-18 . about.usps.com . en.
  23. Web site: Women Who Left Their Stamps on History . factmonster.com.