Vintage American Artist Arts and Crafts Watercolor Esther Althea Richards, 7 3/4 x 4", 16 x 12" framed
The first woman designer of an American postage stamp was Esther Richards who produced the model for the 10 cent value in the National Parks series October 8, 1934. Her engraving shows a view of Mount Le Conte in Great Smoky Mountains National Park. Her short association with the Bureau of Engraving and Printing was not a felicitous one as some of the then engravers were far from overjoyed with the idea of working with a woman. Whilst one can criticise the then Postmaster General for producing the "Farley Follies" he nonetheless opened the Bureau to new influences and she was one of the first. Much of the freshness of design, marking the definitive escape from the Huston era with its cacophony of acanthus running riot and kitsch miniaturised depiction's was due to her initiatives.

16 x 12 x 1 in

10 lb