Five new United States issues for 2019 announced

By Michael Baadke

The United States Postal Service will issue three different stamp sets celebrating the 150th anniversary of the completion of the transcontinental railroad, military working dogs and abstract artist Ellsworth Kelly.

A single stamp is planned to commemorate tennis champion Maureen “Little Mo” Connolly Brinker, and a single star design made of a folded red, white and blue ribbon will be shown on a stamp that will be issued in coils and panes.

The Postal Service announced details of these new issues Jan. 29. The stamps all will be issued as nondenominated forever stamps, which now sell for 55¢ each to match the postage rate for letter mail effective Jan. 27.

No issue dates or locations were announced for the Military Working Dogs or Ellsworth Kelly sets.

The Transcontinental Railroad stamps will be issued as a set of three in a pane of 18, with a May 10 first-day ceremony in Promontory Summit, Utah.

The railroad’s last spike was driven on that date and at that location 150 years earlier, in 1869.

“Two different stamps feature the Jupiter and the No. 119 locomotives that powered the trains carrying the officers and guests of two train companies to the Golden Spike Ceremony held when the two rail lines were joined at Promontory Summit in Utah,” according to the Postal Service.

The two train stamps appear to be horizontal commemorative size; the third stamp is smaller and depicts the golden spike that was a prominent part of the ceremony.

“Art director Greg Breeding designed the issuance,” the Postal Service said. “Michael J. Deas painted the Jupiter and No. 119 stamps. Kevin Cantrell illustrated the stamp depicting the ceremonial golden spike and did the border treatments and typography for all three stamps.”

The Military Working Dogs set of four will be issued in a double-sided pane of 20, which the Postal Service describes as a booklet.

The four designs are arranged in a block with one stamp each showing a German shepherd, Labrador retriever, Belgian malinois and Dutch shepherd, four breeds that commonly serve in America’s armed forces.

“The stylized digital illustrations are in red, white, blue and gold to represent the American flag and patriotism,” the Postal Service reported. “The art was created by DKNG Studios. Art director Greg Breeding designed the stamps.”

Abstract artist Ellsworth Kelly (1923-2015) will be celebrated with a set of 10 stamps illustrating different works in a pane of 20.

The paintings shown are Yellow White (1961), Colors for a Large Wall (1951), Blue Red Rocker (1963), Spectrum I (1953), South Ferry (1956), Blue Green (1962), Orange Red Relief (for Delphine Seyrig) (1990), Meschers (1951), Red Blue (1964) and Gaza (1956).

The Ellsworth Kelly stamp set was designed by art director Derry Noyes.

A single commemorative stamp honoring Maureen “Little Mo” Connolly Brinker (1934-1969) features an oil-on-linen painting of the tennis champion by Gregory Manchess on a stamp also designed by Noyes.

The stamp will be issued April 23 in Dallas, Texas, the home of the Maureen Connolly Brinker Tennis Foundation.

In 1953, at age 18, Little Mo became the first woman to win the sport’s four major tournaments — the grand slam — in a single year.

The Star Ribbon stamp is described by the Postal Service as a stamp to meet the needs of business mailers. It will be issued March 22 in Oakbrook Terrace, Ill., in coils of 10,000 and panes of 20.

Aaron Draplin designed the stamp and created the artwork, and Greg Breeding was art director for the project.

“The tricolored ribbon, folded into a patriotic symbol, is intended to evoke the connectedness of the American people,” according to the Postal Service.

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