Four paintings on Hudson River School forever stamps

The preliminary designs for the United States Hudson River School commemorative forever stamps to be issued Aug. 21 were revealed in mid-May by the American Philatelic Society.

The four stamps, part of the American Treasures series, will be issued during APS Stampshow, taking place Aug. 21-24 in Hartford, Conn. The first-day ceremony is scheduled for 11 a.m. in Ballroom A of the Connecticut Convention Center, 100 Columbus Boulevard.

A double-sided pane of 20, convertible booklet, is tentatively planned as the format.

The four works shown on the stamps are landscapes by artists Thomas Moran, Asher B. Durand, Frederic Edwin Church and Thomas Cole.

U.S. Postal Service spokesman Mark Saunders declined to comment on the designs.

The Moran stamp depicts a scene of the Grand Canyon. The Durand stamp features his 1865 oil painting Summer Afternoon. Church is represented with a sunset landscape, and the Cole stamp shows the 1830 oil painting Distant View of Niagara Falls.

For additional information about APS Stampshow, visit the website at www.stamps.org.