Farrell Fan Posted May 5, 2004 Share Posted May 5, 2004 The process that began several years ago when some of us urged the US Postal Service to issue a commemmorative stamp honoring Balanchine's 100th birthday has at last come to fruition. In the process the original idea was lost and substituted was a group of four stamps honoring American Choreographers: Martha Graham, Alvin Ailey, Agnes de Mille, and Balanchine. Now the stamps are out and I'm more than a little disappointed. The colors are muted and the detail unclear. If these were television pictures instead of stamps, I'd be fiddling with the color and brightness controls till I drove myself crazy. The names Martha Graham and George Balanchine are hard to read -- yellow type on a pale background. Those of Alvin Ailey and Agnes de Mille, also in yellow type, are on dark backgrounds and legible. I suppose these stamps are better than nothing, though, and I intend to use them as much as possible. Incidentally, I don't know what the philatelic term is, but they come in sheets of twenty. Under the vertical row of five Graham stamps it says, "Martha Graham is a registered trademark." Under the Ailey row it says, "Alvin Ailey is a trademark of Alvin Ailey Dance Foundation, Inc." Under the de Milles, "The appellation Agnes de Mille belongs to de Mille Productions," and under the Balanchines: "BALANCHINE is a trademarkof the George Balanchine Trust." Just wanted to give you the complete picture, appellations and all. Link to comment
Helene Posted May 6, 2004 Share Posted May 6, 2004 I heard on the radio that the stamps were presented today at the New Jersey Performing Arts Center. Did anyone attend? Link to comment
carbro Posted May 6, 2004 Share Posted May 6, 2004 I wonder how the postal clerk will take to requests for, say, four rows of Balanchine. Just Balanchine. Link to comment
atm711 Posted May 6, 2004 Share Posted May 6, 2004 I wonder how the postal clerk will take to requests for, say, four rows of Balanchine. Just Balanchine. Just try asking for the 'choreographer's stamp' as I did a month ago at my local post office---the clerk did not know what to make of the word 'choreographer'. :rolleyes: Link to comment
Alexandra Posted May 6, 2004 Share Posted May 6, 2004 If they do it like the other sets, they have: Stamp 1, stamp 2 Stamp 3, stamp 4 Stamp 1, stamp 2 etc. So you'll have to take 'em all I have photos of these -- if I have time to post them on the main site tomorrow I will, and give you a link. I just checked the USPS site and couldn't find them. Link to comment
Ari Posted May 6, 2004 Share Posted May 6, 2004 Here is a picture of the stamps: American Choreographers Link to comment
Alexandra Posted May 6, 2004 Share Posted May 6, 2004 Thanks! How did you find them? I did a search for "choreographers" and "Balanchine," and also went to their shop and looked at the stamps they had (the arts and the people section). Link to comment
Helene Posted May 6, 2004 Share Posted May 6, 2004 Interesting that on 18 May, Noguchi gets a series of fives stamps depicting his sculpture "on the 100th anniversary of his birth," but Balanchine has to share. (link) And one of the sculptures is not the lyre he created for Orpheus. :angry: Link to comment
Ari Posted May 6, 2004 Share Posted May 6, 2004 Thanks! How did you find them? I did a search for "choreographers" and "Balanchine," and also went to their shop and looked at the stamps they had (the arts and the people section). Google, Alexandra. Always Google. Link to comment
Recommended Posts