Sports fans or not, many still have memories of our two US Olympic hockey wins at this year’s games. Both the men’s and women’s teams took gold medals. The victories were reminiscent of a match years ago that many either remember first-hand or have heard about.
Those games were the 1980 Olympics where the US men’s hockey team was widely considered the underdog against formidable opponents from the Soviet Union. No one thought we had much of a chance. The team the US faced had won gold in the last four Olympic games. They were clearly Goliaths. In what has long been called the “Miracle On Ice,” the US team beat the Soviets and then went on to defeat Finland to snag the gold.
As dominant as the US team was, formidable too were many then-rules and protocol in various areas. One of those was US postage stamps. Regulations strictly forbade any living person to be depicted on a US stamp. Essentially, they still do. The hitch was, in 1980, among other First Class postage stamps commemorating the games, one showed a uniformed and masked US hockey player. It was the team goalie....
The goalie that played for the winning US Olympic team that year was young Jim Craig. Ergo, people figured that had to be him on the stamp. Some purists cried foul.
It sort of harkened back to 1968 when an earlier hue-and-cry went out about a new US Air Mail stamp. That one honored the “First Man On The Moon” showing an astronaut descending the ladder from the lunar lander onto the moon’s surface. A few people objected claiming it showed astronaut Neil Armstrong, the recognized “first man.” Nope. In truth, the image on the stamp was replicated from a photo taken by Neil Armstrong of fellow astronaut Buzz Aldrin. So, the objectors were, in a way, correct and also very wrong. Nevertheless, Neil and/or Buzz both got a postal pass.
These rules are still in place. However, as time goes, mail usage drops, and some apathy perhaps comes into play, postal policies appear to be getting more wiggle room. That is very evident this month with the issuance of a new sheet of stamps being released in conjunction with our country’s looming 250th anniversary.
The sheet of 13 “American Icons” stamps is meant to feature images of Americana as depicted in a particular style. It’s that “style” that’s so attributable. All of the images and wording showcase images selected by or indicative of clothing designer Ralph Lauren. The Lauren look was first popularized in the early to mid-1970s and remains massively fashionable today.
The stamp images range from a stylized American flag; a pickup truck; a faithful dog; to the baseball glove worn by Jackie Robinson.
Other photos feature a vintage barn draped with a US flag; the Empire State building; a Navajo rug; classic Teddy Bear; a lighthouse; the all-American Hamburger (stacked high with everything); racing sailboat; and running horses galloping free in the American West.
The icons on the new “Forever” stamps are both interesting and eye-catching. They surely convey aspects of Americana. On the downside they aren’t very indicative of the history or achievements nurtured over the past 250 years the United States has been in existence. Still, they’re nice.
The one thing I wondered was how Ralph Lauren got to be so prominent on the stamps. No, his actual facial image is not on any of them. Again, there remains a rule against depicting a living person on a US stamp. Still, as a whole, the sheet certainly showcases Lauren and company.
For the record, not only is Ralph Lauren still alive, long ago, he went through something of a metamorphosis. Born Ralph Lifshitz in 1939 to Jewish immigrants in the Bronx, he changed his last name to Lauren when he turned 16. Then, his career began with selling neckties out of a drawer in the Empire State Building. Now, at 86, he’s iconoclastic and happily married to his wife of 60 years.
To me, it first seemed this might have been paid product placement. After all, the stamp sheet twice includes Ralph’s printed name and signature boldly emblazoned. Anyway, multiple brands such as Budweiser, Apple, BMW and others have paid dearly to be included in film and TV productions. Was that even possible for US stamps?
Evidently not. No payments are said to have been made. But, this does mark the first time the USPS has asked an individual to create a special stamp collection – this one honoring our 250th anniversary. Of course, it’s still surely a major publicity and marketing coup for the Ralph Lauren brand.
The new stamp sheet will be released June 9 at post offices nationwide. For collectors, First Day of Issue cancels are available online by going to www.USPS.gov.
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