The 07/24/2014 Postal Bulletin gives specifications on the upcoming Hudson River School Stamp Issue slated for release on August 21, 2014 in Hartford, CT:
Although the majority of information is typical for most new issues, I found the following requirements quite unique and don't recall that it was ever noted in such detail on any previously issued US stamp:
Quote:Each one of the Hudson River School stamps must be shown in its entirety with the perforations.
None of the stamps may be cropped or modified in any way and must be used only as a whole image.1. Frederic Edwin Church Stamp:
The following credit is required for philatelic products and marketing materials: Church, Frederic Edwin (1826–1900). Sunset,1856. Oil on canvas. Original 1870s-style frame. 37-3/4 x 49-3/4 in.(framed). Proctor Collection, PC.21, Munson-Williams-Proctor Arts Institute, Utica, NY, U.S.A. Photo Credit: Munson-Williams-Proctor Arts Institute/Art Resource, NY.
2. Thomas Cole Stamp:
The following credit is required on philatelic products (the caption and credit line may be given on a hangtag). For Internet use, the caption and credit line should appear in immediate proximity of the image or in a "Sources of Illustrations" section and MUST include a link to the AIC's website.
http://www.artic.edu/aic: Thomas Cole, American, 1801-1848, Distant View of Niagara Falls, 1830, Oil on panel, 47.9 x 60.6 cm (18-7/8 x 23-7/8 in.), Friends of American Art Collection, 1946.396, The Art Institute of Chicago. Photography © The Art Institute of Chicago.
3. Asher B. Durand Stamp
The following credit is required for philatelic products and marketing materials: Durand, Asher Brown (1796–1886). Summer Afternoon, 1865, Oil on canvas, 22-1/2 x 35 in. (57.2 x 88.9 cm). Bequest of Maria DeWitt Jesup, from the collection of her husband, Morris K. Jesup, 1914 (15.30.60), The Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York, NY, U.S.A. Image copyright © The Metropolitan Museum of Art. Image source: Art Resource, NY.
4. Thomas Moran Stamp
No credits required.
I'm sure it's all in the legal arena as the USPS doesn't want to get sued (again) for copyright infringement, yet it seems that more and more often the permissions and/or rights to use copyrighted images on US stamps in recent years have become so stringent to the point that they result in delays and/or changes to the new issue schedule.
To be restricted even more as to the specific manner in which the new stamp images may be reproduced seems to be putting the USPS into new territory.
Posted 07/24/2014 8:07 pm
