Michael Robert Flechtner (June 19, 1951) is an American artist known for his work in neon art. In 2009 he was commissioned by the United States Postal Service to create the first-ever neon postage stamp for the Forever Stamp series. The "Celebrate" stamp was released in 2011. [1] The stamp was reissued in 2015, and the original 33” x 44” neon is on exhibit at the Smithsonian National Postal Museum. [2]
An Ohio native, with a Masters in Fine Art (sculpture & painting) from Wichita State University Flechtner moved to Los Angeles in the mid-1980s, inspired first by the artist Stephen Antonakos and subsequent visit to the Museum of Neon Art (MONA), then located in Downtown Los Angeles. [3] Flechtner now sits on MONA's advisory board. [4]
Flechtner says his fascination with light began when he was a child. "I’d go to church and see light streaming through the stained glass windows, my father, replacing bulbs sitting in a pile Christmas lights and various flavors of Jell-O." [5] His public art includes “A Neon Aquarium” at the corner of Olympic and Sawtelle in Los Angeles, and installations in Minneapolis and Tokyo. [6] In 2019 he began the physical reproduction and replacement of the neon signage at the drive-in movie theater in his home town of Tiffin, Ohio. [7]
Flechtner is the recipient of a J. Paul Getty Trust Fund Fellowship for the Visual Arts, the Botticelli Award, and Ford Foundation Award. [6]
Stamp collecting is the collecting of postage stamps and related objects. It is related to philately, which is the study of stamps. It has been one of the world's most popular hobbies since the late nineteenth century with the rapid growth of the postal service, as a never-ending stream of new stamps was produced by countries that sought to advertise their distinctiveness through their stamps.
The history of postal service of the United States began with the delivery of stampless letters, whose cost was borne by the receiving person, later also encompassed pre-paid letters carried by private mail carriers and provisional post offices, and culminated in a system of universal prepayment that required all letters to bear nationally issued adhesive postage stamps.
The National Postal Museum, located opposite Union Station in Washington, D.C., United States, was established through joint agreement between the United States Postal Service and the Smithsonian Institution and opened in 1993.
Robert "Bob" M. Peak was an American commercial illustrator. He is best known for his developments in the design of the modern movie poster.
Stevan Dohanos was an artist and illustrator of the social realism school, best known for his Saturday Evening Post covers, and responsible for several of the Don't Talk set of World War II propaganda posters. He named Grant Wood and Edward Hopper as the greatest influences on his painting.
Ron Miller is an American illustrator and writer who lives and works in South Boston, Virginia. He now specializes in astronomical, astronautical and science fiction books for adults and young adults.
Keith Birdsong was a Muscogee Creek-Cherokee illustrator, known best for illustrating covers of Star Trek novels, usually depicting the various actors of the Star Trek television series and movies in a realistic manner.
In August 1999, the United States Postal Service issued a set of 33¢ postage stamps entitled All Aboard! 20th Century American Trains to "pay tribute to American industry and design, and specifically to the heritage of our railroads." Artist Ted Rose created five watercolor images depicting the following celebrated American named passenger trains from the 1930s and 1940s:
The Postal Square Building served as the main post office for the city of Washington, D.C., from the building's completion in 1914 to 1986. It now houses the National Postal Museum, the Bureau of Labor Statistics, and offices of the United States Senate. Architect Daniel Burnham designed the building in the Beaux-Arts style—the same style Burnham used for the neighboring Union Station. Construction for the Postal Square Building began in 1911 on a lot near the Capitol. Planning began with a 1901 proposal by the Senate Parks Commission. The commission called for three buildings to mark the northern end of the Capitol complex. While the first two buildings in the plan, Union Station and the Postal Square Building, were completed early in the 20th century, the 1901 plan would not be fully implemented until the completion of the Thurgood Marshall Federal Judiciary Building in 1992.
Owney, was a Border terrier- like dog adopted as the first unofficial postal mascot by the Albany, New York, post office about 1888. The Albany mail professionals recommended the dog to their Railway Mail Service colleagues, and he became a nationwide mascot for nine years (1888–97). He traveled throughout the 48 contiguous United States and voyaged around the world traveling over 140,000 miles in his lifetime as a mascot of the Railway Post Office and the United States Postal Service. He is best known for being the subject of commemorative activities, including a 2011 U.S. postage stamp.
Liliana Diane Lakich is an American artist best known for her work in neon sculpture. Her sculptures have been included in major publications on contemporary sculpture, neon sculpture and feminist art including Signs, and in many private and corporate collections. She has had solo shows in Tokyo, Paris and Los Angeles.
A field post office (FPO) is a post office set up during time of war or when a military unit is on manoeuvres. It is a place to which mail intended for military units in the field is sent to be sorted and forwarded. It is set up "in the field", hence the name, however, FPOs may be on land or at sea. Their use pre-dates the introduction of postage stamps.(Military)
Presidents of the United States have frequently appeared on U.S. postage stamps since the mid–1800s. The United States Post Office Department released its first two postage stamps in 1847, featuring George Washington on one, and Benjamin Franklin on the other. The advent of presidents on postage stamps has been definitive to U.S. postage stamp design since the first issues were released and set the precedent that U.S. stamp designs would follow for many generations.
Dean Mitchell is an American figurative artist who works primarily in watercolor and oil paint. His subjects, derived largely from African American culture, have been cited for their emotional depth, avoidance of facile sentimentality, and accomplished sense of formal design.
The Fourth Bureau Issue, also known as the Series of 1922, was a definitive series of postage stamps issued by the United States between 1922 and 1938. The series comprises 27 different designs with denominations ranging from one-half-cent to 5 dollars. The designs featured past presidents, prominent Americans, architectural landmarks, and icons of American culture.
Suzanne Scheuer was an American fine artist best known for her New Deal-era murals.
Nancy Stahl is an American illustrator.
Puerto Rico topics have been featured on the stamps of Spain and of the United States. Spanish stamps are found at Postage stamps and postal history of Puerto Rico.
The Antarctic Treaty issue is a postage stamp that was issued by the United States Post Office Department on June 23, 1971. Designed by Howard Koslow, it commemorates the ten-year anniversary of the Antarctic Treaty, and is notable as Koslow's first postage stamp design.
The National Philatelic Collection is a collection of nearly six million postage stamps, revenue stamps, and related items, owned by the United States Government and managed by the Smithsonian Institution. It is housed within the National Postal Museum and a portion of the collection is on display in the museum's National Stamp Salon. The National Philatelic Collection is among the world's largest and most valuable stamp collections and, along with the Postmaster General's Philatelic Collection, is one of two stamp collections owned by the United States.