The Ralph Ellison Stamp is a 3-ounce stamp from 2014; part of the USPS Literary Arts Series stamps.
He is the author of Invisible Man, published in 1952. His novel Juneteenth was published after his death in 1999.
He was 80 years old when he passed away in 1994.
First of all, in writing today’s blog post, I came across the Ralph Ellison Stamp in reading over at Mystic Stamp from This Day in History … June 19, 1865 – The First Juneteenth; within the article, it includes referencing it.
Ralph Ellison Stamp
Next, seeing the 91 on the lower left of the stamp was having me think the year; however, it was the postal rate of 91 cents for a 3-ounce domestic letter rate effective January 26, 2014.
In the section below, I’m including a First Day Cover envelope showing the First Day of Issue and including some partial excerpts about the stamp.
“The stamp pictures author Ralph Ellison in front of a Harlem street scene at twilight.” …
“After working for the Federal Writers Program and submitting book reviews, Ellison was encouraged to pursue a career as an author. His essays were well received, but could not compare to the reception of his novel, Invisible Man. Published in 1952, the book dealt with issues of racial prejudice and the search for personal identity.”…
“The mark left by Invisible Man continues to be felt in literature and throughout American culture.
The oil painting used for this stamp’s design was based on a black and white photo of Ellison taken by Life magazine photographer Gordon Parks. The image appeared on the dust jacket for Ellison’s book Invisible Man.”
Also, I’m including images of the hardback books for both Invisible Man and Juneteenth.
Invisible Man, and Juneteenth by Ralph Ellison
At Amazon, I’m seeing The Commemorative Edition Invisible Man Hardcover – January 1, 1994, available for $131.77.
Over at Wikipedia, it shares “Invisible Man won the 1953 US National Book Award for Fiction.”
“He eventually was admitted to the American Academy of Arts and Letters, received two President’s Medals (from Lyndon Johnson and Ronald Reagan) and a State Medal from France.”…
It continues sharing about Ralph Ellison receiving an honorary Doctorate from Harvard University.
Juneteenth: A Novel is showing this Hardcover of $53.97.
Furthermore, both books are showing other formats available for much less, i.e., paperbacks, Kindle, and Audible Audiobook – which can get for free with Audible trial.
One of the things I enjoy about my personal library is having a majority of them in hardcover format. This interest of mine helps explain my sharing the pricing for hardback books I’m seeing today.
Another item worth noting is the article at Mystic Stamp I have been referencing includes a link to the official Juneteenth website. Once over at that site, it makes reference to a Juneteenth Commemorative Stamp Petition.
Thank you for joining me today. In closing, I am now adding these two books to my reading list.
Join me tomorrow for my Saturday blog post as we head into Father’s Day on Sunday.
Anchors Aweigh,
Helen
Attribution & Thank you to the following I’m referencing today
- Mystic Stamp #4866 – 2014 91¢ Literary Arts: Ralph Ellison
- This Day in History… June 19, 1865, Posted on June 19, 2016, by MysticStamp – The First Juneteenth
- The Commemorative Edition Invisible Man Hardcover 1994 by Ralph Ellison Author
- Juneteenth: A Novel by Ralph Ellison Author, John F. Callahan Editor 1999
- Wikipedia Ralph Ellison
You may also enjoy AnchoredScraps Smithsonian National Postal Museum – Freedom Just Around the Corner Exhibit Catalog, January 15, 2018
