The U.S. Postal Service is honoring a founding member of the Beatles and solo singer/songwriter John Lennon as the latest addition to its Music Icons stamp series at a first-day-of-issue ceremony at the Naumburg Bandshell in New York City's Central Park.
In welcoming Lennon's family members, photographer Bob Gruen and other noted guests, Postmaster General and CEO Megan J. Brennan said, "The world was influenced by John Lennon's music and his commitment to the ideals of peace and unity. We continue to be inspired by his memory."
John Lennon's Childhood Stamp Collection
As a child, Lennon was encouraged by his cousin to collect stamps. His stamp album with handwritten notes is on display from Sept. 7, 2018 to Feb. 3, 2019 at the National Postal Museum in Washington, D.C., and can be viewed online at postalmuseum.si.edu/lennon.
The Music Icons: John Lennon Commemorative Forever stamp features a photo of Lennon taken on the rooftop of Lennon's Manhattan apartment by noted rock 'n' roll photographer Bob Gruen in August 1974.
The photograph is part of a series of images taken by Gruen during the photo session for Lennon's 1974 album Walls and Bridges. The original black-and-white image was treated in gradations of color to create the artwork for this stamp, which is available for purchase starting Sept. 7.
