PrintThe West celebrated through Stamps
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Few tributes say American icon quite like having your face on a stamp. It’s only a 19-by-22-millimeter gummed sheet, but it’s its own hall of fame — one that Gary Cooper was inducted into on September 10, 2009, when the U.S. Postal Service (USPS) canonized the movie star as the 15th member in the Legends of Hollywood stamp series.
Cooper’s “strong and silent” persona and emotionally restrained yet intense acting style made him one of the most iconic western stars of the silver screen. His rustic spirit and thirst for adventure weren’t just an on-screen façade. Born in Helena, Montana, Cooper became an expert horseman on his parents’ ranch outside the city after a doctor recommended horseback riding as therapy following a hip injury.
For a time he also managed the family ranch. He got his start in Hollywood working as a cowboy extra in silent films and acted in dozens of westerns between 1923 and 1961, including the 1952 classic High Noon, for which he won an Oscar. “Cowboy Cooper” often escaped to his ski house in Sun Valley, Idaho, where neighbor Ernest Hemingway would sometimes challenge him to shooting contests. And when Cooper first met Pablo Picasso, he presented the artist with a six-shooter and taught him how to use it.
Several classic western television shows were also honored by the USPS with the release of the Early TV Memories stamp series on August 11, 2009. This tribute commemorating the golden age of television includes Hopalong Cassidy, Lassie, Howdy Doody, and The Lone Ranger.
In 2010, the USPS will commemorate ancient symbols of the West with the release of its Scenic American Landscapes series featuring Redwood Forest and Old Faithful in January and Zion National Park and Grand Teton National Park in June.
The agency will also recognize two of the West’s greatest additions in January 2010 when it releases stamps honoring Alaska’s and Oregon’s statehood. The Oregon Statehood stamp, featuring a painting of the Oregon coastline by artist Gregory Manchess, will commemorate the sesquicentennial anniversary of the state’s admission into the United States.
The Alaska Statehood stamp, featuring a photograph of a dogsledder near Rainy Pass in the Alaskan Range by Jeff Schultz, celebrates the state’s 50th anniversary.
Purchase these and other commemorative stamps at www.usps.com.
