22c Duke Ellington single

Object Details

Depicts

Duke Ellington, American, 1899 - 1974

Description

A 22-Cent commemorative stamp honoring Edward Kennedy "Duke" Ellington was issued April 29, 1986, in New York City. It was the ninth stamp of the Performing Arts Series. Music critics called Duke Ellington "the master." Jazz critic and historian Ralph J. Gleason said he was "the greatest composer this American society has produced . . . a master musician, master psychologist, master choreographer."

Ellington has been credited with creating the single most durable body of original jazz compositions in the history of music. He brought listening and dancing pleasure to millions with compositions such as "Satin Doll" and "Mood Indigo." The Ellington band's five-year association with Harlem's The Cotton Club and its national, nightly broadcasts brought the band widespread fame.

Jim Sharpe of Westport, Connecticut, designed the stamp, which features a profile of Duke Ellington superimposed over the partial image of a piano keyboard. The stamps were printed in the photogravure process by the American Bank Note Company, with panes of fifty.

Reference:

Postal Bulletin (March 27, 1986).

mint

Credit line

Copyright United States Postal Service. All rights reserved.

April 29, 1986

Object number

1999.2004.482

Type

Postage Stamps

Medium

paper; ink (multicolored); adhesive / photogravure

Place

United States of America

See more items in

National Postal Museum Collection

Title

Scott Catalogue USA 2211

National Postal Museum

Topic

Music & Musicians

The Cold War (1945-1990)

Black Heritage

U.S. Stamps

Record ID

npm_1999.2004.482

Metadata Usage (text)

Usage conditions apply

GUID (Link to Original Record)

http://n2t.net/ark:/65665/hm8e9db8e70-44a1-4cb9-a117-01db315409be