Stamp Category: Commemorative
Value: 29 cents
First Day of Issue: April 27, 1994
First Day City: San Francisco, California
Quantity Issued: 1,860,000
Printed By: Bureau of Engraving and Printing
Printing Method: Lithographed and engraved
Format: Ten vertical stamps issued se-tenant in four panes of 40 stamps
Perforations: 11.2
Why the set was issued: The stamps were issued to honor ten of the greatest names of the early days of Hollywood movie-making. It fulfilled the then-current First-Class postage rate.
About the stamp design: Renowned artist Al Hirschfeld designed the stamps, capturing the main characteristics of each actor's screen persona in his iconic caricature style. The stamps feature a 29-cent denomination printed in drop-out type on a stylized torn ticket stub. Some stamps, like Clara Bow and Theda Bara, have torn ticket remnants behind their names, adding a unique touch to the design. Red and purple colors add vibrancy to the black and white caricatures.
First Day of Issue Ceremony: The Castro Theater in San Francisco hosted the First Day Ceremony, with actor Karl Malden as the main speaker.
Unusual fact about this set: The artist, Al Hirschfeld, was asked to work his daughter Nina's name into his caricatures, as he had often done in previous drawings. Some stamps prominently feature "Ninas," while others have more subtly integrated or even missing ones.
About the Set: The Silent Screen Stars set includes ten prominent stars of the Silent Screen era, such as Rudolf Valentino, Clara Bow, Charlie Chaplin, Lon Chaney, Theda Bara, John Gilbert, Zasu Pitts, Harold Lloyd, Keystone Cops, and Buster Keaton. Hirschfeld's incredible caricatures breathe life into these actors and actresses who dominated the silent film era.
