Stamps with autumn colors are issued at the Great American Stamp Show

The U.S. Postal Service is celebrating the radiant beauty of fall with Autumn Colors, new Forever stamps being released in conjunction with the Great American Stamp Show in Hartford, CT. The first day of issue is Friday, August 16 at 11:00 a.m. EDT

Background:

In many parts of the United States, fall is spring, the most beautiful time of the year, thanks to the rich palette of reds, yellows and oranges that flood the landscape each autumn. The Postal Service celebrates this radiant annual display with its Autumn Colors stamps.

As the days grow shorter and the summer heat wanes, the trees around us prepare for the biochemical changes that will soon transform their bright green leaves into the golden ochre, flaming vermilion and burnt orange colors so characteristic of autumn.

In spring and summer, leaves appear green due to the continuous production of chlorophyll, a result of photosynthesis. As light fades and nights cool, photosynthesis begins to slow and eventually stops altogether. Leaves lose their green color, revealing carotenoids, yellow and orange pigments that were present all year but masked by the abundant chlorophyll. Sunny, warm days and cool nights also trigger the production of anthocyanins, the vibrant red and purple pigments seen in trees such as black gum, red maple, and sumac.

The 20-stamp sheet features a portfolio of 10 stunning photographs taken by renowned nature and garden photographer Allen Rokach (1941–2021). Rokach often employed what he called the “Rokach effect,” a technique that gives photographs an impressionistic touch. In addition to the classic autumn colors of orange, red, and yellow, the photographs show flashes of vermilion, ochre, violet, and cobalt in various landscapes.

There are many places in the United States where you can experience fall foliage in all its glory. New England, where weather conditions provide the optimal environment for the array of intense colors, attracts millions of “leaf gazers” each fall, and the Blue Ridge Parkway and Maryland’s Eastern Shore follow the patterns of their leafy cousins ​​to the northeast.

Other places with spectacular fall colors include Aspen, Colorado, named for the golden aspen trees that surround this Rocky Mountain town; Taos, New Mexico and the surrounding desert; the Great Smoky Mountains; and the Columbia River Gorge in Oregon.

USPS Art Director Ethel Kessler designed the stamps using existing photographs by Allen Rokach.

Autumn Colors stamps are issued in panes of 20. Because they are Forever stamps, they will always have the same value as the current price of one ounce for First-Class Mail.

USPS