8c Henry O. Tanner stamp

The 8-cent Henry Tanner commemorative stamp was first placed on sale at Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, on September 10, 1973. This stamp was the third of four in the American Arts Series issued in 1973.

African American artist Henry Ossawa Tanner (1859-1937) faced racism due to his career path and consequently moved to France, hoping that the French would judge his art for art's sake and not look at the color of his skin. Despite this, Tanner still returned to the US for art exhibitions and is considered to be the first notable African-American painter in US history.

The stamp was designed by Mark English and was issued in sheets of forty, with an initial printing of 150 million.

Reference: Postal Bulletin (August 9, 1973).
Britannica. "Henry Ossawa Tanner." http://www.britannica.com/eb/article-9003004/Henry-Ossawa-Tanner

Scott Catalogue USA: 1486
mint

Copyright United States Postal Service. All rights reserved.

Museum ID: 1980.2493.5918