Wildlife Portraits for a Cause
Connect with species through the artwork behind the National Wildlife Federation’s conservation stamps.
Map Turtle Conservation Stamp (1978) by National Wildlife Federation and Bruce HollowayU.S. Fish and Wildlife Service Museum
Art has long been used to draw attention to wildlife conservation and foster appreciation for plants, animals, and their habitat. The National Wildlife Federation produced stamps from artwork for just those purposes, as well as to raise funds for wildlife restoration efforts.
These conservation stamps were produced for decades beginning in 1938 under the leadership of the National Wildlife Federation’s founder and first president: Jay Norwood “Ding” Darling.
Jay Norwood "Ding" Darling (1906/1943) by Des Moines RegisterU.S. Fish and Wildlife Service Museum
Darling, an artist and conservationist, had previously served as Director of the U.S. Biological Survey (a predecessor of the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service) where he initiated the Federal Duck Stamp, another successful stamp program that funds bird conservation to this day.
In 2000, the National Wildlife Federation donated the artwork used to produce their conservation stamps to the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service. The collection comprises over 3,000 small-scale watercolors by 146 artists and represents over 1,000 species from all regions of the country.
Little Brown Bat (1953) by Francis Lee JaquesU.S. Fish and Wildlife Service Museum
To produce the stamp sheets, the National Wildlife Federation’s art director would select from the hundreds of paintings submitted each year.
Many acclaimed wildlife artists submitted work, including Roger Tory Peterson, Walter Weber, Bob Hines, Don Eckelberry, Francis Lee Jaques, Maynard Reece, Guy Coheleach, Paul Charles Connor, Charles Fracé, Nancy Halliday, Lynn B. Hunt, Leslie Ragan, and Chuck Ripper. The artists received only a small honorarium for their work, but because they believed in the cause and it gave their work exposure, they were eager to participate.
Black Swallowtail Caterpillar on Parsley (1972) by Charles FracéU.S. Fish and Wildlife Service Museum
Many of the paintings are intimate, portrait-like depictions of species. While biologically accurate, the designs were simple and clean so that they would be clear when reduced to the size of a stamp.
Claret Cup Cactus Conservation Stamp (1977) by National Wildlife Federation and Manabu SaitoU.S. Fish and Wildlife Service Museum
Brief descriptions of the species would sometimes accompany the stamps so that the sheets also served an educational purpose.
National Wildlife Poster Stamps (1940) by National Wildlife Federation and Various artistsU.S. Fish and Wildlife Service Museum
The aesthetic and educational aspects reinforced one another; the beautiful images sparked interest in learning about the species and the educational content was amplified with a visual. In all, the intent was to instill a sense of stewardship over the land and wildlife.
Allen, Thomas B. Guardian of the Wild – The Story of the National Wildlife Federation, 1936-1986. 1987. Indiana University Press. Bloomington and Indianapolis, IL.
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