Supplying a picture for U.S. stamps

Aren't these stamps based on customer-supplied photographs illegal,
when a living person's photo is used? It has always been against the
law. during my lifetime, to depict a living person on a U.S. postage
stamp.

David Ames

On 6 Sep 2004 00:54:07 -0700, (David Ames) wrote:

Aren't these stamps based on customer-supplied photographs illegal,
when a living person's photo is used? It has always been against the
law. during my lifetime, to depict a living person on a U.S. postage
stamp.

David Ames

================================================== ====

David:

The photos on personal stamps are not counted.

The policy relates to a whole issue to commemorate
one individual.

I believe "the law" precluded mere mortals from
appearing until 10 years after their death,
except for deceased Presidents who somehow rate
above their fellow humans.

By the way, nobody has ever been able to point me
to the exact law covering this. My understanding
is that it is USPS regulation, and as such can be
changed by them at any time.

The following is a quote by Stephen Suffet from
rec.music.folk on 28 October 1997, regarding a
possible stamp for Woody Guthrie.

By the way living people HAVE appeared on US
stamps by accident since the navy issue of the
1940s. [They were in a photo used for the design
but not identified on the stamp.]

I hope this helps.

Blair Stannard

================================================== ==
[28 OCT 1997]

Dear Jef----

Not a dumb rule at all! The purpose of the 10 year
rule was to give some perspective to a person's
life before according him/her such an honor.

The "you gotta be dead" rule came in soon after
the Civil War, when some very much alive higher-ups
at the Treasury Department got their faces onto US
currency, bonds, and revenue stamps. Congress then
said that no living person should be pictured on
the securities of the United States.

Securities means printed obligations such as paper
money and stamps, but not coins. A handful of living
people have been portrayed on US coins, the most
recent being Eunice Kennedy Shriver.

The "10 years dead" rule was adopted as a regulation
(not an act of Congress) in the 1970s. Until then a
number of political muckety-mucks got their pusses
plastered on stamps soon after their deaths.
(OK, maybe Eleanor Roosevelt shouldn't be described
as a political muckety-muck, but such great
historical figures as Senator Walter F. George of
Georgia certainly were!)

Tricky Dicky (Nixon) was exempt from the 10-year
rule because he was a former President -- the only
exception permitted by the rule.

As far as Don Palazzo's (promoter of stamps from
mini states) business and other such enterprises
are concerned, those are commercial ventures,
even if Palazzo funnels his take into a nonprofit
organization. Very, very few Jimi Hendrix or
Jerry Garcia stamps ever get used on mail.

If some entrepreneur thought he/she could have made
big bucks peddling Pete Seeger's image, he/she would
have approached Mr. Seeger and Mr. Leventhal to work
out a licensing agreement a long time ago.

For what it's worth, I spoke to Pete just a year ago
about the possibility of a Woody Guthrie stamp. He
didn't think he's see one in his lifetime. I believe
he will be proven wrong.

Also for what it's worth, I believe B.B. King has
already been on a stamp from the Gambia.

Regards,
Steve Suffet
----------------------------------------------------

I came across an article recently, suggesting the Queen also
does not appear on a stamp with a living person?
IIRC the article centred on an issue from Grenada, on the eve
of a release featuring the Queen and Michael Jackson.
It was just caught in time, and the entire issue was destroyed.



| Aren't these stamps based on customer-supplied photographs illegal,
| when a living person's photo is used? It has always been against the
| law. during my lifetime, to depict a living person on a U.S. postage
| stamp.
|
| David Ames

I don't think you are strictly correct about the Queen and another
living person.After all she has appeared on Royal Wedding stamps with
people who were not "Royal". However it is true that HM has to approve
"personally" as opposed to constitutionally all stamps which bear her
portrait - one of the few powers left to her - and I cannot believe
that she would be best pleased at appearing with a person of some
notoriety. She has had enough grief with her own families antics (
which she has dealt with with great dignity throughout)without being
associated on stamps with people with whom she would have little
sympathy.
Regards
Malcolm


"Rodney" wrote in message ...
I came across an article recently, suggesting the Queen also
does not appear on a stamp with a living person?
IIRC the article centred on an issue from Grenada, on the eve
of a release featuring the Queen and Michael Jackson.
It was just caught in time, and the entire issue was destroyed.



| Aren't these stamps based on customer-supplied photographs illegal,
| when a living person's photo is used? It has always been against the
| law. during my lifetime, to depict a living person on a U.S. postage
| stamp.
|
| David Ames

"Blair (TC)" The wrote in message . ..
On 6 Sep 2004 00:54:07 -0700, (David Ames) wrote:

Aren't these stamps based on customer-supplied photographs illegal,
when a living person's photo is used? It has always been against the
law. during my lifetime, to depict a living person on a U.S. postage
stamp.

David Ames

================================================== ====

David:

The photos on personal stamps are not counted.

The policy relates to a whole issue to commemorate
one individual.

I believe "the law" precluded mere mortals from
appearing until 10 years after their death,
except for deceased Presidents who somehow rate
above their fellow humans.

By the way, nobody has ever been able to point me
to the exact law covering this. My understanding
is that it is USPS regulation, and as such can be
changed by them at any time.

The following is a quote by Stephen Suffet from
rec.music.folk on 28 October 1997, regarding a
possible stamp for Woody Guthrie.

By the way living people HAVE appeared on US
stamps by accident since the navy issue of the
1940s. [They were in a photo used for the design
but not identified on the stamp.]

I hope this helps.

Blair Stannard

================================================== ==
[28 OCT 1997]

Dear Jef----

Not a dumb rule at all! The purpose of the 10 year
rule was to give some perspective to a person's
life before according him/her such an honor.

The "you gotta be dead" rule came in soon after
the Civil War, when some very much alive higher-ups
at the Treasury Department got their faces onto US
currency, bonds, and revenue stamps. Congress then
said that no living person should be pictured on
the securities of the United States.

Securities means printed obligations such as paper
money and stamps, but not coins. A handful of living
people have been portrayed on US coins, the most
recent being Eunice Kennedy Shriver.

The "10 years dead" rule was adopted as a regulation
(not an act of Congress) in the 1970s. Until then a
number of political muckety-mucks got their pusses
plastered on stamps soon after their deaths.
(OK, maybe Eleanor Roosevelt shouldn't be described
as a political muckety-muck, but such great
historical figures as Senator Walter F. George of
Georgia certainly were!)

Tricky Dicky (Nixon) was exempt from the 10-year
rule because he was a former President -- the only
exception permitted by the rule.

As far as Don Palazzo's (promoter of stamps from
mini states) business and other such enterprises
are concerned, those are commercial ventures,
even if Palazzo funnels his take into a nonprofit
organization. Very, very few Jimi Hendrix or
Jerry Garcia stamps ever get used on mail.

If some entrepreneur thought he/she could have made
big bucks peddling Pete Seeger's image, he/she would
have approached Mr. Seeger and Mr. Leventhal to work
out a licensing agreement a long time ago.

For what it's worth, I spoke to Pete just a year ago
about the possibility of a Woody Guthrie stamp. He
didn't think he's see one in his lifetime. I believe
he will be proven wrong.

Also for what it's worth, I believe B.B. King has
already been on a stamp from the Gambia.

Regards,
Steve Suffet
----------------------------------------------------

Hi Blair,

I searched around and the only thing I found was the following link
for the Citizen's Advisory Committee:

http://www.usps.com/communications/o...ation/csac.htm

Near the bottom is: Criteria For Stamp Subject Selection.

Jerry Bodoff