Prohibition was the great American test of Victorian principles. For 13 years, alcohol was illegal in the US. To learn more about this time period, click here.
Today is Ratification Day, an old holiday no one remembers. The proclamation that was signed today in 1784 helped pave the way for the revolution. For more info, read here.
Yes, you read right, January 13 is International Skeptics Day. Read more here.
In 1946, RCA introduced the 45 rpm record today. Records didn’t hit the music store shelves until 1949. For anyone that wasn’t around before the CD took over, here’s a You Tube video of a Nat King Cole record being played so you can see and hear what it was like.
The last couple of days have been so cold, they’re almost unbearable. In an effort to be happy, here are some summertime flowers. I love the graphic shape of the poppy flower. Their fluidity and simplicity is stunning.
Today is Elvis Presley’s birthday, so here is a tribute.
In case you don’t know any thing about the King, here’s a link to more information then you may really want to know. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Elvis_Presley
The official site: http://www.elvis.com/
In honor of the beautiful snow fall I woke up to this morning, here is a stamp inspired by the view in my backyard.
Today’s stamp is a nod to the South Africans living in America. The annual Kaapse Klopse (Cape Minstrels’ Carnival) is a traditional New Year’s celebration which originally marked the one day off a year that the slaves were granted by their masters. Today, the event is a flamboyant affair involving costumed dancers, a colourful parade, live music, entertainment, cultural shows and row upon row of food and drinks stalls. The event has become a popular spectacle that sees Cape Town’s streets filled with exuberant revelers.
Read more about this holiday on Wikipedia.
The challenge begins…
Each day this year I will be designing a postage stamp. The topics will vary, some will be holiday driven and some will just be whatever is on my mind.
So, to kick it all off, here is the first one. Happy New Year!
The Blank Stamp
So I spent the day trying to come up with the big idea for my daily design. Tonight I decided on one, postage stamps. I have had a life-long affection for stamps. My father got me started on collecting them when I was a kid. I don’t do it now, but in college, one of my favorite projects was designing a stamp series with promotional literature too. I still enjoy picking out my stamps at the post office. So for this project, it just seems like the natural choice. So stay tuned, each day will be a special delivery. (corny, I know) 