It's a potpourri of Americana — from filmmaking to the first flight, and from lighthouses to the Louisiana Purchase anniversary. It's the 2003 U.S. Postal Service commemorative stamp program.
A number of firsts are hailed — the 100th anniversary of the first controlled, powered airplane by the Wright brothers, the first black U.S. Supreme Court justice (Thurgood Marshall), and the first national wildlife refuge on Pelican Island.
But the first stamp on the 2003 schedule is the familiar issuance of the Lunar New Year commemorative in January, the 11th stamp in the USPS series. This is the Year of the Ram (which begins Feb. 1). The stamp features a design of a ram, the eighth of 12 animals associated with the Chinese lunar calendar.
The American movie industry will be honored with 10 stamps dedicated to the skills of the men and women who work behind the scenes to create movie magic. Also there will be a special stamp for Audrey Hepburn in the "Legends of Hollywood" series.
There will be a special tribute to "Old Glory" with five new stamps showing the red, white and blue flag in various designs.
Two bicentennial celebrations will be noted — the 200th anniversary of Ohio statehood in March and the 200th of the Louisiana Purchase, which then doubled the size of the United States.
The 19th stamp in the "Literary Arts" series honors novelist Zora Neale Hurston for her artistry and celebration of black culture. Cesar E. Chavez, civil rights and labor leader, will be honored on a new stamp scheduled for April.
In June there will be five new stamps depicting lighthouses. This is the third installment in a series displaying the "silent sentinels" of the U.S. shoreline and the Great Lakes.
Coming up in the second half of the USPS schedule will be stamps featuring the Korean War Veterans Memorial located on the National Mall in Washington; a third set of stamps in the "American Treasures" series, featuring paintings by artist Mary Cassatt; four stamps honoring early football heroes, and a stamp in tribute to country music legend Roy Acuff.
Stamps depicting five reptiles and amphibians will be seen in October to help kick off National Stamp Collecting Month.
Collectors can obtain current U.S. stamps, as well as a free comprehensive catalog by calling (800) STAMP-24, or you can contact the Postal Store www.usps.com.