Made in America Stamps

The contributions of America’s industrial-era workers are memorialized on a new sheet of Forever stamps titled Made in America: Building a Nation. The stamps, which feature black-and-white photographs of early 20th-century industrial workers, were dedicated at the Department of Labor today by Postmaster General Patrick R. Donahoe, according to the USPS website.

“With Labor Day around the corner, the Postal Service is proud to honor the men and women who helped build this country with their own hands,” Donahoe said. “They mined the coal that warmed our homes. They made the clothes we wore on our backs. Let each stamp serve as a small reminder of the dedication, work ethic, and sacrifices that make America great.”

The pane features 12 stamps, each showing a different man or woman hard at work. In the top row, from left to right, are an airplane maker; a derrick worker on the Empire State Building; a millinery apprentice; and a laborer on a hoisting ball at the Empire State Building.

In the middle row, from left to right, are a linotyper in a publishing house; a welder on the Empire State Building; a coal miner; and riveters on the Empire State Building.


In the bottom row, from left to right, are a powerhouse mechanic; a railroad track walker; a textile worker; and a crew member guiding a beam on the Empire State Building.

Eleven of the stamp images were taken by photographer Lewis Hine, who is famous for his work which helped tell the story of early 20th-century laborers. There also are five stamp sheets available, each with a different photo in the selvage area, or area outside the stamps, on the sheet. The coal miner appears again on a selvage, along with three additional Hine photos. A Margaret Bourke-White photo of a female welder is also featured. Visit usps.com/madeinamerica to view the Made in America: Building a Nation video.

The commemorative First-Class Mail Forever stamps are 46 cents each and are offered as a pane of 12 stamps.