The Bob Hope First Day of Issue postmarks represent both what is best and what is most difficult to achieve in pictorial postmark design: an image that truly expresses the subject and is striking enough to excite collectors, yet can be rendered in the small scale and simple forms required of a cancellation. How do you convey the unique talent and larger-than-life quality of an American icon like Hope within these restricted parameters?
Discover the design process
Initial concepts for the digital color postmark explored the use of a stage curtain and a theater marquee — classic symbols of entertainment. The central placement of Hope's name in a simple, bold type-face was used to suggest his iconic status as well as create a relationship with the stamp pane, where the same font was used in the selvage design. Though dramatic and aesthetically pleasing, both concepts were rejected as being too massive and failing to convey any of the qualities of Bob Hope's personality, or of the man himself.
Early explorations for the black-and-white pictorial postmark also incorporated the notion of marquee lights but used silhouetted figures: one a golfer and one an entertainer with microphone, classic bow tie and the hat for which Hope was famous. These designs attempted to express attributes more specific to Bob Hope, yet the consensus was that neither silhouette was enough of a Hope likeness.
Next a version was developed that moved the marquee lighting into the issuance name, emphasizing the concept of Bob Hope's status as a star attraction. And a new silhouette was created from a studio promotional shot of Hope from an early film. This design began to hint more at Hope's liveliness and personality, through the vaudeville dance routine and the tipped hat. Yet it was still too generic, failing to communicate the unique comic expression of Bob Hope.
Among the research materials used in the development of the stamp design was a reference file showing drawings of Hope by noted artist Al Hirschfeld. The design team had always felt that these drawings would be ideal to incorporate in the cancellations but expected that copyright and legal restrictions would prevent their use. However, it seemed that only the vision of an iconic artist could adequately express the character of an iconic entertainer, so permission to use the drawings was requested from, and generously granted by, the Margo Feiden Galleries Ltd. http://www.alhirschfeld.com/index2.html
Hirschfeld's masterful linear style captures the essence of Hope's personality and is emblematic of the era in which both men lived. Moreover, Hirschfeld's drawings are themselves collectible items. The drawings were combined with marquee-like type for the digital color postmark and with Bob Hope's signature in the black-and-white postmark to create this unusual and highly collectible pair.
Both the black-and-white pictorial and Digital Color Postmark First Day Covers will be available May 29.
Pre-order by calling 1 800 STAMP-24.
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