Bob Hope

In 2009, the U.S. Postal Service issued a commemorative stamp honoring Bob Hope (1903-2003), a man who devoted his life to making people laugh. Well-known for his many television appearances, Hope also found success on the live stage, in radio shows, and in motion pictures. He became one of the most honored and beloved performers of the 20th century.

The portrait on the stamp is by Kazuhiko Sano, whose previous work for the Postal Service has included the Henry Wadsworth Longfellow stamp in the Literary Arts series (2007) and the Frank Sinatra stamp (2008). The artist based his portrait (acrylic pigment on masonite board) on an image of Hope © NBCU Photo Bank.

On the selvage portion of the stamp pane (not shown here), Hope is shown (clockwise from top left) in a studio portrait; with an Oscar statuette at the Academy Awards show; on a USO (United Service Organizations) tour in Vietnam; and in a song-and-dance number from Road to Utopia.