Legendary singer Marian Anderson returns to Constitution Hall on U.S. postage stamp

WASHINGTON, Jan. 4 /PRNewswire/ -- Operatic and concert star Marian Anderson will be commemorated on a new United States postage stamp on Jan. 27, 2005.

The stamp honoring Anderson is the 28th in the Postal Service's popular Black Heritage series.

A gifted vocalist, Anderson was one of the greatest classically trained singers of the 20th century and an important figure in the struggle of black Americans for racial equality. Singing a varied repertoire in her rich contralto, Anderson opened doors for other black artists.

The first-day-of issue ceremony will take place at 11 a.m. at DAR Memorial Continental Hall at Constitution Hall, O'Byrne Gallery, 17th & D Street, NW, Washington, DC. The ceremony is free and open to the public.

Scheduled to join Potter for the stamp dedication ceremony are Presley Merritt Wagoner, President General of the Daughters of the American Revolution; mezzo-soprano Denyce Graves; Allan Keiler, musicologist and author of the biography, Marian Anderson: A Singer's Journey; Anderson's nephew, Oregon Symphony music director James DePriest; and performers from the Duke Ellington School of the Arts.

 Renowned soprano Kathleen Battle and a representative from the University of Pennsylvania will be among the many honored guests.

"The beauty of Marian Anderson's voice, amplified by her courage and grace, brought attention to the eloquence of the many voices urging our nation to overcome prejudice and intolerance," said DAR President General Wagoner. "The Daughters of the American Revolution are proud to participate with the U.S. Postal Service in celebrating the issuance of the Marian Anderson commemorative stamp."

Marian Anderson was born February 27, 1897, in Philadelphia, PA. She started singing early in life and at the age of six, joined the family's church choir. Recognizing her talent and her need to study with professional teachers, members of her community took it upon themselves to raise the funds for her musical training.

Anderson once said, "The faith and confidence of others in me have been like shining, guiding stars."

Classical musicians of that era rose in professional stature at home by studying and performing in Europe. Anderson made her first journey to Europe in late Oct. 1927. In 1930, she was awarded a fellowship that allowed her to study in Berlin. Her time abroad was immensely important to her emotional and artistic growth, enabling her to deepen her understanding of the languages she sang, to make professional connections, and to escape many of the constraints of black life in America.

After American producer Sol Hurok heard Anderson sing in Paris, he began to represent her in the United States, where his business practices effectively made her the equal of white concert artists. On December 30, 1935, he presented Anderson at Town Hall in New York. The concert was a grand success and a New York Times critic hailed Anderson as "one of the great singers of our time."

Aware of Anderson's growing reputation, President Franklin Delano Roosevelt invited her to sing for guests at a White House dinner party in 1936. Eleanor Roosevelt subsequently praised Anderson's performance in a newspaper column.

Three years later, the Daughters of the American Revolution (DAR), refused to make its Washington venue, Constitution Hall, available for Anderson's Easter concert due to a "white artists only" policy. As a result, Eleanor Roosevelt resigned from the DAR, and on Easter Sunday, 1939, Anderson gave a historic and highly symbolic performance outdoors before 75,000 people at the Lincoln Memorial. Her performance was broadcast via radio nationwide.

Anderson became the first black singer to appear on the stage of New York's Metropolitan Opera. In January 1955, she sang the role of the sorceress Ulrica in Verdi's "Un Ballo in Maschera." The following year, she published a successful autobiography, My Lord, What a Morning. She performed at an inaugural ceremony for President Dwight D. Eisenhower's second term and for the inauguration of President John F. Kennedy.

As she neared the twilight of her career, Anderson's activities encompassed more than music. The State Department named her a goodwill ambassador to Asia. In 1958, she was appointed a delegate to the thirteenth session of the United Nations.

At the historic March on Washington for Jobs and Freedom in August, 1963, Anderson again sang at the Lincoln Memorial. The following December, she was awarded the Presidential Medal of Freedom.

Anderson won the United Nations Peace Prize in 1977 and her 75th birthday, in 1972, was marked by a gala concert at Carnegie Hall, where she received New York City's Handel Medallion and a congressional resolution of congratulations delivered by First Lady Rosalynn Carter. Many more honors were bestowed upon Anderson including the Eleanor Roosevelt Human Rights Award and the National Association for the Advancement of Colored People's Springarn Medal for outstanding achievement by a black American. In 1991, she received a Grammy Award for Lifetime Achievement.

Anderson died on April 8, 1993, in Portland, OR, where she had moved to be with her nephew.

The stamp art shows an oil painting by Albert Slark of Ajax, Ontario, Canada, based on a black-and-white photograph believed to have been made by Moise Benkow in Stockholm circa 1934. Richard Sheaff of Scottsdale, Az. is art director and designer of the stamp.

To see the Marian Anderson stamp and other images from the 2005 Commemorative Stamp Program, visit the Postal Store at http://www.usps.com/shop and click on "Release Schedule" in the Collector's Corner.

Current U.S. stamps, as well as a free comprehensive catalog, are available by toll-free phone order at 800-STAMP-24. A wide selection of stamps and other philatelic items is also available at the Postal Store at http://www.usps.com/shop. Beautifully framed prints of original stamp art for delivery straight to the home or office are available at http://www.postalartgallery.com/.

Since 1775, the U.S. Postal Service has connected friends, families, neighbors and businesses by mail. An independent federal agency, the Postal Service makes deliveries to more than 142 million addresses every day and is the only service provider to deliver to every address in the nation. The Postal Service receives no taxpayer dollars for routine operations, but derives its operating revenues solely from the sale of postage, products and services. With annual revenues of $69 billion, it is the world's leading provider of mail and delivery services, offering some of the most affordable postage rates in the world. Moreover, today's postage rates will remain stable until at least 2006. The U.S. Postal Service delivers more than 46 percent of the world's mail volume -- some 206 billion letters, advertisements, periodicals and packages a year -- and serves seven million customers each day at its 37,000 retail locations nationwide.