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Spectacular Bridges Grace Stamps

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Published
09/08/2023 by

The U.S. Postal Service today issued four new Presorted First-Class Mail stamps featuring striking photographs of bridges. The structures range from modern to historic, pedestrian to car-carrying, and all are important landmarks in their communities.

The Bridges stamps are intended for business mail users and are sold in self-adhesive coils of 3,000 and 10,000. Use of these stamps requires a special permit and a minimum quantity of 500 letters. 

The stamp art features four bridges completed between 1938 and 2022: the multi-span steel through arch Arrigoni Bridge connecting the Connecticut municipalities of Middletown and Portland; the S-curved cable-stayed Bob Kerrey Pedestrian Bridge between Council Bluffs, IA, and Omaha, NE; the steel truss Skydance Bridge topped by a public sculpture in Oklahoma City; and the basket-handle twin arch Iowa-Illinois Memorial Bridge connecting Bettendorf, IA, and Moline, IL.

Bridges are among the oldest structures created by humans. In ancient times, simple slabs of stone spanned slow moving rivers. And in modern times, concrete and steel are used to cover vast distances. While the materials and designs have evolved from utilitarian structures to engineering marvels, bridges remain integral parts of American life, with over 600,000 bridges in the United States. The construction of bridges is a way to reinvigorate communities economically as well as create landmarks of regional pride. Many modern bridges are designed for use by cyclists and pedestrians as well as motorists, capturing the imagination of human possibility.

Whether simply improving transit or vibrantly lighting the night with color-changing light displays, bridges remain vital connectors drawing together people, cities and the nation.

Ethel Kessler, an art director for USPS, used existing photographs to design these stamps.

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