From the looks of Story Matters, you might get the impression that our jobs are all fun, all the time — you know, that our days are filled with things like crafting, playing with iPads and traveling the globe. And you’d be right a lot of the time.
But lest we perpetuate the perception too much, sometimes we do step away from our monitors and get our hands a little dirty. A few years ago we even started designing and installing exhibits at the Smithsonian Institution’s National Postal Museum.
It all began in 2003, when the National Postal Museum in Washington, D.C., featured a main exhibit called “Art of the Stamp.” Showcasing original stamp artwork and the process it took to get there, “Art of the Stamp” drew lots of attendance from visitors interested in seeing how stamps come to fruition.
So when the Year of the Tiger stamps were issued in 2010, we decided to extend the behind-the-scenes concept with our own temporary exhibit series of sorts — first with the Celebrating Lunar New Year stamps (Years of the Rat, Ox and Tiger) and then with the Negro Leagues Baseball stamps. The idea driving our exhibits was to both show the stamp art (including developmental iterations and the final artwork) and tell a bit of the back-story on the subjects themselves.
Most recently, when the Owney the Postal Dog stamp was set to debut in July 2011, we jumped on the chance to celebrate postal history along with the museum. After all, as the globe-trotting mascot of the Railway Mail Service — the precursor to the Postal Service we know today — Owney is postal history. Read more about Owney and his stamp (or better yet, follow him on Twitter. He may be more than 100 years old, but he’s really quite a clever mutt).
Owney’s been preserved since his death in 1897 and on display in the Smithsonian since 1911. So when the date of Owney’s stamp issuance was announced, the National Postal Museum went to great lengths to give the stuffed dog a makeover. After a nice “fluff and curl,” he went back on display in the museum’s permanent installation, which details Owney’s life and travels.
By showcasing the stamp artwork of illustrator Bill Bond, our mini “Art of the Stamp” exhibit paired well with the permanent installation. Check out the details in the slideshow below.
We created exhibit panels and cases to detail Owney’s story — one that stretches from the Albany, N.Y., post office where he first struck a chord with mail clerks, across the 143,000 miles he traveled across the world.
(Fun fact: That’s more than half the distance to the moon.)
Illustrator Bill Bond visited a bunch of dog parks for inspiration, but he quickly recognized that the famed mutt was truly one-of-a-kind. So he opted instead to photograph Owney’s preserved body, on display at the National Postal Museum, to get a sense of shape and size.
From there, Bill created a series of sketches of the dog in several positions. We showcased these various early sketches to show the progression from concept to final stamp art.
Journey’s own Greg Breeding has become quite adept at installing these exhibits. He’s not even scared of heights anymore.
The final exhibit in all its glory. May all our efforts serve as homage to Owney: mailman’s best friend.
