USPS Building Bridges Special Postal Cancellation Series
The USPS Building Bridges Special Postal Cancellation Series is a series of cancellations and pictorial postmarks issued by the United States Postal Service for special events that began in the San Francisco Bay Area beginning in 1996, and expanded to the Pacific Coast of the United States in 2022.[2]
USPS Building Bridges Special Postal Cancellation Series | |
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Status | Active |
Genre | Postal cancellation events |
Country | United States |
Inaugurated | May 29, 1996 |
Founders |
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Most recent | May 16, 2022[1] |
Organized by |
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Website | sanfrancisco |
History
editThe first USPS Building Bridges Special Postal Cancellations was issued on May 29, 1996[3] in partnership with Dan DiMiglio, the USPS Manager of the Pacific Area, Corporate relations, at a special ceremony unveiling the Breast cancer research stamp in Contra Costa County. 60 Representatives from non-profit organizations and coalitions were present in a special presentation with live music and government officials. This first USPS Building Bridges Special Cancellation was not unusual. It had been a pattern of Postmasters, as early as the World's Columbian Exposition 1893, for Postmasters to officiate over a special postal station located in an event important for the city.[4]
In 1996, two additional USPS Building Bridges Special Postal Cancellation Series were issued and Contra Costa County recognized the series in a Resolution declaring October 1996 "Building Bridges of Peace Month".[5] A Building Bridges postal Station was set up at the Health and Safety Fair Expo[6] and another at a live concert at the Dean Lesher Regional Center for the Arts.[7] The Mayor of Walnut Creek, Gwen Regalia, was sworn in as Postmaster for the day at the Contra Costa Newspapers Health and Safety Expo at Countrywood Plaza.[8] The Board of Supervisors for the Mount Diablo Unified School District passed a resolution declaring Oct 1996 as "Building Bridges of Peace Month" and children from the elementary schools drew art on the theme and created a "Wall of Life" across public spaces and bank lobbies.[9]
The Valley Yellow Pages devoted 50 pages and a front cover of its Contra Costa County Central Yellow Pages book to a Building Bridges Recognition Series,[10] recognizing the executive directors of over 50 different non-profit organizations[11] and government agencies in the county with the symbol and a description of the non-profit organizations program.[12]
The Building Bridges symbol was designed by Karen Earle Lile and Kendall Ross Bean. It was first used in a video broadcast produced by Lile for the City of Oakland's KTOP TV, a Government-access television station as a promotional piece for a one time festival proclaimed the "21 Days of Light" by Elihu Harris in a Mayor's Proclamation.[13][14] in the City of Oakland from Jan 2–22, 1994. Over the years, other postmasters collaborated with the conceptual artist,[15] art director and designer, Lile, to create additional postal cancellations with the Building Bridges symbol and name on postal stations on land and on the water.
On-the-Water Cancellations and Postal Stations
editThe first on-the-water theme of the USPS Building Bridges Special Postal Cancellation series was conducted on land, at the Berkeley Yacht Club, by the Berkeley Postmaster and Leonora Clark, the Commodore (rank) of the Pacific Inter-Club Yachting Organization, a retired United States Postal Service Postmaster, paired with the new release of the Global surface temperatures Forever Stamp.[16]
For the 100th Anniversary of the Opening Day on the San Francisco Bay in 2017, there were two Building Bridges postal stations: one in San Francisco and one in Oakland. On April 23, 2017, the San Francisco Station and the Postmaster were on the Californian of Hornblower Cruises, but the majority of the hand stamps were done at the dock of Pier 1 1/2 and for the 30 days after at the local post office. The Oakland Building Bridges Postal Station was done on the dock of Jack London Square where the ceremony was held, but the Oakland Postmaster Daryl Trujillo was aboard the Lady Washington. The Pacific Inter-Club Yachting Association (PICYA) helped commemorate the event, bringing 100 vessels consisting of yachts, power boats, ships and a fire boat.. The open and close of the celebration featured a Tall Ship Cannon Battle between the Lady Washington and the Hawaiian Chieftain.[17][18][19]
Two years later, on April 21, 2019, the cancellation took place two days after a cannon battle on Pier 39 at Sports Byline USA broadcast studio. The actual Postmaster Ceremony with San Francisco Postmaster Abraham Cooper was broadcast on the network's 10 platforms including 200 US satellite radio stations and the 500 radio stations of the American Forces Network to 168 countries.[20] It was broadcast to 82 million people in 168 Countries and on the American Forces Network by Sports Byline USA.[21][22]
The Eureka cancellation was the first time the series moved up the Pacific Coast.[23]
The Lady Washington and Hawaiian Chieftain had planned a battle sail in Eureka as part of the celebration,[24] but the Lady Washington was delayed due to weather conditions on the coast and so the Hawaiian Chieftain ship itself became the Building Bridges Postal Station for the ceremony with Eureka's Mayor Susan Seaman receiving the first inked cancellation.[23][25]
Music History Cancellations and Postal Stations
editFantasy Studios closed its doors September 15, 2018,[26][27] as part of a trend of studio closings happening over a period of years.[28] News of the closing of Fantasy Studios went global and recording artists who had recorded there were in mourning at its loss on radio, TV[29] and in the newspapers.[30]
Lile, upon finishing the last music recording[31] at Fantasy Studios for a special KCSM (FM) Jazz[32] Benefit album featuring Kendall Ross Bean and 60 musicians, including Grammy Award Winners, designed a new theme of the USPS Building Bridges Special Postal Cancellation, recognizing all the recordings that had been preserved over the years in the city of Berkeley, California, and then later in the City of San Francisco. The Berkeley Cancellation had a typo and read 70 years, instead of 80 years. The oldest recording found to date in Berkeley was in 1938.[33]
80th Year of Music Recording in Berkeley, California
editUSPS Building Bridges Special Postal Cancellation: Recognizing 70 years of Music Recording in Berkeley two months after Fantasy Studios closed.[34][35]
Plans of a Cal Alumni Marching Band and audience as part of the celebrations were cancelled due to fires in the area.,[36] but, the ceremony happened as planned inside the Main Berkeley Post Office and was recorded on film.
80th Year of Music Recording in San Francisco
editA Building Bridges Music Recording History Postal Station was established at SF Jazz for 4 hours where the public and collectors purchased specially-designed souvenir envelopes with the newly issued Gregory Hines stamp and a special pictorial postmark applied. San Francisco Postmaster Abraham Cooper gave a speech at the beginning of the concert, which was broadcast live simultaneously on the internet.[37] Cooper then hand cancelled the Hines stamp and pictorial postmark for presentation to SFJAZZ.[37]
The concert and ceremony was live-streamed.[38] The event was part of Black History Month. Members of the audience received the cache with the stamp and postmark as a gift from SFJAZZ Center[37]
The ceremony recognized San Francisco's abundant music recording history and abundance of talent back to 1938, when ethnomusicologist Sidney Robertson Cowell first recorded the folk songs of immigrants living in San Francisco.[37] Her recordings are now part of the Library of Congress collection.
Building Bridges During the Pandemic
editIn 2021, USPS announced that the theme of Building Bridges will continue to cities on both the west and east coast.[2] The first of the 2021 series happened on February 18, 2021, at the Treasure Island Museum commemorating the Opening day of the Golden Gate International Exposition in 1939. It includes the Treasure Island Museum logo, the logo of The Bicentennial of the Independence of Peru and an illustration of Peru's Tall Ship BAP Unión. Because of the pandemic, only 12 people were allowed to be at the event including the filmmakers. So, the ceremony was filmed and then broadcast to the public on an event website in cooperation with all the public sector, private sector and community sector partners involved. Speakers included San Francisco Postmaster Abraham Cooper, Consul General of Peru in List of diplomatic missions of Peru, Hernando Torres-Fernandes, Treasure Island Museum President Mike Hennahane, Pacific Inter-Club Yacht Association Commodore Patti Mangan, Treasure Island Yacht Club Vice Commodore Will Smith and Karen Earle Lile. The ceremony began with a flag raising ceremony at Treasure Island Yacht Club and then continued at Treasure Island Museum with the speakers, continued with a ceremonial sail of the Consul General of Peru on the boat Sandpiper and two days later was concluded with a Pacific Rim Unity Parade of 51 sail and power boats around Treasure Island. Seven commemorative postal caches were created for receiving the postal cancellation[39]
Air Mail Cancellations and Postal Stations
editFrom May 10, 2022, to May 16, 2022, 5 cancellations in 3 cities honored the 110th Anniversary of Glenn L. Martin’s flight from Balboa Pier to Newport Beach, the 1938 National Airmail Week celebrated across the nation and on Catalina Island with Glenn Martin present, and the progress of International Air Mail, at LAX airport, one of the largest centers for shipping International Airmail in the world.[1]
Illustration and format
editWhat each cancellation has in common is the Building Bridges symbol, a black hand clasping a white hand over the water, forming a bridge with a rainbow above. The rectangle to the right of the Building Bridges symbol names the event and later in the series began to feature pictorial postmark elements. Unique Building Bridges Postal Stations are set up for each cancellation for a period of 2–4 hours, some on land and some on water. Every cancellation ceremony in the series has special events as part of a celebration.
Hand cancelling[40] a stamp on the water is a challenge because it requires stillness of the surface being stamped so the postal worker can ink the hand stamp and place it on the envelope without smearing.[41]
List of major events
editDate | Event | Location | Stamps / Cancellation slogan | Credits and notes | Refs |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
May 29, 1996 | Building Bridges of Peace Awards and Breast Cancer Awareness Stamp Unveiiling | Walnut Creek Main Post Office |
|
|
[3] |
October 11, 1996 | Kendall Ross Bean Concerts for Kids | Hoffman Theater (Dean Lesher Regional Center of the Arts), Walnut Creek, CA |
|
|
[42][5] |
October 26, 1996 | Contra Costa Newspapers Health and Safety Fair Expo | Countrywood Shopping Plaza, Walnut Creek, CA |
|
|
[5] |
April 23, 2017 | 100th PICYA Opening Day on the San Francisco Bay | Pier 3, San Francisco Bay, San Francisco; Jack London Square, Oakland |
|
|
[43] |
November 17, 2018 | 80th Year Music Recording History in Berkeley Celebration | USPS, Berkeley, CA |
|
|
[34] |
February 23, 2019 | Black History Month: SF Jazz Center Family Matinee Concert | SFJAZZ Center, San Francisco, CA |
|
|
[44] |
April 19, 2019, April 21, 2019 | 30th Birthday of Lady Washington Journey from Pier 39 to Aberdeen | Sports Byline USA, Pier 39, San Francisco, CA |
|
|
[45][46] |
April 29, 2019 | 30th Birthday of Lady Washington Journey from Pier 39 to Aberdeen | Hawaiian Chieftain Tall Ship, Eureka, CA |
|
|
[45][46][23] |
February 18, 2021 | The Bicentennial of the Independence of Peru, Golden Gate International Exposition, BAP Unión | Treasure Island Museum, San Francisco |
|
|
[2][39] |
May 10, 2022 | Glenn L. Martin 1 of 5 Cancellations in a Series | Balboa Pier, Newport Beach, CA |
|
|
[1][47] |
May 10, 2022 | Glenn L. Martin 2 of 5 Cancellations in a Series | On beach near Glenn L. Martin's landing, Avalon, CA and Catalina Island Museum for Art & History |
|
|
[1][48][49] |
May 14, 2022 | Glenn L. Martin 3 of 5 Cancellations in a Series | Catalina Island Casino, Avalon, CA |
|
|
[1][49] |
May 15, 2022 | Glenn L. Martin 4 of 5 Cancellations in a Series | Catalina Island Country Club, Avalon, CA |
|
|
[1][49] |
May 16, 2022 | Glenn L. Martin 5 of 5 Cancellations in a Series | Flight Path Museum LAX, Los Angeles, CA |
|
|
[1][49] |
References
edit- ^ a b c d e f g "Flyover marks 110th Anniversary of First Flight To Avalon". Catalina Islander Newsper. Integrity Newspapers, Inc. May 13, 2022. Retrieved May 17, 2022.
- ^ a b c Ruiz, Augustine. "USPS Celebrates Golden Gate International Exhibition Opening Day and Peru's Bicentennial of Independence on Treasure Island: Special pictorial postmark commemorates the celebration". USPS California News. USPS. Retrieved February 25, 2021.
- ^ a b CCTV (May 29, 1996). "USPS Building Bridges Ceremony at USPS Walnut Creek Post Office". TV News. Contra Costa County Television. TCI CableVision.
- ^ "World's Columbian Exposition: Chicago Illinois 1893". Encyclopædia Britannica. Retrieved December 11, 2020.
- ^ a b c Contra Costa County Board of Supervisors (October 1, 1996). "Resolution No. 96/420 – Declaring October 1996 Building Bridges Of Peace Month". Retrieved December 25, 2020.
- ^ "Health and Safety Today". Newspaper. Contra Costa Newspapers. October 26, 1996.
- ^ "Concerts for Kids: Contra Costa County Board of Supervisors declare October 1996 as Building Bridges of Peace Month". Newspaper. Contra Costa Newspapers. October 11, 1996.
- ^ "Unusual postal cancellation marks Expo". East Bay Times magazine. Contra Costa Times, Contra Costa Newspapers. Health and Safety Today. October 26, 1996.
- ^ "Building Bridges Wall of Life". Diablo Magazine. October 1996.
- ^ "Building Bridges Recognition Series: Diablo's Threads of Hope Awards". Valley Yellow Pages. 1996: 185. 1996.
- ^ "Building Bridges Recognition Series: Friends Outside in Contra Costa, bridging the gap between the family, the community and the criminal justice system". Valley Yellow Pages. Central Contra Costa County: 485. 1997.
- ^ "Building Bridges Recognition Series: RSVP Over 750 senior volunteers serving our community". Valley Yellow Pages. Central Contra Costa County: 128. 1997.
- ^ Harris, Elihu. "Proclaiming Jan 2–22, 1994 as 21 Days of Light Festival in the City of Oakland". Oakland Mayor's Proclamation.
- ^ "National TV Broadcasts from Temple Hill: Celebration of 21 Days of Light Jan 2–21 1994". Newspaper. No. Winter/Spring 1993/1994. Oakland Temple Hill. Oakland Temple Hill News. November 20, 1993.
- ^ "Official Website". Karen Earle Lile. Retrieved February 9, 2024.
- ^ USPS (April 25, 2014). "Special Postal Cancellation Marks Berkeley Yacht Club's 75th Birthday" (Press release). Retrieved December 25, 2014 – via RSS2.com.
- ^ "USPS Building Bridge Special Postal Cancellation Video". Retrieved April 23, 2017 – via Vimeo.
- ^ Ruiz Jr., Augustine. "USPS Building Bridge Special Postal Cancellation ~ Commemorating 100th Anniversary Opening Day on the San Francisco Bay". USPS. United States Postal Service. Retrieved April 17, 2017.
- ^ "USPS Building Bridge Special Postal Cancellation Video". Retrieved April 17, 2017 – via Vimeo.
- ^ "USPS Building Bridges Cannon Battle over Pier 39". SportsByline.com. Sports Byline USA. Retrieved April 23, 2019.
- ^ Ruiz Jr., Augustine. "USPS Building Bridge Special Postal Cancellation ~ Commemorating 30th Birthday of Lady Washington Tall Ship". USPS. United States Postal Service. Retrieved April 22, 2019.
- ^ "Abraham Cooper USPS Building Bridge Special Postal Cancellation on Sail Sport Talk at Sports Byline USA". USPS. Sail Sport Talk. Retrieved April 23, 2019.
- ^ a b c "Eureka Postmaster Heather McTigue and Eureka Mayor Susan Seaman about Lady Washington special postal cancellation on Hawaiian Chieftain". Radio Archive. iHeart Radio. April 30, 2019. Retrieved December 15, 2020.
- ^ "Lady Washington and Hawaiian Chieftain Visit Eureka, CA in the Spring of 2019". Online News. Tall Ship Network. April 28, 2020. Retrieved December 15, 2020.
- ^ Campbell, Alice (May 25, 2020). "They're Back Tall ships arrive early after fair winds speed square-riggers' trip to the Bay Area". Newspaper. The Bandon Western World. Retrieved December 15, 2020.
- ^ Bay City News Service (July 29, 2018). "Legendary Fantasy Studios Set To Close Sept. 15". Newspaper. Retrieved December 12, 2020.
- ^ "Berkeley's Legendary Fantasy Studios to Close Its Doors". TV News. KQED TV. August 3, 2018. Retrieved December 12, 2020.
- ^ Selvin, Joel (May 6, 2003). "Commercial recording studios going the way of the 8-track". Newspaper. Retrieved December 12, 2020.
- ^ "Famed Fantasy Studios in Berkeley closing its doors". TV News. Channel 4. July 31, 2018. Retrieved December 12, 2020.
- ^ Harrington, Jim (July 30, 2018). "Legendary Fantasy Studios, where Green Day, Santana, Journey recorded, set to close". Newspaper. The Mercury News. Retrieved December 12, 2020.
- ^ "One-of-a-Kind Recording Project Fills Fantasy Studios: Karen Lile, an independent executive producer and co-owner of Piano Finders brings together Grammy winners and top producers for one special benefit album". Music Trades Magazine Global Edition: 40–42. December 2018. Retrieved December 12, 2018.
- ^ Witt, Fred (February 15, 2019). "2 Weeks Inside Studio D, of Fantasy Studios". Radio. KCSM Jazz 91. Retrieved December 12, 2020.
- ^ Cowell, Sydney Robertson (1938–1940). "Sidney Robertson Cowell, Ethnographer and Folk Music Collector Timeline of significant life events of Sidney Roberston Cowell which led her to work on the WPA (Works Projects Administration) California Folk Music Project". Audio Collection. Congress.gov. Library of Congress. Retrieved December 12, 2020.
- ^ a b Corbin, Mary (November 16, 2018). "Post Office marks 70 years of music recording in Berkeley with special postmark". USPS. Berkeleyside Newspaper. Retrieved November 16, 2018.
- ^ Smith, Gar (November 16, 2018). "The Berkeley Main Post Office Salutes Ashkenaz and Fantasy Films". Newspaper. Retrieved December 12, 2020.
- ^ Romero, Dennis (November 15, 2018). "California schools close as smoke from Camp Fire fills the skies". TV News. NBC News. Retrieved December 12, 2020.
- ^ a b c d Ruiz, Augustine. "USPS Building Bridge Special Postal Cancellation ~ Commemorating 80th Year of Music Recording in San Francisco and SF Jazz". USPS. United States Postal Service. Retrieved February 18, 2019.
- ^ "Family Matinee w/ Linda Tillery & The Cultural Heritage Choir". Retrieved February 18, 2019.
- ^ a b Francisco, San. "Treasure Island, San Francisco, CA Live: Feb 18–20, 2021". Event Website for Treasure Island Museum, City of San Francisco Treasure Island Development Authority, Treasure Island Yacht Club, Consul General of Peru in San Francisco, Pacific Inter-Club Yachting Association, USPS. ComTeams. Retrieved February 25, 2021.
- ^ "STAMPS; FOR COLLECTORS: CANCELLATIONS AND NEW ISSUES". The New York Times. July 5, 1987. Retrieved December 12, 2020.
- ^ "Rules for Collector Cancellations". Virtual Stamp Club. Retrieved December 12, 2020.
- ^ "Concerts for Kids: Contra Costa County Board of Supervisors declare October 1996 as Building Bridges of Peace Month". Contra Costa Times. Contra Costa Newspapers. October 11, 1996.
- ^ "Special Postal Cancellation Marks 100th Anniversary of Opening Day on both sides of the San Francisco Bay".
- ^ USPS (February 18, 2019). "SFJAZZ celebrates 80 years of music industry in San Francisco with a special pictorial postmark" (Press release). San Francisco. Retrieved December 20, 2020.
- ^ a b USPS (April 22, 2019). "Special Postal Cancellation Commemorates Lady Washington Tall Ship Cannon Battle off Pier 39, International Broadcast to 168 Countries" (Press release). San Francisco. Retrieved December 20, 2020.
- ^ a b "Building Bridges Lady Washington Station, Eureka, California — postmark date 2019-04-27". Retrieved January 19, 2024.
- ^ "USPS Celebrates Glenn Martin's 110th Anniversary Airmail Flight Path from Newport Beach to Avalon to LAX". USPS Building Bridges Special Postal Cancellations: May 10, 2022 8am.
- ^ "USPS Celebrates Glenn Martin's 110th Anniversary Airmail Flight Path". Avalon USPS Building Bridges Special Postal Cancellation May 10, 2022 12pm.
- ^ a b c d Garvins, Natashi. "USPS celebrates Glenn Martin's 110th anniversary Airmail Flight Path from Newport Beach to Avalon to LAX". California News. USPS. Retrieved August 28, 2022.