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1947 Federal Migratory Bird Hunting Stamp Article
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The Hunting Bird Stamp History
from:There has been a yearly tradition in the United States to make an annual artistic stamp that depicts a hunting bird, the duck. The hunting bird stamp history is an interesting one. These stamps have become more and more popular ever since they first debuted. Through the start of the stamp, to the annual art contest, the hunting bird stamp history is very interesting.
The first duck stamp ever to be designed was in 1934 by Jay Darling. People liked the idea that a painter could create a likeness of a duck and have that artistic media put on a stamp. The hunting bird stamp history didn't end there, though. For many years, famous wildlife painters were asked to create the stamps' motif. The popularity for these artistic stamps grew, and the attention from the general American public grew as well. Soon the annual stamp was the most popular stamp that the United States Postal Service had to offer.
In 1949, the hunting bird stamp history made a big change. The postal service decided to turn the duck stamp popularity into a contest. Artists from all over the country are invited to compete in the competition. The people who judge the competition are very qualified. They are comprised of art professors who can comment on the technique. There are also duck and wildlife experts on the panel as well. This is to ensure that the paintings up for competition are accurate to how a duck should really look and where that duck should be in relation to its surroundings. That's one of the main reasons why duck and wildlife experts are on the judging panel. It's also because these are the people that would most appreciate the subject matter of the stamp. Throughout hunting bird stamp history, this has been the only art contest that the United States government is willing to sponsor. This makes the stamp and the contest that goes with it very special.
The winner of the duck stamp competition doesn't receive a monetary award. Instead, the reward that they receive is the prestige and popularity that comes with creating the stamp and winning the competition. They do, however, receive a sheet of the stamps that are theirs to keep. They are also able to sell prints of their winning painting freely to anyone they like. This is important because a lot of painters are weary of contests if it means they lose the rights to their work. Because the hunting bird stamp history is so colorful and memorable, people from all over the country clamor to purchase each years new crop of duck stamps.