1939 New York World's Fair Stamps

The Story Behind This Stamp

In 1939, the U.S. Postal Service issued a set of commemorative stamps for the New York World's Fair, marking the first time the USPS dedicated stamps to a world's fair.

The U.S. was still recovering from the Great Depression; the fair and stamps promoted optimism about technology and progress.

With WWII looming, the fair became one of the last grand displays of global unity before the war.

Stamp Design

Unique orthographic projection symbolized borderless technological exchange.

Represented radio waves, celebrating 1939 breakthroughs:

• America's first regular television broadcast (NBC)
• Commercialization of transatlantic radio calls