About This Stamp
The Breast Cancer Research semipostal stamp, originally issued in 1998, is being reissued in 2014. Mandated by Congress in 1997 and signed into law by President Bill Clinton, the 1998 Breast Cancer Research stamp was the first semipostal issued by the U.S. Postal Service®. Semipostals are stamps sold at a surcharge to raise money for a particular cause. Purchase of this stamp supports the breast cancer research work of the National Institutes of Health and the Medical Research Program of the Department of Defense.
The stamp art depicts a woman standing with her right arm raised, reaching behind her head in the position recommended for breast self-examination. The drawing of the woman’s body is set against a background of pastel colors ranging from yellow to violet that cover the entire face of the stamp. Across the top of the stamp are the words “Breast Cancer.” Circling the figure’s right breast are the phrases, in all caps, “FUND THE FIGHT.” and “FIND A CURE.”
Art director Ethel Kessler, herself a breast cancer survivor, faced a challenge in designing the stamp. She wanted a design that brought awareness to the importance of breast cancer research while offering a positive and uplifting image. After working with variations on the theme of pink ribbons — the symbol of breast cancer awareness — and photographs that struck her as too melancholy, Kessler turned to artist Whitney Sherman for other ideas.
Sherman produced many sketches, but one stood out from the others. A woman stands with her right arm raised, reaching behind her head in the position recommended for breast self-examination. The pose reminded the artist of depictions of the ancient Greek goddess of the hunt, Artemis (Diana to the Romans), reaching back to pull an arrow from the quiver hanging from her shoulder. The archetype represented by Artemis signifies strength, courage, survival, and hope, all the emotions that the art director and artist hoped to capture in the stamp art
Each Breast Cancer Research semipostal stamp is valid for postage at the First-Class Mail®, single-piece, first-ounce rate in effect at the time of purchase. To date, the stamp has raised more than $78 million for breast cancer research.
Stamp Art Director, Stamp Designer
Ethel Kessler
Ethel Kessler is an award-winning designer and art director who has worked with corporations, museums, public and private institutions, professional service organizations, and now, the United States Postal Service.
After earning a B.F.A. in visual communications from the Maryland Institute College of Art, Kessler worked as a graphic designer and project manager for the exhibits division of the United States Information Agency. Her work was distributed internationally on subjects such as Immigration, Entrepreneurship, Renovation of American Cities, and the Bicentennial of 1976. She was also responsible for exhibits in Morocco, Botswana, and El Salvador.
In 1981, she established Kessler Design, Inc., for which she is creative director and designer. Clients have included the Clinton Government reorganization, the Smithsonian Institution, National Geographic Television, the National Park Service, and the American Institute of Architects.
She has been an art director for the U.S. Postal Service’s stamp development program for more than 25 years. As an art director for USPS, Kessler has been responsible for creating more than 500 stamp designs, including the Breast Cancer Research stamp illustrated by Whitney Sherman. Issued in 1998, the stamp is still on sale and has raised more $98 million for breast cancer research. Other Kessler projects include the popular and highly regarded Nature of America 120 stamp series, a collaboration with nationally acclaimed nature illustrator John Dawson, the 12-year Lunar New Year series with Kam Mak, the American Filmmaking: Behind the Scenes 10 stamps issued in 2003, a 2016 pane of stamps celebrating the 100th anniversary of the National Park Service, and the 2023 stamp honoring Supreme Court Associate Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg. And many, many others.
Stamp Artist
Whitney Sherman
Whitney Sherman graduated from the Maryland Institute College of Art with a B.F.A. in photography. The award-winning illustrator was the Chair of Illustration at her alma mater from 2000-2010, where she developed the department into the largest and most interdisciplinary program at the college. She currently is the founder and Director of the M.F.A. in Illustration Practice at MICA as well as Co-Director of Dolphin Press & Print @ MICA.
Sherman’s clients include the New York Times, Business Week, Forbes, the Templeton Foundation, the Ad Council, and the American Red Cross. Henry Holt & Co., St. Martin’s Press, Clarkson N. Potter, and Scholastic Books are among the publishers who have commissioned Sherman to create book and jacket illustrations. Her work has been exhibited at the National Postal Museum, the Norman Rockwell Museum, the Art Institute of Chicago, the Israel Museum, and the Society of Illustrators Gallery of American Illustration in New York to name a few.
Sherman’s studio is located in Baltimore, Maryland.
The illustration for the Breast Cancer Research semipostal, originally issued in 1998, was Sherman's first project for the U.S. Postal Service®.