About This Stamp
The U.S. Postal Service is turning up the cuteness with four new stamps celebrating some of winter’s most determined little dynamos. Featuring photographs of an eastern gray squirrel, an American red squirrel, and two eastern chipmunks, the designs capture the nonstop hustle, quick thinking, and cozy instincts that help these small creatures thrive when the temperature drops.
Art director Derry Noyes, who designed the stamps using existing photographs, was charmed by the lighthearted spirit the animals bring to the designs. “There’s something about their expressions,” she says. “We see squirrels and chipmunks all the time, but not always up close like this. The stamps let us pause and take in their little faces. There’s so much joy in them.”
Noyes notes that while many stamps have featured animals in winter settings, these are the first to shine a spotlight on such familiar little creatures. Available in booklets of 20, the designs draw attention to the endearing qualities of each animal, offering a fresh perspective on winter wildlife. “When you see the booklet as a whole, the animals’ faces popping up from the snow has a playful effect,” she explains. “The stamps are fun and uplifting. I hope they make people smile, especially in the heart of winter.”
With their scampering energy and cozy instincts, these squirrels and chipmunks feel right at home on stamps that bring a touch of warmth to the season and a little extra cheer to the mail.
The Squirrels & Chipmunks in Snow stamps are being issued as Forever® stamps. These Forever stamps will always be equal in value to the current First-Class Mail® one-ounce price.
Stamp Art Director, Stamp Designer
Derry Noyes
For more than 40 years Derry Noyes has designed and provided art direction for close to 800 United States postage stamps and stamp products. She holds a bachelor of arts degree from Hampshire College and a master of fine arts degree from Yale University.
Noyes worked as a graphics designer at Beveridge and Associates, a Washington, D.C., firm, until 1979 when she established her own design firm, Derry Noyes Graphics. Her clients have included museums, corporations, foundations, and architectural and educational institutions. Her work has been honored by American Illustration, the Art Directors Club of Metropolitan Washington, Communication Arts, Critique magazine, Graphis, Creativity International, and the Society of Illustrators.
Before becoming an art director for the U.S. Postal Service, she served as a member of the Citizens' Stamp Advisory Committee from 1981 to 1983.
Noyes is a resident of Washington, D.C.
