Mt. Ranier National Park Art Print

This series of ten postage stamps depicting U.S. national parks was created and released in 1934 by the United States Post Office Department as part of a broader effort to promote the natural beauty of the country and to encourage domestic tourism during the Great Depression. The initiative came during President Franklin D. Roosevelt’s administration, which strongly supported conservation and the expansion of the National Park System. Roosevelt, an avid stamp collector himself, was personally interested in the project and saw it as a way to highlight the importance of preserving America’s natural landscapes.

This National Parks series, often referred to as the “National Parks Issue” or “Farley’s Follies” (after Postmaster General James A. Farley), marked a shift from traditional stamp designs by showcasing scenic vistas rather than portraits of historical figures. The stamps featured striking monochrome illustrations of ten different parks. Their release popularized the national parks among the American public.