You Can Now Purchase Linda McCartney Photography Stamps From USPS

The U.S. Postal Service will dedicate its Linda McCartney stamps at the Museum of Modern Art (MoMA) in New York City today.

The commemorative stamps honoring McCartney will be given a first-day-of-issue ceremony at MoMA and will also be available to purchase at USPS branches across the country today.

The stamps make use of five of McCartney’s photographs. Designed by United States Postal Service (USPS) director Derry Noyes, the selvage — the area surrounding the stamps — features a black-and-white image of McCartney holding up her camera.

Born Linda Eastman in Scarsdale, New York, in 1941, she rose to prominence in 1966 after photographing the Rolling Stones while working as an editorial receptionist at Town & Country magazine. Editors were so impressed by her work that they turned her photographs into a feature.

It became the first of many magazine assignments, establishing McCartney as a chronicler of 1960s music culture.

McCartney would go on to photograph Aretha Franklin, Jimi Hendrix, Brian Wilson, Simon & Garfunkel, and, of course, The Beatles.

While on assignment in London in 1967, she met her future husband Paul, who, as the USPS describes, was the “bass guitarist for British rock band The Beatles.”

However, that undersells Paul McCartney’s role a little; he was one half of arguably the most successful songwriting duo of all time.

A post shared by Linda McCartney (@lindamccartney)

“She became known as ‘Paul’s wife’, instead of the focus being on her photography. But, as time went on, people started to realise that she was the real thing. So, yeah, she eventually did get the correct reputation, but at first it was just blown out of the water by the headline-grabbing marriage.”

However, Paul said that audiences began to recognize the quality and authenticity of McCartney’s photography, while also highlighting her relaxed approach to photographing musicians.

“Linda put you at your ease. Some photographers, you’re very aware that you’re having a picture taken,” Paul said. “But she had such a relaxed attitude that she’d get a picture of Jimi Hendrix, but he’d be yawning in it. He felt comfortable enough to yawn, she felt confident enough to take a picture of him yawning, knowing he wouldn’t mind.”

McCartney died in 1998 at age 56 in Tucson, Arizona, after breast cancer spread to her liver.

The stamps will be sold in panes of 20 and will be available at U.S. Post Offices and on usps.com.

Image creditsUSPS