About This Stamp
The ninth issuance in the Distinguished Americans series honors Harriet Beecher Stowe (1811–1896), author of Uncle Tom’s Cabin, one of the most influential novels in American history.
Artist Mark Summers — known for his scratchboard technique — based his portrait of Harriet Beecher Stowe on a circa 1855 stipple* engraving by English engraver Francis Holl (1815–1884), which in turn was based on an earlier portrait of Stowe by English painter George Richmond (1809–1896). The engraving is from the collection of the Smithsonian Institution’s National Portrait Gallery in Washington, D.C.
Mark Summers also created the stamp art for the previous issuances in the Distinguished Americans series: Joseph W. Stilwell (2000), Claude Pepper (2000), Hattie W. Caraway (2001), Edna Ferber (2002), Wilma Rudolph (2004), Jonas Salk (2006), Albert Sabin (2006), and Margaret Chase Smith (2007).
*As defined in the Bulfinch Pocket Dictionary of Art Terms, a stipple print is “created by building up the design from minute dots or flicks. Stipple is used with both etching and engraving processes, with the intent to resemble crayon.” The online ArtLex Art Dictionary defines “stipple” as “a drawing or engraving method employing dots rather than lines.”
Stamp Art Director
Richard Sheaff
Stamp Artist
Mark Summers
Mark Summers works out of his studio in Waterdown, Ontario, Canada. He is known for his detail-rich, black-and-white portraits of literary and historical figures. His drawings, which are regularly featured in the New York Times Book Review section, are distinguished by a dense network of horizontal lines etched with exquisite precision. This scratchboard technique, reminiscent of turn-of-the-century engraved illustrations, has been used by Summers in numerous stamp designs for the U.S. Postal Service including those honoring Claude Pepper (2000), Wilma Rudolph (2004), Harriet Beecher Stowe (2007), James A. Michener (2008), and Abraham Lincoln (2009). While attending the Ontario College of Art in 1976, Summers was introduced to the scratchboard technique by the respected Canadian political cartoonist Duncan Macpherson.
Summers' present endeavors include illustrating book covers, as well as editorial, institutional, and advertising artwork. Some of his best known work was done for Barnes & Noble bookstores where his drawings appear on shopping bags, banners, and vans. Publishing clients include TIME magazine, Rolling Stone (where he currently illustrates the back page of each issue), Sports Illustrated, and The Atlantic. Summers has also created logos for Eddie Bauer and comedian Tim Allen.
Summers has been honored by the Society of Illustrators with two gold medals and one silver medal. He was selected by the Society to receive the coveted Hamilton King award in 2000. In 2019 he was inducted into the Illustrators Hall of Fame.
The 2026 Sarah Orne Jewett stamp is Summers' latest project for the Postal Service.