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For broadcast on CBS Radio Network stations 
February 3-4, 2001:


Love American Style


The Stamp Collecting Report, I'm Lloyd de Vries.
 
This year's Love stamps feature roses and love letters. The 
idea for the FIRST U-S Love stamp, in 1973, came from an 
advisory committee.


"They wanted to do something to mark Love as they thought 
that was a very important thing in the United States." 
RUNS: :05


Then-Assistant Postmaster General Gordon Morison says the 
committee wanted to use Robert Indiana's avant garde LOVE 
sculpture as the basis for the design.  Morison didn't think 
his boss, the Postmaster General, would go along, so he 
brought him TWO designs, showing him the SCULPTURE first.


He looked at that stamp. He said 'That's a GREAT stamp. Well, 
you can see how much I knew about the whole thing."
RUNS:05


And that's the design that was used. 


Morison says the press didn't like the concept.


"The newspapers took us to task for using love as a theme 
because of the Hippy movement at that time...Most people at 
that time thought we were helping promote the Hippies."
RUNS: :11


...but the public DID like it, and now, the Postal Service 
always has a stock of Love stamps.


And that's stamp collecting this week. 

I'm Lloyd de Vries, CBS News.


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