The U.S. Postal Service honored actor Henry Fonda with the 11th collectible postage stamp in its Legends of Hollywood commemorative stamps series.

In 20 May, 2005, the U.S. Postal Service added another collectible postage stamp to its Legends of Hollywood commemorative stamps series with their dedication of the first class 37-cent Henry Fonda stamp. Fonda appears on the 11th stamp in the popular Legends of Hollywood stamp series.

The Career of Henry Fonda

According to the USPS Press Release, Henry Fonda was born on 16 May, 1905, in Grand Island, NE, but his family moved to Omaha shortly after his birth. He was encouraged to try his hand at acting by the mother of Marlon Brando, who was a friend of Fonda's mother.

After establishing himself as an actor on Broadway, Fonda quickly became a film star. His professionalism and skill at acting brought him critical praise in such movies as Jezebel (1938), Young Mr. Lincoln (1939), The Grapes of Wrath (1940), My Darling Clementine (1946), Mister Roberts (1955), 12 Angry Men (1957), and On Golden Pond (1981), for which he won an Oscar.

Fonda's achievements were not limited to the silver screen. He gave memorable stage performances in First Monday in October, Clarence Darrow, and Mister Roberts, for which he won a Tony award.

During World War II, Fonda joined the Navy and worked three years as an air combat intelligence officer. In the Broadway version of Mister Roberts, he wore his own officer's cap on stage.

Henry Fonda died in Los Angeles on 12 August , 1982, at the age of 77.

USPS Henry Fonda Stamp Design

As told in the USA Philatelic: Beyond the Perf, Issue 008, art director Derry Noyes chose artist Drew Struzan to work on the design of the Fonda stamp. Noyes had selected a 1941 shot of Fonda by Frank Powolny as the reference point for the stamp.

The selvage art (or the art in the surplus margin around the sheet of stamps), shows Fonda as Tom Joad in The Grapes of Wrath (1940). Art director Noyes felt Struzan's rough sketch matched the role of Tom Joad and used it as the final art for the stamp.

The text on the selvage reads: "Henry Fonda (1905-1982) was noted for his naturalness and sincerity in stage roles and on the screen. Effective in comedic or dramatic roles, he typically played thoughtful men of integrity. In a career spanning nearly 50 years, he won many honors, including a Tony Award in 1948 for his work in the Broadway production of Mister Roberts and the Academy Award for best actor in 1982 for On Golden Pond."

Stamps in the Legends of Hollywood Series

The USPS Legends of Hollywood series of United States stamps began in 1995 with the release of the Marilyn Monroe stamp and continues to be one of the longest-running and most popular stamp series in USPS history. As of 12 May, 2010, there are 16 stamps in the Legends of Hollywood series, with no end in sight. The current list of Legends of Hollywood stamp subjects can be found below. For those interested in postage stamp collecting, the Scott catalog number is listed beside each stamp.

         1. Marilyn Monroe (1995) (Scott #2967)
         2. James Dean (1996) (Scott #3082)
         3. Humphrey Bogart (1997) (Scott #3152)
         4. Alfred Hitchcock (1998) (Scott #3226)
         5. James Cagney (1999) (Scott #3329)
         6. Edward G. Robinson (2000) (Scott #3446)
         7. Lucille Ball (2001) (Scott #3523)
         8. Cary Grant (2002) (Scott #3692)
         9. Audrey Hepburn (2003) (Scott #3786)
        10. John Wayne (2004) (Scott #3876)
        11. Henry Fonda (2005) (Scott #3911)
        12. Judy Garland (2006) (Scott #4077)
        13. James Stewart (2007) (Scott #4197)
        14. Bette Davis (2008) (Scott #4350)
        15. Gary Cooper (2009) (Scott #4421)
        16. Katharine Hepburn (2010) (Scott # 4461)