WILLIAM S. HART POSTAGE STAMP UNVEILING
Part of the Natural History Family, the William S. Hart Park and Museum Celebrates “Cowboys of the Silver Screen” Series
Saturday, April 17, 2010 – 10 am – 4 pm
NEWHALL, CA—On April 17, 2010, the United States Postal Service (USPS) will release a series of four stamps, Cowboys of the Silver Screen. Of the four commemorative stamps, William S. Hart will be memorialized along with three other celebrated Western film stars: Gene Autry, Roy Rogers, and Tom Mix.
In celebration of the stamp release and Hart’s legacy, a special ceremony will be held at the William S. Hart Park and Museum on April 17 to unveil the Hart Stamp. Following the unveiling ceremony, special family activities, music and tours unfold throughout the day. For devoted philatelists, first-day-of-sale stamp purchases and cancellations of the entire Cowboys of the Silver Screen series will be available courtesy of the USPS.
Hart was one of the most popular leading men of the silent film era, unique for his powerful presence and serious approach to early Westerns. His acting skills were honed by years of experience on the New York stage and theaters all over the country, and in his movies, the actor insisted on authentic depictions of the Old West and its people, from their clothes to their lifestyles and complex personalities. He frequently played a stalwart, tough-as-nails cowboy, with a soft spot for his favorite horse — a brown and white pinto named Fritz.
The Cowboys of the Silver Screen stamp art is by freelance illustrator Robert Rodriguez, whose work has been featured on more than a dozen previous stamps. Rodriguez based his portrait of William S. Hart on a likeness of the actor that appeared on a poster for the 1925 film Tumbleweeds.
The Hart Museum, located in Newhall, California, is part of the Natural History Family of Museums. This
event is a joint effort by the Natural History Museum of Los Angeles County, the Los Angeles County Department of Parks and Recreation, Friends of Hart Park, and the United States Postal Service.
Hart Postage Stamp Unveiling Ceremony and Events
Saturday, April 17, 2010
10:00 am – Stamp Ceremony
Join us for the official unveiling of the new William S. Hart Stamp at Hart Park and Museum! Cowboys of the Silver Screen stamps and cancellations will be available immediately after the ceremony. Early Sale of the Stamp set will be available beginning at 9:00 am.
11:00 am through 3:30 pm – Guided Museum Tours
Take a tour of William S. Hart’s 22-room mansion which includes a magnificent collection of Western artwork, Native American baskets and film memorabilia including costumes and props from Hart’s final film, Tumbleweeds, from which Hart’s stamp likeness is taken. Tours of the Hart Museum are always free, and begin every half hour.
11:30 am and 2:30 pm – Music in the Park with the Silver Screen Cowboy Project
Listen to the original music of the Silver Screen Cowboy Project in Hart Hall! Take a trip back to the time of Gene Autry, Roy Rogers, the Lone Ranger, and John Wayne through music and multi-media.
Admission: Adults $1.00; Children $0.25
12:30 pm and 1:30 pm – Animal Barnyard Tours
Hart Park’s Animal Barnyard is home to 45 animals including ducks, horses, deer, and a mule. Admission is free. Stop by the Friends of Hart Park Gift Store and purchase animal feed so you can feed the animals!
1:00 pm through 4:00 pm – Children’s Activities
Yee-ha! Visit the Hart Ranch House to learn about a day in the life of a cowboy and participate in crafts and activities. All children are welcome and must be accompanied by a parent. Admission is free.
About the Hart Park and Museum
Silent film star William S. Hart purchased a ranch house and surrounding property in Newhall, north of Los Angeles, in 1921. He built a 22-room mansion and filled it with Western art, Native American artifacts, and early Hollywood memorabilia. Hart bequeathed the 230-acre estate to Los Angeles County for the enjoyment of the public at no charge. Tours and programs such as silent movie screenings take place frequently at the Hart Museum. Among the Hart Park’s permanent residents is an assortment of animals, including a small herd of bison, a gift from the Walt Disney Studios in 1962. Today, the property is jointly administered by two Los Angeles County agencies. The Los Angeles County Department of Parks and Recreation is responsible for the grounds, animals, and buildings, while the care and interpretation of the Hart home and its artifacts is administered by the Natural History Museum of Los Angeles County. Tours and programs such as silent movie screenings take place frequently at Hart Park and Museum.
The Hart Park and Museum is located at 24151 Newhall Avenue, Newhall, CA, 91321. The Park is open 7 days a week until 5:00 pm. The Museum is open Wednesday through Friday from 10:00 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. and weekends from 11 am to 3:30 pm, with tours every half hour. Admission is free. For more information on the Museum, visit www.hartmuseum.org or call (661) 254-4584. For more information on the Park visit parks.lacounty.gov or call (661) 259-0855.
The Natural History Museum of Los Angeles County and the Natural History Family of Museums
The Natural History Museum (NHM) was the first dedicated museum building in Los Angeles, opening its doors in 1913. It has amassed one of the world’s most extensive and valuable collections of natural and cultural history — with more than 35 million objects, some as old as 4.5 billion years. The Natural History Family of Museums includes the NHM, the Page Museum at the La Brea Tar Pits (Hancock Park/Mid-Wilshire), and the William S. Hart Park and Museum (Newhall, California). The Family of Museums serves more than one million families and visitors annually, and is a national leader in research, exhibitions and education. Last year’s completed renovation of the Beaux-Arts 1913 Building, the original component of the NHM, has set the stage for the rollout of a series of new exhibits leading up to the Museum’s centennial in 2013: Age of Mammals and the Haaga Family Rotunda galleries open in Summer 2010; Dinosaur Mysteries in Summer 2011; and Under the Sun; an exhibition focusing on the Southern California environmental history, in late 2012.
Los Angeles County Department of Parks and Recreation
The Los Angeles County Department of Parks and Recreation’s mission states that it “will provide the residents and visitors of Los Angeles County with quality recreational opportunities that promote a healthy lifestyle and strengthen the community through diverse physical, educational and cultural programming, and will enhance the community environment by acquiring, developing and maintaining County parks, gardens, golf courses, trails and open space areas.”
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Lauren Clark
Marketing & Communications
Natural History Museum of Los Angeles County
900 Exposition Blvd., Los Angeles CA 90007
tel. 213.763.3580
fax. 213.743.4843
e. lclark@nhm.org
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