Qty. 10 Celebrate the Century — 1930s "1st Issue Life Magazine" Stamps (Life Magazine, Architecture, Black & White, Red) Unused USPS Postage 32c

These vintage unused vintage stamps evoke a touch of whimsy and personality! Includes a total of TEN (10) of the 32¢ vintage "Life Magazine" stamps shown in photos.

STAMP INFORMATION:

• Name: 1st Issue Life Magazine
• Series: Celebrate the Century — 1930s
• Year Issued: 1998
• Face Value: 32-cents (USD) per stamp
• Topic(s): Life Magazine, Architecture, First Magazine Cover, 1936
• Color(s): Red, Black & White, Multicolored
• Printing Method: Offset Press & Intaglio
• Scott Number: 3185c
• Adhesion Type: Gummed 
• Condition: Genuine Unused USPS Postage Stamps, Ready to Use for USPS Mailings, Mint Condition

STAMP HISTORY: This stamp was issued on September 10, 1998, as part of the "Celebrate the Century" series, which the U.S. Postal Service mounted to honor key cultural, political, and social milestones of each decade of the 20th century. It appears in the "1930s" sheet of that series.

The design reproduces the cover of the first issue of LIFE magazine, which debuted in November 1936. That original issue featured a photograph of the Fort Peck Dam in Montana, taken by photographer Margaret Bourke-White, and reflected a new vision for photojournalism: a magazine that emphasized impactful images with limited text. The stamp aims to evoke that spirit by presenting, in miniature form, the visual power that LIFE sought to bring to American readers.

On the back side of the pane, historical text describes how LIFE magazine opened a new era of photojournalism, expanding public awareness through imagery. It notes that with limited text, the magazine used photographs on nearly every page to report and reflect human experience. The first-day issuance ceremony was held in Cleveland, Ohio, at the foot of the Terminal Tower Building, tying the stamp’s launch to a notable architectural site in that city as a kind of symbolic anchor for the cultural landmark being celebrated.

As part of the broader "Celebrate the Century" project, this stamp helps situate LIFE magazine not simply as a magazine, but as a defining cultural institution — one that shaped how Americans saw their world, and how visual storytelling became central to 20th-century communication.

STAMP MEANING & SPIRITUAL SIGNIFICANCE: This postage stamp carries a spiritually rich symbolism that transcends its commemoration of a publication. At its core, it represents the awakening of collective vision — the human quest to see, understand, and connect through shared experience. Issued as part of the Celebrate the Century series for the 1930s, it honors the debut of LIFE magazine in 1936 — a moment when photography became a new language of truth and empathy. Spiritually, the stamp captures that shift: from words alone to the soul speaking through image, from isolated perspectives to a unified vision of humanity.

The original LIFE magazine’s mission — “to see life; to see the world” — resonates as a sacred calling to awareness. In this way, the stamp becomes a symbol of illumination and witnessing, reminding us that to truly see is an act of reverence. Each photograph, like a prayer in visual form, reveals beauty, suffering, and grace in everyday life. The Fort Peck Dam image on the original magazine cover, which the stamp echoes, symbolizes human creativity and resilience, yet also evokes awe before the vastness of nature — a reflection of the eternal dialogue between human ambition and divine creation.

GUMMED STAMPS: These postage stamps have a traditional moisture-activated gum on the back. These stamps require licking or wetting to adhere to envelopes or other surfaces. To ensure good adhesion, apply vintage gummed stamps to your mailings with a glue stick (we recommend using Elmer's "Re-Stick" glue sticks).

GENUINE USPS POSTAGE: These unused vintage postage stamps are perfectly valid for use as current postage for mailing with USPS as long as you use the adequate amount of postage to achieve standard postage rates according to the weight of your mailing. Check current postage rates at USPS.com.

QUESTIONS? We love hearing from our customers and replies to inquires are usually answered the same day. Need more of this stamp? Looking for a particular stamp not found on our website? Want a curated postage set for your special event? Contact us with questions about vintage postage stamps and our services…

TELL YOUR STORY IN STAMPS: We’ve worked with hundreds of couples and their stationers to custom design highly stylized personalized postage sets based on our customer’s life stories. We can help you curate personalized vintage postage sets to commemorate your save-the-date, wedding, shower, announcement, and other special occasions in a truly unique fashion. Drawing on our encyclopedic knowledge of every stamp ever issued by the USPS, and sourcing from our extensive inventory of collectable unused vintage stamps, we’ll help you tell your unique story in stamps!

ABOUT HERITAGE POST HOUSE: Jennifer Kramer is the founder of Heritage Post House, a boutique vintage postage house located in Northern California. Jennifer sources the most beautiful unused vintage postage stamps ever issued by USPS and artfully arranges them into curated postage sets that are sure to add a special touch to your invitations, announcements, and special mailings. In addition to creating pre-arranged postage sets, Jennifer also works with couples (and their stationers) to create one-of-a-kind custom postage arrangements for wedding invitations, save the dates, and other special occasions.