WASHINGTON, July 18, 2011 — In a move to raise awareness of its stamp program and to reach diverse audiences and people of all ages, the Postal Service is offering a sneak peek at some of the stamps that will be issued in 2012, beginning today through social media sites.

Customers may preview the stamps on Facebook at facebook.com/USPSStamps, through Twitter @USPSstamps or on the website Beyond the Perf at www.beyondtheperf.com/2012-preview. Beyond the Perf is the Postal Service’s online site for the back story on upcoming stamp subjects, first-day-of-issue events and other philatelic news.

“Stamps reflect our American culture, icons and lifestyles,” said Postal Service Executive Director of Stamp Services Stephen Kearney. “We have stamps with nearly every topic imaginable. By providing a sneak peek at next year’s stamps, we’re helping customers find stamps that they’re interested in and excited about. Social media is a great way to do that — and to make it easier for people to share the news about stamps of interest with their friends.”

Kearney said select stamps from the 2012 commemorative program will be previewed one at a time beginning today.

Cherry Blossom Centennial Forever stamps

The first 2012 stamps to be previewed in the social media sneak peak — the Cherry Blossom Centennial Forever stamps — celebrate the 100th anniversary of the gift of 3,020 Japanese cherry trees from the city of Tokyo to Washington, D.C. The gift honored the friendship between America and Japan, a close relationship that continues to this day.

In this unusual design, two stamps form the left and right halves of a single, panoramic view of cherry trees blooming around the Tidal Basin in the nation’s capital. In the stamp on the left, blossoming trees arch over a family on a stroll and two girls dressed in bright kimonos. The Washington Monument is seen in the background. In the stamp on the right, the Jefferson Memorial is the backdrop for sightseers under a canopy of pink blooms. Artist Paul Rogers of Pasadena, CA, worked with art director Phil Jordan of Falls Church, VA, to create the two stamp designs.

Each spring in the nation’s capital, the blossoming of the cherry trees is celebrated with a festival that includes a parade and a host of concerts, exhibitions, and events all intended to echo the spirit of Japan’s gift of friendship.

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