COMPETITION FOR 1909 CHRISTMAS STAMP DESIGN

Report of Special Committee appointed to secure competitive designs for Red Cross Christmas Stamp for “1909” issue, Committee consisting of

The Committee met at the call of the National Society at Washington Headquarters on the morning of Tuesday, February 16th, and reported as follows:

That the National Headquarters and all State Branches of the Red Cross be instructed to give out information inviting the free competition for the design for the Red Cross Christmas Stamp for 1909.

The State Secretaries and members of the Red Cross will address Art Institutions and secure the co-operation of newspapers and magazines and secure a wide public invitation for these designs.

There will be three main awards, consisting of the following cash prizes, in order of merit:

$100.00
50.00
25.00

and there will be chosen out of the stamp sketches submitted, not to exceed 10 other designs to be retained by the Red Cross as their property as a matter of record and for such designs as will be retained there will be a cash price of $10.00 each.

The wording shall read:

AMERICAN RED CROSS
1909
MERRY CHRISTMAS
HAPPY NEW YEAR

and the finished size of the stamp shall be ⅞ of an inch square.

It is preferred that the background of the stamp shall be “white,” and that the emblem of the “Red Cross” shall be shown somewhere prominently in the design. The Red Cross is a geometrical design, made up of 5 equal squares, arranged in the form of a cross, and this proportion must be strictly observed.

A design may be submitted in two or three colors, the ground work not being considered as an applied color.

Artists’ designs submitted must not exceed 3 inches square, as it is supposed that in a space 3 inches by 3 inches the design can be clearly shown in proper detail, suitable for process reduction to size of the finished stamp, which is ⅞ of an inch by ⅞ of an inch.

The competition closes at 6 o’clock P. M. May 15th and designs may be submitted at any time up to that date.

There will be an Associate Committee of Artists to pass on the designs, and it is hoped to have a public exhibition in Washington of the designs submitted.

Designs may be submitted to Mr. Charles L. Magee, Secretary American Red Cross, State, War and Navy Building, Washington, D. C., or to the Secretary of any Red Cross State Branch.

The name and address of the artist must be subscribed on the back of the design and shall not be visible anywhere in the design or on the face thereof.

Respectfully submitted,

JOS. A. STEINMETZ,
Philadelphia, Pa.,
Chairman of Stamp Committee.