Did you know that some of the botanical artwork done by Maria Sibylla Merian has been turned into a U.S. postage stamp?

In 1699, Maria Sibylla Merian traveled to Central America to the country of Suriname to study and paint insects, birds and plants. The National Museum of Women in the Arts, Washington, D.C., has some of her paintings and now 2 of them have been turned into United States postage stamps.

Here is a low resolution scan of the stamps.

They come in a sheet of 20 self-stick 32 cent stamps and should be available at any Post Office. Ask for the "Botanical Prints." That might be enough to identify them.

You can contact the Museum at:

The National Museum of Women in the Arts
1250 New York Avenue, N. W.
Washington, D. C. 20005-3920
1-800-222-7270

Old "Did You Know" sections are
Hedy Lamarr's Invention

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