The United Kingdom’s Royal Mail has announced it will honor the late David Bowie with an incredible 10-piece stamp collection. The specialized stamps will be released March 14 across 7,000 post office branches and via royalmail.com/davidbowie. Pre-order begins today.
The stamps feature six iconic cover designs from Bowie’s career across several decades — Hunky Dory, Aladdin Sane, “Heroes”, Let’s Dance, Earthling, and ★ — as well as four live images.
“For five decades David Bowie was at the forefront of contemporary culture, and has influenced successive generations of musicians, artists, designers and writers,” says Royal Mail stamp strategy manager Philip Parker in a statement. “Royal Mail’s stamp issue celebrates this unique figure and some of his many celebrated personas.”
The is reportedly the first time Royal Mail has dedicated an entire stamp issue to an individual music artist or cultural figure. Previously, the UK mail department honored The Beatles (2010) and Pink Floyd (2015).
Here are the featured stamps, detailed by the Royal Mail:
Hunky Dory, Bowie’s fourth album and released in December 1971. Time magazine chose it as part of their “100 best albums of all time” list in January 2010.
Aladdin Sane, his sixth album and released in April 1973. The album features the iconic photograph by Brian Duffy.
“Heroes”, his twelfth studio album and released in October 1977. This was the second instalment of his “Berlin Trilogy” recorded with Brian Eno and Tony Visconti. The title track remains one of Bowie’s best known and acclaimed songs.
Let’s Dance, his fifteenth studio album and released in April 1983. Co-produced by Nile Rodgers, and featuring three of his most successful singles “Let’s Dance,” “Modern Love,” and “China Girl.” Let’s Dance is Bowie’s best-selling album.
Earthling, his 23rd studio album and released in February 1997. The striking cover art features Bowie in an Alexander McQueen designed Union Flag coat.
★, Bowie’s 28th and final studio album, released on his 69th birthday — January 8, 2016 — and charting at No.1 in more than 20 countries. Bowie died two days after the release of ★, the album reaffirming his legacy as modern music’s most unrelenting innovator and topping critics’ ‘Best of 2016’ lists.
The Ziggy Stardust Tour, 1973. The tour promoted Aladdin Sane and took in the UK, North America, and Japan.
The Serious Moonlight Tour, 1983. The tour was designed to support the Let’s Dance album and up to that point was Bowie’s longest and most successful concert tour.
The Stage Tour, 1978. Also known as Isolar II — The 1978 World Tour was staged to promote the Low and “Heroes” albums.
A Reality Tour, 2003/2004. Staged to promote the Reality album, this tour became Bowie’s longest tour and it would also be his last.
And here’s a proper visual look:
