In this age of email and text messages, every once in awhile you need a stamp! Why not choose one that is pretty, historical and a celebration of black movies?

Ms Josephine Baker’s 1935 movie, “Princess Tam-Tam”, is one of only 4 films she made. It is included in 5 presented on a sheet of 42 cent U.S. postage stamps released on 7/16/08 to highlight black cinema of the 20’s and 30’s. The images are copies of the posters used in black only movie theaters back in the day to announce the coming attractions.

Other stamps in this 42-cent group are:

“The Sport of the Gods”, 1921, the poster proclaims, is based on a book by Paul Laurence Dunbar, “America‘s greatest race poet,” and it adds that the film has “an all-star cast of colored artists.”

“Black and Tan”, a 19-minute film released in 1929 featuring Duke Ellington and his Cotton Club Orchestra.

“Caldonia”, is another short at 18 minutes, which was released in 1945. It showcased singer, saxophonist and bandleader Louis Jordan.

“Hallelujah”, a 1929 movie released by MGM. It was one of the first films from a major studio to feature an all-black cast.

http://www.usps.com/communications/newsroom/2008/sr08_074.htm