Oyster Festival

Norwalk Stamp Club Celebrated Local Sport Paintings and Backyard Game Stamps on Oyster Festival Souvenir Covers 

NORWALK, CONNECTICUT – Local sports paintings created by Norwalk artist George Avison in the 1930s decorated a set of three philatelic cachets featuring brilliant new stamps issued by the U.S. Postal Service celebrating popular backyard sports.

The covers maintained the Norwalk Stamp Club’s 40-year tradition of issuing souvenir envelopes in conjunction with the Norwalk Oyster Festival.

Basketball, baseball and football artwork painted by Avison as a Works Progress Administration (WPA) project hang in Norwalk City Hall. The cachets and special cancellations were designed by Chris Calle, a well-known stamp designer and illustrator.

The new “backyard games” Forever-denominated stamps, issued August 12, are tied to the colorful cachets by three special postal cancellations dated September 10, 11 and 12, the dates of the annual Oyster Festival sponsored by the Seaport Association. 

“Creating unique covers for the Oyster Festival is a Norwalk Stamp Club tradition,” said club president Mike Clark. “Each year, we select a local-or-Connecticut-themed event, create a souvenir cachet and design a special cancel. These have proven immensely popular with collectors here and around the country.”

“We created a different cover for each day of the Festival that ties in directly with one of George Avison’s murals. The cover postmarked Friday, Sept. 10 is for basketball; the cover postmarked Saturday, Sept. 11 is for baseball; the Sunday, Sept. 12 cover has the football artwork.”

Collectors wishing to purchase the souvenir covers may send a self-addressed stamped envelope and a check for $8 for the set of three, or $3 for each date desired, to Norwalk Stamp Club, P.O. Box 267-M, Norwalk CT 06856-0267.