Easterseals picture stamps catalogue

22 items

Easterseals leads the way to full justice, inclusion and access through life-changing disability and community services. More

Easterseals leads the way to full justice, inclusion and access through life-changing disability and community services.

In 1907, Ohio businessman Edgar Allen lost his son in a streetcar accident. The lack of adequate medical services available to save his son led Allen to sell his business and start a fundraiser to build a hospital in his hometown of Elyria, Ohio.
Because of this new hospital, Allen was surprised to learn that children with disabilities were often hidden from public view. Inspired to make a difference, Allen founded the National Society for Crippled Children in 1919, the first organization of its kind.

In the spring of 1934, the organization launched its first Easter "seals" campaign to raise money for its services. To show their support, donors placed the stamps on envelopes and letters. Cleveland Plain Dealer cartoonist JH Donahey designed the first stamp. Donahey based the design on a concept of simplicity.

The lily - a symbol of spring - was officially incorporated as the logo of the National Society for Crippled Children in 1952 because of its association with new life and new beginnings.

The overwhelming public support for the Easter Seals campaign led to a nationwide expansion of the organization and a wave of efforts on behalf of people with disabilities.
In 1967, the Easter Seal became so widely recognized that the organization formally adopted the name "Easter Seals".

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Oldest item

Crippled children (1952)