Gallery 200 Features Philatelic Woodcarvings

     Byrne carved his first stamp in 1985 (the 1969 6 cent "Register and Vote" commemorative), searching for new relief-carving subject matter. Several other contemporary stamps were done over the next 10 years before a 1995 visit to the new National Postal Museum in Washington, DC. There Byrne found a post card showing the six commemorative stamps of 1901, known as the Pan Americans, and the concept of philatelic woodcarving was born. The precision of his work, done entirely by hand without the use of lasers, computers or automated machinery, captures the fine details of the original ornate vignettes which hail the advances in transportation of the previous century. "The Pan Americans are among the most popular stamps ever issued by the United States. More Americans became stamp collectors because of the Pan Americans than any other issue. The carving project was undertaken to provide a lasting memorial to this important series in America's philatelic history," said Byrne.

     The exhibit, Philatelic Woodcarving 1985 - 2003 at Gallery 200, will be a retrospective on the development of the fine craft. The American Philatelic Society has recognized Byrne's work and identified him as the only known active philatelic woodcarver in 2003. The Pan American carvings were exhibited at the Society's headquarters from January 2002 through August 2005. Additionally, they are featured on the Chicago Collectors' Club website, www.askphil.org. Philatelic Wood Carvings 1985 -2003 will also break new ground for Gallery 200 as the first bilingual art exhibit in the Gallery's 2 ½ year history. For more information, visit www.westchicago.org or call Gallery 200 at (630) 293-9550.