The 37-cent R. Buckminster Fuller commemorative stamp was issued on July 12, 2004, in Stanford, California. Carl T. Herrman of Carlsbad, California, designed the stamp.
The stamp honors inventor, architect, engineer, designer, geometrician, cartographer, and philosopher R. Buckminster Fuller (1895-1983) on the 50th anniversary of his patent for the geodesic dome, his most famous invention. Hailed as "one of the greatest minds of our times," Fuller was renowned for his comprehensive perspective on the world's problems. For more than five decades he developed pioneering solutions that reflected his commitment to the potential of innovative design to create technology that does "more with less" and thereby improves human lives.
The stamp artwork is a painting of Fuller by Boris Artzybasheff (1899-1965). The painting, which originally appeared on the cover of "Time" magazine on January 10, 1964, depicts Fuller's head in the pattern of a geodesic dome. Geodesic domes and a number of his other inventions, including the DymazionTM Car, a geodesic dome being airlifted by helicopter, the 4D Apartment House, and several objects and models that reflect the geometric and structural principles he discovered surround him.
Ashton-Potter (USA), Ltd., printed 60 million stamps in the offset/microprint "USPS" process.