Caption
West Virginia's Mountain Vista (2013)
Number
4790
Prompt
A gentle fog rolls through the valleys of the mountains depicted on the stamp. The sun in the image could have a soft, glowing lens flare effect that slowly pulses. The leaves on the trees could subtly shift in color, as if moving through the seasons.
Body
This stamp was dedicated on the 150th anniversary of West Virginia's admission to the Union, with a ceremony held on the steps of the State Capitol in Charleston. The photograph, taken by West Virginia native Roger Spencer in October 2008, looks east from the Highland Scenic Highway (Route 150) in Pocahontas County. This area is part of the vast and beautiful Monongahela National Forest. The stamp's design, with its stunning depiction of the Appalachian Highlands, was intended to evoke the state's slogan, "Wild and Wonderful." Unlike the 1963 stamp that focused on the political and historical aspects of statehood, this stamp celebrates the state's natural landscape, a key component of its identity and a driver of its tourism industry.