Robert Panara Stamp: Price And Rarity

The Robert Panara stamp, issued by the U.S. Postal Service, is a Forever stamp worth 70 cents that features a photograph of Panara signing the word respect. It was issued on April 11, 2017, in Rochester, New York, where Panara taught at the National Technical Institute for the Deaf at the Rochester Institute of Technology. The stamp was the 16th inductee into the Distinguished American stamp series, honouring Panara's contributions to deaf education and his powerful use of American Sign Language to convey literature and drama. The stamp is currently available for purchase on Amazon in sheets of 20 for $33.84.

Robert Panara's life and career

Robert F. Panara, born on July 8, 1920, in the Bronx, New York, was a leading deaf educator in America. He lost his hearing at the age of 10 due to spinal meningitis, at a time when deaf education was nearly non-existent. He attended public school with the help of classmates who took notes for him and learned to read lips, a skill he later became famous for. After graduating from high school in 1938, he went on to study sign language at the American School for the Deaf.

Panara's academic career began at Gallaudet University in Washington, DC, where he studied English and literature from 1940 to 1945. During his time as a graduate student at New York University in 1948, he taught various subjects at the New York School for the Deaf. In 1949, he returned to Gallaudet University as a professor, teaching there for nearly two decades.

In addition to his teaching, Panara had a passion for theatre and poetry. He helped found the drama program at the National Technical Institute for the Deaf (NTID) at the Rochester Institute of Technology in New York, serving as its first deaf professor. He also co-founded the National Theatre of the Deaf and translated several Shakespeare plays, including Macbeth, Hamlet, and Othello, into sign language. He promoted the idea that deafness was not a disability but a unique way to experience the world.

Panara's literary contributions included writing and publishing poetry, such as "On His Deafness and Other Melodies Unheard," as well as collecting works by deaf authors in "The Silent Muse: An Anthology of Prose and Poetry by the Deaf and Great Deaf Americans." He retired in 1987 and passed away on July 20, 2014, leaving behind a legacy of pioneering contributions to deaf education and culture.

In recognition of his impact, the Rochester Institute of Technology named its performing arts theater after him and established a scholarship fund in his name in 1987. Additionally, in 2017, the United States Postal Service honoured him with a stamp as part of their Distinguished Americans series.

The unveiling of the stamp

On April 11, 2017, the US Postal Service unveiled a new stamp honouring the life and work of Robert F. Panara, a pioneering deaf-studies teacher. The stamp was released as part of the Distinguished Americans series, which celebrates notable Americans, and coincided with the 200th anniversary of the American School for the Deaf—the first school in the US to offer formal education for deaf students.

The ceremony began with four deaf students performing the national anthem. The stamp features a photograph of Panara, taken in 2009, signing the word "respect". It was designed by Ethel Kessler, who used an existing photograph by Mark Benjamin, the official photographer of the National Technical Institute for the Deaf at the Rochester Institute of Technology.

David Williams, the US Postal Service’s chief operating officer, spoke about Panara's unique style of expression, describing his graceful signing technique as "not so much as to describe, as to enact".

Panara's son, John, who teaches at the National Technical Institute for the Deaf, spoke about his father's ambition to earn public respect for deaf students. He recalled his father's words: "It’s not the ears but what’s between the ears that counts".

The stamp is a "forever stamp", which means it will always be valid for the rate printed on it. It is available as a sheet of 20 two-ounce stamps.

The design of the stamp

The design of the Robert Panara stamp features a photograph of Panara signing the word "respect". The photograph was taken by Rochester Institute of Technology alumnus Mark Benjamin, who is the official photographer for the National Technical Institute for the Deaf. The stamp inscription "Teacher, Pioneer of Deaf Studies" is printed in white, reading down from the upper-right corner. "Robert Panara" is printed along the bottom edge. The stamp is only the most recent U.S. issue to highlight deaf awareness and to honour a deaf teacher.

The stamp was issued by the U.S. Postal Service as part of its Distinguished Americans series. It is a nondenominated (70-cent) 2-ounce-rate forever stamp. The stamp was issued on 11 April 2017 in Rochester, New York, where Panara taught at the National Technical Institute for the Deaf at the Rochester Institute of Technology. The stamp was issued in panes of 20, offset-printed by USPS contractor Banknote Corporation of America in Browns Summit, North Carolina.

The Distinguished Americans series began in 2000 with a 10-cent stamp honouring General Joseph W. Stillwell. The first 12 stamps in the series were small, featuring illustrations created by Canadian artist Mark Summers using the scratchboard technique. The last three stamps from this group had colour highlights added to Summers' monochrome portraits. In 2011, the Postal Service introduced a larger, horizontal 84-cent stamp honouring stateswoman Oveta Culp Hobby, with a full-colour illustration by artist Sterling Hundley of Chesterfield, Virginia.

The design of the Panara stamp takes a new turn, as it features a full photograph rather than the nearly square colour illustrations featured as the vignette for the previous three stamps. The stamp was designed and art-directed by Ethel Kessler of Bethesda, Maryland.

Robert Panara's legacy

Robert Panara was a leading deaf educator and a pioneer in deaf culture studies in the United States. Born in 1920, he lost his hearing at the age of 10 due to spinal meningitis. At the time, deaf education was almost non-existent, and he had to rely on his classmates to take notes for him in school. Despite these challenges, he went on to become a professor and co-founder of the National Technical Institute for the Deaf (NTID) and the National Theater of the Deaf. He was also a poet, and his work often explored his experience of deafness.

Panara's legacy is closely tied to his advocacy for deaf people and his belief that deafness was not a disability but a different way of perceiving the world. This philosophy guided his work in deaf education and deaf studies, helping to open doors and change minds about the capabilities and contributions of deaf individuals. He promoted the idea that young deaf people should be given opportunities to succeed and that their unique perspective could be a strength rather than a weakness.

Panara's work as an educator and advocate began after he graduated from high school and learned sign language at the American School for the Deaf. He then attended Gallaudet University, where he later returned as a professor and chair of the English department. During his time at Gallaudet, he also taught at the New York School for the Deaf. In 1960, he was replaced as department chair by William Stokoe, a hearing person who held a Ph.D. degree, which Panara did not. This change caused Panara frustration and disappointment.

However, Panara soon found a new opportunity to make a lasting impact on deaf education and culture. He moved to the Rochester Institute of Technology, where he helped establish the National Technical Institute for the Deaf (NTID). At NTID, he offered courses in Deaf heritage, English, Drama, Literature, and more, contributing to his fame and influence in the field of deaf studies. He also founded the institute's drama program, creating some of the first plays for deaf actors and audiences.

In recognition of his groundbreaking work, the Rochester Institute of Technology named its performing arts theater after him and established a scholarship fund in his name in 1987. In 2017, the United States Postal Service honoured him with a stamp in its Distinguished Americans series. Robert Panara's legacy continues to inspire and shape the field of deaf education and culture, leaving a lasting impact on the deaf community and beyond.

The Distinguished Americans series

In 2008, the series introduced colour toning with the James A. Michener stamp. The series underwent another change in 2011 with the Oveta Culp Hobby stamp, which featured a larger format with full-colour images and coloured backgrounds. The Wilma Rudolph stamp is unique in the series, being the only one issued in both booklet and sheet form.

The Robert Panara stamp, issued in 2017, is part of the Distinguished Americans series. Panara, born in 1920, was one of America's leading deaf educators. He lost his hearing at age 10 but went on to pioneer the field of deaf education, promoting the idea that deafness is not a disability but a different way of experiencing the world. Panara taught at Gallaudet University for nearly 20 years and helped found the National Technical Institute for the Deaf, establishing its English department and serving as its first deaf professor. He also translated several Shakespeare plays into sign language and promoted deaf studies as a formal academic discipline.

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