About the stamp

In its announcement of the Nebraska statehood stamp, the postal service wrote about the history of the state and the crane image.

“The stamp celebrates the 150th anniversary of Nebraska’s statehood. Known for agriculture, the Cornhusker State became the 37th state on March 1, 1867.

Nebraska photographer Michael Forsberg set up among the prairie grasses on the riverbank between the small cities of Grand Island and Kearney to capture the image shown on the stamp.

In the photograph, sandhill cranes fly low to scout for shelter from nighttime predators. This mid-migratory rest for half a million birds along the Platte River is unique to Nebraska.

Forsberg captured this image as winter thawed into spring around the year 2000. Art director Derry Noyes designed the stamp using Forsberg’s existing photograph.