James Hoban, the White House and the Post Office (An Post) stamp design collection

We were delighted to work with NCAD Visual Culture student, Colleen Baker, who spent time at NIVAL on a placement during her ‘Visual Culture+’ year (third year) in the spring of 2025. Here is a piece that Colleen wrote, reflecting on her time at NIVAL and one artist in particular that interested her.

For the past few months, I had the great opportunity to undertake an internship placement at the National Irish Visual Arts Library (NIVAL), where I was working with the stamp design collection donated by An Post via Stephen Ferguson, the Assistant Secretary of An Post and the curator of its museum and archive. The collection features materials dating from the early twentieth century to the early 2000s; my task was to catalogue the unadopted stamp design collection. Through this experience, I gained an in-depth understanding of Ireland’s changing identity and what mattered to the country throughout the decades. I discovered so many interesting campaigns and designs that truly reflected the era that they came from.

One day while I was going through one of the boxes, I came across a large collection of material that caught my eye. The collection contained stamp designs, envelopes, newspaper clippings, and other ephemera, all relating to the James Hoban Commemoration stamp of 1981. James Hoban (1758-1831) was a renowned Irish architect from Kilkenny. He was involved in the construction of many important Irish buildings such as Dublin’s City Hall and the Custom House. He is best known for designing the White House in Washington D.C., eventually immigrating to the US where he lived the rest of his life.

Through my research, I found out the James Hoban Commemoration stamp was the first joint issue between the Irish Post Office and a foreign postal union, this being the United States Postal Service. Both stamps featured the same design on which artists from both postal unions worked together. They were Irish artist Ron Mercer, who designed the image of Hoban, and American designer Walter D. Richards, who provided the drawing of the White House. The colour scheme is relatively simple with shades of brown and green, the text on the stamp being ‘James Hoban White House Architect’ along with the stamp values.

There isn’t much information on Irish artist Ron Mercer, but he did contribute to designs for the Department of Posts & Telegraphs throughout the second half of the twentieth century. NIVAL holds some works of Mercer – there is a photograph taken by him of the IAAF 1979 World Cross Country Championships held in Limerick. There is also a painted stamp design by him for the 1981 postage stamp commemoration of the centenary of the Land Law Act of 1881. While specific biographical details about Ron Mercer are limited, his work in stamp design highlights his artistic talent and collaboration with prominent designers.

Probably one of the most intriguing items in this collection I came across was a bi-fold document, titled ‘Dedication Ceremony James Hoban Stamp’ with a drawing of the White House which was done by Hoban. I opened up the document to find a detailed biography of Hoban along with a print of the stamp and the date and location of the ceremony that would take place on 29 September 1981 in the White House. Also mentioned were the attendees which were the US Postmaster General William F. Bolger, Ireland’s Ambassador to the United States, Sean Donlon, and the First Lady at the time, Nancy Reagan. I was very interested to find out about this event. I discovered it was to announce the stamp’s release.

NIVAL holds a newspaper article with a photo of the day which shows Nancy Reagan with William F. Bolger and Sean Donlon in the Rose Garden of the White House standing beside an enlarged version of the Hoban stamp. Another article I found about the day was written by journalist C. Belmont Faries who attended the event. He noted that ‘Mrs Reagan made the point that her green blouse was not worn by accident’. He noted the weather stating it was ‘a clear blue sky, bright sunshine, and a temperature just right for an outdoor reception’. Sean Donlon was heard saying it was ‘a typically Irish day’. I can’t help but imagine this was said sarcastically. To me, this was such an amazing insight of the day. Ireland issued its Hoban stamp on that day, but the United States waited two weeks for the anniversary of 13 October, 1792, laying of the cornerstone of the White House.

This stamp was a significant release for both America and Ireland. It is interesting the different ways it was promoted, for example, another item I came across was a radio script dated 4 October, 1981, produced by the NPR Network (National Public Radio) for the radio programme ‘All Things Considered’ which first aired in 1971 and is still broadcasting today. The subject of the script: ‘New Stamp/James Hoban’. The script is a conversation between radio host Lee Ann Breeding and Jack Williams who worked with the US Postal Services, discussing James Hoban, the stamp itself, and when listeners can buy the stamp. The script is informative but mostly light-hearted and humorous, one of the lines being ‘James Hoban? I don’t know. Was he a character in an Agatha Christie novel?’ It’s an amusing piece of history that NIVAL holds.

It wasn’t all sunshine and roses for this release, however, as many of the American newspapers commented on the fact that the stamp would be the first commemorative stamp to be issued at the price of 20c instead of the previous 18c – this was not a welcome change for most, it seemed. An article written for the Baltimore Sun stated that Hoban is ‘destined to become a disliked figure. Not his fault. It’s just that the Postal Service has chosen an unfortunate way to honor the architect: his picture will adorn the new 20-cent stamp we’ll have to attach to letters’.

The release of the James Hoban stamp served to strengthen the relationship between Ireland and the United States. By recognizing a prominent Irish-American figure, for the Irish the stamp was a source of national pride. Washington Correspondent James H. Bruns wrote an article for Linn’s Stamp News stating, ‘The joint issue appears to be only one of a series of events over the past few years aimed at strengthening Irish-American ties … Last September, Ireland’s Minister for Foreign Affairs Brian Lenehan seemed to have captured the flavor for the joint new issue when he told an American audience, “Countless men and women who sailed from the 32 counties of Ireland over the last 200 years carried little in the way of material wealth … But they brought with them their intelligence, their courage, and their sense of pride … With little worldly advantage, but inspired by positive faith in their ability to triumph over adversity and hardship, they became one of the great stocks of America and helped to build the most powerful democracy the world has ever known.”‘ To both countries, this stamp symbolised how Irish people had contributed to global history, particularly in the way of politics and architecture. This was an era when Ireland was grappling with economic challenges, and the stamp offered a sense of historical pride and recognition. It was an important acknowledgment of the global impact of Irish people and their cultural contributions. 

My time working with the An Post stamp design collection at NIVAL was an incredible experience that deepened my understanding of the strong historical and cultural ties between Ireland and the United States. The process of cataloguing and researching stamp designs not only enhanced my appreciation for Ireland’s evolving identity, it has been a journey of discovery, where I uncovered hidden stories, learned about the intricate nuances of Irish culture, and worked with materials that are part of a broader historical narrative. I am grateful for the opportunity to contribute to NIVAL’s work while gaining valuable skills and insights that I will carry with me in my future career. My experience at NIVAL has deepened my connection to Ireland’s rich artistic and historical heritage, and I leave with a lasting appreciation for the role that cultural preservation plays in maintaining the ties that bind nations and communities together.