Chien-Shiung Wu 2021 Forever Stamps — Nuclear Physicist Commemorative, Panes of 20

The portrait

Wu is shown in a black-and-white high-collared qipao. Kam Mak drew the illustration in graphite first, then rendered it in egg tempera. The background is painted in lapis lazuli — a pigment historically reserved for angels, nobility and religious figures, and expensive enough that its use was always a statement.

On the spelling of her name

The stamp uses the form Wu wrote herself and used to refer to herself, which is also how the scientific community knew her. It follows the Wade-Giles romanization, now largely obsolete; Pinyin is the standard for Chinese characters in both China and the United States today.

Credits

Art director Ethel Kessler designed the stamp with original art by Kam Mak. Issued as a Forever stamp in panes of 20, always equal in value to the current First-Class Mail 1-ounce price.

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