Sheet of Vivien Leigh postage stamps, Royal Mail
Record status
Individual type · partial
This item is a sheet of twelve postage stamps issued by the Royal Mail in 1985. Designed by British graphic designer Keith Bassford, the stamps were adapted from a 1938 photograph taken by Welsh photographer Angus McBean. The stamps feature an image of the actress Vivien Leigh dressed in costume for the title role of Serena Blandish, which she performed at the Gate Theatre in 1938.
The sheet consists of four rows of three stamps each. Printed on paper using printing ink, the stamps feature perforations along their borders, and the reverse side of the sheet is coated with adhesive. Each individual stamp reproduces McBean's photographic portrait of Leigh, accompanied by the monarch's silhouette profile and denomination markings.
Evidence at a glance
- Linked sources
- 1
- Photograph views
- 1
- Catalogue references
- 0
Counts describe this entry’s documentation, not authenticity, rarity or completeness. Photographs may show one specimen; check each caption and licence.
Historical context
The Royal Mail issued this stamp in 1985 as part of a series celebrating British Film Year. Leigh was the sole woman featured in the issue, which also commemorated Charlie Chaplin, Alfred Hitchcock, Peter Sellers, and David Niven. The featured 1938 stage production was adapted by S. N. Behrman from Enid Bagnold's novel 'A Lady of Quality', with Esme Percy directing after replacing Laurence Olivier. McBean's original portrait was sent by Leigh's agent, John Gliddon, to David O. Selznick in Hollywood during an attempt to secure a screen test for Scarlett O'Hara.
Physical characteristics
- Material
- Printed paper, the reverse coated with adhesive
Technical characteristics
- Maker recorded
- Bassford, Keith; The Royal Mail
Identification
- Source note
- Transcribed from the Victoria and Albert Museum collection record for this single object; how far it represents a wider collectible type has not been independently verified.
- Museum object name
- Postage stamps issued by the Royal Mail, 1985, featuring an image of Vivien Leigh (1913-1967). Designed by Keith Bassford (b.1949) from a photograph by Angus McBean (1904-1990).
- Museum object number
- S.192-2020
Catalogue references
No catalogue numbers recorded. Numbers are only published once transcribed from a verified edition of a standard catalogue — they are never inferred.