Poster stamp with an image of Columbia

Poster stamp from the Council Against Intolerance (CAIA) featuring an image of Columbia, distributed between 1946 and 1947. Poster stamps were collectable stamps, slightly larger than postage stamps, with designs similar to posters. Although they were not valid for postage, poster stamps could be affixed to letters and envelopes as a means for fundraising, propaganda, and educational purposes. The stamp features an image of Columbia, a female personification of the United States. She was modeled after Greek gods, with fair skin and golden hair, and was often adorned in all white to symbolize purity; or in red, white, and blue, the colors of the U.S. flag. Images of Columbia were widely published throughout the 19th and early 20th centuries, and she was often depicted as the embodiment of America. Her image was typically used in conjunction with issues of the day, including westward expansion, immigration, and war propaganda. Depictions of Columbia declined during the 20th century, and she was gradually replaced by Uncle Sam and Liberty. The CAIA was a group based in New York, founded by James Waterman Wise in 1938. The CAIA staged public gatherings, radio shows, and created teacher manuals and books that preached against intolerance and prejudice, arguing it was un-American, and would undermine national unity in a time of war.