I really gotta remember to send in my money for a membership.  I wish I could put up a poll on this.

Here's a picture of blues singer Robert Johnson, and a picture of what the post office did with the stamp they made from the photo:
[center]
[img]http://www.davehitt.com/nov02/johnson.gif[/img][/center]

As you can see, the post office removed Mr. Johnson's cigarette.

So, is this too much "for the children" crap for you, or do you think it was a reasonable move, or do you think it's a dishonest rewriting of musical history?

-Nick Viejo.

By the way, I got the idea from this post from [url]http://www.davehitt.com[/url].

It's not the same picture.  The stamp version looks like it was BASED on the above photo, but it's not the same photo.   You can tell by the angle of the guitar neck.  It's not the same.

Whether or not he had a cigarette in his mouth really doesn't change the musical history.  

Yes, obviously it's not the same picture, as it is cropped differently, from a different angle and so forth.  According to the source of this photo, though, only two photographs of Robert Johnson exist, so naturally the Postal services rendition is based on the photo shown.

Was he smoking in the other photo?

The stamp was created to honor Robert Johnson, not to honor the [i]photograph[/i] of Robert Johnson. Whether or not the stamp is true to the photo is inconsequential; I think the stamp is a more flattering image. If the stamp were meant to be true, it would not have been in color, either.

Regardless, this issue was hashed out pretty thoroughly in like 1994 or 1995 when the stamp was issued.

The stamp is an artist's rendering based on the photo.  The artist changed the background too.  Is that any different than not putting a cigarette in his mouth.  I don't see the big deal.

I don't like it.
Next thing you know they will make a stamp of FDR of him standing by himself.

Photos these days are altered so easily, that every attempt should be to make the images true.

To anwser Qbit's question of "Was he smoking in the other one (photo)?"
No he was not.  IIRC He is shown standing in a suit with a hat on, leaning on the guitar.  It is the one they used for the cover of the anthology CD.

I don't see a problem with the stamp.  If you want to rant, rant on the Bob Marley photo on the cover of "Legend".  The early editions clearly show him smoking a doobie.  It has been erased in the more recent prints.  That is foolishness.