Back to RW16   Back to the Federal Index   Home

A LITTLE HISTORY ON THE 16TH (1949-50) DUCK STAMP ARTIST

Roger E. Preuss graduated from the Minneapolis college of Art and Design.  After that, he served in the Naval Reserve and as a northwoods guide.  He submitted a design to the Duck Stamp competition and gained the distinction of being the youngest artist ever to win the contest.  When his painting featuring Common Goldeneyes was chosen for the 16th Duck Stamp, he was only 26 years old.  He was also the first native Minnesotan to win the competition.

In addition to his Duck Stamp victory, he has won 21 national and international art honors.  His paintings have been exhibited in many of the leading galleries and museums, including the Montana State Historical Museum, the Joslyn Art Museum, and the Institute of Contemporary Arts in London.  He has been elected a fellow by the International Institute of contemporary Arts in London.  He has been elected a Fellow by the International Institute of Arts and Letters and is a member of the exclusive Society of Animal Artists.

In addition to his outstanding graphic art, Mr. Preuss has also received awards for his decoys and numerous writings on wildlife.  Some of his work has been published in national magazines such as National Wildlife, Today's Art, Look, Sports Afield and Canada Outdoors.  In addition, he wrote and illustrated the book Outdoor Horizons and created the paintings featured in Twilight Over the Wilderness by Olav Wallo.  As a long standing member of the Outdoor Writers Association of America, his literature has appeared in both foreign and domestic periodicals.

Despite his busy schedule, Mr. Pruess has been active in many conservation organizations.  He was instrumental in founding Minnesota's first hospital for wounded wildfowl.  For 17 years he served as state chairman of the National Wildlife Week committee.  He also held office on the Minnesota State Ducks Unlimited committee for 11 years.  He has been president of the Minnesota Mycological Society and national vice president of Wetlands of Wildlife, Inc.  His conservation work has won him the Wildlife conservationist of the Year Award, the Sports Champion Award, the Audubon Society Art Award and the Art Print of the Year Award.

Despite his many responsibilities and widespread interests, Mr. Preuss still finds time for pleasure and relaxation.  He and his wife MarDee Ann have taken numerous field trips into a great many of our national parks, often studying some of the remotest regions.  He draws a valuable storehouse of information and inspiration from careful observation of the wildlife in these untouched areas.

The Prusses own a second home near Waterville's beautiful Lake Sakatah.  As in their Minneapolis house, the entertain all sorts of friends - human and otherwise.

-------------------------THE ART-------------------------
Common Goldeneyes was done in watercolor wash.  A stone lithograph was made and the prints hand pulled with black ink on white Rives heavy paper.  Each print was signed in pencil by the artist and not numbered.  The image size of the print is 6 5/8" x 9 1/2".

-------------------------THE STAMP-------------------------
Common Goldeneyes...Engraved by the Federal Bureau of Engraving from the original artwork.   Printed in brilliant green ink.  The stamp sold for two dollars.  Postal records show 1,954,734 stamps sold.  First day of sale was September 1, 1949.

Most of the information contained above is from the book Federal Duck Stamp Story, Fifty Years of Excellence, by Laurence F. Jonson; Alexander & Co.  It is used here with permission from the author. For more information on this book, please click here.