The idea for the 1926 Ericsson Memorial Issue came from the John Ericsson Memorial Commission, which had raised funds to create a memorial to the inventor. Postmaster General Harry New approved the stamp with less resistance than almost any other issued during his tenure. To accommodate the height of the statue, the stamp had to be vertical, and was the tallest U.S. stamp issued up to that time. The statue itself pictures Ericsson seated in a chair with figures representing Vision, Labor, and Adventure standing around the memorial. The view on the stamp shows Vision directly above Ericsson.