Thoreau Made a Hippy

A new United States postage stamp commemorating the 150^th anniversary of the birth of Henry David Thoreau has been designed by painter Leonard Baskin.

The stamp was first placed on sale July 12 at the writer-anarchist’s home town of Concord, Massachusetts.

The stamp came under fire recently from Thoreau devotees on the grounds that it makes bearded, long-haired Henry look like a “hippie.” Indeed, Thoreau’s appearance and his life style may qualify him as one of America’s first “hippies.”