Bureau of Engraving and Printing - 4c 100th Anniversary of Kansas Statehood plate proof - April 6, 1961 - Unisex Heavy Cotton Tee Design

This is a four-color plate proof issued by the United States Bureau of Engraving and Printing on April 6, 1961, marking the 100th anniversary of Kansas statehood.

Visual Elements & Composition

The design is built from the four-color plate process that the Bureau used for its finished work. Each color was engraved and checked separately, so the proof shows the layering that produces the final image. The "4c" in the title records that construction, and the "100th Anniversary" wording sets the commemorative subject in the centre of the composition.

Meaning & Symbolism

Kansas entered the Union as the 34th state on January 29, 1861. Its centenary arrived during the Cold War, when federal agencies often turned to foundational American history to reinforce national identity and unity. Proofs like this one were archival and quality-control standards, checked before any public release, so the image carries both a civic message and the record of a working engraving process. The Bureau produced currency, bonds, and commemorative stamps that reached millions of citizens, and this proof belongs to that same body of government craftsmanship.

Built for the Wearer

A plate proof was made to be examined up close, one colour and one line at a time. On a tee, the design sits on the chest and is seen at conversation distance, where the layered colours and fine detail read clearly. Wearing it puts a piece of mid-century federal engraving and Kansas history in everyday view.