Wednesday, November 28, 2012

Brick by Brick: LEGO Shipbuilding at HRNM


A father works with his son at HRNM's 2012 LEGO Shipbuilding program.
Calling all ship builders!  Bring your LEGO ships to the Hampton Roads Naval Museum on Saturday, February 2, 2013. In the spirit of creativity in an age of ever-increasing scientific and technological importance, the Hampton Roads Naval Museum is holding a FREE program about building ships with LEGOs on Saturday, February 2, from 10am to 5pm.

HRNM staff would like people to bring their already-built LEGO ships (made from a kit or from scratch) to display at the museum for the day. At 2pm on February 2, HRNM will hold a ship contest. Prizes will be given to the winners of the best adult-built ship and best child-built ships brought in before 2pm. There will be four age categories, three for children and one for adults (17+). The first and second place ships in each category will win prizes.

Don’t have a ship made already? Never fear! HRNM will set up a ship-building station during the event, where anyone can build their own ships to enter into the contest or create one from HRNM’s own diagrams. All of HRNM’s new ship designs are based on real ship models in the museum gallery. Participants will learn the science behind building ships while using LEGOs. Have fun showcasing your talent while connecting with enthusiasts in the Hampton Roads community!   

LEGO Shipbuilding's 2012 adult winner at HRNM.
Several activities will accompany the event, so be sure to bring your creativity to the Naval Museum. This program is for both children and adults--and don't forget that it's completely free of charge. If you can’t make it to the event, you can set up a time to drop off your LEGO ship prior to February 2. Prior to the event, you can also check out last year's ship model designs on our website.

For all questions and inquiries, please contact Laura Orr at laura.l.orr@navy.mil or 757-322-3108, or visit HRNM’s Facebook page at www.facebook.com/HRNavalMuseum. The event is in coordination with the Civil War Navy Sesquicentennial, an official U.S. Navy Commemoration, and in partnership with the Hampton Roads Lego User Group (HARDLUG) and Bricks 4 Kidz.

Friday, November 23, 2012

"Because Somebody Talked!"- 1944 Poster


This poster is another in the Office of War Information's (OWI) "Loose Lips, Sink Ships" series.  It is currently in the museum's World War II gallery.  Titled ...Because Somebody Talked!, it delivers a powerful message about the consequences of revealing sensitive war information.

Commercial artist Wesley Heyman produced this work that almost did not make it into production.   At the time Heyman was working on the print, a government-approved group of commerical artists and OWI formed a cooperative agreement in which OWI would tell the artists what type of posters were needed and the artists would produce them.  OWI sought to more tightly control the message the government wanted to share.  Artists who were not part of this "Pool of Artists" generally had their unsolicited work rejected.  Heyman was not part of the pool, but he submitted his work anyway. 

Not only did OWI and the Pool of Artists accept Heyman's work, but they printed it in magazines and newspapers, as well as on the walls of government and corporate office buildings.  OWI received thousands of requests from private and public institutions around the country for reproductions.  OWI personnel estimated that they reproduced millions of this poster and that it "shattered all records" for previous poster requests.

One can see why the poster is so effective.  It is very simple, focusing on four items: a gold service star, a cocker spaniel, a U.S. Navy sailor's uniform, and the short text.  The viewer sees the gold service star flag and instantly knows that this home/family lost someone in the war. 

The use of a cocker spaniel instead of a human to convey loss is an important characteristic of the print.  Among other factors, due to high profile "Best in Show" awards at prestigious dog shows like Westminster, the cocker spaniel became the most popular breed of dog in the United States for much of the 1940s and 50s. Thus, it was a dog that many Americans could relate to.  Additionally, if Heyman used a crying widow or mother, OWI might have rejected it, as the office had a policy against posters that portrayed the cold truth about the war. 

Instead, Heyman used the sad-looking cocker spaniel to deliver his message. The dog's eyes pierce right into the viewer's soul. Heyman still gets the message across that somebody in the family is going to miss the sailor without being brutally honest about the horrors of war.

Wednesday, November 21, 2012

Happy Thanksgiving from USS Agamemnon


Included in the museum's collection is this Thanksgiving Day dinner menu from USS Agamemnon (ID#3004).  What's on the menu?  Stewards and cooks served roast young turkey, oyster cocktail, oyster dressing, pickles, candied sweet potatoes, sugar corn, queen olives, fruit, cake, ice cream, cigars, and mixed nuts (which seems to be a staple item of every Navy Thanksgiving meal during the past 100 years).

For the company of Agamemnon, there was much to be thankful for. She made several trans-Atlantic crossings to France during the war while evading German U-boats. During one of the crossings, she collided with USS DeKalb (ID#3010) and stayed afloat.   She even survived an influenza outbreak.  Most importantly, the war was over at the time of the dinner.  The ship's company enjoyed the Thanksgiving meal in France while waiting to bring thousands of American soldiers back to the states.

Agamemnon at Norfolk Naval Shipyard, 1919

Monday, November 19, 2012

USS LST-342 Ship Model




Shown here is a ship model of USS LST-342.  Currently on display in our World War II gallery, the model was constructed for the museum by Howard E. Pierson in 1979.

LST-342 was one of fifty LST-1-class landing ships, tanks built by Norfolk Naval Shipyard during World War II.  Displacing 1,600 tons (empty), the Navy's amphibious forces used these ships to carry men and supplies into contested beachheads.  Capable of carrying about 3,000 tons of cargo, these ships were "blue-water"-capable.  That means they were able to sail independently and not have to be carried into combat by a larger cargo ship.  The Navy deemed these ships so important that they ordered Norfolk Naval Shipyard to stop construction on large surface warships such the battleship Kentucky (BB-66) and get to work on building LSTs. 

The Navy commissioned LST-342 in Norfolk on December 31, 1942, just six weeks after launching with a ship's company trained entirely at Hampton Roads naval installations.  She immediately set sail from Hampton Roads for the Pacific Theater, specifically Guadalcanal.  Loaded up with combat supplies, she then proceed to Rendova, New Georgia, in the Solomon Islands.  At the time, American ground and naval forces had begun Operation Toenails and were engaged in heavy fighting on and around New Georgia.  Unfortunately for LST-342, the Japaneses submarine RO-106 spotted the landing ship at 1:30 a.m. on July 18, 1943, and fired several torpedoes at her.

The torpedoes found their mark and struck LST-342 near the berthing section. Several dozen American causalities resulted from this action.  Notable losses included the entire mess division and its five African American stewards and cooks, and accomplished Navy combat artist McCelland Barclay.  During the war, Barclay designed recruitment posters for the Navy and several types of camouflage patterns.  Read more about him at our command's website.

The wrecked ship was towed to Florida Island for salvage.  The wreck of the ship can still be seen today and has become a minor tourist attraction.  As a postscript, it is worth noting that the legendary sub killer USS England (DE-635) sank RO-106 a year later.

Thanks to Paulo Soukup via navsource.org for the images of LST-342's wreck.

Friday, November 2, 2012

"Bits of Careless Talk," by Stevan Dohanos- 1944

In the museum's World War II gallery is this poster discouraging Americans from talking about ship movements.  This poster was part of the U.S. government's overall campaign to prevent critical information from reaching enemy spies thought to be operating in the United States. Stevan Dohanos, a prolific producer of "Loose Lips Sink Ships"-type posters, created this one.  Other well-known Dohanos works in this category are Loose Talk Can Cost Lives and Award For Careless Talk.

Dohanos is considered by art critics to be one of America's great illustrators.  He painted for most of his life.  His work can be found on many covers of the Saturday Evening Post, U.S. Postal Service stamps, and magazine advertisements. 

Poster work of this type was a slight deviation from Dohanos' style as a "realist" painter.  His work for the Saturday Evening Post, for example, typically depicted ordinary Americans going about their lives, with no attempt to embellish or glorify them (unlike his contemporary S.E. Post artist Norman Rockwell, for example).   These works allow the viewer to take his or her time digesting all the activity occurring in the work.  

Dohanos' World War II posters, however, required the artist to be more abstract and symbolic.  He needed to deliver a hard-hitting, direct message to the viewer.  Award and Bits of Careless Talk both use the symbolism of a Nazi hand wearing a swastika ring.  

In 1938, Dohanos produced a work entitled Keep the Peace for the General Cable Corporation that shows he could effectively mix realism with abstract art.  The result is a stunning and effective illustration.