Resorts at Sea: July 2012

As I was writing last month’s Resorts update, I was just completing what one may call a devouring of Who Was Who in American Art. It’s a reference guide to American artists active from 1898 to 1947. Roughly 50% of my artist list for this project was covered; better than I had hoped. The book, as well as encouragement and new avenues of exploration, was provided by a new acquaintance.

Also in my greedy clutches is an article from The Studio detailing the works onboard the President Jackson-class of 1940, which is a boon. Why? Because it’s illustrated!

 

The President Jackson of 1940. Seven ships were in this class. Only two
returned to serve for American President Lines.

I’ve also identified about half a dozen artists still living. The youngest is 87, the oldest 95. I’ve written them, and so far have heard from two. One did a mural for the United States, and is possibly the last of the artists who did work for any of the big public spaces on the superliner. The other did work for the President Hayes, one of the aforementioned President Jackson-class. The latter was decorated through a contest held by the Maritime Commission and the Section of Fine Arts, a Federal Works Agency; basically a piece of FDR’s New Deal.

There are several books out there regarding the hundreds of post office murals created through the New Deal, but only a handful of ships were decorated in this manner. Over 400 artists entered over 1,400 designs as part of this contest. If there are images of each entry somewhere in some archives, one could almost do a book on those alone.

But let’s try to finish this one first.

 

 The 1950 President Jackson on the left, the super Del  Norte on the right.

I stumbled across the Wolfsonian Library during a recent Google search. There I found a rendering of a proposed super Del Norte, for the Delta Line, of which I found a brief mention in the Pacific Marine Review. From the outside, it’s easy to mistake it for the ill-fated President Jackson-class of the early 1950s. The President Jackson’s were requisitioned by the Navy for the Korean Conflict and never saw service under the American President Lines flag. Both were designed by the firm of George G. Sharp. This has led me to definitely include a chapter on the ships that were designed, but never made it off the drawing board. (It’s been on the bubble.)

In a weird twist, I think I may have found the patent application describing Emile Norman’s technique used in creating his decorative screens for the Observation Lounge of American Export Lines’ Independence. If it’s not, then it’s what led up to it. And I really want to dig behind an article I have regarding American Export’s plans for their own version of the United States. She would’ve been roughly the same size, but not as fast.

While this picture is in the Tourist and Cabin Class brochures,

it's really the playroom for First Class on the ss United States.

I’ve also been focusing on Charley Harper. If I ever have kids, they will be raised on Looney Tunes, and the works of Charley Harper. His illustrations are pure elegance and simplicity. He did the prints that hung in the Tourist Class Children’s Playroom on the United States. I have a brochure with photos of the Tourist Class public spaces, however, the one noting the children’s playroom is actually for First Class. Whoops! To be fair, the records say Charles Harper did the prints, but given that Charley Harper illustrated a children’s book in 1950, and the playroom prints are labeled The Goose That Layed the Golden Egg, Little Boy Blue, Three Little Pigs, Jonah and the Whale, Rock-a-Bye Baby, and Humpty Dumpty, I think I’m safe in making the leap.

The more I dig into the backgrounds of these artists, it’s not hard to conclude that the arts play a vital role in our society. Many of the artists had stints as teachers – they paid it forward. Many of them have works in museums and collections around the world. They've created a legacy to inspire generations to come.