Tucked into glorious overblown gilded frame, a touching portrait of two handsome sailors from the late 19th Century, with subtly hand-tinted cheeks. It is a pity their hat bands bear no ship’s name as it is always fascinating to find out that bit more about the background to these isolates images of unknown men. I’ve added a convenient tag for these splendid gold frames and other decorative mounts, gathered together here.
A pair of handsome sailors (the one on the right is a particular looker, I think!), posing by a painted seascape in 1914 - what a pity this is so small, the lettering embroidered on their hat bands is too indistinct to pick out and discover more about their ship.
In celebration of American Archives Month, the National Archives is teaming up with the The Academy of American Poets. Throughout the month we’ll be publishing original poems inspired by the holdings of the National Archives. To view the poets performing their original work, visit the National Archives YouTube Channel.
Today’s poem, “Much Tattooed Sailor Aboard USS New Jersey” by Jehanne Dubrow, was inspired by a photograph of sailors during World War II.
Lt. Comdr. Charles Fenno Jacobs took this photograph of two sailors in December 1944. Jacobs was part of the Naval Aviation Photographic Unit—a group of military photographers, under the command of Edward Steichen, who documented activities of the United States Navy during World War II.
There’s this feeling I sometimes get watching humans do the cool things that humans have been doing for thousands of years. It makes my chest expand and my heart thud and I love it. I love this.
On October 13, 1775, the U.S. Navy was established. What we have pictured here are some sailors saluting the American flag on the USS Recruit. The USS Recruit was a ship built on dry land, used as a Navy training vessel. In order for sailors to get their sea legs, they would first be trained on the USS Recruit.
So here at the National Archives at Riverside we thank the fine people of the Navy for going on 244 years of service.
If you are interested in Naval records on the USS Recruit please come in and visit us or check out the National Archives catalog.
