Love During Wartime #12 Pacific Theater Solder's Footlocker with Homemade Pinups Collection Jim Linderman

Love During Wartime #12 Pacific Theater Solder's Footlocker with Homemade Pinups Collection Jim Linderman

Trench Art with a Twist Hammered copper sculpture made from old copper stills after World War One

Trench Art with a twist, but not all trench art was made in a trench. Generally, the term refers to art sculpture made from expended artillery shell casings. Nothing to do but stay down, cringe at the incoming and hammer copper. However this group of decorative items was made by a different group of soldiers.  As noted on the reverse of the image, These fine examples were made by disabled soldiers as they recuperated. The material is taken from the remnants of old copper stills.  Prohibition provided the material!  World war one ended in 1918.  Prohibition started in 1920.  Must have been a bitter pill to have fought for your country only to return without having even a beer. 
 
The Trench Art  of the Great War website refers to pieces like those above as convalescent soldier art.  The Wikipedia entry for Trench Art suggests "Outsider Art" as a related category.

Original undated, anonymous 8 x 10 press photograph circa 1920.  No credits on photograph. 
Collection Jim Linderman

The Foxhole Art of Emil P. Hill Uncle Willie in Repose

Click to Enlarge  "Uncle Willie as I Last Saw Him" by E.P. Hill 1943 Collection Laura Levine

Master Photographer Laura Levine sends along a fantastic drawing done by a soldier during World War Two.  Laura found it among a group of other interesting  "foxhole art" drawings apparently produced, and swapped around, from the Pacific front.  Uncle Willie was likely a memory which came to a young soldier as he pondered his own fate.  The small packet of drawings include a few by Emil P. Hill and others which are anonymous.  

There was plenty of time to hone drawing skills.  Thankfully many battles were brief, though brutal…and pencil and paper was frequently available.

I've written about foxhole art before…but mostly for the other blog.  The number of accomplished cartoonists and illustrators who emerged after the war is considerable.  Many had their art careers disrupted by the war, others picked up their skills painting on duffel bags for friends.  Those with talent could trade a pinup for smokes.  For some it was the aluminum media of glamour girls done on the noses of bombers.  Many returning vets enrolled in commercial art programs, others did it by falling for those cheap "Learn to Draw" ads in the back of magazines.

One could look up Emil P. Hill and see if he served with distinction, if he made it home, and if he pursued his art career.  I hope he did all three. 

"Uncle Willie as I Last Saw Him" by Emil P. Hill II  Collection Laura Levine  Pencil on Paper 1943

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A few other examples of Trench Art, or what could also be dubbed "Foxhole Art"  appears HERE HERE HERE HERE