Love During Wartime letters home with hand drawn cachets World War Two

A heartbreaking entry in the “Love during Wartime” series on the blog. A series of letter envelopes from a soldier to his love back home in 1942, each with a hand drawn cachet. Thanks and a tip of the hat To Boxlot on Facebook. Collection Dull Tool Dim Bulb

Love During Wartime wood carving

A folk art miniature carving entirely from one piece of wood, even the tree. Dated 1945, and likely a gift to honor a soldier home, or to encourage the start of a family tree! A mere 3 inches tall, with original paint. Folk Art Carving of a Couple 1945 Collection Jim Linderman

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

Love During Wartime Risque Matchbooks of World War Two

Risque set of graphic Matchbook Covers circa 1940 - 1945.  Somewhat primitive renderings of "what the boys are fighting for" pinup propaganda.  Several manufacturers produced them, and they were dispensed as give-a-ways in places men gather.  Collection Jim Linderman.
Love During Wartime is a continuing series on Dull Tool Dim Bulb

Love During Wartime Anonymous Photographs Continuing Series

Pair of Vietnam-era amateur photographs.  Love During Wartime is a continuing series on Dull Tool Dim Bulb the Blog.  Collection Jim Linderman

Love During Wartime Nookey Ration Card

"Tear off a piece" ration card 1943.  Collection Dull Tool Dim Bulb
Love During Wartime appears in periodic posts on the blog

Love During Wartime Hand-painted Duffel Bag with Pinup

Pacific Theater Duffel Bag with painted by hand with Pinup.  Circa 1945.
Collection Jim Linderman
From the continuing series Love During Wartime on Dull Tool Dim Bulb

Love During Wartime Vietnam Edition. Pair of Snapshots

Love during wartime, Vietnam Edition.  Identified as "house girls" on reverse.  Anonymous photographs, circa 1970 Collection Jim Linderman  One of a continuing series on Dull Tool Dim Bulb.

WW2 Folk Art "Winged Angel" Trench Art drawn on a Pillowcase Love during Wartime

World War Two Folk Art "Winged Angel" Trench Art drawn on a Pillowcase.  Northeastern United States c. 1945.  Framed behind plexiglass with screws.  Collection Jim Linderman.  Courtesy Natalie Curley Antiques. "Love during Wartime" is a continuing series on Dull Tool Dim Bulb.

Love During Wartime Number 5 Wall on the Bar

Love During Wartime #5  Hand-painted pinup women on the wall of the Serviceman's Bar Original Snapshot c. 1945
Collection Jim Linderman

Love During Wartime (Korean War Edition)

#4 in the Love During Wartime series is a hand drawn envelope cachet from a woman to her husband in the air force.  1954  2" x 2" ink on paper Collection Jim Linderman

Love during Wartime Anonymous Vernacular Photograph circa 1940

Love during Wartime Anonymous Vernacular Photograph circa 1940  
Collection Jim Linderman

Andi Gustavson and the Personal Pin-up Project Love and Humanity During Wartime in Photographs

What could well be among the most meaningful uses of photography has gone all but undocumented, but doctoral candidate and researcher Andi Gustavson is compiling AND sharing the humble objects in a remarkable new database. Gustavson has created THE PERSONAL PIN-UP PROJECT which is a remarkable way to collect, archive and share that most precious of photographs.  The ones carried into war by loved ones.

Andi is a P.H.D student at the University of Texas at Austin and a teacher of American Photography and visual culture.  As she writes, "I am collecting the private photographs that service members carried or kept with them during their time in the military. These personal “pin-ups” can be snapshots of loved ones taken by the soldiers themselves or pictures of women or men who posed for the camera and then sent that snapshot off to war. I am looking for the photograph kept in the pocket, or worn in the helmet, or hidden in the gear of each service member. These images of loved ones do not often make their way into archives or art galleries. And yet, if most military members had one special photograph with them when they went away to war, then there must be thousands of these snapshots—in shoe boxes under beds, tucked into the back of closets, left in journals or letters, or stored on cellphones. The Personal Pin-up Project brings together the private images scattered across thousands of homes into a public and digital archive."

The Personal Pin-up Project is a public digital archive of the private images taken and kept by many American veterans and their loved ones. There is currently no archival repository to collect such a specific subset of war-related photographs that were, nevertheless, very common.  It is also a practice not only never documented, it is the most profound and deep function of a photograph imaginable.  An image of a loved one, miles away, preciously saved as a reminder, a talisman, an object to be loved, shared and treasured.  What more important function can a humble picture have?

Ms. Gustavson has hit on a universal truth and heart-wrenching practice previously ignored.  She has the site up and running.  It allows anyone to upload a photograph of their loved one as a tribute and an honor.  The person who they carried with them during the most difficult and testing challenges they would ever face.  It is fair to say every single soldier, regardless of gender or rank, had a precious image they carried.  While Andi's emphasis is on Cold War images, she recognizes that with digital technology, the intimate and personal pictures may have changed form, but their purpose remains the same: a small bit of humanity in the least human situations.

Take a moment to browse the website Andi Gustavson has created which allows participation from any soldier or veteran.   The project is just getting off the ground, but it offers a splendid opportunity for anyone to create a tribute to their loved ones who helped them survive the unfortunate brutality of war.  You may wish to share the links with family members.

THE PERSONAL PIN-UP PROJECT IS HERE

FOR INFORMATION OR QUERIES CONTACT WRITE personalpinupproject@gmail.com

Life, Love and Folk Art During Wartime Pistol Packing Mama of Wood collection Jim Linderman

A lonely soldier writes his mother from the front.  As noted on the reverse, "Pistel Packing Mama" was carved by Bill Nicewater from company L.  Now some speculation.  The young soldier writes "Remember Righting me about this Mom?"  I think Mom warned him about those woman available to soldiers.  More information on Pistol Packing Mama and dames with guns is HERE (my article on the origins of the armed pin up.)  Will there ever come a time when boys who aren't even old enough to spell won't have to leave home to kill their brothers?

Note rudimentary bars constructed on the window of home.  This was most likely not to keep out animals...but the enemy.  I hate every single thing about war except the humor young men are able to retain under the most horrible circumstances

World War Two Snapshot of a folk art carving by Bill Nicewater.  Circa 1943.  Collection Jim Linderman.

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Untitled (Love during Wartime) Watercolor

Untitled Watercolor, 6" x 8" Irregular Anonymous circa 1918 Collection Jim Linderman